Warner Brothers
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Netflix bends over, agrees to delay renting Warner DVDs
Oh sigh. We'd been hearing that Warner Brothers would be pushing for month-long rental delays for mail-order services in order to boost sales, and it looks like Netflix has been pushed into submission: under an agreement announced today, Warner Brother DVDs and Blu-rays won't be available to Netflix subscribers for 28 days after they're released for sale. What's worse, Netflix says it expects to reach similar deals with the other major studios as time goes on. Why would Reed Hastings agree to a clear imposition on his company's rights under the first-sale doctrine? We're guessing this is the only way the studios would open up and allow more movies to hit Watch Instantly -- and the AP says Netflix is also getting a discount on the actual discs. Yeah, it's lame, but honestly we'd rather take more streaming content over new releases in the mail straight away, so let's hope all this wheeling and dealing pays off.
All Warner theatrical Blu-ray releases to include DVDs
Here's a trend that Disney started that's taking over the Blu-ray landscape -- in the first quarter of 2010 all Warner Brothers theatrical Blu-ray releases will include a DVD and a digital copy. This is obviously good for consumers when the price stays the same as it adds value to Blu-ray without adding that much of an additional cost to the studio -- and we have to say that we prefer two discs in the box to the double sided disc that Universal seems to want to use. We expect both discs in one box to be the new norm and the bottom line is we think this is a good thing because we only want to pay once to see a movie, but totally love the flexibility to watch it any way we please.
Poll: Do you plan on participating in a DVD to Blu-ray trade-in?
First Warner, now Disney, we're wondering if any of you are actually interested in any of these DVD trade in programs? Besides the issues of availability & selection there's whether or not you get to keep your old discs, and the simple hassle of participating. Still, clearly the studios think there's a market for these programs to get people jumping into Blu-ray discs and players, so let us know, are you biting? %Poll-38287%
Fox and Warner want 30 day kiosk rental windows, maybe Netflix too
In this economy everyone is looking for ways to decrease costs and increase income, but evidently that might not be good news for those of us who prefer to rent movies. While Redbox has already filed suit against Universal and now Fox in response to them imposing a 30 day delay, starting in October, Warner will simply "change its terms". The interesting twist here is that the new 28 day delay from Warner also applies to "mail-order subscription services" -- but there is a new day-and-date revenue sharing option. This should be fun to watch play out, but we'd be shocked if Netflix and the studios didn't work something out, and hope that Netflix won't also have to involve the law in order to protect its first-sale doctrine rights. Read - Redbox files suit against Fox Read - Warner offer kiosks titles 28 day delay
Warner Brothers rejects non-English-speaking Gossip Girl fans
Warner Brothers has a very successful setup in Second Life, centered around its popular Gossip Girl property. All isn't exactly rosy there, of late, as WB's actively moderated environment collides with Second Life's and Gossip Girl's rather broad popularity demographics. Warner Brothers uses the Metaverse Mod Squad for active moderation of the Second Life presence. The question is, how do you moderate conversations in languages you don't understand? The answer, it seems, is that you don't. Visitors who communicate in languages other than English are warned to switch to English. Failure to comply sees the visitor ejected.
Warner Bros. 'Archive' brings obscure films to DVD on-demand
Being the digital aficionados that we are, we still prefer Criterion's Online Cinematheque over this approach, but those not quite ready to give up physical media will absolutely (and understandably) disagree. At any rate, the studio has just fired up its Warner Archive, a nice little web portal where film fanatics can surf over and locate niche titles to be placed on a DVD and shipped out. Most of the flicks are priced at $19.95, but that's still far cheaper than scouring eBay for hours in hopes of finding the original reel, having it converted and then watching it. Head on over to see if there's anything you like, but don't be shocked if you leave a few Benjamins poorer.
Warner Bros. plans to support CBHD, the format war is back on -- at least in China
It seems appropriate that after striking the fatal blow in the war between HD DVD and Blu-ray, Warner is the first to break rank and ally itself with the China Blue HD team. Ready to enter the ordinary Chinese consumer's family, according to Managing Director Tony Vaughan, the Harry Potter series, Speed Racer and others will launch for 50-70 yuan ($7.30 - $10.22) per disc. Excuse us while we pick our jaws up from the floor, but with at least one Hollywood studio in pocket and 1999 yuan ($292) players on the way the son of HD DVD looks remarkably closer to a real Blu-ray competitor (and less like the destined for the scrap heap reject we predicted) than ever. With DVD sales shrinking and Blu-ray not quite ready to pick up the slack, how long until another studio decides the Chinese market has enough potential to publish movies on CBHD? [Disclosure: Engadget is part of the Time Warner family][Via Format War Central]
Warner gets official with The Dark Knight BD-Live extras
Not like we haven't heard about these much anticipated features already, but it's always refreshing to get it straight from the horse's mouth. Or Warner Home Video's mouth, in this case. The Dark Knight marks the studio's very first foray into the controversial world of BD-Live, and what's apt to be the best selling BD of the year will pack quite the interactive punch. Owners with Profile 2.0 players will be able to "host their own Live Community Screenings with friends, record and post user-generated commentaries over the film using My WB Commentary, access more The Dark Knight content exclusive to Warner Bros. BD-Live, get sneak peeks and trailers of upcoming Warner Bros. films, create an online library of Blu-ray movies, manage a wish list for upcoming releases and connect to the WB store." As we've already seen in a number of instances, there's also a hint of a BD-Live-assisted interview with director Christopher Nolan "during a special Live Community Screening." For the full spill, give that read link a gentle tap.
Warner Bros. ends home video / DVD business in South Korea, piracy to blame
Those guys look pretty passionate, wouldn't you say? It's folks like that (we presume) that have forced Warner Brothers' hand, and now the studio will end its home video and DVD business in the nation of South Korea. According to an unnamed official at Warner Brothers Home Video Korea, "one of the reasons for the pullout is a slump in the video and DVD market, resulting from online piracy and illegal downloading," and amazingly enough, Warner Bros. is actually the last remaining Hollywood company to pull out of the region. Instead, the firm will focus on "digital distribution," and given that just about everyone and their grandmother has access to the internetz in South Korea, we'd say that's probably an intelligent move.
Speed Racer DVD Digital Copy not iTunes-friendly
Sam, an avid TUAW reader, emailed us about a recent DVD purchase he made. You may ask, "what's so special about that?" Well, he bought a copy of Speed Racer that was supposed to contain an iTunes Digital Copy. As you can see in the pictures he emailed us, the outside of the DVD box says it is PC/Mac compatible and works with iTunes. When he got home and opened it up, however, inside the box it says that it is "Not compatible with Apple Macintosh or iPod devices." He even tried it to see if it would work, but alas it didn't. Be sure to take a look at the pictures in the second half of the post, and you can get an eyeful of this strange decision that Warner Bros. made.Do you think Sam should be able to get a refund for this mistake? We certainly do! Has this happened to you? Be sure to sound off in the comments!Thanks for the tip and pictures, Sam!
Warner Bros. to launch Casablanca / Austin Powers Blu-ray box sets
Warner Bros. isn't content with just loosing The Polar Express on 3D Blu-ray -- oh no, it's got another pair of titles set for a holiday launch. Famed classic Casablanca will finally be getting the Blu-ray treatment it deserves this December 2nd when it arrives in Ultimate Collector's Edition form. The $64.99 package ($59.98 on DVD) is reportedly "elegantly boxed in an intricate laser-cut Moroccan design and will include such collectibles as replicas of actual props (Victor Laszlo's "Letter of Transit") as well as a number of Warner studio documents. Going from one of the greatest love stories of all time to one of the raunchiest comedies of the past, oh, score, Austin Powers Collection: Shagadelic Edition, Loaded With Extra Mojo will be uncomfortably landing alongside the aforementioned gem on the same day. The collection-only package will include the entire trilogy in Blu-ray high-def for $74.98.[Image courtesy of ValleyArts]Read - Casablanca releaseRead - Austin Powers release
The Polar Express makes 3D Blu-ray debut on October 28th
Oh boy, we can see where this is headed. Not that 3D Blu-ray Discs are a bad thing, though. Anywho, shortly after Hannah Montana was announced as being the first to bring 3D to BD, along comes The Polar Express to call "shotgun!" Warner Bros. has announced that the visually pleasing film will make its 3D Blu-ray / DVD debut on October 28th, with the title coming bundled with four sets of 3D glasses. The Blu version will go for $34.99, while the DVD edition will demand $20.97. Anyone plan on picking this up to see if the hype is warranted?
A Star is Born getting 6K makeover: is it worthwhile?
While many film lovers across the universe are still itching to watch something in 4K, studio execs are already eying the next best thing -- or are they? The 1954 A Star is Born will soon be undergoing a 6K restoration makeover prior to its release on Blu-ray, and while this may sound impressive to those not in the know, industry experts have varying opinions on the worthiness of such an undertaking. According to Lowry Digital Images' Chief Technical Officer John Lowry, the 6K transfer "is just an attempt at marketing position," noting that "everything on film is captured at 4K." Listening to The Film Preserve's Robert Harris could make you believe otherwise, as he asserts that while there is only a "slight" advantage to preserving the film in 6K, it's still important to "get every last drop you can." (Not surprising considering his occupation.) Nevertheless, we'd recommend hitting up the read link for a few interesting viewpoints on 6K, and get on down to a 4K theater before it becomes "so last year."
Warner set to lower Blu-ray Disc prices for the holidays
Not that it's really any surprise, but one particular studio is taking a stand and looking to lower Blu-ray Disc prices. In an effort that's far too late (but quite welcome) by our estimations, Warner Home Video will reportedly be launching an initiative in Q4 2008 that will "essentially enable retailers to order participating catalog titles for around $11." For the consumer, this means you can look forward to seeing older titles like The Fugitive, Enter the Dragon, Clockwork Orange, The Shining, The Aviator, Road Warrior and Swordfish with price tags much lower than the traditional $20 to $25. Newer releases won't be promoted quite as heavily, but prices on those are still expected to be lower than what we've been seeing. Now, if all the other firms would follow suit (and BD player manufacturers would get those sub-$200 decks on shelves), we'd be all set.
Gamerscore Blog needs your Project Origin questions
The attractive and sweet smelling members of Gamerscore Blog will soon be visiting Monolith, developers of the upcoming F.E.A.R. sequel Project Origin. They won't just be sitting down for tea and crumpets either. No, they will be asking Monolith questions. That's where you come in, see, as they are now accepting questions for their jaunt to Monolith's headquarters. All you have to do is head over to Gamerscore Blog and submit a question. There are no guarantees that any particular question will actually be asked, but we imagine the good ones will rise to the top. Our top question: why didn't they pick our submission in the sequel naming contest?In related news, our friends at Gamertag Radio recently sat down to talk with Monolith themselves. Head over to GTR for the interview.
Warner's $400 mil payoff rumor rides again
Some rumors never die, and this one we heard even before the official Warner press release was issued. Now that the format war is officially over, newspapers and magazines everywhere are looking back on the events preceding Toshiba's announcement. While no one really knows why each studio made its decision, The Globe and Mail cites "analysts" who think the payoff was a factor. Well, we asked Warner point blank about the payoff rumor and Kevin Tsujihara, president, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group said that it "was not a bidding war" and that it really came down to Q4 sales. This answer leaves us with the impression that while some money probably changed hands, the real reason why Warner went Blu was because during all of 2007 the Blu-ray versions of Warner's titles always outsold the HD DVD. The bottom line is that regardless of any single payoff, since Warner owns most of the home media market, it had the most to lose if it waited too long to chose a format. [Disclosure: Engadget's parent company's parent company is Time Warner, which also owns Warner Bros.]
Second Life content creators face genuine dilemmas
Content theft has always been something of an issue in Second Life, though there seems to be less of it going on in per capita terms than in the physical world. That said, it is interesting to see Second Life content creators increasingly moved towards positions maintained by music and movie publishers in the physical world. "Why would anyone walk into a store and spend 400 or 500 Linden on a dress, if they can get a dress of similar quality for free or very cheap from a reseller," asks Ziggy Quirk.
Warner drops HD DVD, goes Blu-Ray only
The question we find ourselves asking is "what does Michael Bay think?" Warner Bros. Entertainment today announced that the company will discontinue releasing its movies on HD DVD beginning in May of this year in favor of Blu-Ray exclusivity. The decision comes as Warner Bros. CEO Bary Meyer airs concerns that "The window of opportunity for high-definition DVD could be missed if format confusion continues to linger." In other words, if one format doesn't win out soon, a newer format could dominate them both. Digital downloads, perhaps? Maybe Michael Bay was right after all. Whatever your position in the format war (we're happy with our DVDs, thanks), this represents a big blow to HD DVD, and rumor has it that Warner Bros. received a hefty chunk of change in exchange for Blu-Ray exclusivity.So, starting this summer, your 360 HD DVD player might be feeling a bit lonely (except for the fine films from Paramount and Dreamworks, of course). We're guessing you'll still be able to pick up Warner Bros. movies off of Video Marketplace though.[Via EngadgetHD]
XM and Universal settle Inno lawsuit, Warner next?
The labels and XM have been fighting it out over XM + MP3 players for a while now, but it looks like Universal Music Group is finally backing down, signing a multi-year settlement agreement covering recording-capable XM radios like Pioneer's Inno. Terms of the agreement weren't released, but everyone sounds happy, with XM CEO Nate Davis calling the settlement "a win for everyone involved, especially for consumers." Of course, that means XM is now in a suit with just most of the RIAA instead of all of it, but the outlook's not all bad: Reuters is reporting that Warner and XM are close to settlement as well. No word on when that might go down, but Reuters says it'll be "soon." Now if only the other labels would get it together, no?Read - XM and Universal settlement press releaseRead - Reuters blurb about XM and Warner settling
Cinemassively: UES Insider - Noob to Knockout
Warner Brothers created a promotional Machinima showing the Metaverse Mod Squad making over a newbie in Second Life. It is narrated by Gossip Girl, the character in the TV show that anonymously blogs all the happenings in Manhattan's Upper East Side. She starts out by explaining that there was an asian-themed party for Blair Waldorf's 17th birthday. All of the familiar faces were there, but a mystery girl stood out in the crowd. They go on to show how she went from "noob to knockout."The video, created by WB Worldwide TV Marketing – New Media, in conjunction with Reitz-Lange Productions, is a fun look at what goes on in the Gossip Girl sims. However, it could have been so much better had they not left the UI in the shots. You can clearly see chat going on in the bottom left corner. Another complaint is that the press release calls it an "animated video." This is supposedly the first in "The Upper East Side Insider" series, so hopefully next time they'll call it what it is; Machinima.[Thanks, Stormy!]
