DayAndDate
Latest
Big theater chains team up against Netflix's first movie
Unsurprisingly, there's one group that's not at all excited to hear Netflix and IMAX are arranging for the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon sequel to hit theaters and streaming at the same time: movie theater owners. According to the LA Times, Regal, AMC, Carmike and Cinemark have all stated they don't plan to screen Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: The Green Legend on their IMAX screens when it arrives next year, while Variety notes Canada's Cineplex and Europe's Cineworld are also staying away from the flick. The studios blocked a planned experiment to sell Tower Heist viewing for $60 a pop (honestly, they saved everyone there) back in 2011, but it seems doubtful they'll be able to intimidate Netflix into backing down.
Netflix and IMAX will get 'Crouching Tiger 2' on the same day
Netflix's tight relationship with The Weinstein Company has scored another win, and the streaming service's first big movie debut -- but definitely not its last. The two revealed tonight that next year when the sequel to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon arrives in theaters, it will also be available streaming on Netflix at the same time. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: The Green Legend also shares a writer, John Fusco, with another Weinstein/Netflix team-up, the Marco Polo series that's arriving next year. So far, studio efforts at sending movies home day-and-date with their theater release like this year's Snowpiercer have centered around VOD, but Netflix subscribers worldwide (the movie is being shot in English) are getting this flick at no extra cost. Back in 2011, Universal wanted to charge viewers $60 to watch Tower Heist at home instead of the theater, weeks after it debuted -- this seems like a slightly better value.
Redbox, Sony extend distribution deal, keep the movies flowing with no delays
While Redbox's parent company Coinstar rejoiced over earnings results that showed revenue growth that was partially due to last year's price hike, the kiosk movie renter had more good news after extending its DVD licensing deal with Sony Pictures. This means Redbox can rent Sony movies the same day they go on sale in stores and has the option to license Blu-ray movies as well through September 2014, when Sony will have the option of two one-year extensions. We'll still have to wait and see if it can work out an arrangement with Warner and Disney, and what its streaming service has to offer, but more new movies right away is always good.
Trine 2 will be available for Mac on Dec. 7
Puzzle-based action/platformer Trine 2 is coming out this week, and developer Frozenbyte has announced that the Mac version will drop alongside the Windows version on Steam. If you want to get a copy outside of the Steam system, you'll have to wait until sometime next year, but even with the "DRM," Steam is usually a good choice to go with, even on a Mac. Frozenbyte is of course no stranger to Mac gaming, having just recently released a solid bundle for the Mac (as well as other platforms like Windows and Linux -- which is actually getting Trine 2 later on anyway). Trine 2 is looking like a really terrific game, expanding on the first title in the series by adding in new puzzles and puzzle types, making the lush graphics look even better, and including full online or local co-op gameplay. Trine 2 will be unlocked on December 7 -- it's $15 for the standard game, or $24.99 for a collector's edition that includes an art book and soundtrack. [via MacNN]
Disney to release Tangled on Blu-ray and 3D March 29th
As promised, Disney has scheduled the release of Tangled in Blu-ray (two disc) and Blu-ray 3D (four disc) combo forms with a $40 and $50 MSRP (currently available for $24.99 and $29.99, respectively, on Amazon) on the same day, March 29th. It's the first animated flick from Disney to come home day-and-date on 3D with 7.1 audio, behind the scenes featurette, deleted scenes, extended songs two alternate versions of the opening and a montage celebrating it as the 50th animated classic from Disney. Trailer and more details are after the break.
Lionsgate first to sign content deal with XStreamHD
XStreamHD is the videophile's digital distribution dream, but a dream is what it has remained for almost three years. The bad news is the 1TB Whole Home Media Server and clients aren't shipping yet, but the good news is one of the big studios has signed a deal with XStreamHD to distribute titles day and date with DVD, as well as access to 12,000 catalog titles. This, of course, has to be one of many such deals if the service is to be successful -- high quality 1080p video and DTS-HD alone won't be enough. The content isn't the only thing that concerns us though, as the up front cost for hardware (we admit we really like the user interface) and the $9 monthly service fee is a lot to swallow for the privilege of renting movies at $3 to $6 a pop. We'll reserve judgment until we get to play with it for ourselves, but distribution deals like this and a great demo is a good start, if you can call it at start after all this time. The full details are tucked in the press release after the jump.
Paramount, Redbox keep DVDs and Blu-ray discs in kiosks the same day they go on sale
It looks like not all of the remaining Hollywood studios are putting the 30-day brakes on providing movies to Redbox, as Paramount has concluded after a ten month study that it has "minimal" effect on DVD sales. Dennis Maguire, President of Paramount Home Entertainment says the company is "allowing the consumer a choice of how to consume our movies while maximizing the profitability of our releases in the home entertainment window" while Redbox prez Mitch Lowe looked forward to joint marketing programs. That puts another studio on deck to provide the Blu-ray rentals we're expecting to see later this year and is a pretty sharp contrast to recent deals with Fox and Warner delaying low cost rentals to protect their day one sales and premium rentals on video on-demand.
Roku digital video player adding Amazon Video On Demand
Roku owners looking to go discless are one step closer, now that Amazon Video On Demand will be available on the box after a free software update in early 2009. Fulfilling the promise of more "big name" providers to come, flicks like The Dark Knight, Pineapple Express or any of Amazon's 40,000 other titles can be purchased and played back to the TV for a 24 hour window. The bad news? Max bitrate is an h.264 compressed 1200Kbps. Not bad if SD only is your bag, but we're even more eagerly awaiting another Amazon VOD HD rumor.
FCC chairman "doesn't support" Hollywood's request for selectable output
In December of 2007, we candidly wondered if 2008 would be the year for selectable output control. We reckon we should re-pose the question with "2008" replacing "2007." Broadcasting and Cable is reporting that Kevin Martin doesn't support Hollywood's request for selectable outputs, noting that the final decision would have to wait for the next chairman. It's widely expected that Martin will step down just days before Obama is sworn in, but in the January 15th meeting on the topic, he'll likely stifle the MPAA's plans. For those unaware, SOC would enable content to hit HD VOD outlets before DVD, but in exchange, it would only be allowed out of the set-top-box via encrypted digital outputs. Obviously, those with older TV sets wouldn't be able to take advantage, thus the chairman's hesitation to allow it. Maybe next year, Big Content.[Via LA Times, image courtesy of DansData]
Lionsgate exec speaks on day-and-date DVD / VOD releases
Day-and-date VOD / DVD releases -- occasions where a film is released on disc and via video-on-demand channels simultaneously -- have been happening on a small scale for awhile now, and according to a bigwig at Lionsgate, it'll remain that way for some time to come. While speaking at the annual Global Media and Communications Conference, Michael Burns told the crowd that "retail relationships were still too important for studios" when asked about the subject, noting that "we don't want to piss off retailers." Not a surprising stance for a studio vice chairman to take, we guess, but an unfortunate one regardless; holding up progress on the digital delivery front for fear of retailer rebuttal? Puhlease.
The Lake House will be the first movie to debut on DVD, Blu-ray and HD DVD on the same day
The romantic drama The Lake House starring Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock will be a day-and-date release on HD DVD & Blu-ray with the standard DVD version on September 26. The HD DVD version will be a combo DVD/HD DVD disc meaning only 15GB of storage for the high definition film, while the Blu-ray edition will ship on a single-layer 25GB Blu-ray disc. The space difference hasn't been a problem so far on HD DVD so we don't expect it will be here. No word on any extras yet although we can probably expect the same ones as the standard-def DVD release. The HD DVD version will be priced slightly higher in line with other combo releases, but have the ability to play in a regular DVD player. Much like the first combo disc released for HD DVD, Rumor Has It, we're really puzzled by the choice of movie but welcome the trend of films coming out on next-generation formats without any delay.
Warner's first HD-DVD/DVD combo disc, additional titles announced
HD-DVD is moving the movement, with their latest announcement that we will see the first back-and-forwards compatible movie hitting store shelves May 9. Rumor Has It (which I have never heard of) will contain a high definition version on one side and a standard definition DVD on the other. The second piece of good news is that it will premiere on the same day as the standard definition release. The bad news is that this hybrid disc is going to cost you $39.99, a 135% premium over just the standard DVD as eHomeupgrade points out.Also announced today for HD-DVD release are Goodfellas, Swordfish and Training Day, all of which will cost $28.99.Now we'll see if anyone is really interested in future-proofing their DVD library, especially at such a price. Blu-ray also has similar types of discs on the way; with neither format expected to gain that much traction in its first year, getting consumers to build up libraries of content and locked into a format early could be key. That said, content will mark the true victor in the next generation wars, and with the "special features" provided by Eva Mendes and Halle Berry I see where Warner is going early and I kind of like it.
