Is Disney Done with DVD? (The Never Ending Blu-Ray Debate)

[The_Iceflash]

DVD will always exist until Digital Distribution takes over. Blu Ray is just the optinoal upgrade if you choose.

Digital Distribution?

Why do I see the quality of the movies going down with something like that?

[DarthPrime]

Digital distribution is a long way off, if it every really takes off with movies.

The way the economy is, and from my experience talking to people about Blu-ray lately DVD is hear to stay for awhile. I think unless the studios "kill" DVD it will always be around with Blu-ray. I know its unpopular on film forums to say that Blu-ray and DVD will exist together. I know most are ready for DVD to die, but the general public I don't think are ready for it too yet.

The way things are going right now Blu-ray want beat DVD as quickly as DVD beat VHS. However Blu-ray want be like Laserdisc either.

I really like Blu-ray, but honestly lately I hope DVD sticks around for awhile. I really like picking up cheap movies, even if they are not HD or have lossless audio.

[2099net]

Bottom line: DVD to Blu-Ray isn't as practical of an upgrade as VHS to DVD.

Being as DVD is compatible with Blu-ray players, that has to be the most illogical statement I have ever read.

[rs_milo_whatever]

I doubt "practical" is the word you were trying to use, try "obvious".

[The_Iceflash]

I doubt "practical" is the word you were trying to use, try "obvious".

Yes. That would make more sense.

[leuchtmuschel]

I think, Disney will provide DVD the next years. Even Blu-ray is an enormous success, not every people will notice the ongoing change in rising quality of pictures, or will understand it, or has money to do it.

Disney will sell DVD as long as it will be possible.

The true question for my opinion will be: “Will I make it down on DVD?”

My answer is: “Yes, I do!”

I think it is worth to invest my money on Blu-ray discs for my home cinema. It is worth to buy a HDTV-Display, a new surround processor, and a new digital Blu-ray drive.

I will buy new films on Blu-ray. I only have to buy missing seasons from two series on DVD to complete my collection.

I have a reputable collection on DVD. It was worth the money. But I won’t buy a film twice! DVD fits fine for all my films, I buy in the past. I only make exceptions for a few Disney classics I most love.

I think that such individual decisions from every people make Disney a done with DVD in the next years. It will be supported from the wish of managers to sell the same films on the market again.

[DarthPrime]

Apparently Disney is thinking about raising prices on some Blu-ray titles... Personally I think this is a terrible ideal.

FEB. 3 | Walt Disney’s studio entertainment unit’s fiscal first-quarter earnings dropped 64% as DVD titles such as WALL-E and The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian failed to keep pace with year-earlier releases such as Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, Ratatouille and High School Musical 2. The company, whose sales from older DVD titles also fell, said it was looking to cut costs related to its DVD marketing, production and distribution while possibly raising prices on some of its Blu-ray titles.

Studio entertainment operating earnings for the quarter ended Dec. 27 were $187 million, down from $514 million a year earlier. The division’s sales declined 26% to $1.94 billion and accounted for 20% of the parent company’s revenue, down from 25% a year earlier, the company said in a statement today.

Disney’s DVD sales were consistent with the broader decline in home entertainment demand last year, as the U.S. economic downturn caused customers to cut discretionary spending. Last year, U.S. home entertainment spending fell 5.7% from a year earlier to $21.7 billion despite Blu-ray Disc sales tripling to about $750 million, according to data compiled by Video Business and Rentrak.

"It's clear that the economy has had an impact on DVD sales," said Disney Chief Executive Officer Robert Iger on a conference call with analysts today. "We need to be more selective on what we choose to make and what we choose to distribute."

Iger added that, with many of Disney's Blu-ray titles including features such as a standard-definition of the film and other extras, the company may be able to raise prices on such titles.

Disney last year had about 12% of the U.S. home entertainment market, trailing Warner Home Video, News Corp.’s 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment and Viacom’s Paramount Home Entertainment. WALL-E was the sixth best-selling DVD last year despite a Nov. 18 release date, while the studio’s Enchanted was No. 9. Disney’s No Country for Old Men tied Lionsgate’s 3:10 to Yuma as the third most-rented DVD of last year.

Overall, Disney’s net income fell 32% to $845 million, or 45¢ a share, from $1.25 billion, or 63¢, a year earlier, as sales fell 8.2% to $9.6 billion, the company said today. Disney, whose media networks and parks and resorts units also saw earnings declines, was expected to earn 53¢ a share on $10.17 billion, the average analyst estimates in a Thomson Financial survey.

Disney shares fell more than 7% in extended trading at about 5:30 p.m. Eastern time today

http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA ... l?nid=3513

[The_Iceflash]

Apparently Disney is thinking about raising prices on some Blu-ray titles... Personally I think this is a terrible ideal.

FEB. 3 | Walt Disney’s studio entertainment unit’s fiscal first-quarter earnings dropped 64% as DVD titles such as WALL-E and The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian failed to keep pace with year-earlier releases such as Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, Ratatouille and High School Musical 2. The company, whose sales from older DVD titles also fell, said it was looking to cut costs related to its DVD marketing, production and distribution while possibly raising prices on some of its Blu-ray titles.

Studio entertainment operating earnings for the quarter ended Dec. 27 were $187 million, down from $514 million a year earlier. The division’s sales declined 26% to $1.94 billion and accounted for 20% of the parent company’s revenue, down from 25% a year earlier, the company said in a statement today.

Disney’s DVD sales were consistent with the broader decline in home entertainment demand last year, as the U.S. economic downturn caused customers to cut discretionary spending. Last year, U.S. home entertainment spending fell 5.7% from a year earlier to $21.7 billion despite Blu-ray Disc sales tripling to about $750 million, according to data compiled by Video Business and Rentrak.

"It's clear that the economy has had an impact on DVD sales," said Disney Chief Executive Officer Robert Iger on a conference call with analysts today. "We need to be more selective on what we choose to make and what we choose to distribute."

Iger added that, with many of Disney's Blu-ray titles including features such as a standard-definition of the film and other extras, the company may be able to raise prices on such titles.

Disney last year had about 12% of the U.S. home entertainment market, trailing Warner Home Video, News Corp.’s 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment and Viacom’s Paramount Home Entertainment. WALL-E was the sixth best-selling DVD last year despite a Nov. 18 release date, while the studio’s Enchanted was No. 9. Disney’s No Country for Old Men tied Lionsgate’s 3:10 to Yuma as the third most-rented DVD of last year.

Overall, Disney’s net income fell 32% to $845 million, or 45¢ a share, from $1.25 billion, or 63¢, a year earlier, as sales fell 8.2% to $9.6 billion, the company said today. Disney, whose media networks and parks and resorts units also saw earnings declines, was expected to earn 53¢ a share on $10.17 billion, the average analyst estimates in a Thomson Financial survey.

Disney shares fell more than 7% in extended trading at about 5:30 p.m. Eastern time today

http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA ... l?nid=3513

That's....interesting..

[ZOOMBOOM0688]

OMG! DISNEY is STUPID if they raise prices...They already have the most expensive movies from all the other studios...

[cms382]

I have a PS3 and Aladdin would only look a little bit better on Blu-Ray than it does upscaled, only minor details and color banding were a problem. As for the more detailed films, they will gain a lot more. Not that I won't buy every single DAC on Blu-Ray, because I just jumped on the Disney DVD collecting bandwagon last year, and I missed the older Platinums, and the new special editions are less than special.

[The_Iceflash]

OMG! DISNEY is STUPID if they raise prices...They already have the most expensive movies from all the other studios...

This will probably hurt the sales a bit.

[MrIncredible]

OMG! DISNEY is STUPID if they raise prices...They already have the most expensive movies from all the other studios...

This will probably hurt the sales a bit.

Judging by the prices on HSM3, which I have NO interest in, but the fact it's Disney's first combo title (for a major new release like this), in the flyers already, looks like these combo titles might actually be a bit cheaper, seeing as Future Shop has it for like $29, which is actually a bit less than the average BD price (here in Canada) of $30 - 33. So, maybe it might actually bring the prices down.

But it looks like another studio is taking this same road- Fox just announced that Marley & Me, coming at the end of March, is gonna be a Blu-ray/ DVD combo, so I have a feeling more studios are gonna jump on this combo bandwagon over the next year or so, as they did with digital ipod copies last year, and within a year or two, all DVD titles will be in combo packs with Blu-ray.

My only concern now, is that the average consumer might not know about these titles being combos, as the casing and covers look very Blu-ray like (which, I prefer the smaller BD cases myself), causing a bit of confusing, so maybe if they phase DVD- only release will also end that consumer confusion.

[ZOOMBOOM0688]

This will probably hurt the sales a bit.

Judging by the prices on HSM3, which I have NO interest in, but the fact it's Disney's first combo title (for a major new release like this), in the flyers already, looks like these combo titles might actually be a bit cheaper, seeing as Future Shop has it for like $29, which is actually a bit less than the average BD price (here in Canada) of $30 - 33. So, maybe it might actually bring the prices down.

But it looks like another studio is taking this same road- Fox just announced that Marley & Me, coming at the end of March, is gonna be a Blu-ray/ DVD combo, so I have a feeling more studios are gonna jump on this combo bandwagon over the next year or so, as they did with digital ipod copies last year, and within a year or two, all DVD titles will be in combo packs with Blu-ray.

My only concern now, is that the average consumer might not know about these titles being combos, as the casing and covers look very Blu-ray like (which, I prefer the smaller BD cases myself), causing a bit of confusing, so maybe if they phase DVD- only release will also end that consumer confusion.

I know it says they will bring up Blu-ray prices but I was mostly talking about their DVD prices how they keep most of their titles at $19.99 when other studios have the "BARGAIN BIN" prices...

I understand that they do this because they are "DISNEY" and to retain value but some of their DVDs that are not Big classics should be out there for $10 or less...

[Goliath]

We are getting a DVD re-release of Snow White aren't we? (I noticed the trailer neglected to say so but the trailer is on the Blu-ray so that may be the reason).

Of course we are! Disney is not going to release *only* a BD of Snow White, because, as we all know, BlueRay isn't catching on with the general public (and with the curren economic crisis, I don't think it will anytime soon).

[Rudy Matt]

...because, as we all know, BlueRay isn't catching on with the general public...

Liar. Blu-Ray is ahead of where DVD was in terms of adoption rate after debut.

[CampbellzSoup]

...because, as we all know, BlueRay isn't catching on with the general public...

Liar. Blu-Ray is ahead of where DVD was in terms of adoption rate after debut.

shhh. they don't want to hear about Blu Ray's success.

I always buy the Blu Rays - awesome investments.

Oh...I thought Blu's would have got the "Book Case" like Sleeping Beauty oh well.

[drfsupercenter]

...because, as we all know, BlueRay isn't catching on with the general public...

Liar. Blu-Ray is ahead of where DVD was in terms of adoption rate after debut.

Heh, the funny thing is it's actually called Blu-Ray, not BlueRay.

Blu-Ray players may be selling fast (because they play DVDs), but the actual discs aren't. I believe it was Neilsen who said that less than 5% of all households in America own a Blu-Ray player (and obviously they wouldn't be buying movies if they don't have a way to play them)

[Marky_198]

Liar. Blu-Ray is ahead of where DVD was in terms of adoption rate after debut.

In the time when the first DVD's came out everything was different.
People didn't know anything about digital discs.

People know a lot more now, and the general audience just isn't interested in Blu ray. I'm sorry if it's hard for you to hear.
It's a nice gadget for the audi/videophiles though.... but it will stay that way

[Rudy Matt]

In 2008, approximately 36 million units were sold of Blu-ray titles, an increase of over 300% from the previous year. After the Christmas buying season, the sales for Blu-Ray discs have skyrocketed in January and February, and Blu-Ray titles are now on pace to sell 100 million units by the end of 2009.

Truth. Not lies, not bias, not "oh, no, my 600 NTSC DVDs are obsolete", not luddite "NTSC is good enough"...

Blu-Ray is expanding every day, the idea that "as we all know, Blu-Ray has failed blah blah blah" is a lie, spread by a certifiable Blu-Ray hater.

Can't wait to see Pinocchio in Blu-Ray High-Definition.

[The_Iceflash]

...because, as we all know, BlueRay isn't catching on with the general public...

Liar. Blu-Ray is ahead of where DVD was in terms of adoption rate after debut.

Again. So was PS3's sales in relation to the PS2's sales. Now the PS3 will be lucky to get a fraction of the PS2's sales in the end.