Blu and Exclusive: AMAZON, TARGET and BEST BUY to offer BD exclusive editions / Also: BD-Live "disc-free" capability forthcoming

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Note: the following news is courtesy of our friends at VIDEO BUSINESS »

Sept. 25 | Marcy Magiera's blog

The fan/sleuths over at Bluray.com are reporting that Target (& Walmart) has several exclusive Blu-rays coming next week, including GREMLINS and a less expensive THE WIZARD OF OZ from Warner Home Video, and a MONSTERS VS. ALIENS BD/DVD combo pack from DWAnimation/Paramount.

And The Digital Bits is reporting that those may be followed by Target exclu SKUSs on two other Warner titles in November, GONE WITH THE WIND and THE GOONIES.

These kind of exclusive deals have been growing since Summit Entertainment divided the market and conquered with TWILIGHT earlier this year. You'll remember Summit delivered the TWILIGHT Blu-ray only to Target and Best Buy on initial street date, but made a super deluxe Ultimate Collector's box set available later through Amazon only.

More recently, Universal made cult faves SHAUN OF THE DEAD and HOT FUZZ first available on BD exclusively at Best Buy.

The studios are going to keep rewarding the retailers that put heavy support behind Blu-ray Disc — namely, Best Buy, Target and Amazon.

If Blu-ray routinely hits 25% of title sales this Q4, like Fox's WOLVERINE, maybe more retailers will start giving the newer format the same support the big 3 do.
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(bonus article #1 below)

Blu-ray will penetrate mainstream by next year — Set-top price tags expected to fall through Q4

Sept. 24 | Blu-ray Disc will penetrate the mainstream by next year, according to an NPD analysis of the demographics of set-top player buyers.

The research company analyzed the types of consumers using Blu-ray set-tops in February 2008 and those using Blu-ray set-top players this August. Over the months, the Blu-ray consumer base broadened beyond early adopters, which NPD calls "cutting-edge" consumers to "sensibles," older people who can afford new technology but don´t rush to buy it, and "dreamers," who want new gadgets but are deterred by price. If this trend holds up through the heavy holiday shopping period, NPD expects Blu-ray players will start getting described as mainstream products early next year, breaking them free of their current niche status.

Cutting-edge consumers make up just 20% of the U.S. population, according to NPD, and are not large enough of a group to move products into the mainstream. In early 2008, the cutting-edge made up 64% of Blu-ray users. By late this summer, that had tapered off, however, with cutting-edge consumers making up 38% of the Blu-ray base.

At the same time, Blu-ray use among more mainstream groups, sensibles and dreamers, grew. Though these mainstream consumers are considered vital to a product's sales because they make up about 42% of the U.S. population, according to NPD, in 2008, they made up just a small fraction of the Blu-ray usage base, at 22% combined.

By August 2009, however, the mainstream sensibles and dreamers grew to make up a combined 37% of Blu-ray users. That is an encouraging sign for major Blu-ray acceptance, especially as companies keep rolling out price discounts to further spur mainstream adoption.

By September, not yet considered prime shopping season, many branded, Web-capable Blu-ray set-tops are selling for below $200. That tag should steadily fall through the fourth quarter, considering previous season´s downward trajectories.

Continue reading...
View the entire news report at VB's website.

By Susanne Ault
Video Business, 9/24/2009
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(bonus article #2 below)

Blu-ray Web connection possible without disc — New technology offers studios other ways to access BD Live

Sept. 23 | Blu-ray Disc interactivity developer Related Content Database (RCDb) has created technology that enables more direct downloading to Blu-ray set-tops.

Currently, BD Live material is generally accessed through software embedded into Blu-ray discs. Users must insert BD Live-enabled discs into players to view Web-based bonus features.

With design partner Videon Central, RCDb has come up with a disc-free solution that will increase the number of ways studios can offer content to Blu-ray hardware owners. Going forward, studios could offer extra content to Blu-ray households that isn´t tied to a specific Blu-ray disc.

This technology is expected to be integrated into future Blu-ray set-tops but is not available on existing models.

"Blu-ray Disc players not only deliver the highest-quality home entertainment experience, our joint solution with Videon Central gives studios another path to the living room and a direct connection to their audience," said Zane Vella, CEO of RCDb.

Todd Erdley, CEO of Videon Central added, "By bringing our solutions together, we deliver a compelling experience to connected Blu-ray Disc players. The partnership with RCDb enables seamless access to Internet-delivered services and content for the consumer and in turn allows the manufacturer to build best-of-breed, high value, differentiated products."

By Susanne Ault
Video Business, 9/23/2009

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