Latest Gear Live Videos
Juno Movie Available Via iTunes
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Fox Searchlight, Comedy, Home Entertainment, New Releases, Technology,
While iTunes users have become used to seeing selections from Disney, DVD offerings from other studios have not come as quickly as some might have liked. But it looks like things may soon change.
Just today, Fox made Juno available for download via the popular site. This is the same day the Oscar-nominated film was placed on store and rental shelves. It’s likely the studio will allow more current titles to be sold in the future, but no immediate plans have been announced.
Meanwhile, Paramount has also started to dabble in Apple‘s waters as well. The company recently offered up Beowulf for purchase shortly after it debuted on DVD in February.
At last check, Juno (on sale for $14.99) was iTunes’ top seller.
Variety
Advertisement
Netflix Outage Should Result in Only Minor Delay
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Corporate News, Home Entertainment, Movies,
If you experienced the breakdown Monday on Netflix’s site between about 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. PST, you will be happy to know that you were one of 7.5 million users that went through frustration when you couldn’t get your movie fix. The company says that there may be a delay in orders by a day and may credit some accounts to make up for the problem. This is the second time the site has been down, the first occurring last July when the Netflix lowered its prices.
(Thanks, Mike)
Read More 
| USA Today
Pitchfork TV to Feature All Music Online
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Corporate News, Internet, Movies, Music,
Pitchfork Media is launching an online music TV channel April 7. Think of it as “YouTunes.” The site will feature mini-documentaries, music sessions, concerts, interviews, and music videos. They will also offer films, concerts, and music DVDs at no charge. With full creative control, the original site already has events, reviews, and news tidbits, and is simply moving up the technological ladder with Pitchfork.tv.
Pitchfork promises a hi-res display and will be adding personal playlists so you can save your faves. Let’s hope that the company sticks to its standards and offers music other than a monotonous Billboard Top Ten.
Read More | Pitchfork Media
Blockbuster vs. The Beatles
Posted by Shannon Bennett Categories: Classics, Music, Musicals, Home Entertainment,
I’m pretty sure my local Blockbuster has committed artistic blasphemy. Allow me to explain:
About a week ago, I was in the mood for something fun and nostalgic, so I swung by Blockbuster to rent a copy of Help!, which, for anyone who doesn’t know, is the second film The Beatles made.
Now, Blockbuster didn’t carry it, and that doesn’t shock me too much as it’s not one of the more monumental of their films. But, upon further prying, I discovered that they didn’t have A Hard Day’s Night, Magical Mystery Tour, or Let It Be either. The very nice girl at the counter did tell me (with a degree of excitement), that they carried Across the Universe, which she thought was just ... awesome. At this point, I had to quickly excuse myself before I began to do my hostile re-education routine on a complete stranger.
Click to continue reading Blockbuster vs. The Beatles
Toshiba Stops HD DVD Production
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Picturehouse, Universal, Corporate Shakeups, Home Entertainment, Technology,
It’s official. HD DVD is DOA.
Toshiba finally announced Tuesday what had been rumored for days—it is pulling out of the high-definition market. Although the HD DVD system preceded Sony’s product, Blu-ray sales have steadily outpaced its competitor.
In the past few months, major studios have aligned themselves with the Sony brand. Even though Paramount and Universal continued to offer their titles on HD DVD, it was clear the Toshiba format was being crippled.
Recent decisions made by Wal-Mart and Netflix helped drive a nail into the HD DVD coffin. The companies announced they would no longer be making the high-def option available to its customers.
Shipments of the Toshiba systems will wrap up by March.
Hollywood Reporter
Best Buy To Emphasize Blu-ray
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Editorial, HDTV, Home Entertainment, Movies,
Round two. In a “no surprise” move (since Netflix is doing the same), Best Buy said that it will recommend that its customers choose Blu-ray when purchasing a DVD Player/Recorder.
“Because we believe that Blu-ray is fast emerging as that single format, we have decided to focus on Blu-ray products,” said President and CEO Brian Dunn.
You will notice the hardware and software change by March, although they will also carry HD products. We suspect you will find them in the mark down aisle and, while you are there, check out the bargain DVDs.
Read More | Reuters
Apple May Lower Price for TV Show Downloads
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: NBC, Internet,
Despite a severed relationship with NBC Universal, Apple is supposedly considering lowered prices for iTunes users. (Lack of pricing flexibility had been a point of contention in the NBC failed negotiations). Currently, downloads of television shows cost $1.99/each. If changes are made, consumers may soon pay only $0.99 for song and episode purchases.
It’s expected that many entertainment companies will balk at the proposal fearing slashed prices would hurt their bottom line. Why would fans still purchase boxed-set DVDs if packaging a season online proves more cost-effective? But Apple conversely believes that reducing prices would actually boost revenue for all parties involved.
There’s no indication at this time when or if this strategy may ever take effect.
Read More | Variety
DVD-Sniffing Dogs Help Curb Counterfeiting
Posted by Johnny Mercedes Categories: Distribution, Home Entertainment, Technology,
Bootleggers beware: DVD pirating is going to the dogs. Literally.
Last Wednesday, the district attorney’s office in Queens, New York reported on the success of a police raid, where a substantial inventory of counterfeit DVDs was undermined. But what set this particular raid apart from the ordinary, everyday struggle to stop the illegal distribution of popular films, were two black Labradors—Lucky and Flo—the newest offensive against a billion-dollar industry.
The dogs use their highly-trained sense of smell to identify chemicals used in the DVDs, and, according to law enforcement, have become a legitimate threat to bootleggers. Said Queens District Attorney Robert Brown, Man’s best friend has become a DVD counterfeiters worst nightmare.
This marks the first canine-assisted bust in the United States after the dogs helped put a stop to a major pirating operation in Malaysia last March. With sponsorship from the Motion Picture Association of America, the dogs are sure to have a long, effective tour in the states.
One thing’s for sure: major bootlegging outfits have a new enemy—one with big teeth, fast legs and an inexplicable aversion to copyright infringement.
Read More | USA Today
Good News For HD DVD Owners
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: DreamWorks, Paramount, Distribution, Home Entertainment, Technology,
Although Blockbuster recently announced they were leaning toward Blu-ray rentals (citing customer preferences), HD DVD owners finally have a win in their corner.
Blu-ray had been noted for having a wider movie catalogue due to their exclusive partnerships with several movie studios. Now Paramount Studios (with DreamWorks Animation) has decided that they will go strictly HD DVD from this point forward. This announcement may finally help ignite an actual competition between the two formats.
The August 28th release of Blades of Glory will signal the first movie under the new Paramount/HD DVD partnership.
Read More | Variety
Advertisement
© Gear Live Inc. {year} – User-posted content, unless source is quoted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Public Domain License. Gear Live graphics, logos, designs, page headers, button icons, videos, articles, blogs, forums, scripts and other service names are the trademarks of Gear Live Inc.