September 5th, 2006
Galley Friend B.W. sends the link to this WSJ story on declining DVD revenue for Hollywood. It’s a great story, but check out this hidden gem:
Recently, for example, the major studios opened negotiations to provide movies to be played on Apple Computer Inc.’s video iPod — an important step toward Hollywood’s digital future. Then Wal-Mart, the biggest seller of DVDs, disrupted the talks when it delivered a pointed warning to the studios not to give Apple a better deal for digital movies than the retailer gets for physical copies.
“Our conversations with the studios are about what Wal-Mart has always been about — giving our customers the best value and selection,” said a Wal-Mart spokeswoman in an email response.
Wal-Mart = slightly evil
But also of note is the Katzenberg’s somewhat iffy pronouncement on the future of Hi-Def DVDs:
“DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg says while the new format will be a high-margin business, ‘it’s not clear whether it will grow into a mass-market platform.'”
That’s not a ringing endorsement of the medium. Could it be that Sony loses big even if Blu-Ray wins the war?
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