Redbox has launched a new site today, SaveLowCostDVDs.com, in an effort to make public the current lawsuits the company has against Universal Studios Home Entertainment, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, and Warner Home Video.
The site shows off all related news stories to the suits, and also shows videos of Redbox president Mitch Lowe.
Redbox currently has 18,000 kiosks, and rents movies out for $1 USD per night. Studios like Universal, Fox, and Warner have pulled their new releases from the kiosks until one month after release date.
Result for: century fox home
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment has announced that they will be creating two classes of DVDs for now on, a “premium” version with extras and digital copies and a “rental” version which removes all extras and will be available for rental only.
Beginning March 31st with the release of Slumdog Millionaire, “wholesalers will be authorized to sell rental accounts only the rental SKUs and to sell retail accounts only the retail SKUs,” said Fox senior VP of sales Don Jeffries.
As an example, the Slumdog rental DVD only has the movie and trailers while the premium disc included special features such as deleted scenes and director and actor commentary.
There will be variations however, as the upcoming Marley and Me DVD will have special features on both the rental and the retail version.
“We have developed product variations to feed different consumer consumption models and behaviors,” read a Fox statement. “For rental customers, we’re delivering a theatrical experience in the home while promoting upcoming releases; for retail [or sell-through] customers, we’re offering a premium product that expands the entertainment experience of that particular property to further enhance ownership.”
Result for: century fox home
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment has begun testing simultaneous day-and-date releases of their latest titles on DVD and VOD.
The testing began on October 7th, with the M. Night Shyamalan thriller “The Happening.”
Steve Feldstein, senior VP of marketing communications, added, “We’re looking at a lot of different models and looking at various incremental points of distribution that are available. We’re doing a little experimenting with dating and windows.”
Warner began similar testing last year and continues to do so with movies such as Speed Racer and Journey to the Center of the Earth.
Warner senior VP of strategic promotions and communications Jim Noonan added that the studio is expecting to release 4 in 5 films simultaneously on VOD and DVD next year.
“We’re kind of learning as we go here,” Noonan said. “We’re watching very carefully. It has been very good for us in the VOD business. We’re not interested in growing VOD to the detriment of the packaged goods business.”
