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Lost DVDs?

Consumers often reminisce about the days when two people could see a movie for less than $10. They long for $1 rentals of new movies and DVDs they can buy for $5. The people want what the people want. They know there are hundreds of names on the cast and crew list. They know that actors like Mel Gibson and Tom Cruise don’t come cheap. They know that special effects, extra features, costumes and filmmaking don’t come cheap. Even so, they’re also cognizant of the fact that a “bad year” is one in which the net profits are “only” $13 billion. No one is crying for the victims of movie piracy. Interestingly enough, instead of caving in to the demands of consumers, the motion picture companies have decided to fight against “undermining forces” like Netflix and Redbox instead, trying to buy themselves just a little extra time to capitalize… before their business models crumble and fall completely.

Late last year, Universal Pictures ordered its distributors not to sell its DVDs to Redbox until the new movies had been on sale for 45 days. Fox and Time Warner also decided that their top movies should be out for at least 30 days before being available for $1 through the Redbox kiosks. This decision is being contested in court by Redbox and Netflix, who are also being affected by these new regulations. According to Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes, the $1 rentals should be treated like the “cheap show” movie theaters with an appropriate window of time for the entertainment industry to make the big bucks off consumers. Yet, Mitch Lowe from Redbox argues that they can afford to pay the studios more because they’ve “significantly reduced the cost of delivering movies to consumers” and they garner more repeat business. Motion picture giants are primarily worried that the undercutting of prices is what will jeopardize their whole business model.

In response to a relatively dismal quarter, posting just a $1.02 billion profit, Blockbuster has decided to make some changes. They’re on-board with the motion picture companies’ idea to delay cheap rentals for 30 days after films are released on DVD. After all, Blockbuster does sell DVDs, as well as rent them. They’re also planning to expand their popular DVD-by-mail service to rival that of Netflix’s and deploy 2,500 DVD rental kiosks like Redbox has. (Although, Redbox kiosks will grow to nearly 22,000 by the year’s end!) It seems that Blockbuster is always one step behind its competitors, which may be a sign that the aging giant will soon be extinct.

The general idea is that eventually DVDs will be rented from television sets much like pay-per-view. Consumers will not have to worry about scratched discs, mailing items back to the company, late fees, high rental prices or other restrictions. Sony is currently experimenting with something called “Bravia TV,” which would let consumers see new movies just after they come out in theaters but before they come out on DVD. They tried a 24-hour screening of “Hancock” for $9.99 last year, but have entertained the possibility of raising the price up to $40. “The fact that this $40 pay-per-view model has worked for major sporting events suggests that there may be an opportunity for a handful of films every year — event films and franchises with the same young male demo as sports would be good bets,” says film analyst Tom Adams.

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