Most of the nation’s major exhibition chains have refused to give Summit Entertainment more screens for Oscar winner “The Hurt Locker,” citing a policy of not showing films that are already available to watch at home. Two of the three biggest, AMC Entertainment and Cinemark, agreed to play the movie at just a handful of theaters, according to a knowledgeable person. However, Regal Entertainment, the biggest theater circuit in the U.S., won’t show the film at all. By the Los Angeles Times

NCR Corp. March 11 said it has upgraded the Blockbuster Express Web site so consumers can now rent online up to three DVD movies at a time and pick up at the nearest kiosk – a first among self-serve vendors. NCR is manufacturing and installing 10,000 Blockbuster Express DVD rental kiosks in the U.S. this year through a license agreement with Blockbuster. By Home Media Magazine

Premium TV network Starz Entertainment has signed a new distribution deal with Disney, which gives it access to all of the studio’s movies through 2015. As the All Things Digital blog reports, since the deal includes digital distribution platforms, it would seem to secure Disney movies for Netflix, which has its own deal with Starz for streaming films. By All Things Digital

The ad-supported music video network ranked among the web’s top 10 video content networks in January and, for the third consecutive month, was the most-visited U.S. web network in the Entertainment-Music category, with 35.4 million unique visitors in February (according to comScore Media Metrix). Major-label-backed Vevo also announced nearly 20 advertising and marketing partners for 2010 — from entertainment companies such as Sony Pictures Home Entertainment wand Warner Bros. Pictures to six Procter & Gamble consumer goods brands. Via PR Newswire

The IFPI has published a new report outlining the record labels’ investment in music talent, which it says now reaches around $5 billion a year. That $5 billion includes A&R development and marketing, and represents around 30% of sales revenue. The eye-catching figure in the “Investing In Music” report is the cost of breaking an artist, which the IFPI says is around $1 million. By Billboard

Beginning in April, Deluxe Digital Studios will offer 3D Blu-ray production services with capacity ramping to four projects per month by the fourth quarter of 2010.

Deluxe says its 3D workflow will incorporate a number of proprietary systems and technologies developed in-house as well as tools acquired from industry partners.

“Many segments of the Blu-ray supply chain required a significant upgrade to support the complexities of the new 3D Blu-ray standard,” said Todd Collart, SVP New Media of Deluxe Digital Studios, in a statement. “Our internal research and development team finished several of these tools in 2009 and we’re completing the remaining development now. We’re ready to commence with production titles.”

Blu-ray 3D services will include menu and bonus material design, subtitle design, video compression, BD-J programming, authoring, AACS copy protection processing, check disc creation, and player compatibility testing. Via PR Newswire

Global box office receipts reached an all time high of $29.9 billion in 2009, an increase of 8% over 2008 and 30% from 2005, according to year-end stats from the Motion Picture Association. The U.S./Canada market reached $10.6 billion, an increase of 10% from 2008, while International markets rose 6% year-over-year to $19.3 billion in 2009.

The 3D market gave the U.S./Canada box office a boost, with 3D films accounting for 11% of the total compared to 2% in 2008. Studios released 20 3D films in 2009, compared to eight in 2008.

Admissions, meanwhile, rose 5.5% in the U.S. and Canada year-over-year to 1.42 billion. MPAA

Samsung Electronics took the wraps off a 17-SKU lineup of 3D LCD, LED-LCD and plasma TVs, Blu-ray players, and home theater systems that it will ship globally beginning this month and into the early summer.

The across-the-board introduction is to be bolstered by a 3D TV marketing campaign, filmed advertising being produced in 3D for theatrical viewing, and an array of retail supports and content partnerships, said Samsung Electronics America president Tim Baxter. By CustomRetailer

In the ongoing battle for content, Sony said Tuesday that it had locked in the five top studios to supply HD content to the PlayStation Network. At launch, the content will be available in the U.S. only, with plans to launch soon in the U.K., France, Germany, and Spain, Sony said. By PC Magazine

Imation has license to manufacture, market and sell ProStor Systems’ RDX removable hard disk systems through 2020, in a new agreement between the data storage companies. Imation also has invested $5 million to help advance ProStor’s RDX technology.

According to ProStor, the RDX format currently has an global installed-base of some 200,000 companies. RDX removable hard disk drive cartridges are available in 160GB, 320GB, 500GB, and 640GB capacities. ProStor Systems

Mesa Events

May 26, 2010: Entertainment Supply Chain Academy

Building the Bridge from Physical to Digital (in association with DEG)

Click here for more information

September 23-24, 2009: Entertainment Supply Chain Academy Europe

(in association with DEG and co-produced by Futuresource)

September 23-24, 2009
Millennium Gloucester Hotel, London

Click here for more information

November 3, 2009: Blu-Con 2.0

Blu-Con 2.0 2009
The 2nd Congress of Blu-ray Innovation
(Presented by DEG)

November 3, 2009
Beverly Hilton, Los Angeles

Click here for more information

January 2010: Consumer Electronics Supply Chain Academy

Maximizing Efficiencies and Minimizing Risk in the Global CE Supply Chain
(in association with CES)

Click here for more information

February 2010: Game Supply Academy

Co-located with the EMA Video Game Supply Chain Council Meetings
(in association with Entertainment Merchants Association)

February 10, 2010 at the Hilton San Jose, Silicon Valley

Click here for more information