MESA News – Feb. 27
Studios/Suppliers
DEG explores industry lead compliance
By Jennifer Netherby – 02/27/2009
FEB. 27 | Committee to create ongoing testing program More
Home entertainment stores cut prices, hours
By Susanne Ault – 02/27/2009
FEB. 27 | Smart packaged media retailers are fighting the recession on two fronts More
Free Willy DVD movie in production
By Susanne Ault – 02/26/2009
FEB. 26 | South Africa title to star Beau Bridges, Steve Irwin’s daughter More
Gaiam expands into personal development
By Cindy Spielvogel – 02/26/2009
FEB. 26 | Deepak Chopra, Rodney Yee among DVD hosts More
Iron Man DVD sales lift Marvel
By Marc Graser of Variety – 02/25/2009
FEB. 25 | FROM VARIETY: Company tops fourth-quarter profit forecasts More
DreamWorks Animation Q4 earnings drop 45%
By Danny King – 02/24/2009
FEB. 24 | Kung Fu Panda DVD sales beat company expectations More
Image approves merger, cuts staff
By Susanne Ault – 02/24/2009
FEB. 24 | Company’s 10% job reduction driven by fewer releases More
Peter Chernin exits News Corp.
By Cynthia Littleton and Dade Hayes of Variety – 02/24/2009
FEB. 24 | FROM VARIETY: Murdoch take reins of Fox film and TV operations More
Genius, TWC realigned under new GNPR ownership
By Susanne Ault – 02/23/2009
FEB. 23 | Genius to distribute Weinstein titles to 2010 More
New Yorker Films closes
By Laurence Lerman – 02/23/2009
FEB. 23 | Library to be auctioned to pay parent company’s debt More
OPINION: Video: Still recession-proof?
By Michael Arrington – 02/23/2009
FEB. 23 | Consumers worldwide have weathered tough economic times over the past year and, as cash and available credit have tightened, they have altered their spending patterns accordingly. Michael Arrington of Screen Digest’s U.S. research arm, Adams Media Research, examines whether video can still be considered a recession-proof business. More
Slumdog wins big at Oscars
By Marc Graser of Variety – 02/23/2009
FEB. 23 | FROM VARIETY: Film takes eight trophies at Academy Awards More Â
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Retail
Best Buy to pick up Circuit City sales: NPD
By Alan Wolf of TWICE – 02/26/2009
FEB. 26 | FROM TWICE: Wal-Mart second alternative, according to survey More
Court OK’s Circuit City stay-on bonuses
By Alan Wolf of TWICE – 02/26/2009
FEB. 26 | FROM TWICE: Acting president/CEO removed himself from plan More
DreamWorks Animation Q4 earnings drop 45%
By Danny King – 02/24/2009
FEB. 24 | Kung Fu Panda DVD sales beat company expectations More
Blockbuster to eliminate Access due dates
By Danny King – 02/24/2009
FEB. 24 | Company relaxes return policies for store-exchanged titles More
Redbox agrees to settlement talks in Universal suit
By Danny King – 02/24/2009
FEB. 24 | Kiosk leader has used ‘workaround’ agreement for studio DVDs since December More
GameStop’s earnings, sales beat forecast
By Danny King – 02/23/2009
FEB. 23 | Forecasts fiscal year sales growth of 12% More
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High-Def
Blu-ray sales to reach 100 million mark this year
By Susanne Ault – 02/23/2009
FEB. 23 | Futuresource predicts format growth for U.S., Western Europe, Japan More
Wanted: Weapons of Fate in DVD, Blu-ray crossover
By Susanne Ault – 02/27/2009
FEB. 27 | Videos have codes that unlock videogame features More
Bedtime Stories on Blu-ray before DVD
By Susanne Ault – 02/26/2009
FEB. 26 | Disney will offer high-def version for limited time More
Blu-ray licensing program proposed
By Greg Tarr of TWICE – 02/26/2009
FEB. 26 | FROM TWICE: Expected to be available mid-year More
6 million Blu-ray players may be no sure thing
02/25/2009
FEB. 24 | FROM TWICE: Some believe category might not be a slam-dunk More
DEG Japan names Dark Knight Best in Show
By Cheryl Cheng – 02/23/2009
FEB. 23 | Inaugural awards ceremony held in Tokyo More
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Technology
CEA study: Exposure key to 3D TV
By Greg Tarr of TWICE – 02/23/2009
FEB. 23 | FROM TWICE: Technology poised to become ‘major force’ in home entertainment More
Panasonic leads way for 3D in the home
By Susanne Ault – 02/27/2009
FEB. 27 | Cameron’s Avatar might be first such release in 2010 More
Sensio receives 3D patent
By Greg Tarr of TWICE – 02/25/2009
FEB. 24 | FROM TWICE: Technology allows content distribution over 2D channels More
Mission: Impossible offered with Samsung Delve phone
By Susanne Ault – 02/23/2009
FEB. 23 | Free SD card with Paramount’s action films More
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VOD/Downloads
TV.com streams CBS shows on iPhone
By Jennifer Netherby – 02/26/2009
FEB. 26 | CSI, Star Trek among series available with app More
Paramount’s Shooter game exclusively on iTunes
By Danny King – 02/25/2009
FEB. 25 | Company to capitalize on surging videogames industry More
Online, mobile, time-shifted viewing increase
By Danny King – 02/24/2009
FEB. 24 | TV shows might help Internet-video growth, reports say More
Vudu to offer permanent high-definition downloads
By Jennifer Netherby – 02/23/2009
FEB. 24 | Magnolia’s Man on Wire will be the first available title More
Netflix linked to Times, Tomatoes Web sites
By Danny King – 02/23/2009
FEB. 23 | Users can video-stream titles, add movies to queues More
MESA News – Feb. 20
Studios/Suppliers
Studios release more TV shows on Blu-ray
By Susanne Ault – 02/20/2009
FEB. 20 | South Park, BBC miniseries making their high-def debut More Buckley-Bruno named Variety publishing director
By VB staff – 02/19/2009
FEB. 19 | Move part of larger restructuring at Variety Group More
Blu-ray, DVD packaged in same box
By Susanne Ault – 02/20/2009
FEB. 20 | New, catalog releases offered in combo packages More
Cable operators continue Internet TV talks
By Todd Spangler of Multichannel News – 02/20/2009
FEB. 20 | FROM MULTICHANNEL NEWS: Comcast, TWC talk with Viacom, NBCU More
Gospel music gives light to blind boys concert DVD
By Mike Reynolds of Multichannel News – 02/20/2009
FEB. 20 | FROM MULTICHANNEL NEWS: Network premieres ‘Live In New Orleans’ day before street More
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Videogame piracy flourishes in Western Europe
By Danny King – 02/19/2009
FEB. 19 | Italy, Israel among most notorious, ESA says More
SpongeBob DVD followed with new videogames
By Danny King – 02/19/2009
FEB. 19 | Nickelodeon’s cartoon character celebrates 10th anniversary More
Shout! Factory hires DVD production, acquisitions head
By Cheryl Cheng – 02/18/2009
FEB. 18 | MacMillan previously worked at BCI Eclipse More
Universal distributes new Pokemon DVD
By Danny King – 02/18/2009
FEB. 18 | Latest movie from the cartoon franchise bows next month More
Piracy crackdown yields success
By Clifford Coonon of Variety – 02/18/2009
FEB. 18 | FROM VARIETY: Operation ZoomOut cuts number of DVDs More
Watching the deep Blu sea
By Cindy Spielvogel – 02/20/2009
FEB. 20 | GREEN REPORT:Â Some of the best films about the natural wonders of the ocean are shown in tourist venues like theme parks and museums, shot on high-definition and made to be viewed in expansive spaces. But these programs also are available in high-quality versions for the small screen, on Blu-ray Disc as well as DVD. More
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Retail
Circuit City store closings underway
By Alan Wolf of TWICE – 02/23/2009
FEB. 20 | FROM TWICE: Auction for leases scheduled for Feb. 26 More Best Buy limits HQ layoffs to 250
By Greg Tarr of TWICE – 02/19/2009
FEB. 19 | FROM TWICE: Electronics chain also creating 210 corporate-level jobs More
Retailers join digital business with gift cards
By Jennifer Netherby – 02/20/2009
FEB. 20 | Broker GMG reports sales up eightfold in Q4 More
Amazon to sell exclusive Twilight Blu-ray box set
By Susanne Ault – 02/19/2009
FEB. 19 | $79.99 collection to be available May 5 More
Videogames online spending increases
By Danny King – 02/19/2009
FEB. 19 | DVDs, electronics sales through Internet lag More
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Premium entertainment services still in demand
By Susanne Ault – 02/18/2009
FEB. 18 | NPD: Consumers subscribe to online download, videogame offerings More
Microsoft names Porter to head retail effort
By Doug Olenick of TWICE – 02/17/2009
FEB. 17 | FROM TWICE: VP was Wal-Mart’s head entertainment buyer, DreamWorks exec More
Wal-Mart reports 1.7% Q4 gain sales
By Steve Smith of TWICE – 02/17/2009
FEB. 17 | FROM TWICE: Income continuing operations was down 7.7% More
Circuit City to begin auctioning stores, brand
By Alan Wolf of TWICE – 02/17/2009
FEB. 17 | FROM TWICE: Retailer to sell or break leases on nearly 600 properties More
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High-def
Sony rolls out Kramer vs. Kramer BD Live download
By Susanne Ault – 02/18/2009
FEB. 18 | Feature to be accessible to variety of Blu-ray disc owners More
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Technology
Gateway intros movie-centric laptop
By Doug Olenick of TWICE – 02/20/2009
FEB. 20 | FROM TWICE: TC notebook will have 14-inch HD widescreen display More
Mobile-TV users to surge tenfold by 2013
By Danny King – 02/19/2009
FEB. 19 | Report: Asia, Europe to lead growth More
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VOD/Downloads
Cable operators continue Internet TV talks
By Todd Spangler of Multichannel News – 02/20/2009
FEB. 20 | FROM MULTICHANNEL NEWS: Comcast, TWC talk with Viacom, NBCU More
Videogame downloads to increase faster than movies
By Susanne Ault – 02/19/2009
FEB. 19 | Game revenue will be $5.4 billion in 2012, $2.8 billion for films More
Hulu pulls TV shows from rival sites
By Jennifer Netherby – 02/19/2009
FEB. 19 | CBS’s TV.com, Boxee among first sites to lose content More
GTA IV episode exclusive download on Xbox
By Danny King – 02/17/2009
FEB. 17 | Installment of record-setting title priced at $19.99 More
Mobile movie downloads coming from Sony Ericsson
By Jennifer Netherby – 02/17/2009
FEB. 17 | Content will be offered as part of PlayNow service More
GameSupply – Let the Collaboration Begin!
GameSupply, the first ever supply chain academy for the video game industry, brought together the publishers, retailers, service providers, research organizations, management consultants and thought leaders in the interactive entertainment industry! It is certainly very opportune that the stakeholders of the industry were there to explore how we can collaborate, particularly to address the unprecedented challenges of the current somber and turbulent times. After all supply chain strategies are fundamental to improving liquidity of enterprises and enhancing earnings.
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Pundits assure us that the interactive entertainment industry is poised for continued growth, albeit at a more modest pace than what we saw the last two years. While the industry is expected to continue to capitalize on technology, and its creativity and innovation on the content side, a proactive approach to pursuing elimination of waste, increasing efficiency and growing the category is a mandate.
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The conference program was designed to bring the experience and knowledge of industry executives and research organizations, focus on technology-driven solutions to reduce stock outs and in-store product shrinkage, embrace the emerging digital and online gaming, understand the execution challenges in the last 100 feet of retail, and address our responsibility to ensure sustainability of the environment in a profitable manner.
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It is our collective quest for the shortest, fastest and greatest results throughout the supply chain that will usher in a healthier industry and a greener planet. The conference marked the first steps where work has only just begun. It is our mission to establish task forces to address opportunities in the supply chain, based on your support and ongoing commitment. As a participant, attendee or sponsor, you have a unique opportunity to join an online community specifically created by MESA, Media & Entertainment Services Alliance, which is designed to facilitate collaborative efforts.
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Striving for the greater good will transform the corporate mindset, establish new business bench marks for success, and create an inseparable bond between content creators, suppliers, vendors, retailers and the consumers demanding interactive entertainment. Let us collaborate for the benefit of our individual companies, the betterment of our industry, as well as for the greater good of mankind.
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The over-capacity attendance demonstrated that supply chain management is everyone’s business. In the coming days we invite you to join our cause, participate, ask a question and continue networking for a better tomorrow.
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Devendra Mishra
Conference Co-Chairman, GameSupply;
Chief Strategy Officer, MESA; and
Professor, Decision Sciences
Graziadio School of Business and Management
MESA News – Feb. 13
Studios/Suppliers
Best Buy to consolidate its vendors
By Susanne Ault – 02/13/2009
FEB. 13 | Chain reduces direct relationships with focus on new releases More
OPINION: DVD tent pole
By Paul Sweeting – 02/13/2009
Paul Sweeting is editor of Content Agenda
FEB. 13 |Â Concern over declining DVD sales is now driving creative decisions. More
Cleopatra, pre-Code Hollywood movies resurrected
By Laurence Lerman – 02/13/2009
FEB. 13 | Universal launches Backlot Series, classics collection April 7 More
Image revenue up 43.2% in fiscal Q3
By Susanne Ault – 02/12/2009
FEB. 12 | Lower expenses, cast-driven movies help lift supplier More
Image, Nyx merger saved
By Susanne Ault – 02/12/2009
FEB. 12 | Required payment for business interuption fee completed More
Paramount Q4 earnings fall 81%
By Danny King – 02/12/2009
FEB. 12 | DVD sales decline, restructuring costs offset theatrical gains More
Blu-ray/videogame discs to be released for PS3
By Susanne Ault – 02/11/2009
FEB. 11 | Sony marketing around console’s advanced features More
Watchmen movie cash in seven catalog titles
By Susanne Ault – 02/11/2009
FEB. 11 | Warner also puts promotion in related motion comic More
New York Comic-Con attended by many studios
By Laurence Lerman – 02/10/2009
FEB. 10 | Gotham event draws bigger crowd More
Dirty Harry, Alien’s Ripley are Mr. and Ms. Badass
By Danny King – 02/10/2009
FEB. 10 | Willis, Gibson and Marvin round out top five of MTV list More
Caprica bows first on DVD
By Laurence Lerman – 02/10/2009
FEB. 10 | Battlestar Galactica prequel will be released April 21 More
Disney takes on DreamWorks DVD distribution in 2010
By Susanne Ault – 02/09/2009
FEB. 9 | Paramount to handle titles through end of year More
Madagascar 2 DVD in Hostess promotion
By Susanne Ault – 02/09/2009
FEB. 9 | Consumers can get rebate, win trip to San Diego Zoo More
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Retail
Netflix has 10 million subscribers
By Danny King – 02/13/2009
FEB. 13 | DVD rental service adds 600,000 customers this year More
Best Buy taking Magnolia in-house
By Alan Wolf of TWICE – 02/13/2009
FEB. 13 | FROM TWICE: Will shut seven of its 13 stores More
Redbox Q4 profit, rental share jumps
By Danny King – 02/12/2009
FEB. 12 | Majority owner Coinstar buys remainder of kiosk leader More
Blockbuster, NAACP to compile film poll
By Danny King – 02/12/2009
FEB. 12 | Roots, Driving Miss Daisy among titles nominated More
Call of Duty, Wii Fit each win three videogame awards
By Cheryl Cheng – 02/11/2009
FEB. 11 | EMA names GTA IV videogame of the year More
Blockbuster to start renting games online
By Danny King – 02/11/2009
FEB. 11 | Retailer hopes to capitalize on growing popularity of videogames More
EMA opposes videogame labeling bill
By Cheryl Cheng – 02/11/2009
FEB. 11 | Entertainment Merchants Assn. legislative update for January More
Circuit City seeks staff stay-on bonuses
By Alan Wolf – 02/11/2009
FEB. 11 | FROM TWICE: Retailer says liquidation will yield about $250 million More
Circuit City ordered to pay Alliance $1 million
By Danny King – 02/10/2009
FEB. 10 | Bankruptcy court requires payment to DVD distributor More
Twilight DVD box set exclusively at Borders
By Susanne Ault – 02/09/2009
FEB. 9 | Retailer will hold nationwide midnight parties to celebrate release More
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High-def
Watchmen: Motion Comic DVD, Blu-ray packs extras
By Susanne Ault – 02/13/2009
FEB. 13 | Warner Premiere plans Superman version for online distribution More
Twilight single-DVD only at Wal-Mart
By Susanne Ault – 02/12/2009
FEB. 12 | Movie will be sold with merchandise in in-store boutiques More
Blu-ray/videogame discs to be released for PS3
By Susanne Ault – 02/11/2009
FEB. 11 | Sony marketing around console’s advanced features More
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Technology
 Vudu halves price of download set-top player
By Jennifer Netherby – 02/10/2009
FEB. 10 | Base model now $149 More
VOD/Downloads
Netflix beats Blockbuster in Consumer Reports poll
By Danny King – 02/11/2009
FEB. 11 | Publication finds little difference between high-def and standard streaming More
Blu-ray player sales to peak in 2013
By Danny King – 02/11/2009
FEB. 11 | Report says VOD expansion could threaten high-def disc leadership More
Free Xbox Live Gold promotion slated
By Greg Tarr of TWICE – 02/11/2009
FEB. 11 | FROM TWICE: Service available for limited time More
Online distribution pulls ahead of film
By Debra Kaufman of Variety – 02/09/2009
FEB. 9 | FROM VARIETY: Digital disrupts entertainment consumption model More
MESA Launches Blu-Breakfast Series
On Feb. 12 Media and Entertainment Services Alliance brought together the Creative/Authoring/Testing community for a breakfast discussion about Blu-ray and BD-Live. The first in a series of workgroup meetings, the event drew the top companies who provide these types of services to Hollywood.
After a lively discussion of the opportunities and challenges for the format, the group agreed there was a specific need for increased collaboration to build efficiencies along the supply chain within the industry. The group has segmented into three workgroups to develop ideas and work together on actionable items that are relevent to their customers.
Collaboration is a fundamental part of MESA’s strategic plan. To bring companies together in innovative ways, allowing the community to self-evolve according to their company’s needs, at a pace that makes them comfortable, is a valuable service to our member companies and their partners.Â
If you are interested in learning more about the MESA Blu-Breakfast series or would like to become involved, please feel free to drop me a note at guy@MESAlliance.org or visit our group on LinkedIn to receive regular MESA updates.
Let the collaboration begin!
MESA News – Feb. 6
Studios/Suppliers
Navarre posts $47.7 million loss for fiscal Q3
By Susanne Ault – 02/06/2009
FEB. 6 | Company has already made moves to improve earnings More
Screen Media goes low on Blu-ray pricing
By Susanne Ault – 02/06/2009
FEB. 6 | Releasing titles with recognizable stars More
Universal bundles Blu-ray catalog titles
By Susanne Ault – 02/06/2009
FEB. 6 | Studio attracts new buyers with budget sets More
Genius lays off 17% of workforce
By Susanne Ault – 02/05/2009
FEB. 5 | Part of restructuring following GNRP acquisition More
Fox DVD sales, earnings decline in Q2
By Danny King – 02/05/2009
FEB. 5 | Horton Hears a Who! can’t compare to Die Hard 4, Fantastic Four 2 More
Warner Bros. Q4 earnings rise 7%
By Danny King – 02/04/2009
FEB. 4 | Dark Knight was 2008’s bestseller More
Physical media challenged, but still preferred
By Susanne Ault – 02/03/2009
FEB. 3 | NPD says maintaining retail selection is key More
Arts Alliance America changes name
By Cindy Spielvogel – 02/03/2009
FEB. 3 | UPDATE:Â Company now called Virgil Films and Entertainment More
Disney’s Q1 studio unit profit falls 64%
By Danny King – 02/03/2009
FEB. 3 | WALL-E, Caspian DVD sales trail year-earlier titles More
Wal-Mart, Target sell Zack and Miri sans ‘porno’
By Susanne Ault – 02/02/2009
FEB. 2 | Family-friendly packaging offered to larger retailers More
Wuthrich heads Warner international video, digital
By Susanne Ault – 02/02/2009
FEB. 2 | Executive to align studio’s packaged, digital businesses More
Image expects gains in Q3 earnings
By Susanne Ault – 02/02/2009
FEB. 2 | Supplier to raise fiscal 2009 guidance More
Taken scores box office touchdown
By Pamela McClintock of Variety – 02/02/2009
FEB. 2 | VARIETY BOX-OFFICE REPORT: Fox’s action pic wins Super Bowl weekend More
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Retail
Retail sales to improve in second half: NRF
By Alan Wolf of TWICE – 02/06/2009
FEB. 6 | FROM TWICE: But group says stimulus bill comes up short More
Netflix, Wal-Mart attract more class-action lawsuits
By Danny King – 02/05/2009
FEB. 5 | Almost 40 parties sue since Jan. 2 claim of collusion More
Videogames surge, DVDs and CDs stall in 2008
By Danny King – 02/05/2009
FEB. 5 | Online video viewing jumps on TV episodes, report says More
Sears names new consumer electronics chief
By Alan Wolf of TWICE – 02/04/2009
FEB. 4 | FROM TWICE: Austin to oversee segment for Kmart, off-mail stores too More
Circuit City selling off real estate
By Alan Wolf of TWICE – 02/04/2009
FEB. 4 | FROM TWICE: Taps Gordon Bros. unit to manage sales More
Rentrak fiscal Q3 earnings double
By Danny King – 02/03/2009
FEB. 3 | Audience-tracking business jumps on Dish, NBC deals More
Netflix might start weekend distribution
By Danny King – 02/03/2009
FEB. 3 | Company plans unchanged by postal-service to stop Saturday deliveries More
Mark Fisher promoted at EMA
By Danny King – 02/02/2009
FEB. 2 | Retail veteran led membership growth at trade group More
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High-Def
Falling DVD sales lowers media earnings
By Danny King – 02/06/2009
FEB. 6 | Execs debate whether drop-off is temporary or permanent More
OPINION: Ups and downs
By Paul Sweeting – 02/06/2009
Paul Sweeting is editor of Content Agenda
FEB. 06 |Â Cyclical, or secular? That is the question preoccupying studio minds these days as they stare into the abyss of plunging DVD sales. More
DVDs still preferable over downloads
By Susanne Ault – 02/05/2009
FEB. 5 | FUTURE OF PACKAGED MEDIA: Retailers look to grow Blu-ray sales More
BD Live promising, but has challenges
By Susanne Ault – 02/04/2009
FEB. 4 | FUTURE OF PACKAGED MEDIA: Disc developers say Web features future of Blu-ray More
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Technology
Microsoft to offer video on Zune
By Marc Graser of Variety – 02/04/2009
FEB. 4 | FROM VARIETY: Company’s answer to the iPod gets upgrade More
NBC Universal doubles mobile-video market share
By Danny King – 02/03/2009
FEB. 3 | Views jump fivefold on Office, Rock More
NBC.com streaming Chuck in 3D
By Danny King – 02/03/2009
FEB. 3 | Series looks to capitalize on PepsiCo Super Bowl promotion More
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VOD/Download
Universal, Fox, Summit shut VOD-DVD window
By Jennifer Netherby – 02/06/2009
FEB. 6 | Studios deliver on-demand simultaneous with DVD More
YouTube helps boost Monty Python DVD sales
By Jennifer Netherby – 02/06/2009
FEB. 6 | Web site program claims credit for comedy troupe’s Amazon sales More
DVDs still preferable over downloads
By Susanne Ault – 02/05/2009
FEB. 5 | FUTURE OF PACKAGED MEDIA: Retailers look to grow Blu-ray sales More
Netflix on Xbox Live users hit 1 million
By Jennifer Netherby – 02/05/2009
FEB. 5 | Microsoft’s own downloads jumped 174% between December, January More
Jaman adds E1 movies to downloads
By Jennifer Netherby – 02/04/2009
FEB. 4 | Deal includes foreign films, documentaries, classic TV shows More
GameDaily BIZ exclusive interview with Jeff Klemp of Hollywood Video/Movie Gallery
As a company that deals with both DVD movies and video games, Hollywood Video/Movie Gallery has a unique perspective on the supply chain and the challenges that interactive entertainment have presented. GameDaily BIZ recently had a chance to pick Klemp’s brain about some of the issues currently facing the supply chain in the video game industry. Here’s the brief Q&A:Â Jeff Klemp Interview
Jeff Klemp is the Senior Vice President of Operations Midwest and Supply Chain Hollywood Video/Movie Gallery, managing over 900 retail stores in the Midwest and is responsible for all global supply chain operations.









