Cablevision and Popcorn Home Entertainment have announced a new service that lets you watch movies immediately through Cablevision’s set-top box whenever you buy the DVD through their menu system. The DVD is mailed to you, but in the meantime you have the on-demand version for “instant gratification,” reports Reuters.
dvd’s
This Spindle Of Memorex Burnable DVDs Is Full Of CDs
By 2.3.08
Stewart spent $105 on what he thought was a spindle of Memorex burnable DVDs. What he actually received was one burnable DVD sitting proudly atop a stack of CDs.
Best Buy Refuses To Honor 2 for $25 DVD Sale
By 1.26.08
Silly Jason. He thought a Best Buy sign reading “2 for $25” meant he could buy two DVDs for $25. He obviously didn’t read the part of the sign that requires customers to buy Saw IV.
By 1.17.08
../../../..//2008/01/17/correction-a-panasonic-fat-cat/
Correction: A Panasonic fat cat (and probably also a big wig) wrote in to let us know that Panasonic does indeed make a Blu-ray player that can play 1.1 Blu-ray discs: “The current Panasonic model available (DMP-BD30) is based on version 1.1 (BonusView) and capable of playing Blu-ray discs offering…
Buyers Beware: Current Blu-ray Players Won't Correctly Play Future Discs
By 1.12.08
After the past week, it seems more and more likely that Blu-ray will be the movie disc format of the future.
Where Things Stand In The Hi-Def DVD Format War
By 1.5.08
After Time Warner Inc.’s announcement today that they’ve chosen to support Blu-ray exclusively, here’s the current breakdown of studio support for each format—and things aren’t looking good for HD DVD.
Explanation For The $307.06 Harry Potter DVD
By 11.30.07
On Wednesday, we posted a picture a reader sent us of a Harry Potter DVD priced at $307.06. Not only was it not Photoshopped, several CompUSA employees chimed in to let us know there was actually a very good reason for it to have this huge price. Whenever a movie is supposed to be held until a certain street date, the price for that item is set to the release date. In this case, Harry Potter and the Goblet Of Fire came out on March, 7th, 2006, 03/07/06. By mistake, this tag was moved out to the floor when it should have been kept in the backroom. Mystery solved!
The $307.06 Harry Potter DVD
By 11.29.07
We’re guessing that this DVD came bundled with a carved, solid-wood goblet. (Thanks to Chris!)
Best Buy Ships Crumpled Seinfeld DVDs
By 11.18.07
What’s the deal with Best Buy? Reader Brian ordered the first eight seasons of Seinfeld, but instead of shipping seasons one, two, or seven, Best Buy decided to send two copies of seasons three and eight. Best Buy was willing to correct its shipping error, but when Brian noticed that several DVD cases were crumpled, Best Buy asked him to keep all eight seasons wrapped for eight business days while UPS conducted an investigation.
Walgreen Planning DVD-Burning Kiosks To Sell Movies
By 10.29.07
Sometime next year, Walgreen will introduce kiosks where customers can select and purchase movies—mostly older ones that aren’t as frequently stocked in stores—and have them burned onto DVDs while they wait (for about 15 minutes). Although the idea seems like one that someone should have had years ago, it wasn’t a commercial possibility until last month, when the organization responsible for licensing CSS—the widespread copy restriction software that’s coded into pretty much every Hollywood DVD release—expanded its licensing structure to make room for business models like this one.
By 10.24.07
../../../..//2007/10/24/theres-still-no-decisive/
There’s still no decisive victory in the high-def format wars, but here are the current standings: Sony’s Blu-ray outsold HD-DVD in the U.S. by a 2-to-1 margin for the first 3 quarters of 2007, but analysts say the trend could reverse in these last few months due to high-profile titles (like “Transformers”) being released in high-def exclusively on HD-DVD. The verdict? It’s still either format’s game. [Reuters]
Die Hard DVD Will Ship With Ripped Movie File Included
By 10.18.07
20th Century Fox has announced that the special-edition DVD for “Live Free or Die Hard” will include a “DRM-free” computer file of the movie, playable through Windows’ PlaysForSure software. We suppose you can call this DRM-free, but it obviously doesn’t mean it’s not restricted. To access the file, you will have to insert the disc into your computer, then enter an authorization code that’s included in the DVD case. Once it’s copied over, you can play it on your PC or portable media players that use the PlaysForSure software.
The MPAA's New Secret Weapon: DVD Sniffing Dogs!
By 8.29.07
The MPAA is serious about stopping piracy—so serious that they’ve hired DVD-sniffing dogs to patrol border-crossings. No, we’re not kidding. DVD-sniffing dogs are real and they’re already on the job!
Netflix Lowers Costs As Blockbuster Prepares To Raise Prices
By 6.29.07
Netflix has reduced the cost of its 2-DVD plan by $1 to $13.99, matching a move made by Blockbuster earlier this month. Blockbuster had expected to be dancing triumphantly atop the battered and bankrupt corpse of its rival by now, but Netflix’s staying power is causing Blockbuster to re-think its strategy. By the end of the year, Blockbuster will raise the price of its Total Access service, which allows subscribers access to its retail locations.
The company said in the filing that it planned to modify its popular Total Access plan before the end of the year to “strike the appropriate balance between continued subscriber growth and enhanced profitability.”
Netflix’s email to subscribers, after the jump:
Blockbuster Sends Customer Bootlegged Copy Of Tenchi in Tokyo Three Times
By 6.24.07
Poor Tinky. All he wanted was for Blockbuster to send him volume two of the Japanese anime Fushingi Yuugi. He ordered the DVD three times, but Blockbuster will only send a Chinese bootleg of Tenchi in Tokyo.
Each time, it’s been marked in the queue as the wrong disc and sent back. The second time, I sent an email and received a generic response. Today, the third time we’ve received the same wrong disc, I placed notes on the disc’s sleeve and the disc itself, hoping that will get someone’s attention [not likely!].
If regular customer service won’t help fight Chinese bootleggers, Tinky should summon executive customer service in his quest to liberate Fushingi Yuugi. Contact information for Blockbuster Chairman of the Board and CEO John Antioco, after the jump…
When You Can't Trust Your Eyes, Trust A Test Disc
By 6.9.07
Smart consumers don’t compare the picture quality of floor models when shopping for a new television; crafty salespeople try to subvert your senses with flashy media that highlights the strengths of expensive models. So how can you objectively judge which television has the best picture? Bring along your own test disc.
Free Netflix Rentals For Brooklyn Residents?
By 3.24.07
The Brooklyn Public Library may replace its DVD inventory with a Netflix subscription. According to the NY Post, talks are underway to offer free Netflix deliveries to any Brooklyn resident with a library card. The proposal makes sense when you consider the challenge of maintaining a DVD collection in fifty-eight branches.
“DVDs are very expensive to buy, and they’re also very expensive to move because they’re delicate,” Vitali said.
