DVD Sales way down

[bendixG15]

DVD sales dropped 13.5 % in first half of year.

Studios are going after RedBox rentals for killing sales

Consumers are "confused" over Blu-ray, not buying like they should.

Its all here........... http://www.marketwatch.com/story/studios-hurt-as-dvd-sales-fall-and-rentals-grow-2009-09-22

[SatStorm]

I buy less DVDs lately and I watch much less TV.
It has nothing to do with rentals ot the existence of Blu Ray. It has to do with the fact that I don't have the secure job I had once, so I spent the less I can for the things I don't necessary need. Also the time I spend home is far less than 2 - 3 year ago. Second job / extras are needed to catch up with the prices. And finally, the content of the TV and the cinema the last decade, focus mainly to political correct brainless people, living in an alternative world. I can't find something interesting to watch. So I "switch" to Japanese anime (amazing stuff there to watch, especially if you are a fan of SciFi, slice or life or comedy), old US/UK/FR/It shows and movies from the 50s-60s-70s.
I don't like today's hollywood, I don't buy / watch the current stuff.

[handyguy]

They don't put out a lot of interesting films these days.

[orsetto]

The key to the entire issue is "they don't want to follow the path trod by the music business". But its too late, they've been dropped onto that path by consumer apathy and laziness. Three years ago New York City still had dozens of independent DVD rental stores with knowledgeable staff and fun atmosphere. An article in the newspaper here last week noted only TWO struggling specialty stores are left and you can count the Blockbuster stores on one hand. Understand thats in New York City: capital of world media consumption. What happened? Netflix, thats what happened: it single handedly destroyed the bricks-and-mortar video store in college towns and major urban areas. Without dedicated video stores, the studios have no serious market for physical media, and thats that. They'll be left to rot, just as the music industry got hung out to dry when consumers opted for file trading and iTunes over shopping and socializing at Tower Records. No retail market means no bulk sales means bye bye to choice and breadth, hello to junk rap and slasher flicks.

You couldn't be bothered to drive five minutes to the store? Couldn't resist NetFlix and downloads? Well, hope y'all enjoy what comes of that: $25 movie theater admissions, Kanye's posturing and Saw 19 nominated for Best Picture. Me, I'm glad I stockpiled enough good movies, old TV and music to last the rest of my life. Its gonna be a long time before the online market recaptures what we had with retail.

[Constant Gardener]

I buy fewer DVDs now - mainly because I've already collected most of the old stuff that I wanted. Now I'm just filling in gaps and adding the occasional new item. I'm even buying fewer blank DVDs, for the same reason.

[Soopafresh]

Two words - Zack Effron

[filmboss80]

I'm with handyguy. I like watching movies and am more than willing to shell out a few bucks for good DVDs. Unfortunately, most Hollywood writers these days have crap for brains. Some of the better films I've seen lately come from outside the US (like Sweden's "Let the Right One In" and Japan's "Departures").

Content is king.

[lordsmurf]

I buy fewer DVDs now - mainly because I've already collected most of the old stuff that I wanted. Now I'm just filling in gaps and adding the occasional new item. I'm even buying fewer blank DVDs, for the same reason.

I buy less DVDs lately and I watch much less TV.
It has nothing to do with rentals ot the existence of Blu Ray. It has to do with the fact that I don't have the secure job I had once, so I spent the less I can for the things I don't necessary need. Also the time I spend home is far less than 2 - 3 year ago. Second job / extras are needed to catch up with the prices. And finally, the content of the TV and the cinema the last decade, focus mainly to political correct brainless people, living in an alternative world. I can't find something interesting to watch. So I "switch" to Japanese anime (amazing stuff there to watch, especially if you are a fan of SciFi, slice or life or comedy), old US/UK/FR/It shows and movies from the 50s-60s-70s. I don't like today's hollywood, I don't buy / watch the current stuff.

Both of these pretty much describe me, too.

[MOVIEGEEK]

They don't put out a lot of interesting films these days.

You win the grand prize handyguy, your HDTV is in the mail.
I agree with the article that rentals are hurting sales but most of what is released nowadays is crap:I Love You Man...Land Of The Lost.....

[jntaylor63]

Do these guys read the news? There is this thing going on called a recession. It brings on a strange thing like "less consumer spending".

[Kayembee]

You couldn't be bothered to drive five minutes to the store? Couldn't resist NetFlix and downloads? Well, hope y'all enjoy what comes of that: $25 movie theater admissions, Kanye's posturing and Saw 19 nominated for Best Picture. Me, I'm glad I stockpiled enough good movies, old TV and music to last the rest of my life. Its gonna be a long time before the online market recaptures what we had with retail.

Not to disagree, but in my area, I went to Netflix (early on) because the local video rental places
ALREADY had little more than the latest releases and a crappy-small inventory of older
films. Were older films just not being released on DVD? Maybe, but Netflix managed to find
more of the hard-to-find. Or were the stores just unwilling to maintain a long-tail inventory?
Maybe they did in NYC, but they sure didn't do that here.

Bottom line, I didn't fall, I was pushed.

Kayembee

[Des]

I feel he same as many: Not too much out there that want to own. I seldom bought much in the tape days either. I also don't record much TV or watch much for that matter. If it wasn't for my wife's preference that we keep FIOS I would drop the TV portion and put up an HD antenna and media PC. She doesn't watch much TV either, but likes to have a lot of choices when she does sit down to watch (though she almost always puts on Law and Order anyway).

I do rent pretty regularly. I have Netflix' 2 out at a time unlimited per month plan and pay it whether I rent or not. Gives me the flexibility to rent something interesting or take a chance on crap. Lately, I got lot of crap

--dES

[mazinz]

The key to the entire issue is "they don't want to follow the path trod by the music business". But its too late, they've been dropped onto that path by consumer apathy and laziness. Three years ago New York City still had dozens of independent DVD rental stores with knowledgeable staff and fun atmosphere. An article in the newspaper here last week noted only TWO struggling specialty stores are left and you can count the Blockbuster stores on one hand. Understand thats in New York City: capital of world media consumption. What happened? Netflix, thats what happened: it single handedly destroyed the bricks-and-mortar video store in college towns and major urban areas. Without dedicated video stores, the studios have no serious market for physical media, and thats that. They'll be left to rot, just as the music industry got hung out to dry when consumers opted for file trading and iTunes over shopping and socializing at Tower Records. No retail market means no bulk sales means bye bye to choice and breadth, hello to junk rap and slasher flicks.

You couldn't be bothered to drive five minutes to the store? Couldn't resist NetFlix and downloads? Well, hope y'all enjoy what comes of that: $25 movie theater admissions, Kanye's posturing and Saw 19 nominated for Best Picture. Me, I'm glad I stockpiled enough good movies, old TV and music to last the rest of my life. Its gonna be a long time before the online market recaptures what we had with retail.

Then it might make you feel better to know that in Monroe, NY one of the last mom and pop video stores around still has vhs on the shelves to rent in addition to the rows of dvds. I miss the old days and going here was like a dream come true

[stiltman]

You can also go to just about any super market and rent/buy the latest titles....

Sales are down because it's a depression/recession
Sales are down because Hollywood is putting out mostly junk

[jimdagys]

I bought only one DVD in my life (and bought it in China), Wizard of Oz.

[usually_quiet]

I have always been a renter.

My favorite video store was killed by RedBox and Netflix. Netflix took away some business, and when RedBox arrived, the grocery store I rented from decided that it would be more profitable to sell space to them than continue to operate their own rental deparment. I now rent from RedBox, and it is better than nothing, but the selection of available movies is very limited by comparison.

...and we haven't even considered the effect of on-demand movies from the cablecos. Millions more homes have that option available this year than had it availble last year. Next year there will be even more as growing numbers of cable subscribers are forced into digital packages to retain the same level of service they used to enjoy.

[redwudz]

I discovered my local library has probably over 600 DVD and 200 or more VHS tapes. All free. Some scratched or damaged, but a lot of the older movies available and only a few minutes drive. You might want to check your local library to see what they have.

But I also use Netflix. The Safeway supermarket sells and rents DVD, but I've only seen a very few video rental stores around here.

I quit going to theaters years ago. My feet always stuck to the floor and the ticket prices were outrageous. I go to live plays for theater entertainment now.

I don't buy many DVDs now days. There don't seem to be many newer movies that I really want to see a second time.

[videobread]

The current movies are all lame. Remakes of remakes of remakes. Even Gladiator was a remake of Fall of the Roman Empire and it won Best Picture! I don't even go to the rental store any more on new release day. Hollywood's players are all played out. The best, most creative and original films are from outside the US. Beowulf and Grendel, The Proposition, Perfume, Slum Dog, District 9 - all good and all foreign.

The problem in Hollywood is nepotism. Everyone is someone's niece or son or cousin or great great grandchild. They inherited the business but they have little to no talent and huge egos. Or they just have money and no talent. Jennifer Aniston is the perfect example. How many more films will she buy a staring role for herself in that I won't watch. I will not watch or rent anything from Seagal, Van Damme, Lionsgate or direct to DVD. I don't care if they are only a buck at Red Box. My time is worth more.

Hollywood is due for a good flush (down the toilet). It happened when UCLA Film School grads were handed the reins back years ago. They turned around the business. It's time for some serious turnover in Hollywood. Time for a new young crowd to take over.

[Bjs]

The number one reason sales are down is due to the lack of any interest by these companies to setup online stores where they can offer movies on either dvd or blueray that they deemed "non-comercial sense" ... people are sick of the same garbage being offered and many want to purchase films they had seen on tv or in theaters years ago yet have never been offered to the public and may never be.

The only one's they can blame are themselves for their on personal inaction to perceive other marketable area's ... they have films and series sitting in storage rotting away which could be turned into a gold mine if they just spent a little effort and stopped to consider the "older generation" as part of their sales strategy.

[Four Fifth]

I will not watch or rent anything from Seagal, Van Damme

Wow surely you do know the 90's are long gone & these actors are no longer active.

[rcubed]

Hi - my $0.02
Price, price, price, they no longer offer (very infrequently) new release special prices for the 1st week. A lot of DVDs have a "cheap" version mostly advertisements and only the movie, and a "special version" that includes a lot of the features they used to offer on the std DVD release at a $4 to $5 premium.

Plus I second the there is a recession going on. Rentals look like people drove over them with their cars. Sometimes to the point where they won't play.

I'm wondering when they are going to start doing "crappy" encodes for Std DVDs to "encourage" people to purchase BluRay. For those of us with only component HD inputs, BluRay is out of the question. They even disable upscaling on all outputs but the HDMI ones. Paranoid about trying to protect content.

rcubed

[Nitemare]

If the studios want more cash they should slow down the release dates on DVDs. Back in the VHS days, the videos would come out about a year to 1.5 years after the film was in theaters.

The summer blockbusters are already on DVD. This is too fast and screws them both ways. I saw no movies in theaters this summer because I knew that I'd be able to see the DVD in 3-6 months.

Those who saw the film in theaters JUST saw them and have no interest in doing so again right now. They're thinking to release the DVD early and strike while the property is still "hot". Dumbasses.

[Ai Haibara]

Don't they do that, in part, because of piracy? If they get it out early enough, maybe someone will want to buy the DVD/BR, rather than download some crappy cam version off the web, or bootleg discs.

But, yeah, it has seemed to have developed a rather quick turnaround, depending on the property. Some, you can wait forever for the releases to come out. But the last season of 24 was practically released almost the moment the final episode of that season went off the air.

[Wile_E]

Causes:
1. Recession, Reduced salary, No job.
2. Online streaming - Netflix, XBOX/PS3 movies on demand.
3. Movie restoration - Hollywood needs to clean up the older movies correctly, and stop over sharpening, and releasing dirty transfers. Especially to Blu-Ray. I'm not buying a movie where the film negatives have blemishes, hair, and dirt in the transfers. Yes, it takes money to restore films. What did the studios do with all that money they made over the years?

It is not just Netflix. The XBOX and PS3 both have media stores where you can rent movies and download them. They even have "HI-DEF" 720p movies now that actually look pretty good on most smaller screens. Why drive to a store, when I can search and rent instantly online? Gamestop and other game stores is next. XBOX and PS3 now have FULL GAME titles you can buy and download. No more discs to insert in your machine. It is nobody's fault except corporate management at these stores. Blockbuster should have acted faster and got their act together with online streaming, and got together with Microsoft, Sony, or another partner. But no, they didn't take the initiative.

I am starting to buy Blu-Ray, because the quality won't ever be there in streaming content. Plus I want 5.1ch surround. Unfortunately, without a job I had to cut expenses. When I do see a job opening, it is paying HALF what I was making before the recession! What a rip-off. It's time the big-wigs in these companies learn a lesson and take a pay cut!!! They are the ones with outrageous 200K+ salaries, when us normal people make squat. Either the little people need to get paid more, or prices on goods need to take a cut. That's the way I see it.

[budz]

Not surprised at all since the economy is so bad...people out of jobs...no money, no entertainment in the home. Oh, and all the stuff posted about Netflix with home delivery and live streaming is also the cause of low dvd sales.

Postal worker in Mass. who stole 30,000 Netflix dvds is unbelievable!
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/09/22/ap/strange/main5328955.shtml

[zoobie]

Postal worker in Mass. who stole 30,000 Netflix dvds is unbelievable!

They must have fired him way back in February 2008 upon reviewing the security video...
Netflix may suffer, too, if the USPS decides to drop Saturday delivery

[KBeee]

Buying a DVD/BD implies you'll want to watch it more than one time, and looking at the latest Top 5 Boxoffice "hits" for the last weekend, there's not one film I'd care to watch even once, let alone buy.

[handyguy]

I bought only one DVD in my life (and bought it in China), Wizard of Oz.

I only bought on, What's Bugging Seth, & what is interesting is that you couldn't get it anywhere else, not at Netflix, BB, instore, Etc. It never made it to distribution, so I could only buy it from the producer.

[jman98]

I bought only one DVD in my life (and bought it in China), Wizard of Oz.

Considering that from your previous posts we know that you live in China, that's not really much of an accomplishment.

You sure do seem awfully interested in video matters for a guy who "bought only one DVD in my life". Are you a media parasite who just downloads EVERYTHING off P2P and similar places? Or is that statement simply more hyperbolic b.s. from you?

[wulf109]

My 2 cents. Of course it's the recession,but many people have access to Pay-Per-view on cable or satelite for 4-5 dollars. It's cheaper to order PPV then drive to a store and rent or buy. You may be able to record your PPV. How many movies do you actually watch more than once?