http://www.bluraybycubist.com/ Blu-ray Disc authors comment on the latest industry news. en-en http://www.bluraybycubist.com/images/logo-interactive.png http://www.bluraybycubist.com/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss bluray@cubistmediagroup.com (Dave Maietta) bluray@cubistmediagroup.com (Dave Maietta) 1 http://www.bluraybycubist.com/news/article/?id=146
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Cubist commentary
An inspiring film which successfully bottles the excitement of race day on a disc you can play in the comfort of your own home, we can attest that Race Across the Sky is an thrilling ride on both Blu-ray and DVD. Congratulations to Citizen Pictures for such a rousing production!

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Cubist commentary
This statistic is a leading indicator for Blu-ray penetration among consumers and the expected increase in HDTV ownership will definitely have a corresponding effect on Blu-ray adoption. Consumers can't get the full benefit of Blu-ray without an HDTV, so this trend is good news for continued assimilation of Blu-ray. The article also notes that nearly 60% of consumers are aware of 3D TVs, the next step in general consumer TV technology, but only a small fraction intend to buy one in the next two years. As much play as 3D is getting in the general media, this might be a technology which will take some time to take hold.

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Cubist commentary
Even more important than the sheer number of players expected to sell by 2013 is the finding that the these big numbers are for players which are internet capable. This is a powerful demonstration of the expectations for the future of Blu-ray that both manufacturers and consumers have. BD-Live depends on this connectivity and its clear that consumers are finding this aspect of Blu-ray technology a top priority. With more and more discs including some kind of BD-Live functionality, there's opportunity for the home media industry to push forward with development of features which take advantage of the technology in new audience-pleasing ways.

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There's been a burst of activity in the media industry concerning all things 3D of late-- Sky announcing the first 3D network, then ESPN, Discovery and DirectTV. Player manufacturers forecast when new 3D-capable hardware will become available. Industry groups have predicted strong growth in 3D-capable electronics. And, as has been expected, the announcement of the first titles Blu-ray titles is following soon after. Sony isn't the first to announce a 3D Blu-ray title -- we believe that distinction goes to Disney and A Christmas Carol -- but the effort that studios are putting into getting 3D on the market, decades after it was first brought to audiences in theaters, demonstrates the revenue enhancing possibilities that industry executives anticipate. We're not sure that consumers who are just coming out of individual financial doldrums will be enthusiastic about upgrading YET AGAIN to accommodate the latest and the greatest entertainment trend, but we do predict that this is a feature which will become standard in coming years, and Blu-ray will be the packaged media which brings 3D to the home. Avatar is the game changer. Though there were numerous 3D films which came before, they'd been viewed as premium oddities (Up, Monsters vs. Aliens, Coraline, Toy Story 1 & 2), not cultural milestones. All that's changed now. 3D in the home really couldn't work until Blu-ray became a viable consumer product, and Blu-ray will undoubtedly receive a big boost from this new trend. Look at what Blu can do!

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Cubist commentary
Well, the numbers prove it. Not only did revenue double from 2008, the number of Blu-ray players in the United states move than doubled from 3 million to 8 milllion. There were many who predicted that this holiday season would be an important turning point in the adoption of Blu-ray and while there's still a bit of distance to go to surprass DVD, that milestone can't be far away now. Go Blu!

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Cubist commentary
Susanne Ault is a reporter/blogger for Videobusiness who we follow for news on Blu-ray. Her thumbnail analysis on the state of Blu-ray here provides a pretty insightful rundown of the positive and negative developments for the format in the last year. For those who're in the middle of the industry, these points aren't news, but it's useful to see an encapsulation of the tremendous strides which Blu-ray has made in the marketplace in the past twelve months, particularly in the area of BD-Live. Follow Susanne's continuing Blu-ray reporting on her blog Blu State.

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Cubist commentary
This is yet the latest development in Blu-ray technology and it's one that has been eagerly anticipated by the Blu-ray community for a number of months. We only hope that it won't discourage consumers from gearing up and diving into Blu-ray. It's widely acknowledged that consumers delayed Blu-ray adoption until a clear winner was established in the 'format war'. They wanted assurance that they were not making the wrong choice and would be forced to switch soon after making such an important purchase. We predict that 3D is likely to be a cool, but not critical Blu-ray feature for some time, however, and not a 'must have'. Despite the announcement of 3D BD releases by several studios, it will be years before there are more than a handful of 3D titles in release, and even longer before there's a significant number from content holders outside Hollywood. Nevertheless, we're excited about the possibilities.

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Cubist commentary
Shales is an influential columnist in the Washington Post and he's joining the chorus of voices which are elevating Blu-ray as the next big entertainment technology. Reprinted by a number of Blu-ray information sources, his mention provides further evidence that big things are afoot for Blu-ray. First adopter/tech-types have been on the Blu-ray bandwagon for years, but many in the industry have predicted that the 2009 holiday season will be a critical turning point, the transition of Blu-ray from this technology-leading crowd to the mainstream/family audience. Shales' commentary, presented with dry humor, provides ample evidence of Blu-ray's coming-of-age. 2010's looking pretty Blu!

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Cubist commentary
These sales ratios confirm feedback we've received from some of our clients about their sales volumes. DVD to Blu-ray sales ratios in the independent film world seem to be selling at about 8:1, though as recently as summer, this number was as high as 10:1. We wouldn't be surprised to see that the final holiday numbers show an even lower ratio as Blu-ray continues to be adopted by more and more households here in the United States and elsewhere. It's also interesting to note that the lower 4 or 3:1 ratio for high-profile films confirms that consumers see Blu-ray as the ultimate movie format. We'd be willing to bet that a 1:1 ratio will be achieved by one of 2010's big titles.

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Cubist commentary
Though this article is a bit light on the details, the revenue increases noted here mirror numbers which we've been tracking from other sources, including presentations at Blu-Con 2.0. Our favorite BD vs. DVD revenue tracker, Home Media Magazine's YTD revenue piechart, provides a snapshot which is a little different, showing that Blu-ray revenue wasonly up 137% for the year. Though these two numbers don't jive, both ably demonstrate that Blu-ray demand is surging. This buying season is expected to be a big one for Blu-ray and this historical data certainly supports those forecasts.

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