Comments on: DVD Glut http://abovethecrowd.com/2005/07/12/dvd-glut/ ...focusing on the evolution and economics of high technology business and strategy. By day, I am a venture capitalist at Benchmark Capital. Sun, 07 Mar 2010 06:41:57 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Wil Schroter http://abovethecrowd.com/2005/07/12/dvd-glut/#comment-47 Wil Schroter Fri, 16 Sep 2005 12:46:41 +0000 http://abovecrowd.wordpress.com/2005/07/12/dvd-glut/#comment-47 I never quite understood why broadcasting a movie or song over the air and recording it (a la Tivo) seemed OK but when someone makes a copy of an existing plastic disc of the same content these companies are up in arms about it. Tivo is no different than burning a DVD (unless you get into the argument that someone paid to have cable service in their house, but I would argue that doesn't make up for the lost $20 sale). I never quite understood why broadcasting a movie or song over the air and recording it (a la Tivo) seemed OK but when someone makes a copy of an existing plastic disc of the same content these companies are up in arms about it. Tivo is no different than burning a DVD (unless you get into the argument that someone paid to have cable service in their house, but I would argue that doesn’t make up for the lost $20 sale).

]]> By: theQview http://abovethecrowd.com/2005/07/12/dvd-glut/#comment-52 theQview Sat, 23 Jul 2005 07:09:24 +0000 http://abovecrowd.wordpress.com/2005/07/12/dvd-glut/#comment-52 <strong>DVD Reserves on Trial</strong> The complaints in Suzanne Joseph v. Dreamworks Animation SKG and RD Partners LLC v. Dreamworks Animation SKG describe a mature market for DVD sales in which: DVD purchases are taking place for new release titles within the first few weeks DVD Reserves on Trial

The complaints in Suzanne Joseph v. Dreamworks Animation SKG and RD Partners LLC v. Dreamworks Animation SKG describe a mature market for DVD sales in which: DVD purchases are taking place for new release titles within the first few weeks

]]> By: Michael Parekh http://abovethecrowd.com/2005/07/12/dvd-glut/#comment-48 Michael Parekh Fri, 15 Jul 2005 11:36:57 +0000 http://abovecrowd.wordpress.com/2005/07/12/dvd-glut/#comment-48 "Print on Demand", especially if implemented by Amazon, would be interesting...but only if the unit prices were markedly lower than the prices for the DVDs at retail. It's one of the issues that has plagued Audible since its inception...i.e., that the digital version of the book costs pretty much the same as the physical version, despite the dramatically lower costs, and higher margin for the publisher. “Print on Demand”, especially if implemented by Amazon, would be interesting…but only if the unit prices were markedly lower than the prices for the DVDs at retail.

It’s one of the issues that has plagued Audible since its inception…i.e., that the digital version of the book costs pretty much the same as the physical version, despite the dramatically lower costs, and higher margin for the publisher.

]]> By: Chris Selland http://abovethecrowd.com/2005/07/12/dvd-glut/#comment-49 Chris Selland Wed, 13 Jul 2005 15:05:35 +0000 http://abovecrowd.wordpress.com/2005/07/12/dvd-glut/#comment-49 I have a TiVo with a DVD recorder and digital cable. I can record movies and burn them to a DVD-R (if I want to keep them) or a DVD-RW (if I don't) for about 30 cents a flick. OK, I'm an early adopter (as I'm sure is anyone reading this blog) but consumers won't be driving this for much longer. And I disagree that they're even driving it now - Hollywood (and their distribution channel) is because they're about 5 years behind the music industry in figuring this all out. I have a TiVo with a DVD recorder and digital cable. I can record movies and burn them to a DVD-R (if I want to keep them) or a DVD-RW (if I don’t) for about 30 cents a flick.

OK, I’m an early adopter (as I’m sure is anyone reading this blog) but consumers won’t be driving this for much longer. And I disagree that they’re even driving it now – Hollywood (and their distribution channel) is because they’re about 5 years behind the music industry in figuring this all out.

]]> By: Anonymous http://abovethecrowd.com/2005/07/12/dvd-glut/#comment-50 Anonymous Tue, 12 Jul 2005 21:39:30 +0000 http://abovecrowd.wordpress.com/2005/07/12/dvd-glut/#comment-50 National retailers (Circuit City, Good Guys, Tower) are not driving this, consumers are. Broadband infrastructure is limited to metropolitan areas. Consumers dont mind shelling out a mere twenty bucks to own a dvd so they can watch it in the household, car, and vacation home. The product is not cost prohibitive and is mobile. National retailers (Circuit City, Good Guys, Tower) are not driving this, consumers are. Broadband infrastructure is limited to metropolitan areas. Consumers dont mind shelling out a mere twenty bucks to own a dvd so they can watch it in the household, car, and vacation home. The product is not cost prohibitive and is mobile.

]]> By: Tom O'Neill http://abovethecrowd.com/2005/07/12/dvd-glut/#comment-51 Tom O'Neill Tue, 12 Jul 2005 13:55:03 +0000 http://abovecrowd.wordpress.com/2005/07/12/dvd-glut/#comment-51 "Why, in 2005, are we creating "inventory" of a digital good that can then be returned and cause an earnings miss?" I could not agree more. The idea of putting 1's and 0's onto a piece of plastic, pacaging them into a box, and then shipping them throughout the world always seemed ridiculous to me. With the broadband infrastructure we've had in place for the past 8 years or so, there is simply no excuse for this. “Why, in 2005, are we creating “inventory” of a digital good that can then be returned and cause an earnings miss?”

I could not agree more. The idea of putting 1’s and 0’s onto a piece of plastic, pacaging them into a box, and then shipping them throughout the world always seemed ridiculous to me. With the broadband infrastructure we’ve had in place for the past 8 years or so, there is simply no excuse for this.

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