Digital movie downloads set to take over from slumping DVD sales

By David Nield January 12, 2014

digital movie downloads set take slumping dvd sales iron man 3 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

The home entertainment market has for many years been crucial to the success of Hollywood’s major studios, helping to bankroll its blockbusters and big-name stars. According to one industry executive, 2014 will be the year when digital movie downloads finally begin to make up for the downturn in the DVD market.

Speaking to the Financial Times, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment President Mike Dunn said that 2014 will be the year that digital movie purchases make up for the drop in physical sales. This much needed cash boost comes at a time when many major studios are cutting back on the number of films in production and the amount spent on each one.

Over the past 12 months, we’ve seen Target and Comcast launch digital movie platforms, entering a market already straining under the weight of the various competing services. Meanwhile, DVD rental service BlockBuster was canned back in November as audiences turned to the likes of iTunes, Netflix, Google Play and Hulu for their movie fix.

One report by the Digital Entertainment Group suggests that digital movie purchases rose 50 percent in 2013, though the $1 billion spent on film downloads and streams is still a small fraction of total spending on home entertainment in the U.S.. “Home entertainment is so critical for Hollywood that if this space shows growth it changes everything,” said Dunn. “I think it will tip this year.”

The executive said that making digital films available to purchase before the release of DVDs and Blu-rays had helped to increase demand and profitability. This “early windowing” is becoming more and more common, with some releases even available to buy online on the same day as they hit theaters.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Entertainment

Contributor

Dave is a freelance journalist from Manchester in the north-west of England. He's been writing about technology since the…

Audio / Video

Tidal vs. Qobuz: Which hi-res music streaming service is for you?

Tidal app showing on iPhone 15 Pro.

Spotify and Apple Music may be the most popular music streaming services in the world, but services like Tidal and Qobuz offer plenty of great features and a higher level of listening to anyone making a switch. Each offers hi-res audio and is available on desktop and mobile devices. Thanks to a recent switch in Tidal subscriptions, the prices between the two services are now very comparable, although one is slightly cheaper.

Below, we compare Tidal and Qobuz based on price, sound quality, and supported devices to determine which platform is better.
Price
For many years, Tidal has stood out for its hi-res music offerings, a feature long shared with Qobuz. However, the landscape has changed, and now other services like Apple Music and Amazon Music (and soon Spotify, hopefully) have also ventured into the hi-res music space.

Audio / Video

OTC hearing aid sale discounts 15 models, from just $80

Bose SoundControl Hearing Aids

If you need a hearing aid, you’re going to love the OTC hearing aid sale going on at Crutchfield right now. Currently, you can buy a pair for as little as just $80 with up to $500 to be saved on select models. With 15 models in the sale, we recommend you click the button below to see what’s on sale for yourself. But you can also read on while we highlight some of our favorite hearing aid deals. Don’t delay as the deals are unlikely to stick around for long.

What to shop for in the Crutchfield hearing aid sale
With some of the best OTC hearing aids including models from Lexie, go straight for the . It’s currently $799 instead of $849. It has a slim, visually discreet profile with a behind-the-ear fit style. A built-in feedback management system helps reduce high-pitched feedback while there’s a noise reduction circuit which decreases the volume of constant background sounds such as vacuum cleaners or A/C units. It also has level-dependent gain and compression which keeps loud noises from becoming too loud during conversations. The app also provides bass and treble controls along with left/right balance adjustments, and directional focus modes. It’s a really well-rounded hearing aid.

Audio / Video

GoldenEar subwoofers are up to $755 off for a limited time

The GoldenEar SuperSub XXL subwoofer in the living room.

Upgrading your home theater setup's sound output is easily achieved by buying from soundbar deals, but if you want extra bass, you'll want to purchase a subwoofer. If you're thinking about it, you may want to checkout Crutchfield's sale on GoldenEar subwoofers with prices that start at $595. These premium subwoofers will give you all the bass that you need for watching streaming shows, epic movies, sports programs, and any other form of content, but you'll have to hurry with your decision on what to buy because these discounts are only available for a limited time.

What to buy in Crutchfield's GoldenEar subwoofers sale
The cheapest option in Crutchfield's GoldenEar subwoofers sale is still pretty powerful -- the GoldenEar ForceField 3, which is an 8-inch subwoofer with digital signal processing and a built-in 500-watt RMS digital amplifier. You'll also get a front-firing 8-inch long-throw woofer and a 9-inch by 11-inch down-firing passive radiator for , for savings of $55 on its original price of $650. You can also take a step up with the GoldenEar ForceField 30, which offers most of the same features but with an updated design with a curved top and metal grills, for instead of $900 following a $155 discount, or the GoldenEar ForceField 40 with a front-firing 10-inch long-throw woofer and an 11-inch by 13-inch down-firing passive radiator for a , down by $205 from $1,200 originally.