Studios Adopt New 'Digital' Monikers

30 Oct, 2013 By: Chris Tribbey, Erik Gruenwedel

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Studios, including Disney, adopt ‘Digital HD’ and ‘Digital’ in home entertainment sellthrough branding

Home entertainment studios Oct. 30 adopted new terminology — Digital HD and Digital — to refer to digital versions of filmed entertainment and television content across all consumer communication and packaging.

The branding is designed to enhance the value of digital home entertainment offerings and brings consistency to the way digital products are marketed to consumers, according to DEG: The Digital Entertainment Group, the home entertainment trade group.

The new branding — starting this month — will appear on physical packaging, digital downloads, advertising, social media outreach, publicity and merchandising. It will also complement the UltraViolet brand in market for those studios participating.

“Digital HD (or Digital) is a dynamic and direct approach aimed at consumers who want movies and television shows that they can access on their favorite devices,” Amy Jo Smith, president of DEG, said in a statement. “Whether they access the Digital HD version as part of a Blu-ray purchase or as transaction through a digital store, we believe this terminology will help them understand they are getting an exciting, versatile product that heightens their home entertainment experience.”

The new terminology will be found on new-release titles from all participating studios, including Blu-ray combo packs, which allow consumers to own both the physical and digital versions of a film or TV show. Combining physical and digital into one purchase offers consumers the best possible value for collecting entertainment, as well as the flexibility to enjoy it at home or on the go.

In addition to physical products, such as Blu-ray combo packs, the new Digital HD and Digital branding can also be applied to movie and TV content (with the UltraViolet logo where applicable) purchased via digital stores.

Consumers who purchase a Blu-ray Disc, DVD or Digital/Digital HD product with the UltraViolet logo will have the added option of streaming or downloading their content to UltraViolet-compatible devices across a variety of participating partners. UV-enabled digital stores include CinemaNow, Flixster, Target Ticket, Vudu and FlixFling.

Studios adopting the terminology on their products include Anchor Bay Entertainment, HBO Home Entertainment, Lionsgate, Paramount Home Media Distribution, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, Universal Studios Home Entertainment, Walt Disney Studios and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment introduced the brand Digital HD last year with the home entertainment release of Prometheus, and won’t be changing its strategy related to Digital HD-branded films, debuting titles in high-def across digital platforms, two weeks before they’re available on disc.

Fox’s Digital HD is now available in more than 100 territories, with Switzerland the latest to join. Telecommunications company Sunrise and DVD-by-mail and VOD company HollyStar both entered the EST business this week with Fox Digital HD as an exclusive partner, a studio spokesman said. Other studios may come on board.

“This exclusive content partnership is testimony to Fox’s innovation in the digital space,” said Timm Degenhardt, chief marketing officer for Sunrise. "The studio’s Digital HD strategy is an aggressive response to the growing demands of Swiss fans who want the convenience, quality and most importantly immediacy to enjoy their favorite content anytime and anywhere.”

The Croods is available via Digital HD in Switzerland now, with The Wolverine set to follow Nov. 18. Fox also made available in Digital HD approximately 100 catalog titles, including X–Men, Alien, Night at the Museum, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Die Hard, Rio, Ice Age, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Fight Club, Braveheart and Sideways. An additional 250 Fox titles will be added by the end of the year.

“Digital HD is experiencing double- and triple-digit growth internationally this year,” said Keith Feldman, president of international for 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. "And as more digital platforms like Sunrise start to offer Digital HD to their customers, the broad availability and early access to content will only continue to fuel the widespread adoption of digital consumption.”

 

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