Warner Home Video is making what appears to be the biggest — or at least most innovative — push yet by a studio to get consumers to upgrade from DVD to Blu-ray. The studio has launched a website (DVD2Blu.com) where customers can simply click on a title they own on DVD and have a Blu-ray copy shipped to them.
The exchange requires that the customer mail in their DVD of that title — just the disc, not the case – and pay $7.97 – $9.95 for any of about 50 titles, including “2001: A Space Odyssey,” “An American in Paris,” “Blazing Saddles,” “A Christmas Story,” “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” and “Wedding Crashers,” with more titles to be added to the offering in the coming months, according to a media release issued at midnight Monday night.
“DVD2Blu is a great way for consumers to start or expand their Blu-ray Disc collection,” said Dorinda Marticorena, senior vp, worldwide marketing and high definition for Warner.
Free shipping is available with orders of at least $25.
Warner’s move comes in the same week that major national retailers unveiled plans to drop prices on Blu-ray titles to as low as $4.99 to $9.99 and Blu-ray machines to $99 on on Black Friday next week.
Best Buy will sell this week’s new release of “Star Trek” for $4.99 with the purchase of an Insignia Blu-ray player for $199, according to Home Media Magazine. The store will also be selling older Blu-ray titles for $7.99 and new Blu-ray titles like “Wolverine” and “Monsters vs. Aliens” at $9.99, and its own store-branded Insignia Blu-ray player for $99.99, according to Video Business. Target will sell older Blu-ray titles for $8.99.
– Scott Hettrick