Anyone who’s been shopping for DVDs to use as holiday presents knows the debate all too well: DVD or Blu-ray? What kind of DVD player do they own? What titles are worthy of spending a little extra on high-def?
For all those frustrated consumers, scratching their heads in the DVD aisle, Universal Pictures has come up with an answer. For the first time ever, Universal is releasing the Bourne Identity trilogy as a DVD/Blu-ray bundle, meaning that you can play the film in both formats – complete with both sets of special features – in any DVD player. Have Blu-ray? Then play the Blu-ray version? If not, then select the standard version.
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At the same time, other studios have started releasing three-part DVD bundles – packages that offer the consumer the DVD, the Blu-Ray as well as a portable digital copy of the film. However you want to watch your movie, you can find it right here.
Not only convenient when it comes to buying someone a gift, or transferring your movie to multiple devices, the Universal Bourne strategy also suggests an industry warming up to the notion of aiding consumers in transitioning to high-def. I know many people who have refrained from buying as many DVDs because they expect to soon purchase a Blu-ray player, and want to avoid purchasing outdated technology. But with bundles such as The Bourne Identity or Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, shoppers can purchase with a sense of confidence. Imagine if you had been able to buy both cassettes and CDs together, back in the days when the transition was occurring.
I think it’s a win-win proposition. Studios are able to find new ways of selling old titles. Retailers can tout these as “future-proof” purchases. Consumers get more bang for their buck, all the while being encouraged to take full advantage of the Blu-ray picture quality and interactive extras. With DVD sales turning sluggish as of late, and with just about every studio trying to figure out how to get movie lovers to open their wallets during this Great Recession, the DVD divisions have come up with a compelling answer: Three films for the price of one. I think the DVD-Blu-ray-Digital file bundle is here to stay.
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