DELAYING CHEAP DVD RENTALS PAYS OFF, SAYS TIME WARNER

Although some analysts have observed that the public seems unmindful of the four-week delay some studios have imposed between the time their movies hit DVD sales outlets and the time they become available via Netflix and Redbox, Time Warner chief Jeff Bewkes maintained Wednesday that the delay has resulted in “a positive effect” on DVD and online digital sales. “We saw considerably higher [DVD] sales in weeks two-to-four than we used to see in the previous week-by-week distribution of sales,” Bewkes said during a conference call to discuss the company’s second-quarter earnings. “The net results of pushing new releases back looks quite good. The extent of the windows is that it moves demand to sell-through and transactional VOD.” He maintained that other studios who have opted out of the windows plan have seen their DVD titles “underperforming.” Separately, it was announced that Warner Home Video’s release of Clash of the Titans topped both the DVD sales and rental charts last week.