Now listen, I realize that the big cheese at Blockbuster corporate has recently pledged support for open DVD rental, after slow and ponderous test marketing in just 100 stores. Token committments are useless. The time for real action is now . It would have been much better to see widespread DVD acceptance from retailers last September, when Richard Sharp made his big, self-congratulatory announcement of Divx. In retrospect, widespread acceptance of DVD by retailers early on might have also encouraged DVD holdout studios to take the plunge sooner.
Increased demand has a way of igniting production.
Welcome to DVD, VSDA members . The greatest irony is that after a year and a half of dragging their heels on the issue, the VSDA has awkened to the simple truth that open DVD may be the first, best and only hope that video retailers have to combat their own obsolescence , since by definition of its very design, Divx is positioned to effectively put video retailers out of business if the concept catches on. Wake up retailers. But we need to organize the troops in a hurry. The BIG Picture urges ALL video retailers to carry DVD titles for purchase.