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I was just reading an article about Walmart putting dvd burner kiosks in their stores. Does anyone know who will makes the kiosks for them,this could be huge. Here is DD that may pay off if we find out... Here is a short write up..
Wal-Mart mulls DVD download booths
By Joshua Chaffin in New York
Updated: 1:42 a.m. ET Nov. 16, 2005 Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, has held discussions with Hollywood studios about installing kiosks in its stores from which consumers could use digital technology to download films on to portable discs.
The move aims to alleviate the shortage of space on Wal-Mart's shelves, which has been identified by Wall Street analysts and film executives as a cause for the slowdown in DVD sales. At the same time, it would benefit the studios by lowering their shipping costs, and the expense of dealing with returned inventory.
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"We're exploring all different types of distribution mechanisms to the customer," said David Porter, a vice-president at Wal-Mart, the world's largest seller of DVDs. "There have been discussions with most of the studios."
The studios, including Warner Brothers, which holds a leading share of the home video business, are also looking at other retailers, such as Target and Best Buy in the US, and the UK's Tesco.
Mr Porter and other executives involved in the talks suggested nothing was imminent. Nonetheless, the discussions reflect the entertainment industry's new focus on using digital technology to make their products available to consumers on a variety of platforms, from mobile phones and MP3 players to video-on-demand services offered by cable and satellite TV operators.
The trend was highlighted today by the news that Warner will supply thousands of episodes of old TV programmes, such as Growing Pains and Welcome Back Kotter to AOL, its sister company, for free broadcast over the internet.
The broadband network, known as In2TV, will serve as the cornerstone of AOL's nascent video-on-demand service.
The plan for new DVD kiosks mimics a programme being tested in certain Wal-Mart stores in which the retailer downloads songs to discs for customers.
The talks come at a crucial time for Hollywood. DVD sales generate more money for the studios than box office, yet after growing at double-digit rates for the past few years, some analysts have predicted that DVD sales could be flat or decline by 2007.
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