By Craig Zammit

SYDNEY: After Sony launched its first ever Blu-ray compatible device in Australia last week, Sony Pictures Australia has now announced the price reduction of many of its best selling DVD titles, to be available for under $10 for the first time.

The DVD category could be seen as an emerging problem child for companies such as Sony Pictures, with Sony’s Blu-ray loyalties potentially cannibalising the core DVD market.

However Sony Pictures Home Entertainment marketing director, Dominic Remond, believes that next generation, high definition Blu-ray products and current generation DVD products can co-exist.

“The DVD market has grown in both volume and value on a year on year basis – the talk of the new format has shown no negative effect on the DVD business.

“DVD will be the major home entertainment format for some years to come. The market is still buoyant and people are buying and renting DVDs. Household penetration of DVD players has still to reach that of VHS – so there is more potential,” Remond told current.com.au.

“Blu-ray will be a very niche product for core movie buffs and home entertainers in the initial few years.”

So despite the release of both Sony and Toshiba’s next generation DVD products last month, Sony Pictures will precede with the release of selected current generation DVD titles at an all-time low price as part of its Knockout DVD collection.

“These promotions are an ongoing part of our back catalogue strategy. We establish an umbrella theme to our activity enabling an integrated campaign across POS and above the line.”

Running from 4 September to 1 October, titles in the promotion include First Knight, Joe Dirt, So I Married An Axe Murderer, Bulletproof Monk, Groundhog Day, Money Train, Stuart Little, As Good As it Gets and more.

As part of the promotion, Sony Pictures will also release triple-packs for under $20 for the first time. Among the actors featured for the triple-packs will be Steven Seagal, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Harrision Ford and Bruce Willis as well as triple-packs aimed at girls, boys and teenagers.