# Why not have an HD trailers channel?



## gregjones (Sep 20, 2007)

DirecTV, are you listening?

Why not have a DOD channel dedicated to theatrical trailers? I often watch these on HDNet, but have to catch it's not ideal. The show is of varying lengths and may or may not contain any new content. Other DOD content is shown with commercials. With trailers, the commercial is built-in.

In another thread, someone commented that there was no need to see the trailer when you can view it on the Internet. I disagree when it comes to trailers for movies in theaters. This is one of the few times I actually want to see the commercials.


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## tcusta00 (Dec 31, 2007)

Why not setup a SL for the show on HDNet? DirecTV doesn't produce content, they just deliver it. They would have to purchase the rights to it from whoever produces it in order to make their own channel. Seems kind of a waste to me.


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## gregjones (Sep 20, 2007)

In general, I would agree for normal content. But these are commercials. People generally do not have to pay to present movie trailers, do they? A series link to Nothing but Trailers will accomplish little since the show is of varying lengths and is never marked as a repeat or a new show. Short, segmented content is a good fit for DOD. Downloading individual segments from Dirty Jobs and the like make a good example for it.

Positioned correctly, DirecTV could even make a buck or two on the deal by providing a service to the studios and viewers. Adding trailers to the Movies DOD channel would be a good fit. Licensing should not be overly complex since they are, in essence, commercials. This seems like a fairly low-cost endeavor.


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## spartanstew (Nov 16, 2005)

tcusta00 said:


> Why not setup a SL for the show on HDNet?


Agreed. That's what we do. We have a SL for the ultimate trailer show.

We used to record "nothing but trailers", but it's a bit redundant. How many movies premier every week? 15? At 2-3 minutes per trailer, there's barely enough new movie trailers to fill a 30 minute show let alone a whole channel of trailers playing 24/7.

With that one SL to the ultimate trailer show we get to see just about every new movie trailer (and sometimes multiple versions) in HD (and one golden oldie).


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## tcusta00 (Dec 31, 2007)

gregjones said:


> In general, I would agree for normal content. But these are commercials. People generally do not have to pay to present movie trailers, do they? A series link to Nothing but Trailers will accomplish little since the show is of varying lengths and is never marked as a repeat or a new show. Short, segmented content is a good fit for DOD. Downloading individual segments from Dirty Jobs and the like make a good example for it.
> 
> Positioned correctly, DirecTV could even make a buck or two on the deal by providing a service to the studios and viewers. Adding trailers to the Movies DOD channel would be a good fit. Licensing should not be overly complex since they are, in essence, commercials. This seems like a fairly low-cost endeavor.


I see what you're saying now... I wonder how much interest there would be in something like this? Wouldn't it just be easier to fix the first run/repeat markers? Now _there's _something I can get behind!


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## gregjones (Sep 20, 2007)

tcusta00 said:


> I see what you're saying now... I wonder how much interest there would be in something like this? Wouldn't it just be easier to fix the first run/repeat markers? Now _there's _something I can get behind!


With the SL, you are still watching an entire show that could easily be broken in to individual pieces. If someone likes watching all trailers, the SL is a good option. But since DOD already has a number of small pieces of content that fit the same kind of model (music videos, individual show segments, etc.), movie trailers are noticeable in their absence.


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## gregjones (Sep 20, 2007)

Also, this might be a way to bring more interest to DOD for those who do not like PPV pricing/restrictions.


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## Sirshagg (Dec 30, 2006)

Here's a thought - If you go to the theatre to see the movie then stands to reason it's less likely that you would purchase the same movie on PPV. Therefore they would be doing something that would ultimately decrease their own revenue.


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## Greg Alsobrook (Apr 2, 2007)

Here ya go... http://www.apple.com/trailers/

Tons of trailers... Even some in 1080p... After you click on a movie... Click on "High Definition"...


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## gregjones (Sep 20, 2007)

Sirshagg said:


> Here's a thought - If you go to the theatre to see the movie then stands to reason it's less likely that you would purchase the same movie on PPV. Therefore they would be doing something that would ultimately decrease their own revenue.


And yet they already have movie trailers as the ads in a number of the items on DOD. They just happen to be SD and not listed as they are the commercial filler on those items.


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## gregjones (Sep 20, 2007)

AirRocker said:


> Here ya go... http://www.apple.com/trailers/
> 
> Tons of trailers... Even some in 1080p... After you click on a movie... Click on "High Definition"...


Yes, I know. And they show up on my laptop instead of the terribly nice widescreen HD set.


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## Sirshagg (Dec 30, 2006)

gregjones said:


> And yet they already have movie trailers as the ads in a number of the items on DOD. They just happen to be SD and not listed as they are the commercial filler on those items.


But wouldn't those ads be placed there by the content provider and not DirecTv.


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## gregjones (Sep 20, 2007)

Sirshagg said:


> But wouldn't those ads be placed there by the content provider and not DirecTv.


Yes. The studios pay the content providers for the ad placement on DOD items. The studios could also pay DirecTV to place the content themselves.


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## Sirshagg (Dec 30, 2006)

gregjones said:


> Yes. The studios pay the content providers for the ad placement on DOD items. The studios could also pay DirecTV to place the content themselves.


That would work.


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## RobertE (Jun 10, 2006)

I argued nearly two years ago that Showcases (now Movies Now & More) is a perfect spot for pushed trailers.

It could be done for new releases in theaters, PPV and HBO, SHO, etc. Very little space used. 

It's the perfect place for them, but it's horribly underutilized.


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## Sirshagg (Dec 30, 2006)

RobertE said:


> I argued nearly two years ago that Showcases (now Movies Now & More) is a perfect spot for pushed trailers.
> 
> It could be done for new releases in theaters, PPV and HBO, SHO, etc. Very little space used.
> 
> It's the perfect place for them, but it's horribly underutilized.


agreed


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## RobertE (Jun 10, 2006)

Throw in a little interactive app and a phone/internet connection and they could even let you pre-order/order tickets through fandango or whatever the other one is after you watch the trailer. Could also rate the trailer. Free market research. Whats not to like.


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## gregjones (Sep 20, 2007)

RobertE said:


> Throw in a little interactive app and a phone/internet connection and they could even let you pre-order/order tickets through fandango or whatever the other one is after you watch the trailer. Could also rate the trailer. Free market research. Whats not to like.


And everyone that has DOD working already has an Internet connection...


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## spartanstew (Nov 16, 2005)

Sirshagg said:


> Here's a thought - If you go to the theatre to see the movie then stands to reason it's less likely that you would purchase the same movie on PPV. Therefore they would be doing something that would ultimately decrease their own revenue.


Not sure I understand what you're getting at here. I love seeing trailers, but haven't been to the theater in over 10 years.


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## tonyd79 (Jul 24, 2006)

RobertE said:


> I argued nearly two years ago that Showcases (now Movies Now & More) is a perfect spot for pushed trailers.
> 
> It could be done for new releases in theaters, PPV and HBO, SHO, etc. Very little space used.
> 
> It's the perfect place for them, but it's horribly underutilized.


Not underutilized anymore. I have 5 HD PPV movies sitting on each of my 3 DVRs in that space now.


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## Sirshagg (Dec 30, 2006)

spartanstew said:


> Not sure I understand what you're getting at here. I love seeing trailers, but haven't been to the theater in over 10 years.


The point of the trailers is to get our butts in the seats, no?

Are you more likely to purchase a PPV of a movie you have seen already (in a theatre) or one you have not seen aleady? I think most people would say less likely.

So if DirecTv shows us trailers and seeing the trailer makes us go see the movie in a theatre then we are going to be less likely to purchase a PPV of that same move from DirecTv.


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## spartanstew (Nov 16, 2005)

People won't change their viewing habits based on trailers. If they go to the theater every Friday, they'll continue to go to the Theater every Friday. If they never go, they still won't go. The particular movie they see might change, but the frequency won't. 

So, in the end PPV (on a numbers standpoint) shouldn't change based on trailer showings.

And even if somehow it did, they could always show trailers of movies that are coming to PPV and are no longer in the theater, thereby increasing PPV numbers.


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## gregjones (Sep 20, 2007)

spartanstew said:


> People won't change their viewing habits based on trailers. If they go to the theater every Friday, they'll continue to go to the Theater every Friday. If they never go, they still won't go. The particular movie they see might change, but the frequency won't.
> 
> So, in the end PPV (on a numbers standpoint) shouldn't change based on trailer showings.
> 
> And even if somehow it did, they could always show trailers of movies that are coming to PPV and are no longer in the theater, thereby increasing PPV numbers.


I agree that it would not impact PPV sales. I would not be as interested in the PPV trailers as much as theatrical trailers. I wouldn't complain about having both, but there is already a mechanism for the PPV trailers in DOD.


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