Sony DADC
The supply chain issue
UK recovery management
Digital distribution for BBC Worldwide
PS3TM games manufacturing
go-live in Russia
Customer News
2011.02
www.sonydadc.com
Sony DADC would like to say ThAnk
You to all our …
customers · retailers · suppliers · distribution partners
and especially our employees
for all your support in achieving one of the smoothest recoveries we
could have imagined:
· Disaster recovery plan & team in place within an hour
· IT backbone never interrupted
· Replenishment stock at retail within two days as part of our rapid
ramp-up program
The Sony DADC Enfield team
www.sonydadc.com
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the insider
Welcome
As this year draws to a close, we look back at a
period that has provided challenges and opportunities. The test of a great company is one that
uses disasters such as happened to us in the London
riots to make our team culture even stronger. As
you will read in this issue, this is what we have succeeded in achieving through
a meticulously crafted disaster recovery plan, a robust IT infrastructure and the
skilled and dedicated team at our Enfield distribution center (page 4). However,
all of this would not have been sufficient without the support from our customers
and the industry.
Physical supply chain efficiency is our mission: it is enabled by a network of
superbly equipped distribution centers at gateway destinations around the globe.
Our recent acquisition of SCP in France (page 5) has grown our French games
distribution share to more than 50%, presenting new opportunities to both local
and global games customers alike. These opportunities include the expansion of
our Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) distribution model - a service that
STUDIOCANAL has implemented in Germany with very positive outcomes (page 6).
While entertainment consumption continues to migrate from physical to digital
platforms, bridging solutions for the transition period are required. To help our
customers capitalize on the opportunities of “here and now”, we evolve our
current services and solutions also taking a leading role in industry initiatives such
as UltraViolet. For the consumers’ ultimate goal of greater freedom in their choice
of devices and a seamless play-back experience, Sony DADC has established an
end-to-end digital distribution platform, and provides a seamless and complete
supply chain for UV-enabled packaged media (page 15).
Table of Contents
Physical Supply Chain
Rebuilding the UK supply chain
4
Integrated IT systems – Sony DADC’s unbreakable supply chain backbone
5
Sony DADC strengthens European supply chain performance
5
STUDIOCANAL adopts VMI with SRS Europe’s support
6
PS3TM disc manufacturing kicks off in Russia
7
Digital Supply Chain
BBC Worldwide chooses Sony DADC
to build its next-generation global distribution platform
8
LOOT’s YouTube™ Active Camera & PlayStation®Home
take virtual video to the next level
9
Physical/Digital Transition
Establishing a number one service network for the international games industry
10
Screen Pass prevents illegal downloads of your valuable content
11
Movie Code helps monetize Germany’s interest in Tintin
12
UltraViolet: Sony DADC enables Hollywood’s game changer
13
People, Pictures, Thoughts
Feeding thought leadership in home entertainment
14
From sustainability to product carbon footprint
15
Finally, we are thrilled to see how far we have come in supporting customers mastering the challenges in the digital domain. BBC Worldwide has chosen Sony DADC as
a partner to build and operate their next-generation global distribution platform
(page 8). It is exciting to see how quickly we can develop service solutions for
global broadcast customers such as the BBC, helping them to establish a filebased workflow internally as well as with their global partners.
Dieter Daum
CEO Sony DADC
Editorial & Layout/Graphics:
Arkin Kol – Director Sales & Marketing Communication
Christina Schobesberger – Marketing Communication
Bettina Bräunlich – Marketing Communication
Britta Hernandez – Graphic Design
owner & Publisher:
Sony DADC · Sonystrasse 20 · 5081 Anif/Salzburg · Austria
Phone: +43 6246 880 281 · marketing@sonydadc.com
© Sony DADC Austria AG 2011
Sony DADC disclaims all responsibility for errors in quotes & facts.
We thank all of those who have contributed to this edition of the insider.
the insider
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Physical Supply Chain
Rebuilding the uk supply chain
The essence of disaster management is the ability to react to the unpredictable. however, few could have
anticipated disaster on a scale that happened on the night of August 8, 2011. During riots in the uk, Sony DADC
suffered the complete loss of its Enfield distribution center and all its contents, including 25 million discs,
to a fire. The manner in which Sony DADC has been able to respond is testament to the company’s planning procedures, the outstanding quality of its staff and the good will shown by many companies that
operate in the same market as Sony DADC.
The former Enfield site.
“Within an hour of the incident at Enfield, Sony DADC’s
Disaster Recovery Plan was in place, enabling crisis
team to start action. As quickly as August 9, 2011 we
started to re-manufacture destroyed products and
expanded Direct-to-Retail shipments from our Southwater production facility, which was not affected by the
riots”, explained Darren Houghton, Managing Director
UK Distribution at Sony DADC. “Our supply chain IT
solution proved to be robust and a strong backbone. By
utilizing a multi-site approach, it guaranteed that not
a single order or Electronic Data Interchange was lost,
and all IT systems and services were up-and-running
and not affected by the fires. In the days following the
incident, our crisis team investigated alternative warehousing solutions and we have, after careful consideration from a risk mitigation and employee commuting
point of view, opted for two different locations,” he
added.
The two interim locations are operated by Cinram and
Cert Octavian. The majority of the former Enfield volume
is currently being managed out of Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, where Cert Octavian has offered Sony DADC
use of storage and distribution facilities at their main
hub, just 10 miles from Sony DADC’s Enfield distribution center. The Cinram facility is located in Aylesbury,
Buckinghamshire, approximately 40 miles from the former
Enfield location.
While Cinram is temporarily operating Pick, Pack & Ship,
Returns Management, and value-added services for
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, the major studio’s
points of contact have remained the same − Order Desk
and Cash Collection services continue to be managed
by Sony DADC staff, who are currently based at SPHE’s
Golden Square offices in Central London.
Centralized IT systems allow quick, plug-and-play connection of new distribution locations.
“The level of support we have received from our customers, Sony affiliate companies, local distribution centers,
and other companies from within the industry has been
remarkable. Without it, such a fast reaction to market
demands would not have been achieved”, commented
Darren Houghton. “Our staff members have been
incredibly supportive, often working extended hours to
make a fast contingency solution happen as quickly and
smoothly as possible” he added. All permanent staff
employed at Enfield have remained with the company,
and Sony DADC will also continue to work with the
same temporary staff agencies to fulfill additional staff
requirements as it did in Enfield.
The interim distribution locations are not far from the former Enfield site.
Contact for Sony DADC Distribution
thomas.irnberger@sonydadc.com | Phone: +43 6246 880 250
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Physical Supply Chain
Physical Supply Chain
Integrated IT systems – Sony DADC’s
unbreakable supply chain backbone
Sony DADC strengthens European
supply chain performance
Sony DADC is the market leader in supply chain services: This position has
been gained through many years of strategic investment to strengthen its
network and extend its support services.
With the acquisition of Supply Chain Performance (SCP), the number one French
games distribution company, Sony DADC has reached another important milestone in its supply chain strategy.
The integration of SCP within Sony DADC’s pan-European distribution network
reinforces the entire network, bringing more capacity and resources to the French
and pan-European markets. It will also enable the company to make its integrated
value chain offering − starting from authoring, disc replication and packaging to
digital distribution, through to business process management and financial
services − accessible to an even broader base of French games distributors.
Being a major national logistics provider specializing in entertainment products,
SCP offers B2B and B2C distribution services to an already diverse base of games
clients, including Activision, Square Enix, Capcom, and Koch Media.
Customized: Almost all our systems are created in-house, building on the extensive
knowledge Sony DADC has about the home entertainment market. Being aware
that no client and no market is like the other, our systems allow for full customization, meeting the distribution needs of clients and local requirements of retailers
alike. However, just like off-the-shelf systems, our customized solutions meet SOX,
SAS70 and ISO 27001 standards, which are key to providing high quality and reliable
systems.
Central: Each of our manufacturing and distribution sites operates with the same,
centrally hosted systems. This means that our clients have just one point of contact
for IT-related matters, and benefit from one single report covering all their routes
to market. If a single site is affected by any kind of crisis, IT systems remain fully
operational, as they fail over to separate backup locations. New distribution locations are quickly connected to the central system, which provides EDI (Electronic
Data Interchange) connectivity to 65+ partners in Europe alone.
With a staff of 48 permanent employees, SCP generates annual turnover of approximately Euro 9 million per annum from its facilities located in Cergy, north-west of Paris.
"Already a leading player in supply chain logistics across multiple territories such
as France, UK, Spain, Germany, and Scandinavia, Sony DADC can now add the
expertise and reputation for reliability and efficiency in a highly competitive
environment that SCP enjoys here in France," commented Thierry Masson, Managing
Director Sony DADC France. "This acquisition strengthens our proposition, enabling
us to provide an even more powerful integrated solution to customers in France
and those international customers wanting to develop their French business."
Flexible: The combination of 50 experienced in-house system developers, project
managers, business analysts, and infrastructure staff ensures that customer
requirements are quickly transformed into workable IT solutions. If required, we
upscale our IT workforce with partnering companies.
Scalable: The size and complexity of our systems are easily tailored to suit every
customer’s needs – from independent local rights holders to large, global studios.
The SCP warehouse in Cergy – a look inside.
Contact for Sony DADC IT Systems
Contact for Sony DADC Distribution in France
craig.carter@sonydadc.com | Phone: +43 6246 880 8645
fabrice.cormand@sonydadc.com | Phone: +33 1 6413 8209
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Physical Supply Chain
STuDIoCAnAL adopts VMI with SRS Europe’s support
After winning last year’s Golden Palette Award from Amazon for the best logistics in the German DVD market, leading European film studio and distributor
STuDIoCAnAL has now extended its relationship with Sony DADC through SRS Europe, a joint venture between Sony DADC and Sony Pictures home Entertainment
which is focused on providing retail services. Working together in Germany, the two companies have applied the VMI business model to STuDIoCAnAL’s home
video supply chain.
In Germany, STUDIOCANAL is one of the primary
home video distributors and a leading provider of DVD
and Blu-ray Disc products. During 2010, Sony DADC
shipped 6.3 million units and processed almost 1 million
returns for STUDIOCANAL. By implementing its VMI
system, SRS Europe aims to help STUDIOCANAL to uplift
its service offering to retailers through its state-of-theart new release forecasting and its dynamic assortment
functionality.
themselves, with VMI this process is managed automatically by the system right through to delivery, creating
a win-win situation for the supplier and the retailer.
SRS Europe manages VMI relationships with retailers in
most European territories and has a multilingual team
interacting with retailers on behalf of its customers.
The decision to adopt SRS Europe’s VMI service comes
as part of STUDIOCANAL’s continued commitment to
extending its relationship with Sony DADC as well as its
own restructuring initiative, which sees the company’s
headquarters move to Berlin.
“It was a major logistical challenge to adopt the VMI
model over such a large network of stores, and we are
pleased with the way that SRS Europe has implemented
this process,” commented Jan Rickers, Executive Vice
President Home Entertainment Germany at STUDIOCANAL
Germany. “In today’s market, efficiency in our supply
chain is essential, and this is exactly what SRS Europe
offers us.”
Whereas in a standard supply chain environment retail
outlet staff have to assess stock levels and place orders
SRS Europe has built a broad base of knowledge in multiple distribution models, from VMI to Cross Docking
and Scan-Based Trading. The customer benefits offered
by the VMI model include improved availability of products on the shelf, less returns, on-time delivery, and a
reduction in mark-downs and inventory held.
“With a library of more than 7,000 items, the way that
STUDIOCANAL Germany supports its retail outlets is
important,” commented Miguel Geli, Managing Director
at SRS Europe. “We are pleased to provide that supply
chain service and help support one of Europe’s leading
suppliers of the home entertainment market.”
Contact for SRS Europe
miguel.geli@srseurope.com | Phone: +49 151 152 098 29
About STuDIoCAnAL
STUDIOCANAL is a subsidiary of the CANAL+ Group. It is one of Europe's
leading companies in the market for the co-production, acquisition and
distribution of international feature films on all types of media: In cinemas, video, broadcasting, video on demand. STUDIOCANAL is the only
studio which operates simultaneously in three main territories across
Europe: France, the United Kingdom, and Germany. The company distributes a total of more than 50 films a year throughout Europe. In Germany,
STUDIOCANAL is a leading independent film company and a key player
in theatrical distribution, the video market, film production, as well as
international & domestic TV and new media sales. As the successor of
KINOWELT (established 1984), it has a library of more than 10,000 titles in
German-speaking Europe and has also established ARTHAUS, the leading
consumer brand for art-house films in German-speaking Europe. Since
September 2011, the German operations of STUDIOCANAL have been
based in Berlin.
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Physical Supply Chain
PS3TM disc manufacturing kicks off in Russia
After successfully entering the Russian home entertainment market with a strategic acquisition of a CD/DVD manufacturing plant in Borovsk, near Moscow, earlier
this year, and the subsequent commencement of Blu-ray Disc manufacturing at that site, Sony DADC has now launched local Russian PS3TM games production at
the same location. This strategic development will provide new levels of support to the fast-growing PS3TM games market in Russia.
The Borovsk manufacturing facility, which employs
about 100 staff and is located less than one hour’s drive
from Moscow, will initially provide BD-Game for PS3TM
and BD-Video manufacturing capacities of around
450,000 units per month alongside extensive CD and
DVD replication capacity.
Providing a true one-stop-shop service for all games
and home entertainment disc formats, Sony DADC will
also support local customers with high-quality print
work sourcing, packaging services and the copy protection solutions it offers worldwide.
The recently acquired Sony DADC optical disc manufacturing facility, designed to assist both local and international customers, will significantly decrease time
to market for PS3TM games and home entertainment
products. This is especially important in the games
market, where PS3TM has become the most popular
computer entertainment system in Russia.
Alongside this local manufacturing facility, Sony DADC
has established a customer service and sales support
center in Moscow, close to where many of the international games publishers, major home entertainment
studios and local distributors have based their Russian
headquarters.
“Our mission is to support customers in their global
enterprise operations, and this investment in Russia completes our local operations in each of the so-called BRIC
countries,” commented Johannes Stegfellner, Managing
Director of Sony DADC in Russia. “Today, the games and
home entertainment market is truly global, and with
Sony DADC our customers have the confidence that one
company can support all their local and regional operations worldwide to the same high standard”, he added.
Local manufacturing of BD-Game for PS3TM will allow
games publishers and distributors to deliver products
much faster to local retailers, helping to accelerate
the growth of the increasingly popular PlayStation®3
format in Russia. “The arrival of local manufacturing
of BD-Game for PS3TM is great news for the Russian
market. Sony DADC has established Russia’s first PS3TM
disc production facility at exactly the right time for us,”
commented Sergey Klisho, General Manager PlayStation
Russia & CIS. “Having local production resources is a
major boost. Knowing that they provide the high quality
and security standards, that are synonymous with
Sony DADC, is equally important”, he added.
As part of the global Sony DADC network, the Borovsk
facility provides customers with the company‘s market
leading anti-piracy content security measures, which are
fully compliant with CDSA-CPS and MPAA standards.
Contact for Sony DADC in Russia
johannes.stegfellner@sonydadc.com | Phone: +7 916 990 3380
Think global, act local
Sony DADC’s Russian replication facility, located in Borovsk,
Kaluga, began its operations this July. Subsequently,
Sony DADC has imported a Blu-ray Disc replication line
from its Austria headquarters, which went live with Blu-ray
Disc Video replication in September and PS3™ games
production in October 2011.
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Digital Supply Chain
BBC Worldwide chooses Sony DADC
to build its next-generation global distribution service
Last year, the ever-growing demand for BBC Worldwide programming prompted the broadcasting company to seek a new way to deliver its programs to global
markets more quickly and efficiently. Seeking a forward-thinking partner in an RFQ process, BBC Worldwide finally chose Sony DADC to create an innovative
solution that unifies global distribution on a single platform with the flexibility to accommodate the diverse requirements of individual markets while providing
complete visibility across all the assets, channels, vendors, and deals that drive the company’s business.
The Sony DADC service is designed to enable more efficient processes for BBC Worldwide to deliver programs
to global markets quickly while meeting increasingly
complex requirements to support new business models,
formats, and consumer devices.
Already one of the world’s most successful exporters of
television programs, BBC Worldwide has thrived in the
world of digital content, with global syndication partnerships that include: iTunes, Netflix (US), Amazon (US),
LoveFilm (UK), Sohu.com (China), Yota (Russia), and
Videx (Japan). To maintain this growth and capitalize
fully on opportunities around the globe, BBC Worldwide
needed a new distribution platform and service designed
to expedite the worldwide delivery of content in a digital
world.
“At BBC Worldwide, volumes of content are rising
quickly – from the current level of 74,000 hours per
year of programming licensed across all platforms –
and time to market is rapidly shrinking,” said Abigail
Hughes, SVP, Sales Operations and Digital Distribution,
BBC Worldwide. “To maintain optimal business performance, we want to deliver more content to all of our
partners faster.”
Redefining digital workflows
Sony DADC is providing BBC Worldwide with a comprehensive set of services that will enable the company to
exchange content more effectively, optimize shared workflows, and interact more efficiently with strategic partners,
vendors, post-production companies, and distributors.
The platform is designed to provide visibility into every
part of the company’s global business in order to understand the goals and deliverables for each market and
territory, as well as the flexibility to provide the right
level of support for their specific requirements and market
development.
“Leveraging our extensive experience and solutions with
large studios, Sony DADC provides BBC Worldwide with
the ability to benefit from a truly global digital supply
chain platform that will standardize their inventory,
provide real-time management of their fulfillment, and
support their impressive growth across all new opportunities,” commented Trey Bradley, EVP, Video Supply Chain
Services, Sony DADC.
“It was important to partner with a vendor who both
shared our vision and could provide the full range
of asset management and fulfillment capabilities we
need to manage our digital assets on a global scale,”
said Hughes. “By providing a system where people
throughout our business can see the program assets
we have available, then get it to market faster and in
more ways, we can truly realize the potential of our
global brand and our outstanding content resources.”
BBC Worldwide is due to go live with the global platform
by the end of 2011.
Contact for Digital Distribution
andreas.riegler@sonydadc.com | Phone: +44 207 307 9779
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Digital Supply Chain
LooT’s YouTube™ Active Camera & PlayStation®home
take virtual video to the next level
Sony DADC’s internal interactive development team, LooT, recently introduced the LooT Active Camera, featuring YouTube™ functionality, to their impressive
roster of unique social viewing experiences and products within the PlayStation®home environment. While the LooT Channel currently allows users to enjoy
entertainment with friends in a social viewing space, the introduction of the LooT Active Camera opens the door to new realms of social video content experiences.
In the past, people who wanted to capture video from
video games and other virtual environments had to
invest in separate PC capture and recording equipment.
Now, this capability is seamlessly integrated into the
PlayStation®Home experience with the LOOT Active
Camera, which allows users to save and upload videos.
Coupled with controls for recording and editing provided
through the XMB™ Video Editor & Uploader, users can
share with friends on YouTube and across social networks.
Tools for Machinima attract new creative audiences
Seamless integration with YouTube makes it easier than
ever for Machinima artists (virtual videographers) to share
their productions across the globe. With more than 3 billion
daily views, YouTube is the world’s largest video distribution platform as well as a top-tier social network through
which millions of people connect, inform, and inspire
each other every day.
Machinima creation using the PlayStation®Home platform has been a key focus for LOOT, which has been
developing PlayStation®Home Machinima tools since it
unveiled its first private spaces: The Living Room Stage
Set 2, Ghostbuster’s™ Firehouse: On Location, and the
Modular Stage Set 3.
“With more than 100 Machinima-related items already
available in the LOOT store, the addition of the LOOT
Active Camera will help Machinima artists take their productions to the next level and will offer a fun new activity
in PlayStation®Home to all our customers,” commented
David Sterling, Vice President of Business Development
at Sony DADC. “With the ability to now record and
upload directly to YouTube or the PS3TM XMB, it will be
easier and less expensive than ever for people to realize
their creative visions on the platform”, added Sterling.
Advancements in gaming and social viewing
The LOOT Active Camera is one of many advanced social
viewing features released by LOOT this year. In July,
LOOT’s Space Station Theatre live-streamed NASA’s
historic final Space Shuttle Atlantis launch to over 5,000
live social viewers and over 20,000 replay streams in the
EOD system. With many more features in development
for PlayStation®Home, LOOT continues to deliver creativity and innovation for the social viewing and gaming
environment.
Contact for Creative Services
andreas.riegler@sonydadc.com | Phone: +44 207 307 9779
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Physical/Digital Transition
Establishing a number one service network for
the international games industry
The games market is a major focus for Sony DADC. Thanks to an ongoing service expansion and strategic investment initiative in Australia, Russia, India and
Europe, Sony DADC can offer its games clients a one-stop-shop solution. From components to final product, from warehouse to market, from authentication to
cash collection − these are the three pillars of Sony DADC’s games proposition.
In Australia, the company today offers the most comprehensive service range of all International territories,
including Blu-ray Disc mastering, PS3™ and PC games
manufacturing, printshop, supply chain and order-to-cash,
making Sony DADC the preferred partner for many top
publishers in Australia.
Further west, a recent disc manufacturing acquisition
in Russia, followed by Blu-ray investment, enables
Sony DADC to offer local PS3™ and PC games manufacturing services in the Moscow area (as reported on
page 7), whereas in India the company has expanded
its services by adding Blu-ray replication and integrating
supply chain and credit & collection services for the
Indian sub-continent.
Finally, looking at Europe, investments over the years
have resulted in an extensive network with distribution
sites in the UK, GSA, the Nordics, and Iberia. With the
recent acquisition of SCP – the market-leading supply
chain provider for the games industry in France –
Sony DADC has further strengthened its position for local
and global games customers alike (as read on page 5).
In addition to strengthening the geographic distribution, Sony DADC has invested in establishing a holistic
product and service range for the games industry.
OnePlayS.com is one of the commercial download
platforms, that uses Sony DADC Digital License
Management to realize Digital Subscription Models.
“We are currently launching our Digital Subscription
Model.While doing so, we have been really pleased
with the support we have received from Sony DADC
and how straight-forward the integration has been”,
commented Lasse Jensen, CEO of OnePlayS.com.
While content distributors and e-tailers so far mainly
leveraged Sony DADC’s industry-leading Digital License
Management solutions, the company has now significantly expanded its games and software service portfolio.
The new service offering allows content developers,
owners, and distributors to better monetize their assets,
focus on their core business, and decrease costs by
outsourcing operational tasks such as digital content
preparation, wrapping, packaging, real-time analytics
services on top of order-to-cash services to Sony DADC.
“With this combination of a unique geographical
presence, combined with a technology leadership in
Digital License Management services we are confident
that we can expand our role as a reliable and futureproof service partner for the games industry" commented
Wolfgang Fuchs, who is heading up the international
games initiative for Sony DADC.
Consumers want to have choices when it comes to
purchasing entertainment content. While Buy & Own
was the only option in the past, nowadays content
owners and e-tailers can offer a broader range of models,
such as Try & Buy, Rental, or Subscription – all made
possible with Sony DADC’s Digital License Management
services.
sonydadc.com/games
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Contact for Games Services
wolfgang.fuchs@sonydadc.com | Phone: +43 6246 880 8069
Physical/Digital Transition
Screen Pass prevents illegal downloads
of your valuable content
The last issue of the insider reported on Sony DADC’s introduction of Screen Pass, a sophisticated Digital Rights Management (DRM) solution that enables video
content owners and publishers to protect their intellectual property throughout the entire content lifecycle. Very quickly after its introduction, Sony DADC discovered
that Screen Pass can convert casual video pirates into valuable new customers, since they purchase movies that they cannot rip off.
Since then Sony DADC has further developed the functionality of Screen Pass. In particular, Screen Pass is now
extended by measures to combat cyberlockers, where
consumers are encouraged to upload content that is
then offered to other consumers – a method which has
become more popular than illegal Peer to Peer sharing.
Through Screen Pass, Sony DADC provides an internet
scanning service that identifies download links on cyberlockers and enables content owners to remove the
illegitimately copied material.
Another significant source of high-quality piracy early
in a movie’s lifecycle is when preview copies of movies
released by the publisher to journalists and other key
commentators fall into the wrong hands. With the
Screener disc service, Screen Pass empowers the publisher to individually watermark, label, and protect each
preview disc so that when the content is copied, it can
be tracked back to a specific disc and thus to a single
recipient.
Dutch blockbuster and Italian catalogue publishers
increase sales using Screen Pass
The Netherland’s most successful movie release in
the last 25 years – Gooische Vrouwen – has virtually
stopped piracy after the publisher of the DVD and Blu-ray
Disc versions, Video Film Express, applied Screen Pass to
the disc-based versions of the movie.
“We are very satisfied with the performance of Screen Pass.
Still, four weeks after the release date of the DVD and
Blu-ray versions of the movie, not a single copy or rip
tool managed to copy the disc’s content”, explained
Ivo Daemen, Product Manager at Video Film Express.
“Consequently, larger numbers of the movie’s fans have
bought the disc through legitimate retail channels.”
In addition to disc protection, the version of Screen Pass
implemented for Gooische Vrouwen specifically targets
cyberlocker uploaders. After the home entertainment
release in the Netherlands, Sony DADC’s online scanning
Screen Pass protection throughout the entire content lifecycle.
service located dozens of infringing uploads where the
movie, or a part of it, had been copied to cyberlockers.
Very rapidly, all these files were removed from the cyberlockers after DMCA notices had been sent on them.
Contact for Screen Pass
thomas.goebl@sonydadc.com | Phone: +43 6246 880 8912
At the same time, Italy-based publisher Eagle Pictures
decided to secure all their DVD and Blu-ray releases with
Screen Pass, including back catalogue titles. Recently,
Eagle Pictures licensed the Miramax back catalogue for
Blu-ray Disc releases in Italy. All of the 24 well-known
titles, such as Pulp Fiction and Good Will Hunting, will
be protected with Screen Pass.
“As in many other countries, casual copying presents
a huge challenge to the Italian home entertainment
industry. Consumers not only have an appetite for new
releases, but also for catalogue classics in high resolution. By only protecting our new releases, we would not
fully take advantage of all our revenue opportunities,“
commented Luisa Bonalumi, Marketing Director Home
Video & Theatrical at Eagle Pictures. “Screen Pass is an
elegant solution that is succeeding in converting casual
copiers into valuable customers, which is great news
for everybody, from the content owners right through
to the consumers.”
Netherland’s blockbuster Gooische Vrouwen,
protected by Screen Pass.
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Physical/Digital Transition
Movie Code helps monetize Germany’s interest in Tintin
Sony DADC has been working with content publishers to create new revenue streams and develop platforms to help them monetize their movie catalogues. After
introducing Movie Code in the last issue of the insider, we can now report its first application in Germany by leading home video publisher, Sunfilm Entertainment.
With the upcoming theatrical release of The Adventures
of Tintin (or Tim und Struppi as it is known in Germany)
in 3D, now is the perfect time to offer past movies
featuring Tintin, Snowy, and their friends to fans of the
cartoon hero.
The challenge facing Sunfilm Entertainment was to
offer its customer base the maximum opportunities
to own their favourite Tintin movies at minimum cost,
both to themselves and to the publisher.
For the first time in Germany, Sunfilm Entertainment
has used Sony DADC’s revolutionary Movie Code system
to offer two Tintin movies – Tim und das Geheimnis um
das Goldene Vlies and Tim und die Blauen Orangen –
on one disc. The first movie can be watched for free.
Then, for just Euro 4.99, the customer can unlock a
second bonus movie.
Movie Code is an efficient marketing model for distributors – royalty costs for the additional content are
activated only when the content is accessed. And the
sophistication of the Digital Rights Management mechanism means that the content is entirely secure, even
though it is placed on every disc.
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An extension of Sony DADC’s eBridge system, Movie
Code works via the viewer activating a unique embedded
code on each disc. Part of the code is displayed on the activation screen, and when this is sent by SMS to a premium
service provider, the remainder of the code is sent to the
user, again by text message.
Then, it is a simple matter of the user entering the
remainder of the code before the extra movie that was
conceiled on the disc is made accessible to the consumer.
The Euro 4.99 charge is paid by the user for this extra
content, and this is added to their mobile phone bill by
the SMS service provider.
The Movie Code disc was used as a covermount disc
with the German publication Video - HomeVision and
distributed to all 74,000 readers of the magazine. “We
are pleased with the results that we have achieved with
this innovative new platform,” commented Wolfgang Carl,
CEO from Sunfilm Entertainment. “Video - HomeVision
played its part – not least by running a two page editorial
on Movie Code and how it works. To date, this has
proved to be a very effective way of tapping into the
increased interest we see in Tintin due to the major
Hollywood movie release.”
Contact for eBridge Movie Code
daniela.herneth@sonydadc.com | Phone: +43 6246 880 81622
Physical/Digital Transition
ultraViolet: Sony DADC enables hollywood’s game changer
hollywood’s efforts to boost home video sales by enabling users to watch purchased movies on multiple devices with ultraViolet (uV), an online, personal content
library, provides another industry initiative tailored to Sony DADC’s end-to-end digital services platform.
UltraViolet enables users to watch purchased movies or
TV shows on multiple devices - giving them greater
flexibility with regard to how and where they watch
their content. Once a movie or TV show has been added
to a UV library, the user will have options to stream it
over the internet, download it for offline viewing, or
play it back on a disc.
“UltraViolet offers consumers greater freedom to
choose where they want to watch their content whether
it's on a mobile device, computer, television set, or
game console,” said Allen Lee, Vice President, Digital
Solutions, Sony DADC. “Sony DADC helps content
owners give consumers that seamless journey between
physical and digital worlds with access to media on
every device and the ability to capture every consumer
touch point.”
Sony DADC’s ultraViolet approach
Sony DADC’s end-to-end digital distribution platform
for UltraViolet will enable content publishers of many
sizes, from majors to independents, to become fully
UV-compliant. The development of its UV solution is
focused on providing intuitive operation and ease of use.
Targeting the consumer, Sony DADC adapted its eBridge
Digital Copy technology for UV to combine both title ID
and specific retailer code in a unique electronic code
on each DVD. With this functionality, UV consumers do
not have to type in the redemption code manually to
transfer the new movie to their UltraViolet locker.
Today, Sony DADC is the only supply chain provider
to offer content publishers a complete ready-to-go
UltraViolet solution, including authoring, replication,
and distribution of UV-enabled packaged media, access
management via the end-to-end platform, as well as
payment solutions, sales channel tracking and reporting
via its market-proven eBridge Analytics platform.
Gaining momentum
This fall, Warner Home Video debuted with UV releases
of Horrible Bosses and Green Lantern, and it plans to
launch blockbuster Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows II
on UltraViolet within the US market prior to the holiday
season. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment will release
The Smurfs and Friends with Benefits this December.
All in all, there will be a line-up of ten titles using the
UltraViolet format by the holidays.
For more information about how Sony DADC can help
you harness the main advantages offered by UltraViolet,
please contact the UV deployment team by e-mailing
ultraviolet@sonydadc.com.
Contact for ultraViolet
ultraviolet@sonydadc.com
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People, Pictures, Thoughts
Feeding thought leadership in home entertainment
Currently, the home entertainment industry is working in some of the most dynamic and challenging times it has known. In this environment it is important that
the industry networks, shares opinions and creates a joint vision of where we are going and how we will get there.
German-speaking industry opinion formers discussing future opportunities.
Future perspectives at Lake Tegernsee
A Sony DADC initiative designed to provide thought
leadership in the home entertainment industry came
through the organisation of a one-day conference in
Germany this June entitled GSA Industry Forum: Future
Trends in the Video Market.
Based at the Seehotel Überfahrt on the shores of Lake
Tegernsee, the conference provided an ideal environment for industry leaders from across Germany to get
together and discuss future trends in our industry.
Amongst a busy schedule, the conference discussed a
diverse range of topics and heard from leading commentators and opinion formers in areas such as social
media and UltraViolet. A highlight of the afternoon
was a presentation from well-known trend researcher,
Matthias Horx, on his vision of the evolution of media
and technology.
“This conference was a fantastic opportunity to bring
industry leaders together and discuss the big issues that
are facing our industry, from the effect technology has
on media consumption patterns to the likely structure
of future business models,” commented Chris Reiser,
Executive Vice President at Sony DADC. “Over the years
we have become so much more than just a supplier to
our customers. We have a role in driving thought leadership and helping to fashion the future of our industry.”
Executives network on the fairways
However, not all networking has to take place wearing a
suit. The Sony DADC 5th Annual Golf Day took place in
June at the East Sussex National Golf Club in England.
The day was hailed as a great success, enabling customers to relax together, talk informally and play some
great golf.
A new innovation this year was a live scoring facility,
which helped to promote a “Ryder Cup” style of play
that was also new to the day. After a hard day on the
course, guests were entertained long into the evening
at a gala dinner.
The day offered an opportunity for customers to meet
Natasha Tyrell who recently joined Sony DADC from
Technicolor to replace Darren Houghton, after he takes
up a new role as MD of Sony DADC Australia.
“The Golf Day has become a regular feature in our calendar and this year was another outstanding success
for all involved,” commented Sigi Obermayr, Director
Sales and Business Development at Sony DADC. “We
talk with our customers almost every day, so it’s good to
step away from the pressures of the office and discuss
matters in a more relaxed environment.”
uk & GSA Sales Contact
siegfried.obermayr@sonydadc.com | Phone: +44 20 7307 9770
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At the UK Golf Day (from top to bottom and left to right):
Dieter Daum, Sony DADC;
Paul Chesney, Universal Pictures International Entertainment;
Chris Reiser, Sony DADC; Mikael Modig, Scanbox; Gerhard Blum,
Sony Music Entertainment; Natasha Tyrrell, Sony DADC; Spud, Classic Media.
People, Pictures, Thoughts
Advertisement
From sustainability to product carbon footprint
Ekoline – Special, eco-friendly
packaging solutions
For decades, Sony DADC has pioneered sustainable product design, manufacture and distribution throughout its global operations. It is an ethos that is in the company’s DnA and runs through every part of the
organization. When the company looked at this issue from the perspective of its products’ entire lifecycles,
it realized it could not achieve its ultimate goal alone.
To absolutely minimize the carbon footprint of its
products, Sony DADC needs the active support of all
its suppliers. From raw materials to packaging, power,
transport and even product recycling companies, every
supplier to Sony DADC needs to contribute to this ongoing challenge.
This May, Sony DADC invited 15 major European suppliers as well as customer representatives from various
industries to a specially organised event at its headquarters in Austria. Through a series of workshops,
presentations and brainstorming sessions, the group
identified a series of improvement options and started
working on a roadmap that would see them adopted
throughout the collective network.
“At Sony DADC we have identified three key operating
principles in reducing the negative environmental impact
of our operations, increasing resource efficiency and
controlling the use of environmentally related substances,”
commented Maria Bauer, Environmental Officer at
Sony DADC. “This event was an important development in our on-going sustainability strategy and it was
great to see the commitment that our suppliers share
with us. By working together, I believe that we will create
a new standard in environmentally sustainable operations.”
“A History of Snow is not just a random ski movie.
Thanks to Ekoline, people notice this even before they put
the DVD into their player. Ekoline stands out of the shelf
as much as A History of Snow stands out among freeride
DVD productions. Also, there is a socio-critical aspect
about A History of Snow, which is perfectly reflected by
this classy, eco-conscious pack.”
Matthias Mayr, Int. Elan Team Athlete
Contact for Green Manufacturing
maria.bauer@sonydadc.com | Phone: +43 6246 880 8018
One of the outcomes of the event was that suppliers
agreed to provide production-specific data for Sony DADC's
product carbon footprint calculations. Other initiatives
discussed included the introduction of renewable energy
where possible, the reduction of weight in packaging
materials and how to avoid waste and returns.
Major suppliers, customers and Sony DADC
joining forces to reduce the product carbon footprint.
Ekoline is a range of special, eco-friendly packaging
solutions for CD and DVD format.
· FSC or PEFC certified paper and paperboard
· No separation of components, easy to recycle
www.sonydadc.com
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