Our DVD and Blu-ray sales estimates are based on weekly retail surveys, which we use to build a weekly market share estimate for each title we are tracking. The market share is converted into a weekly sales estimate based on industry reports on the overall size of the market, including reports published in Media Play News.

For example, if our weekly retail survey estimates that a particular title sold 1% of all units that week, and the industry reports sales of 1,500,000 units in total, we will estimate 15,000 units were sold of that title. The consumer spending estimate is based on the average sales price for the title in the retailers we survey.

We refine our estimates from week to week as more data becomes available. In particular, we adjust weekly sales figures for the quarter once the total market estimates are published by the Digital Entertainment Group. Figures will therefore fluctuate each week, and totals for individual titles can go up or down as we update our estimates.

Because sales figures are estimated based on sampling, they will be more accurate for higher-selling titles.

DVD and Blu-ray Releases for October 2nd, 2012

October 2nd, 2012

It's the first week of the month and there is a wide variety of releases worth checking out, but not exactly a strong selection of best sellers. The biggest first-run release is Dark Shadows and while I'm looking forward to possibly reviewing the Blu-ray Combo Pack, I don't think it will be a huge hit. New Girl: Season One and The Princess Bride: 25th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray look great, but I'm waiting for the screeners to make final decisions. I won't get a chance to review Universal Classic Monsters: The Essential Collection, but it is a contender for Pick of the Week. The winner of that honor is Cinderella Blu-ray, which is a classic, even if it is a little old-fashioned. More...

Featured Blu-ray Review: Pet Sematary

October 1st, 2012

I don't want to be buried in a Pet Sematary,
I don't want to live my life again.
That song has been stuck in my head all week. At least it is a good song. Pet Sematary is making its Blu-ray debut this week, hence the Ramones induced mind worm. When the film first came out, it only earned mixed reviews, but it earned nearly $60 million on a production budget that was just under $12 million. At the time, it was the biggest hit by Stephen King, in terms of raw dollars at the domestic box office. (One could argue Carrie and Stand By Me were more profitable based on percentages earned.) The film is now 20 years old. Does it live up to its box office numbers? Or is it one of Stephen King's lesser films in terms of quality? Is the Blu-ray worth picking up if you are a fan? More...