DVD/VHS prices

[Don Brown]

>Isn't the 13,000 to 15,000 yen price tag for rental VHS only? 
>Meaning this
>is the price a video rental shop owner has to pay for a cassette. 
>This is
>not so unusual at all, even in Europe for instance, where retailers 
>pay
>comparable prices for new release cassettes specifically for the 
>rental
>market.

Got me there - my wording was a bit vague.  Retail video prices are a bit 
more realistic.  Still, from a video rental shop owner's point of view, why 
the huge gap in price for first release films on VHS and DVD?  Is it part 
of a move to encourage these shops to stock more films on DVD, or another 
scam by the studios?

>Sell-thru VHS for consumers averaged around 3,700 yen last time I 
>looked.
>Which is still ridiculously high in my opinion, especially compared 
>to DVD
>prices.

I guess that both VHS and DVD retail is a hyperinflated market here.  
Warner runs a budget DVD campaign here called "Hollywood Price", selling 
some of its big new releases and older hits for 2-2,500 yen, but it only 
serves to point out how expensive they are in general.  Even so, big chain 
stores like HMV and Tower have both been reported as experiencing their 
largest growth in sales from DVDs, so I guess the high prices aren't 
perturbing Japanese consumers. 
Don Brown   

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