Hollywood's new double feature: DVD and Blu-ray in one box

With Blu-ray sales doddering, movie studios are scheming new ways to get consumers more comfortable with the high-definition discs.

Next month, several new releases will try packaging Blu-ray discs with a DVD of the same movie. "Marley & Me," "The Princess Bride," and "T2 Complete Collector's Set" will bundle both formats in one case, according to an article in Video Business. And Disney, which experimented with Blu-ray/DVD packages last fall, will extend the deal to seven upcoming titles, including the re-release of "Pinocchio" in March.

Amazon.com's current listings show that the bundles will cost about the same as a normal Blu-ray.

"This is a smart move by the studios, as one of the biggest drawbacks to buying Blu-ray movies now is their lack of portability," writes CNET. "Since a Blu-ray Disc will play only where you have a Blu-ray player, many people often can't watch their new movie in the bedroom or car, on a plane, or in any other place where they only have a DVD player."

The upcoming "Marley & Me" set actually bundles three formats – Blu-ray, DVD, and a digital copy that you can rip to a computer.

“Standard DVD or Blu-ray represents amazing value and amazing quality, but how do we make it more flexible to adapt to the changing lifestyle?” asks Fox Home Entertainment's VP of marketing, Mary Daily, in an interview with Video Business. “We’re constantly looking at consumers’ habits.... This is going to be our direction for certain movies.”