Zoo Digital Share Discussion Threads

[philjeans] 17/11/2006 15:20

All this for a market cap of less than £3M!!

It's too cheap - get em now before the herd arrive.

[diamante] 17/11/2006 14:18

The icing on the cake would be if dond was developed using DES. I very much doubt it though - no des logo or any mention of zoo on the box.

Edmonds mush was on the 'DVD of the week' in my local Tescos, but surprisingly it was Telly addicts (which is des). The other 'dvd of the week' (and yes, there were two of them) was the sports quiz with Sue Barker on the front (also des). I'm not sure what 'dvd of the week' means apart from being displayed as such.

Bodge, I think the harmony is mainly due to people not losing money anymore with the price stabilising. It might even become a lovein if everyone actually starts to make some ackers.

[aphzombie] 17/11/2006 13:57

artey - 17 Nov'06 - 13:03 - 1003 of 1007

Element I' have updated their own website and can confirm that BTI3 is deffo DES
--

Thanks for confirmation Artey. there was never any doubt in my mind hence the confusion from the rear cover art not showing DES logo. Guess it just confirms that either the image shown on rear cover art, or just the lack of the DVDExtra logo, can't be trusted in defining what products are DVDExtra. Strange really, as I know for a fact that it is part of the contractual agreement between ZOOtech and 3rd party publishers that the DVDExtra logo is incorporated onto packaging for all DES products.

[artey] 17/11/2006 13:25

Think Universal used the dvd game logo

Thinking laterally, that I've intimated that ITV related games dont use DES, thats a load of billhooks because Circle use it to produce Blockbusters and The price is right.

confusing!

[bodgit] 17/11/2006 13:18

After several years of overpromising and underdelivering, ZOO really does look like it might have got it the right way round now. Nice also to see some harmony on this BB! Good weekend to all.

[boelhoub] 17/11/2006 13:18

Who's is the DVD Game logo?? Is this a new Zoo logo??

[artey] 17/11/2006 13:10

Upstarts is a strange one too.


"Spike" (www.spike.co.uk) produce Catchphrase and Bullseye for them using DES, but they must use someone else (not using DES?) for the ITV related interactive dvd. Anyone know who?

[artey] 17/11/2006 13:03

Element I' have updated their own website and can confirm that BTI3 is deffo DES

[rob008] 17/11/2006 12:57

Looks like imagination beat ZOO to it.

[artey] 17/11/2006 12:50

Strangely Aph' BTI 2 didnt have DES on the back either, and I cant make out Element Inter' logo either

[diamante] 17/11/2006 12:27

Aph, I've looked at the back of many idvds on sale recently, and reported here. I said I was a bit confused as one dvd I saw didn't have the dvd extra logo, but it did have the Zoo digital copyright notice. I'm certain it was beat the intro. I'm not sure what zoo copyright exists if des isn't used.

[diamante] 17/11/2006 12:23

Macca, I was quite surprised that Amazon are selling enough to give them such a high profile. If you click on the 'interactive' link, you'll get a list of 272 interactive dvds (or at least which match their interactive criteria (not all, but most, are idvds as we know them) which Amazon are flogging, sorted in sales order. Plenty of titles I recognise over the first few pages! I'm getting the urge to buy more, even though nobody else is. It's just appearing too good to be true to me - I wonder what I am missing?

[aphzombie] 17/11/2006 12:16

Now here's an interesting predicament. Just got the rear cover art for Beat The Intro (3). First two versions have been authored in DVDExtra and there is no way in the world that this 3rd version is not DVDExtra aswell (one of the basic points of using DES is that subsequent versions of a product can be authored in a fraction of the original time). It IS DVDExtra there is no question of that. It's even authored by Element Interactive who only use DVDExtra anyway, and are closely affiliated with ZOO, and have used DES for all their products to date such as Gary Lineker, Test The Nation etc. etc.

So here's the rear cover art - Element Interactive's logo clearly shown (as the authors of the disc), BUT no DVDExtra logo!?



So just how trustworthy are these rear cover-art images that are being shown? Has anyone seen Beat the Intro in the shops and is the DES logo on the back in 'real life'?

[macca28] 17/11/2006 10:48

Diamante: great find ;-)

[aphzombie] 16/11/2006 22:30

Menu Regionalisation utility was licensed to Disney last year (for 1 year deal) for $1.25 million last year.

This year Disney has renewed Menu Regionalisation licence and further added Templated Authoring System (TAS).

TAS is a far more major bit of kit than Menu Regionalisation.

So, $1.25 million from Disney alone just for Menu utility last year. This year Disney licences Menu utility plus TAS. Doesn't take a genius to do the maths.

What's more, being a major Hollywood Studio bringing these two ZOOtech software solutions in-house, Disney have basically incorporated, embedded, call-it-what-you-will, little old ZOOtech's software into their own production systems. They ain't going to rip these systems apart by dropping ZOOtech's software at anytime in the near future. ZOOtech are effectively in Disneyland for the foreseeable future, both with these tools and future new tools under development.

[diamante] 16/11/2006 21:31

Hi Indomie,

The way I see it, Zoo now have 4 income streams.

One of those is the regionalisation tool, a software package enabling Dvds to be easily customised for various markets - this is one product Disney has taken up, and renewed for a further year. Afaiia, one year licences are the norm in the software industry. If Disney don't renew again, then obviously zoo won't get the fee from them. The fact that Disney have renewed once means they are happy with the product, and it is the best product on the market meeting their needs. It's up to zootech to make sure they keep their market lead, assuming they have some competitors that is.

Another income stream now signed by Disney, is TAS, a software package that automates much of the work involved when porting a film to dvd. (Apparantly, it replaces loads of expensive post production labour). If Disney were convinced, then that's good enough for me.

A smaller income stream is consultancy.

The most visible income is from DES, where zoo get a licence fee for every dvd sold where DES has been used in its development. (This is the income stream I referred to earlier where I stated that Zoo get the income for zero (further) effort on their part. I seem to remember reading that zoo said they expected 60% of idvds for sale this year will be produced using des (or did I dream it?)

Zoo are titchy, miniscule. Yet they have contracts with the most prestigious bigwigs in their sector, Disney and Universal, which speaks for itself.

Iirc, zoo get around $1m from Disney - others will have more precise numbers. But the thing is, zoo could sell exactly the same software to other studios, and the assumption must be that they could get a similar amount per studio per annum.

And for each $1m in sales, take off $100k per sale for the lucky salesman, and that would leave $900k to the bottom line for zoo.

[indomie] 16/11/2006 19:44

diamante

i thought the disney deal had only been extended for one year? arent they the major client? what if they switch after the end of this period?

[jacobjohn7] 16/11/2006 19:17

well artey reading that... would'nt be surprised if DOND was des after all?!
Who are musicbrands and what relationship to the products?
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2006
MusicandBrands is commissioned by 4DVD to produce high profile titles Deal or No Deal DVD Game & Big Brother DVD Game.

MusicandBrands commissioned by ITV DVD (formerly Granada Ventures) to produce six interactive DVD Game titles including Coronation Street DVD Game, Countdown DVD Game & Classic Bullseye DVD Game.

MusicandBrands acquires the rights to produce Celtic FC and Rangers FC DVD Games.

MusicandBrands, following the success of 'Frankie Dettori Racenight DVD Game', commissioned by Universal Pictures to create a follow up product for 2006, called 'Frankie Dettori Champion Stakes DVD Game'.

MusicandBrands 'Carol Vorderman Sudoku DVD' published by Mattel and Hasbro in the USA & Canada and Australia & New Zealand respectively.

'Who Wants to be a Millionaire' 4th Edition launches in the UK and internationally.

MusicandBrands TV production arm expands providing Quiz & Game TV productions for ITV, NTL and the Hallmark Channel.

[artey] 16/11/2006 16:56

Just come across this "authoring technology Neutral" company who have many fingers in many pies.



Mix and Match amongst this little lot

[artey] 16/11/2006 16:32

Between them Catchprase and Bullseye dvd's sold over 200,000 copies last Christmas

[artey] 16/11/2006 16:31

and another

[philjeans] 16/11/2006 16:29

Out shopping today and had a glance at IdvdS/ games/quizes etc in Smiths; Asda; Toysrus and Virgin - stacks everywhere!

Zoo will see much increased revenue this time around.