Want DVD discounts? Wait one week...

A funny thing happened recently: Prices for the new-release DVDs of He's Just Not That Into You and Gran Torino fell through the floor. At Target and Best Buy, you could get a copy of each film for just 10 bucks only one week after the movies had been released.

While old movies in the catalog frequently sell for that price, $10 is unheard-of for a new release. Universal made waves earlier this year for allowing price cuts on two titles, but those had been on the market already for 30 days. This is the first time we've seen cuts this steep on titles in their first seven days of release.

DVD list prices are normally in the upper $20s (Torino lists for $28.98), and discounts regularly take them down to the $18 to $22 level. Aggressive sellers can knock that down a bit further -- at Amazon, Gran Torino runs for $15.99 -- but never do you see $10 for a new release.

What's going on? Warner Bros. is essentially trying to move product, and fast, as a way to earn cheap cash while the economy stagnates. It's offered "select retailers" a $5 rebate per unit sold -- if they agree to big orders and prominent displays for the discs. Smaller retailers who don't qualify for the rebates are already crying foul about the policy. And curiously, Wal-Mart has not taken advantage of the rebates (or, if it has, it simply hasn't cut prices).

And while all of this may be a bummer for some retailers, it could add up to big savings for media-hungry consumers. As Video Business Online notes in the linked story, at $9.99, these prices are in line with used DVDs, and those often aren't available for months. While He's Not... and Torino are the first two titles under the deep discount program, more are expected throughout the summer (including, potentially, Watchmen, which streets on July 21). And now many are speculating whether other studios will follow suit with the deep-discount strategy. Some industry players worry this will destroy margins in the DVD business, but competitive pressures may ultimately force the issue and launch a full-on price war.

It's all something to keep in mind as you shop for DVDs this summer. Can you wait a week before you have to have that movie on disc? If so, you might nab yourself a great deal.