DVDs, Oscar tix, and a holiday iPod treat

Three quick links:

- Thomas Arnold of the Hollywood Reporter says that DVD producers are scrambling for extras that'll pique buyers' interest. (One reason: consumers aren't scooping up DVDs as avidly as they once did.) Arnold writes:

"The Interpreter," "Fever Pitch," "The Outsiders," "Titanic," "The Perfect Man" -- all arrived on DVD earlier this year with alternate beginnings, alternate endings or both.



Expect a lot more down the road. Universal Studios Home Entertainment recently surveyed consumers and found alternate endings are their favorite bonus features, according to executive vp Ken Graffeo. New Line Home Entertainment executive vp Matt Lasorsa, whose studio pioneered putting alternate endings on DVD with "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery" in 1999, likes them because they provide "an inside look at how studios test movies."

- The NY Times reports that a pair of tickets to the Oscars last year (face value: $700) sold for as much as $40,000. Tix could cost up to $60,000 a pair next March.

- A portable yule log for your video-capable iPod