Academy rule change in three categories

DVD screeners are being sent out with the nominees for Best Documentary Feature, Live-Action Short, and Animated Short to all Academy members, eliminating the necessity to attend official screenings in order to vote them, although screenings are still being held.

How will this rule change affect the voting dynamic in these oft marginalized categories? Will it open the door for more populist fare to finally triumph over artistic fringe contenders? For instance, studio efforts haven't won Best Animated Short in years, so maybe this is good news for Disney's Paperman, one of the most breathtaking filmmaking displays of 2012. Does this help popular Best Documentary contender Searching for Sugar Man tighten its stranglehold on the Oscar? We shall see.