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2012 trends/guestimates/ predictions. (1 Viewer)

LeoA

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Is there any hope for Sea Hunt? Gotten addicted to this show on This TV and the prints they're showing look pristine. Would like season sets of this program.
 

Ethan Riley

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Stephen Wight said:
Yeah,I know more Dynasty was released over the Summer. I based my question on the fact that there was a two year gap between the releases of Melrose Place and,I believe,there was also a similar sized gap between the releases for Dynasty,as well. The only conclusion I could come to for why that was is because they weren't selling. If I'm wrong,I stand corrected.
Well this is just my theory but I think the reason Melrose was stalled had more to do with the 2009 revival series. I think one half-season came out while the revival series was on the air, and perhaps they felt it was confusing to consumers to suddenly see dvds of 12 year old episodes. Or something like that. But the fact that season six just barely came out a couple months ago makes me think that Paramount has a definite endgame in mind for the rest of the series. And I was a big fan of MP and hope to see it to its conclusion. Maybe it's just my personal hope for that show on dvd that's clouding my logic, but then again--I have no bloody clue why CBS/Paramount does what it does in terms of its weird release schedules!!! Oh, and I found this on amazon--does anyone know the story about this listing? This could just be fan-made box cover art...but it's actually very, very good if that is the case! http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001JAHR38
 

Kasey

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I don't get why they don't make S1 of "Alice" available as a MOD set immediately. It has been on I-Tunes for several years now (along with "Flo"), yet it has been stated the reason for no DVD release is because of "issues with the masters".
 

Gary OS

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Jack P

Where we're also in disagreement is the real value of pressed DVD releases to DVD-R. Honestly, there's not much of a meaningful difference for me. Yes, I know there was that scare earlier this year about Warner Archive discs going bad after a while but I have found that of many movie purchases only one was bad, and also they have stepped up to dual layered discs now for these releases which makes them more convenient than the MGM DVD-Rs were. All I can say is that the worst headaches I ever got in TV on DVD releases came from pressed DVD-18s from Universal and nothing's ever happened from Warner to make me think like I'm revisiting those days.
I'm also unconvinced their particular price scale is exceptionally out of line. It's lower than the MGM ones were and I think all we're seeing is the fact that we have few outlets to get them at the deep discount rates we're used to seeing. But then again, most of these titles do turn up from Amazon vendors for a fairly lower rate eventually that are in line with any CBS/Paramount release marked down by $10 so I don't see this as a case of them "milking us for more" or that there isn't any way to get them at a lower price.


Jack, I think we are always going to see these two issues differently. From everything I've personally known to everything I've gleaned from others over the last 10 years pressed DVDs are undoubtedly more reliable than DVD-Rs. They are more reliable in terms of longevity and compatibility. I've had more than one burned DVD-R "die" on me and I've certainly had some that didn't want to play in certain machines. And while I know the DVD-18s from Universal have had a notorious history, I've never had one go bad on me. So we will likely never see eye to eye on this issue. Give me pressed DVDs over burned DVD-Rs every day of the week and twice on Sundays.

As for the price point, I'm again never going to see it the way you do until WBA demonstrates that they'll have 40%-50% off sales for their TV titles. Because the fact is if a person is willing to wait, you can always get that type of discount with a pressed disc release. It may take a while (and by the same token it may not), but it can be done. With MOD products we are at the mercy of the price point decided by a company. And that's the big, big difference. I'd love to know where on Amazon, or anywhere else, I can get Archive titles for anything close to 50% off. I'd already have a copy of The F.B.I. if I could get the split season sets for $20 each (shipping/tax included). But the fact is we aren't even sniffing prices like this with the WBA titles. I think it was Brad who mentioned some time ago that the pricing structure for the Archives makes it less likely for people to blind buy titles. I know I feel that way. When I can get a title at a nice discount I'm much more apt to try a series out that I'm not sure about. But if I'm having to pay $70 or more a season for a series I'm not sure about it's unlikely that I'll blind buy it. That just doesn't make financial sense for me (since I'm not a millionaire - LOL). I know someone on this board who has discovered the joys of watching The Fugitive because he was able to pick up a couple of sets at liquidation prices. That would have never happened with the Archive program. It just wouldn't. So this is another one we'll never be on the same page about.


Gary "in spite of these differences in opinion, I'm still happy for the WBA program because at least it makes some titles available that otherwise would never see the light of day" O.
 

smithb

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Gary OS said:
I think it was Brad who mentioned some time ago that the pricing structure for the Archives makes it less likely for people to blind buy titles.  I know I feel that way.  When I can get a title at a nice discount I'm much more apt to try a series out that I'm not sure about.  But if I'm having to pay $70 or more a season for a series I'm not sure about it's unlikely that I'll blind buy it.
A perfect example, A few weeks ago I was at Sam's and picked up Murder One, a Bochco series from the mid-90's that only went two seasons. I had never seen it before but noticed that reviews indicated it was pretty good. So at $16 a season I thought it worth the gamble knowing I could probably get close to half that back in trade-in if it didn't work out. In the end, I enjoyed it very much and I'm happy to now include it in my collection. The power in invoking the "blind-buy" is all in the price. People like to point to Perry Mason as an example of a higher priced pressed disk for comparison, but even it experiences 50% discounts from time to time to attract new viewers. I'm not against the MOD program. It is just that I have to know I really-really want the title in order to purchase at its pricing model. No blind buys at this price point for me.
 

Professor Echo

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Before this thread gets too derailed in the pro vs. con camps of MODs, I just wanted to mention something that should be stated with regard to imminent trends for our hobby and the general nature of home theater. This discussion and all of its various components has been had before in this space any number of times, but I do think it bears repeating that as much as we might want to chastise the studios or Netflix for helping to create what could may well be the death of physical media, you still need to follow the money. We can't ignore the fact that regardless of who's fault it was, the general public stopped buying DVDs in large enough numbers to satisfy the manufacturers. And in the aftermath, the concept of streaming moved in to patch that hole at least for the time being. Like it or not, and I personally don't like it much, once again the general public had their say in adopting this new method and in enough numbers to make the manufacturers take notice. Taking personal preferences out of the equation, and any ideas and ideals they may bring to right and wrong, the fact remains that while wide acceptance of streaming and its more or less related technology may deliver the ultimate blow to physical media, if it hadn't been that it would have been something else. The sales of CDs and DVDs were already on life support and it was unlikely anything would have revived it. I personally see a place for both and am hoping, though without a great amount of confidence, that the two will continue to co-exist on some level for a long time to come. Because of exclusive contracts between Netflix and certain studios, I have been able to see some films I have wanted to see for decades and ones which never stood a chance of ever being released anywhere in any format. Do I feel a loss in that I can't keep them and experience them for as long as I might like whenever I like? Of course. But getting older and recognizing, though perhaps not always accepting, that not everything is going to last or is meant to last, perhaps living in the moment sometimes isn't such a bad thing. I'm coming to terms with the fact that as far as this hobby goes, I no longer need to own EVERYTHING. For right now I am enjoying the best of both worlds and looking upon my collection, including the more fleeting collection of titles in the stream queue, as the best of both worlds for however long it lasts. I don't begrudge the future its say nor do I fear it, but I also like to have at least some of my past remain close at hand.
 

Jack P

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Gary, I'd sure like to know what player you were using because the number of aggravating stories those DVD-18s gave me on four different players and my computer would make your head spin. And there's nothing that can kill the joy of watching a show on DVD than having to do a marathon session just to make sure one of those freeze-ups skips doesn't happen at one point to ruin the whole set and require you to watch the same episodes again over and over on new sets until you find one that was done right. I had one DVD-VCR combo player that could not handle the Warner Archive DVD-Rs. But the fact that they play just fine on all other machines negated that problem for me just like the fact that I can only play Blu-Ray on one player and foreign region discs on one player.
 

smithb

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Glen, Good points. For me, I just work within the environment that is available. If this was back in the day when VHS was dominate, I would probably have a cabinet of tapes, only fewer because pricing wouldn't have allowed the type of collection I have now on DVD. If MOD replaces pressed disks and are controlled by the studios then that is what I will work with. Same being true with streaming. Where things get a bit tricky is when you have overlap. Right now we still have pressed disks with competitve pricing, along with the newer streaming and MOD programs. Now the pressed disk model with vendor pricing competition may be on the way out. But until it is, and while there are desired titles within that model, it will remain the avenue of choice for many of us. After that it comes down to adjusting to change or being happy with what one has. Luckily, this run has built up quite a few collection so it is quite possible for some to just stand pat. for the most part. Jack, I've had no problems playing DVD-18's up to this point. I primarily have used a Denon 2900 DVD player, but as it wears out i will move more to my Oppo BD83 for general viewing, and then there is my Marantz for region free playback. My theory on the DVD-18 playback issue is two fold. First, I think there were issues identified with disks coming from a plant in Mexico (I seem to recall). Second, many of the players at the time were based on spec's before two-sided, dual layer disks started to become prevelant. I just think there were lower tolerance levels when reading those disks. In addition, many players use the same chipsets and transport mechanism's that just may not have beem thoroughly tested against that format of disk, which could explain why many players were having the same problem. Like i said that is my theory.
 

Rick Thompson

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Jeff Willis said:
      Quote:

100% agree.  I'm guessing that the major studios are happy about the streaming trend as it returns full control to them, or their perception of that. 

 
Of course, for those folks with no FIOS/cable (and a big chunk of the country is in that boat), a conversion to streaming simply means this: They'll never sell us a damn thing because the bandwidth isn't there, and most likely never will be. That doesn't even doesn't begin to consider the issue of overall bandwidth. And don't talk about Wi-Fi as a solution. That's what I'm reduced to, and even low-rez stops every 30 seconds to load some more. As for my wish TV wish list for 2012, it's only one: Harry O. Don't even care if it's MOD. I'll pay the price for it. So far, Warner Archive hasn't released any series that I'd buy. The FBI is the closest, but still a no-go. My other two, Slattery's People and The Great Adventure, I'm not foolish enough to think will ever come out in any form. So give me Harry O and I'll be happy.
 

Professor Echo

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smithb said:
Glen, Good points. For me, I just work within the environment that is available. If this was back in the day when VHS was dominate, I would probably have a cabinet of tapes, only fewer because pricing wouldn't have allowed the type of collection I have now on DVD. If MOD replaces pressed disks and are controlled by the studios then that is what I will work with. Same being true with streaming. Where things get a bit tricky is when you have overlap. Right now we still have pressed disks with competitve pricing, along with the newer streaming and MOD programs. Now the pressed disk model with vendor pricing competition may be on the way out. But until it is, and while there are desired titles within that model, it will remain the avenue of choice for many of us. After that it comes down to adjusting to change or being happy with what one has. Luckily, this run has built up quite a few collection so it is quite possible for some to just stand pat. for the most part. .
I agree with all of this, Brad. Well said. I have also had problems with DVD 18s, but it was only on an inferior region free Philips player that I bought as a cheap temp before venturing to Blu. It was in one of the Universal multi-disc Legacy horror sets and it irritated me enough to seek out the old double feature single sided DVDs that Universal had previously released of the same films. I just couldn't trust that it wouldn't happen again. Perhaps now with my Panasonic Blu player and an Oppo SD player, I wouldn't have the same problems. But I will say that the Oppo I have can be fussy with DVD-Rs and at times not even register that a DVD is in the drive. I play most of my DVD-Rs through my Blu player now, which hasn't given me much trouble with anything.
 

DeWilson

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Richard V said:
I predict that TMG will continue to delight classic TV fans with releases of many more rare shows such as Stoney Burke, Saints and Sinners, the Gallant Men, and Hennesey. Then again I could be wrong. BTW, I just pulled those shows outta my behind. I don't have any info that those shows will ever actually see the light of day.
Hennesey is a Screen Gems/Columbia/Sony Property Stoney Burke is United Artist - MGM/UA Saints and Sinners is Four Star/20th Century Fox Unlikely these will be released,or licensed out, anytime soon.
 

Gary OS

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Wow, excellent post Glen. And Brad as well. There's no questioning the simple and logical points you've both made about accepting what is in front of us. It is what it is and at the end of the day no amount of complaining is going to change it. So rolling with the punches is really the only choice. And like both of you, I'll do the same thing. For financial reasons (primarily), I will wear out the pressed DVD model as long as it's available. Thank you Shout, Timeless, and, to a lesser degree, CBS/Paramount for keeping this option alive for a bit longer.


Gary "there's no doubt pressed DVDs are slowly on the way out - that's painfully obvious to me at this point" O.
 

LeoA

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Jack P said:
Gary, I'd sure like to know what player you were using because the number of aggravating stories those DVD-18s gave me on four different players and my computer would make your head spin.
I'm not Gary, but I discovered years ago that things like season 1 of Adam-12 played just fine in my Playstation 3. They gave me nothing but issues in my standalone DVD players, my DVD/VHS recorders, my DVD computer drives, and on other game consoles like my Playstation 2. But for some unknown reason, they'd play problem free in my Playstation 3.
 

JamesSmith

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I've always thought since a show that was considered but was "stone-walled" for some reason, still have a greater chance of being released than some non mentioned programs. Short lived shows such as Werewolf, When Things Were Rotten, Salvage 1, Frank's Place, and Brooklyn Bridge were in the consideration for awhile. I know music issues sidelined Werewolf, and there are various stories as to why Brooklyn Bridge was put on hold. But I'd like to thing they are closer to getting out than some other shows. James
 

JamesSmith

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Guys, I thought we might come back to this topic if we "fine-tune" it a bit. List five "guestimates-predictions" that you have at least ONE LEGITIMATE reason for coming out next year. Here's what I'm thinking: 1) Wizards and Warriors. www.tvshowsondvd.com mentioned that was in the works by Warners Archives. Now, who knows how long this will take, but its on their "to do" list. 2). When Things Were Rotten. Again, mentioned by our favorite website. Granted, it was over two years ago, but it was being considered. 3). Far Out Space Nuts. Another company has the rights to the Krofft catalogue. It might be in the running. 4). Young Maverick. Ok. Considering that Warner Archives has started work on some unique cult programs. I'm going to guess this might be considered somewhere. 5). Fantastic Journey. Maybe not in the U.S., but there's a Canadian company that's been releaasing a great deal of seventies Universal programs such as The Snoop Sisters and the upcoming David McCallum Invisible Man. Now, I know that the this really short lived scifi seventies program has its fans, so I think I'm going to take a stab that it might be considered somewhere. :) James
 

HenryDuBrow

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Streaming or downloading sounds like a bad case of 'look what we can do technically', and about as appealing to me as bathing in lava, it seems to be more of an attraction to 20-somethings and even younger. Since we're not all robots yet, I want the product in my hand for my player, please. Anyway, for the new year I just hope WAC will continue the good trend they've slowly started, and that Paramount starts picking up the classics anew so they can reclaim the #1 position again. Such as Barnaby Jones, Cannon, etc. Or perhaps something for us Bill Bixby fans out there, with The Magician's sole season. And of course, more great success for Shout and Timeless releases so their surprises for us may go on. Another wish is, that more studios began their own archive demand services, or at least licensed more out.
 

derosa

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HenryDuBrow said:
Streaming or downloading sounds like a bad case of 'look what we can do technically', and about as appealing to me as bathing in lava, it seems to be more of an attraction to 20-somethings and even younger. Since we're not all robots yet, I want the product in my hand for my player, please.
I suppose it depends on what motivates the individual to make a purchase. Many DVD "collectors" don't even have time to watch all the shows they buy, so downloading is going to hold less allure when you won't have something in your hands to hold. But if you just want to watch the show, when and wherever you desire, it really makes very little difference what format the media is in. I also collect vinyl records, and will be the first to admit that this is a separate and entirely different hobby that just listening to music. People do both, and should be free to choose the path they desire.
 

jcroy

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LeoAmes said:
I'm not Gary, but I discovered years ago that things like season 1 of Adam-12 played just fine in my Playstation 3. They gave me nothing but issues in my standalone DVD players, my DVD/VHS recorders, my DVD computer drives, and on other game consoles like my Playstation 2. But for some unknown reason, they'd play problem free in my Playstation 3.
Similar experiences here too, for various Universal manufactured dvds. They're all across the board, with no rhyme or reason. (For instance). One of my Knight Rider season 3 disks, freezes on all on my stand alone dvd players. But it rips fine without any problems from my computer dvd drive. One of my Law and Order: Criminal Intent season 5 disks, freezes on all my stand alone dvd players and even the XBox 360. But it rips fine on my computer dvd drive. One of my Miami Vice season 2 disks, freezes on the computer dvd drive (whether watching or ripping). But it plays fine on the stand alone dvd players. (Similar story with one of my The A-Team season 4 disks). On one of my Baretta season 1 disks, it freezes with two episodes being literally unwatchable on all my stand alone dvd players and the computer dvd drive. But it plays almost fine on my XBox 360 console. On the XBox 360, it only freezes at around the dual-disk layer transition. (One can fast forward or rewind on the XBox 360 to get around the freeze point, and missing around 2 or 3 seconds of video). This was my third copy of Baretta season 1, after two previous exchanges from the store. It seems like it freezes at almost the same spot on disk 1. (Perhaps the store just got a bad batch, all with a very similar problem?) Then again, I only paid 9 dollars for the dvd set brand new (two weeks ago). Not going to complain too much about a dvd which I effectively paid 3 dollars for.
 

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It would be great if they release the rest of the Law & Order: Criminal Intent seasons on dvd (ie. seasons 7 to 10). Though I don't think this will happen in 2012. (Maybe season 7 if Universal thinks there's demand).
 

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