Concerning "Splitting" TV Series DVD sets (1 Viewer)

[David Lambert]

Yeah, that's where Gord is. Probably talking to Peter!

 

[Carlos Garcia]

I doubt any 1 person can bully an entire company. This thread, while a contributing factor, really doesn't matter much. In the end it'll be consumers who either buy or don't buy these sets that will convince Fox and other studios to either continue releasing multi-volume season sets, single season sets, or no sets at all.

I personally don't like the trend this is setting because I can see in the large scheme of things that this could be a way to bait people into paying more for future sets of TV shows. I can see people being held hostage to their favorite TV shows. Let's suppose Fox decides to release the rest of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, only instead of $50, season 2 will cost $99 for 2 volumes, Season 3 $120, and so on. Oh yes, we all have choices of whether to buy them or not, but those who bought season 1 and love the show will feel a "need" to get the rest. Let's face it, collecting DVDs can become quite addicting, and wanting our favorite shows may even be considered a "priority" to many of us. Knowing this, I'm sure the studios are trying their best to take us for a ride each and every chance they get. This is evidenced by subsequent Special Edition DVDs of movies, re-mastered versions of previous releases, etc, etc. Of course all this double and triple dipping could've been avoided if only the studios would've released the shows and movies with these extras to begin with. But there wouldn't be any extra money in it for them if they would've released these versions in the first place would there? I fully expect FOX to re-release Lost In Space in the future as complete season sets, and later on as fully re-mastered season sets, complete with cast interviews and tons of extras not found on today's discs. It's all about business sense (cents).

 

[Vince Maskeeper]

This is the funniest thread I have read on the HTF in a while.

The whole basis of the greed argument makes a failed assumption, that anyone NEEDS Lost In Space, or any other DVD for that matter. The basic laws of an economic system like we have is that good producers can and will charge whatever the market will tolerate.

If Fox, or BMW or Taco Bell or whomever put out a product at a price point or presentation that is not worth the money they charge, it won't sell. But they have every right to try/fail. Smart businesses know how to balance the "what the customer wants" with "how do we turn a profit on this." This is the whole entire basis of our economic system. You can feel what you will about inequalities in capitalism, but for goodness sake don't try to play those cards when it comes to luxury items like DVD!

Greed when it comes to life saving medications or food to starving nations is a whole other ballgame: these are NEED based economies in which there is NO CHOICE on whether or not to buy the product. You buy it or die. You have to evaluate these choices on the "what is life worth" scale- which is a whle other planet. But as long as you have a choice to buy/not buy the product, to offer such a conspiracy fueled diatribe against rampant corporate "greed" for maximizing profit on niche products is only suitable as comedy.

I respect everyone's choice to buy/not buy things based upon their own tolerances... but to not buy something because a company is trying to maximize their profits in a given market, well you should stop buying all commercial good and services, because every single one has been packaged, produced and marketed in strict accordance to absolutely maximizing profits. They will charge what the market will tolerate, and when they exceed that point, the market will not tolerate them.

V

 

[Casey Trowbridg]

Glenn, while I know of many and have done this myself, passing up other items to bring a DVD in to the house that I "just had to have" when you compare that DVD to things like food and medicine, then the DVD loses out.

If I had to choose between the Star Wars Trilogy and buying food to eat, I'm buying the food.


I'd love it if Fox did this because I could laugh at that decision all day. I really don't think that Fox would split up MTM season 2 and then sell it for $50 each when the entire first season at priced at $50 didn't sell well at all.

Here's what it is, this might be a trend for hour long shows that the studios might try but I don't think you'll see this used for half hour commedies all that much unless the number of episodes is in the high thirties or above. I don't think you'll see Friends season 8 volume 1, or Simpsons season 5 part 1 anytime soon.

I'm not a fan of lost in space but if I were, I'd take the attitude that part of season 2 is preferable to me than none of season 2. Heck, its almost like the studios can't win, at least with this show they're trying a different format to see if it will work, they didn't just decide to stop releasing future seasons entirely and if they had decided to do that some of the same complainers about this would be complaining about how they didn't make an effort to try a new strategy.

As for Mark's initial post, after thinking about it, I just can't take this seriously. I mean really, if Mark does work at a studio and said studio just happens to be one of Fox's competitors why not say some of this just for the specific reason of building some ill will against the competition.

I was sitting on the fense about this topic but now I'm on the side that sees this as being if not a complete positive thing, then definitely something we can live with.

 

[Dave Scarpa]

It's a sad truth that alot of tv product will probably eventually be sold this way. I'll take each release as it comes, guage it against value per amount of disks, and then make my decision whether I will buy it or not. It's all we can do.

 

[Glenn Overholt]

Casey, I don't think anyone would forgo food & meds just for a movie, but there are a lot of items in between. This depends on your lifestyle but...kitchen pots/pans that are in bad shape, dishes, rugs & furniture, computer getting 'old' car stereo - whatever.

At any rate, if you are on a budget any increase that is unexpected hurts a little. It is bad enough that we can't buy every TV show and movie that some of us would like to, so hearing that a 2nd season is slightly higher means something else has got to give.

If, for example, I had picked up season 1 of ten different series for $40. each, and I find out that their 2nd seasons are now $44, and $40. is all I can afford, something has got to give.

But in the end, you're right. Of course, the studio will still be getting the same amount I forked over before, it is just that now I am short the 2nd season of a show.

Glenn

 

[Shawn_Sek]

first of all, i read only about 2 pages of this thread, the first and last. but i want to make a few comments that may have already been mentioned, so sorry in advance.

i dont mind split season sets if the price in the end is comparable to what the price would have been as one single set. it would be nice to have one set, 5-6 episodes, of The Simpsons released every 2 months for 9.99. as long as the episodes are IN ORDER and not random. set 1 of 4 of Season 5. its still the same number of discs and will still take up the same amount of shelf space. its the same as releasing a regular movie on DVD, so enough of all this "extra cost" crap. and with a line like the Simpsons, you already have the built in sales, it wont be so hit and miss.

FOX and other studios have to realize in this day and age that when you release crappy quality, people WILL find out about it and sales WILL be affected. dont mistake smart consumers being careful with their money as someone who wasnt going to purchase your product. when a DVD gets a pretty bad review, i move on to another one instead, there is always something out there we need. this casual fan they want to market to will want quality for their money, as opposed to some fan boy groups who will take any crap you give them. so if you want this casual market, make the effort to make quality product. if someone pocks up season 1 of Lost In Space and it looks like crap, they wont be buying Season 2 regardless of whether its in one package or split.

also only print up what you need. you can always make another batch if the first shipments sell out. learn how to gauge your consumers interest. having a warehouse full of unsold Lost In Space sets means someone in your company dropped the ball, its not freaking rocket science. Punky Brewster will sell very few copies, Miami Vice will sell a huge amount. any idiot on these message boards know that. print up what you need. do more polling on your websites, ASK the PEOPLE what THEY want, then you can gauge demand and then the supply needed. so many free resources you can take advantage of, dont listen to the jackass at the water cooler, the people will tell you exactly what they want. listen to them.

enough of the threats, many fans prefer later seasons of certain shows, you need to realize this. im not a big fan of Simpsons Season 1, if that didnt sell well would you have pulled the plug on future sets? that would have been a pretty huge mistake based on sales figures of season 2 and 3 and 4.

thats all.

 

[Joe Karlosi]

Well, as supportive as I am of the Split Season Two LOST IN SPACE Set, I have to say one thing - the cover's terrible...

 

[AnthonyC]

Here's an idea for the people who want a single box set: buy both sets and glue them together! Ouila! Instant complete season set!

Just be glad that the show is actually being released. You're luckier than those of us that like some shows that will probably never be released (The Wonder Years, etc.).

 

[Glenn Overholt]

For those of you that think the half season box sets will be at half price, you need to check out GI Joe.

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...25#post2349551

Glenn

 

[Steve Meil]

Could you imagine Fox splitting up 24? or any of the X-Files
sets. As far as Lost in Space goes, I was kind of disappointed in season 1 so I'm not even buying season 2 any parts. I did think about buying it but there are so many things coming out (you should see what I have on pre order) that I will wait and maybe buy it at a future date. I don't like the idea of splitting season sets even if the price is the same but if that is the only way so be it.

 

[Eugene Esterly]

Well, there seems to be a lot of arguing in this thread. It seems a good amount of people are fearing that splitting up season sets will mean if this gets popular, more studios will do this & complete season sets will be no more. I don't believe that this will make season sets obsolete.

This reminds me of when DVD's became mainstream, people thought that it would be the death of Widescreen but we are still getting lots of Widescreen movies on DVD.

I have no problems with splitting up Lost In Space: Season 2 cause the 1st season didn't sell as much as expected. Would you rather have FOX not release season 2? Remember, if a show doesn't sell well, the other seasons probably wouldn't get released.

I see that people mentioned that you can purchase a complete release of Lost In Space: Season 2 overseas but understand that the international branches of FOX & the American branch of FOX are totally different. Just because a season release sells well overseas doesn't mean that it will sell well here in the USA.

Remember, if the split releases of Lost In Space: Season 2 sells well (I believe that it will sell well), this could open up the door for shows which have been abandoned because they didn't sell well such as Mary Tyler Moore (FOX), Larry Sanders Show (Columbia), et al.

Fans of Lost In Space will buy the show at almost $80 but remember that the mainstream fans wouldn't. By splitting the season 2 release, it is priced at a price that the mainstream fans would purchase.

 

[Joe Karlosi]

Do you mean you were disappointed in the quality, or that you just didn't care for the show itself?

 

[Eugene Esterly]

But GI Joe is being released by Rhino & Rhino is known to charge a lot of money for their products.

 

[Glenn Overholt]

That wasn't the way that I saw it. What I saw was that the 2nd season was going to cost twice what the first season did. I can't fault Rhino for picking up on other studio's ideas, but it does show that it is happening. They won't be priced at half of a season plus a few bucks for packaging.

Glenn

 

[Malcolm R]

Isn't "Futurama" sort of split already? There were not 4 seasons that I can recall.

 

[Josh_C]

There were four seasons of Futurama. I think some of the season four episodes even went over into a fifth season.

 

[Dan Rudolph]

Futurama had four production seasons. There were five airing seasons. The DVDs are in production order.

As for G.I. Joe, the first season was also split. The problem isn't that they're splitting a season and raising the price. The problem is that they're charging the same for the season 2 half seasons as season one's half seasons, even though those had a lot more episodes.

 

[Glenn Overholt]

Ah! I see now! Thanks for the clarifacation. Can I get a partial credit for that?

Glenn

 

[Phyll]

Just a thought-who is this Mark Johnston and why is he trying to make trouble for Peter Staddon. From what I have heard about Peter-he is on our side. But the bottom line is the studios have to make profit on these releases or they would be out of business. I could care less if the Mary Tyler Moore Show comes out in one or two releases, just as long as it gets out there. I would like it if Fox would commit to the entire series that way we would know that all our favorite episodes would be released. I think seasons 4-6 were the best of the Mary Tyler Moore Show. Since it is not been on any network lately, I believe there is a real hunger for the show. I just love the fact that the Dick Van Dyke Show has all seasons released. But people on this board should not threaten to boycott the release of Lost in Space-season 2,set 2. If you enjoy the show, then what is the difference? I for one would love to know that all the seasons of the Mary Tyler Moore Show will be released on dvd but I think I am just a wishful thinker. I honestly hope that Fox will release more Mary but because they really took a beating on the deal, I for one could not blame them if they never did release it. So, way to go Peter Staddon and hang in there with Mary. I do believe that the second release of the Mary Tyler Moore Show will be a big hit!!! So fans of the show, don't give up hope just yet!!! But get out there and actually buy the product-that way Fox can release more seasons in the future.