The Complete "The Lord of the Rings: score - with 5.1 DVD (1 Viewer)

[JediFonger]

i hope it's not as "soft" as FOTR.

 

[PaulP]

Great news!

Amazon has it up, but with no discount at all, yet: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000IZJZIK/ (and for whatever reason the MSRP is twenty dollars higher than FOTR 4-disc set...).

 

[JediFonger]

whoa. isn't that more expensive then FOTR's complete score? i thought i bought the FOTR score for around 30ish.

 

[Dan Szwarc]

A higher MSRP tends to indicate that they expect to sell less of these than they did FOTR. Pricing is based on projected sales since the media cost is minimal (although mastering costs do vary). This does not bode well for ROTK as sales tend to drop off over the years.

And according to Amazon, FOTR was retail $60, TTT is $75, a $15 increase.

I paid $42 for my FOTR set from CD Universe. In fact, they have TTT for $53 pre-order.

 

[Jeffrey R]

Right, which at CD Universe would drop it to $43 if you use Google Checkout for an instant $10 off $30. $43 is much more appealing than $75. Screw Amazon. I think I picked up the first set for about $40, so with the coupon it is not too bad at CDU.

 

[PaulP]

Problem is Amazon hasn't applied their usual 30% discount on the item.

 

[JediFonger]

i'm waiting until it drops to 30.

 

[Mark_TB]

Dan and Jeffrey, thanks for the heads up. I signed up for Google Checkout and ordered it from CD Universe. Great deal! Listened to my FOTR DVD-A today and can't wait to hear TTT.

Mark

 

[Paul.S]

I'm still a little annoyed that part of the reason the price is so high is the inclusion of the (for me unneccessary/unwanted) CDs.

 

[Dan Szwarc]

I disagree that this is the reason they cost so much. The material to make CDs, DVD-As, etc. is insignificant compared to the cost of the mastering and packaging. They are priced to pay for that, not the discs themselves.

Besides, SOME people still listen to CDs since the whole DVD-A/Super Audio CD thing hasn't really taken off. "One Format to Rule Them All" would be nice. Same for HD.

PS: Amazon just dropped the price to $61. CD Universe + Google is still the best buy (mine's pre-ordered).

 

[Paul.S]

Setting aside how IMO the notion that the packaging contributes significantly to the circa $75 list prices of these sets doesn't even pass the giggle test, it follows from your position that the label is seeking to recoup more mastering and packaging costs in the combined set price than they would in the price of separate CD and DVD-A SKUs. The Warner "Deluxe" CD + DVD editions are (only) $6 more than the DVD-A by itself.

I'm one of those people who still listens to CDs, Dan. But that doesn't mean that I should have to pay for CDs just to get a DVD-A, or subsidize CD mastering costs in my purchase price when I just want DVD-A.

A price hiking contributing factor more significant than purported packaging costs is what the marketeers call "perceived value": consumers feel like they're getting more on multi-disc sets and are willing to pay more for them.

We can argue finer points back and forth ad nauseum, but the bottom line is that the discs together cost more than they would separately. It's the same nonsense that's behind Universal's "Combo" HD DVD/DVD releases, which have a higher list price than their stand alone HD DVDs (despite being in identical packaging and not representing any greater authoring expense: they're making both standard def and high def releases anyway).

It's regressive and stupid.

 

[Bob_S.]

I'm a little confused here. Am I to understand that these complete recordings were mainly a DVD-A release with the cd's as "bonus material"? I thought it was the other way around. I don't have a sourround sound system so the DVD-A would be useless to me. Thank God they decided to include the cds. Besides I can't play a DVD-A in my car or my portable cd player. Personally, I think the reason for the high prices is that they know the hard core fans will pay it. These sets should not be any more than $40 max.

 

[Paul.S]

Bob, surround is not the only reason to be interested in the DVD-A--the high rez stereo is a boon, too.

The genesis of the CDs' inclusion is Warner's concern about backwards compatibility. Their research apparently showed that including Dolby Digital and/or DTS on nearly all of their DVD-As was not enough to compete with hybrid SACDs' ability to be played in any CD player. So the label began, with select Seal and R.E.M. titles, to market "Deluxe Editions": CD + DVD packages that didn't highlight that the "DVD" was really a DVD-Audio disc, rather just "5.1 Surround Sound Music."

It was one of the final throes by one of the format's biggest supporters to keep DVD-A viable. It was not successful. The CDs' inclusion on "The Complete Recordings" is a legacy of that poor marketing decision.

 

[Dan Szwarc]

Including CDs might help sell more. I probably wouldn't buy the DVD-A only version. I don't mind the cost. I had to wait 20 years to get the complete Star Wars Trilogy soundtracks. I'm happy to have the LOTR:FOTR and TTT and soon RTK soundtracks in much less time!

You can always ebay the CDs to help recoup some costs.

 

[Paul.S]

I'd surmise that the pool of prospective buyers would shrink due to the absence of any sort of . . . . packaging.

 

[Richard Splinte]

www.soundtrack.net will have a new podcast the coming days wich will feature the Two Towers CR. You can hear a preview here:

http://media20a.libsyn.com/podcasts/...odcast_019.mp3

also Barnes & Noble has some clips up:

http://music.barnesandnoble.com/sear...24437628&itm=1

 

[Dan Szwarc]

Tomorrow is the day of release. My preorder at CD Universe was in a month ago. I hope they ship today so I get it soon. Post any reviews here (I won't posta review since I lack the proper equipment to evaluate it. I use an iPod.)

Update: Mine shipped yesterday from CD Universe's Connecticut warehouse.

 

[Felix Martinez]

I rec'd an advance(?) copy of The Two Towers: The Complete Recordings. I question "advance," b/c I thought this had already been released, but I rec'd a test pressing. Hate when that happens

Bottom line - incredible! Highly recommended! Once again confirms my belief that these scores rank among the best in cinematic history.

Compared to Fellowship, the surrounds in Two Towers seem about 2-3db louder. Not a night and day difference, but I did notice it. There were some that felt Fellowship was a bit subtle in the surround department (I had no prob with it); perhaps those folks will be more pleased with the new release.

A wonderful, wonderful set!

 

[LanceJ]

I would consider buying a dvd-a with a CD a good thing. And as far as cost is concerned, I bought Beck's latest album The Information for only 12 bucks on sale (and at a small mom-n-pop chain to boot) which includes a CD and a dvd with a video for EVERY track. So if the label wants to include a separate CD it obviously costs them pennies to do so.

And anyway, the only way to make a personal-use CD-R of a dvd-audio disc (most of them anyway) is to hook up the player's analog output to a burner. It's hassle enough with a standalone burner and really a hassle with a computer-based one. :frowning: And I just would much rather have a proper "store bought" CD with nice graphics and knowing it would play in all players.

Rant over.

 

[Dan Szwarc]

That's a good point. If it only came on DVD-A, I would have to jump through hoops to rip the music into iTunes for my iPod for on-the-go listening. Because they bothered to include about $1.50 worth of CD's, I don't have to do that.

12 months to go for the last movie's soundtrack.