WB Archives release more? (1 Viewer)

[JamesSmith]

WB Archives released Pac Man season 2 and FBI season 3. I have to admit I was surprised by FBI getting a third season release so soon. Medical Center, Courtship of Eddie's Father, and Daktari were all due for another release soon, so I had those pegged to be up earlier.
Do any of you really wish WB Archives could still speed up their release schedule. Goodness knows, it's been a depressing summer/ early fall for rare tv programs, and I'd love to see more.
James

 

[younger1968]

Hey James, Don't get me started with WB archives, especially their ability to serve their customer. I live in Canada and can not order from WB Archive and have to wait several months before releases come available. If WB Archive truly wanted to grow their business then they would expand their relationship with Amazon.com. It is hard to grow sales if you put restrictions on your product offering. I am sure some of the titles that you have listed would be more successful if WB Archive expanded their product offering.
Many of us have shown our frustration with WB Archive via facebook and/or other forums but have had little success. It is sad that WB archive takes the approach they do with releases, which does not help their perception in the marketplace on their ability to meet customers needs/wants.

 

[Richard V]

Do any of you really wish WB Archives could still speed up their release schedule. Goodness knows, it's been a depressing summer/ early fall for rare tv programs, and I'd love to see more.
James

ummmm, in a word, YES. Especially wish they would clear "music issues" with all their detective and western shows, so they could FINALLY release these shows before I die of old age.

 

[Jack P]

FBI Season 3 was being promised a few months back by the Facebook rep, and as that is my #1 title of interest from Warner Archive, I am glad to hear it's out and I will be ordering it right away!
As far as their ability to serve their customers is concerned, I will always rate Warner Archive higher than certain other labels in terms of delivering on what they promise and customer relations.

 

[Jack P]

And it's worth noting that the price has dropped on "The FBI" from previous releases which were $39.95 to $29.95 per volume, so that also is something that merits some praise since Warner is clearly learning to more efficiently produce these sets.
I had asked the Facebook rep if more episodes would have restored main titles with the "Ford Motor Company presents" announcement and he indicated they would be making the effort to restore more of those (after doing so with one two part episode in S2). I'll be interested in seeing if that's true of S3 (the first with William Reynolds).

 

[younger1968]

FBI Season 3 was being promised a few months back by the Facebook rep, and as that is my #1 title of interest from Warner Archive, I am glad to hear it's out and I will be ordering it right away!
As far as their ability to serve their customers is concerned, I will always rate Warner Archive higher than certain other labels in terms of delivering on what they promise and customer relations.

Jack,
If you live in the states then you are ok with WB archive, but if you live outside of the states then you will be very disappointed with WB archive. In order for me get some releases from WB archive i have to go through different e-retailers and it costs significant more money.
There is a big problem with WB Archive, especially servicing their international customer and WB Archive does not appear to be in any hurry to fix the problem. The problem is not that difficult as all it would require is alignment with Amazon.com with all releases and timing them the same time. What does it matter if it is through WB Archive shop or via amaazon made the sale, it is still a sale. It is unfortunate that WB Archive does not appear to get it with regards to their approach to marketing/selling their products!

 

[HenryDuBrow]

Some WAC news here from their Facebook wall about Season Two of Harry O: "We're working on it right now....so yes. Unless something changes, you'll be seeing it in the first half of the year. Thanks."

 

[PatrickGoodluck]

Jack,
If you live in the states then you are ok with WB archive, but if you live outside of the states then you will be very disappointed with WB archive. In order for me get some releases from WB archive i have to go through different e-retailers and it costs significant more money.
There is a big problem with WB Archive, especially servicing their international customer and WB Archive does not appear to be in any hurry to fix the problem. The problem is not that difficult as all it would require is alignment with Amazon.com with all releases and timing them the same time. What does it matter if it is through WB Archive shop or via amaazon made the sale, it is still a sale. It is unfortunate that WB Archive does not appear to get it with regards to their approach to marketing/selling their products!

You're absolutely right, Paul. I find it frustrating also being an international customer. Sometimes I have to wait months to get a WB archive release months after from other e-retailers. By which time, sometimes I've forgotten what I was going to buy. Does anyone know why WBA doesn't sell outside the U.S.? I emailed them once about this but didn't get a reply. Perhaps international emails are blocked too?

 

[PatrickGoodluck]

Some WAC news here from their Facebook wall about Season Two of Harry O: "We're working on it right now....so yes. Unless something changes, you'll be seeing it in the first half of the year. Thanks."

Despite my complaint above, this is very good news indeed! Thanks for the info, Henry.

 

[younger1968]

Despite my complaint above, this is very good news indeed! Thanks for the info, Henry.

It has to do with customs/brokerage. The WB archive absorbs the shipping costs for USA shipments and just deals with the sales taxes. If WB Archive were to expand to other countries then it would mean collecting taxes/duties, etc. The best option is to make wb archives available via amazon.com deep discount and/or other e-retailers when they are available on WB's site. WB will never give you details, but a cop out story saying it is licensing, which is wrong. WB has offices throughout the word and big presence in Canada.
There is no pointing pushing WB as they are set in their way.

 

[Nebiroth]

It wouldn't. Those taxes are levied on the importer and are payable when the item enters the country of destination, and to that country's customs authorities.
Warner would simply be an exporter, and their only responsibility would be to attach a CN22 Customs Declaration to the package which indicates the nature of the items, their sale price and the postage charges. Sales price (and sometimes potage charges as well) are used to calculate the final item value, which determines whether it is going to trigger import charges/customs duties etc. Each country has it's own rules and rates for those.
Items sold to non-domestic customers are usually exempt from local sales taxes - for example, a US customer buying a DVD from Amazon UK will not have to pay our 20% Valune Added Tax on it. Or if I, in the UK, buy a DVD is Australia I would not be charged their 10% General Sales Tax.
When these items enter the country of destination, they may be subject to import taxes and duties, but these are the responsibility of the buyer, who in law in the importer. The sender, the exporter, has nothing to do with them.
A few large retailers - such as Amazon - have entered into agreements with national customs authorities so that their customers may pre-pay import taxes as part of their orders. Amazon then pay the taxes as necessary. This arrangement is purely for the convenience of their customers, since in some countries it is otherwise necessary to visit a local tax or postal office to pay the charges.
Many retailers do not offer such a facility and manage to send their goods all over the world without issues.
I believe I'm correct in that there was quite a fuss in the USA about localised sales taxes and internet orders. For example, should a business based in California charge the local sales tax to a customer buying from them online in Utah? I seem to recall that at one time they did not, but now they do, due to an agreement between the various states or maybe at federal level. I don;t know the USA well enough to be sure.
But in any case, this doesn't apply internationally. Sales taxes are localised and only apply to domestic orders. And import taxes and duties are levied on the importer - the buyer - not the exporter, ie, the seller.
Warner's claims about licensing problems may be more credible since film and TV rights are frequently localised. Just because Warner has the rights to something in the US, for example, does not mean it has in the UK. Europe in particular is not a single license area, and invariably, the rights to shows and movies are held on a country-by-country basis.
In fact I do not think a single one of any of the studios and hardly any of the independent DVD releasers sells directly to non-domestic customers. We simply have to go through third party stores, like Amazon. And that is currently the only way to get Archive stuff.
The Archive poses a unique problem in that it's standard retail prices are extremely high, and prices via third party stores are even higher. This is partly addressed by the Archive's never ending sales and discount vouchers, which of course, are not available to non-US buyers. And because the discs are made to order, they are never for sale cheap on say Amazon. Unlike standard DVD's, when Amazon lower the price to dump unsold stock or secure a wholesale deal.

 

[younger1968]

It wouldn't. Those taxes are levied on the importer and are payable when the item enters the country of destination, and to that country's customs authorities.
Warner would simply be an exporter, and their only responsibility would be to attach a CN22 Customs Declaration to the package which indicates the nature of the items, their sale price and the postage charges. Sales price (and sometimes potage charges as well) are used to calculate the final item value, which determines whether it is going to trigger import charges/customs duties etc. Each country has it's own rules and rates for those.
Items sold to non-domestic customers are usually exempt from local sales taxes - for example, a US customer buying a DVD from Amazon UK will not have to pay our 20% Valune Added Tax on it. Or if I, in the UK, buy a DVD is Australia I would not be charged their 10% General Sales Tax.
When these items enter the country of destination, they may be subject to import taxes and duties, but these are the responsibility of the buyer, who in law in the importer. The sender, the exporter, has nothing to do with them.
A few large retailers - such as Amazon - have entered into agreements with national customs authorities so that their customers may pre-pay import taxes as part of their orders. Amazon then pay the taxes as necessary. This arrangement is purely for the convenience of their customers, since in some countries it is otherwise necessary to visit a local tax or postal office to pay the charges.
Many retailers do not offer such a facility and manage to send their goods all over the world without issues.
I believe I'm correct in that there was quite a fuss in the USA about localised sales taxes and internet orders. For example, should a business based in California charge the local sales tax to a customer buying from them online in Utah? I seem to recall that at one time they did not, but now they do, due to an agreement between the various states or maybe at federal level. I don;t know the USA well enough to be sure.
But in any case, this doesn't apply internationally. Sales taxes are localised and only apply to domestic orders. And import taxes and duties are levied on the importer - the buyer - not the exporter, ie, the seller.
Warner's claims about licensing problems may be more credible since film and TV rights are frequently localised. Just because Warner has the rights to something in the US, for example, does not mean it has in the UK. Europe in particular is not a single license area, and invariably, the rights to shows and movies are held on a country-by-country basis.
In fact I do not think a single one of any of the studios and hardly any of the independent DVD releasers sells directly to non-domestic customers. We simply have to go through third party stores, like Amazon. And that is currently the only way to get Archive stuff.
The Archive poses a unique problem in that it's standard retail prices are extremely high, and prices via third party stores are even higher. This is partly addressed by the Archive's never ending sales and discount vouchers, which of course, are not available to non-US buyers. And because the discs are made to order, they are never for sale cheap on say Amazon. Unlike standard DVD's, when Amazon lower the price to dump unsold stock or secure a wholesale deal.

then you tell me what the issue is with WB and Canada? Why are you able to get release via amazon.com or deep discount and not directly from WB archive. I still believe is that WB archive has no interest with doing any customs paper work. Licensing statement is wrong, because you can get the sets through other means. When i asked WB about the issue they responded saying they plan to expand more products to 3rd party e-retailers and that would be your best option. WB has world-wide presence as such should be able to clear any license issue if they choose too.

 

[HenryDuBrow]

Daktari Season 1 is out in Germany on pressed discs from Warner Home Video and Warner Bros. also put out several films there now under the archive banner not on DVD-R but seemingly on pressed discs, this is their selection at the German Amazon site.
http://www.amazon.de/b/ref=amb_link_163047627_4?ie=UTF8&node=1625223031&pf_rd_m=A3JWKAKR8XB7XF&pf_rd_s=top-1&pf_rd_r=69DB1338EB7F46209744&pf_rd_t=301&pf_rd_p=283275987&pf_rd_i=she

 

[JamesSmith]

Should WB do TWO TV releases a week. One animated and one classic tv. Don't know if it's possible, but I think there's enough in their library to do that for at least two years.
James

 

[DeWilson]

Daktari Season 1 is out in Germany on pressed discs from Warner Home Video and Warner Bros. also put out several films there now under the archive banner not on DVD-R but seemingly on pressed discs, this is their selection at the German Amazon site.
http://www.amazon.de/b/ref=amb_link_163047627_4?ie=UTF8&node=1625223031&pf_rd_m=A3JWKAKR8XB7XF&pf_rd_s=top-1&pf_rd_r=69DB1338EB7F46209744&pf_rd_t=301&pf_rd_p=283275987&pf_rd_i=she

That's a good solution to the worldwide issue - set up archive programs with a partner like Amazon in several countries.