Warner Archive Discussion Thread (FEEDBACK)

re: Warner Archive Discussion Thread

Thanks for this, I hadn't heard of it.

Incidentally, the emails I have received back are from this company:
http://www.datapakservices.com/

re: Warner Archive Discussion Thread

There's nothing wrong with paying $20 for a DVD-R for a film - FROM MASTER ELEMENTS as GOOD or BETTER than it looked on TCM. Some of these films haven't played on TCM (or going back further - the early days of TNT) in years. A good clean transfer from the masters used on TCM will make fine quality DVDs!

Let's face it 90% of these titles would never sell in enough units the mass-market to make it cost-effective.

A properly made DVD-R on Good media can last years - I guess we won't know what type of media they are using until the discs get into peoples hands and someone runs a data-scan on them.

I'm hoping we'll see some of the WB/Lorimar TV Movies in a future batch. It will de interesting how they plan to handle the TV Series Releases.

re: Warner Archive Discussion Thread

Don't you just love this quote:

"If the idea of buying a made-to-order DVD sounds pretty archaic, well … that's because Warners Brothers isn't targeting its "archive" service for the likes of you and me. Instead, the site "aims squarely at the over-40 set who enjoy building up physical collections of DVDs and will be familiar with the titles," notes the Wall Street Journal story."

Guess they're right because I'm over 40... and I just ordered 5 titles! And I'd do it again!!

re: Warner Archive Discussion Thread

I wonder if this means I'll order even more when I'm over forty?

re: Warner Archive Discussion Thread

I'm 22 and I like having the physical dvd copy, too. These films are targeted at the Baby Boomers who have $20 to spare on a film. A broke college student like me doesn't.

re: Warner Archive Discussion Thread

I just ordered five films. Three Garbo silents, Beast of the City & Wichita.

Since WHV has stated clearly that some of these titles might arrive in stores if they sell well enough, I'm going to be very careful about which ones I order in the future. I think titles like the Marie Dressler films and the lesser know silents are probably safe buys. However, The Gable/Turner & Gable/Crawford stuff is getting a pass from me for now. I couldn't imagine Crawford's pairings with Gable not appearing in one of his/her future boxsets. As for Lana, I've read that Cheryl Crane has expressed disappointment that more of her mother's films haven't been released on dvd some 12 years into the formats history. Her boxset prospects are looking kind of bleak with all of her Gable pairings now available through the archive.

Since the archive is new, naturally, there's great demand. We are only coming out of the first day. The months ahead will really show if this will be a viable method for classic film distribution. I still believe the prices are too high, and they will have to consistently offer coupons and eventually bundled sets to keep the profit margins where they want them.

re: Warner Archive Discussion Thread

You've clearly missed my point Robert.

I DO want them. I just think they are overpriced and what I DON'T want is to spend $20 a pop on a barebones dvd-r, only to possibly have it turn up at a later date as a proper retail release. THAT is my concern and one that has yet to be addressed by the powers that be.

Re: 140-150 Warner Classic Exclusives on DVD -- unavailable outside U.S., why?

I've posted this before but: as opposed to what was announced in the chat session and on Robert Crawford's initial entry, the Warner Archive is NOT AVAILABLE WORLDWIDE. The DVDs can only be shipped to Stateside addresses. Does anybody know whether this is going to change? Why did Warners announce worldwide availability when the Web site refuses to ship outside the U.S.A. This is a little disappointing and inconvenient if you don't happen to be residing in the United States. Why block customers who live elsewhere?

Re: 140-150 Warner Classic Exclusives on DVD -- unavailable outside U.S., why?

If you read the chat transcript, you will see that Warners are still sorting out a few things before making their archive available to overseas residents. Access shouldn't be too far away. You just need to be a little patient!!

re: Warner Archive Discussion Thread

I am under 40 and have been collecting classics by the thousands for 23 years. And no my goal is not build up walls of films, it's to watch them over and over! The Wall Street Journal should stick to Wall Street.

re: Warner Archive Discussion Thread

"...[T]he likes of you and me" is funny because he sounds like an old man who is just trying to sound hip by saying that no one has physical media anymore but is just confusing music with DVDs. I see tons of people of all ages buying DVDs when I'm in Best Buy, etc.

re: Warner Archive Discussion Thread

Movies

re: Warner Archive Discussion Thread

How is Warners supposed to address your concern? Promise that they'll never give any of the Archive movies a wide release? They've already said that some of the titles will eventually go to retail, but they don't necessarily know which ones or when. The Archive program allows for instant gratification; but if someone doesn't want to risk the chance of double dipping, I suppose they can be patient and wait to see what eventually gets released in the years to come.

re: Warner Archive Discussion Thread

It appears as though these films are not going to be available through rental outlets such as Netflix and Blockbuster, which is too bad. I would love to be able to preview these titles before committing to a purchase.

re: Warner Archive Discussion Thread

Thank you as such a promise wouldn't make sense business-wise from Warner's POV. Consumers will have to be selective on which titles they have to have and whether bonus material and such is important to them or not. For me personally, I just want the film for the most part, however, there are a few titles I'm willing to wait on because I think they'll come out on retail eventually and I would want some bonus material so I'll be patient for those titles.





Crawdaddy

re: Warner Archive Discussion Thread

Dick,
ClassicFlix will have these movies for rent.

Classicflix.com : - Articles - - More Warner

re: Warner Archive Discussion Thread

If Warner would lower their prices they could have people (like me), buying more of their titles and spending more money due to

A) - the more affordable cost

B) - not being as worried if the title does go retail one day with bonus features. At $20 a pop, I am much more worried about this than I would at $10 a pop.

C) - taking a chance on buying a title that I haven't seen. At $20, I am taking no chances!!

re: Warner Archive Discussion Thread

Warners could easily assuage these fears by adopting a consumer-friendly policy that would garner them lots of goodwill and prevent many from holding off on some titles now:

Owners of any Warner Archive DVD-R release should be given the option to exchange it if there is a subsequent "normal" DVD release later. This should be free of charge (except perhaps postage).

Purchasers will be paying a premium price to get these movies on DVD-R. Warners should profit well from each purchase. That should merit the consumer the privilege of acquiring the DVD version later.

re: Warner Archive Discussion Thread

I've never heard more disheartening "good news" in my life.

Is there any reason for people to buy these $20 US-no-extras DVD-Rs instead of just recording 'em off TCM?

no

there is not

not that my opinion matters to Warners anyway, since I'm Canadian

re: Warner Archive Discussion Thread

Read the thread before complaining.

re: Warner Archive Discussion Thread

I'm finding the reaction of some to the suggestion that these discs might be overpriced rather hard to understand.

We have grown used to Warner releasing boxed sets of classics at SRPs working out as $10 per disc (such as the past two Gangsters collections, which had SRPs of $60 and contained six discs). Online retailers would typically knock off 20% on initial release and as much as 50% in sales further down the line. Most of these DVDs had extensive extras, such as Warner Night at the Movies.

Now Warner is expecting consumers to pay $20 per disc for bare bones releases with no hope of a reduction (as Warner is the only company selling them). They might be reissued to retail at some point, possibly with extras, in which case you can shell out all over again.

I can understand people's excitement at getting some of their favourite films on DVD, and appreciate that these are among Warner's more obscure titles. But to go from paying $10 or less for a loaded DVD to paying twice that or more for bare bones -- in a recession no less -- is a bit rich. Isn't it reasonable for some of us to feel somewhat locked out?

re: Warner Archive Discussion Thread

If there are ordering channels for Canadians, I won't be using them. I hope people boycott this whole project.

re: Warner Archive Discussion Thread

There's nothing that anyone can say to someone that won't even try to find out correct information and hopes for a boycott (which, from the sounds of it, isn't happening).

re: Warner Archive Discussion Thread

I didn't bother to find out information about shipping to Canada (although initial reports did say they would only ship to US addresses--sorry if I expect press releases to give correct information) because I don't think this is a good deal, for anyone who has access to TCM.

re: Warner Archive Discussion Thread

I pulled the trigger on a handful of films I've been wanting for years, but I have to say the price tag really hurt. Hopefully if this is successful they would consider offering "boxset" prices if you buy multiple titles? If these could get down towards the $10 range of other Warner catalog titles, I would take chances on a lot of films I haven't seen. At the current price structure, that's just a bit hard to justify. Love the program, I would just like to give my two cents! (Oh, and as for the Wall Street Journal article referenced above, I think it's a bit funny I'm considered a good 14 years shy of their "target" audience for these releases. Guess I should start acting my age and go watch Chronicles of Riddick on my iPhone. What do they base this stuff on?)

re: Warner Archive Discussion Thread

As a former resident of Canada, I can relate to the frustration being expressed in this thread by movie lovers outside the United States who feel like they are being treated poorly by Warner Bros. shipping their DVD Archive collection only to addresses within the United States. I cannot tell you how many times I have had this same experience living in Canada when trying to obtain merchandise by mail and I know how irritating that feeling can be.

I also believe that frustration is leading some posters in this forum to react out of proportion to the actual situation. I guarantee that many of our HTF members outside the United States will be able to obtain these Archive DVDs in the near future. It is entirely possible that Warner Brothers will even expand this program in the near future to ship worldwide. Even if that does not happen, these movies will inevitable turn up very soon on Amazon, eBay, iOffer, and other sites where our international friends can purchase them. International customers who complain that they might have to pay a little more if they are forced to purchase these DVDs on the secondary market are forgetting that, even if Warner Bros. were shipping these worldwide, the studio would be incurring substantial additional expenses charged to them by the U.S. Post Office or other couriers and those costs would have to be passed on to the buyers anyway.

There are many members of this forum who reside in the United States who will be willing to trade or forward films on to our international friends at little or no additional cost for our time and expense. Keep in mind that even us fortunate ones who reside in the U.S. and who have already ordered from the website do not have any of these movies on hand yet.

I do not work for Warner Bros. but I think the criticism being leveled at the studio is out of proportion to the offense. There are legitimate reasons that the studio might not be willing or able to ship these DVDs outside the U.S. The studios do read what we post on this forum, and we should remember that Warner Bros. usually goes above and beyond for consumers, compared to some other studios, as is evident by the fact that they have started this program, even if it is not yet available internationally. What other studio is making this effort to make their entire catalog available on DVD?

Does anyone really believe that any other studio, if and when they ever offer such a program (since no other studio has yet), will ship worldwide, and that Warner Brothers is deliberately discriminating against international customers?

I encourage everyone to read Ron Epstein's comments regarding the negative comments being posted about this program and about the Warner Bros. chat here:
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htf/...ould-read.html

re: Warner Archive Discussion Thread

Warners didn't have a press release saying that. Rather than waiting for an official comment either way, people just jumped to that conclusion.

In some cases, that may be true but I doubt every movie that they're going to release has been on TCM. Not to mention that someone might not have recorded a movie that they want.

re: Warner Archive Discussion Thread

I don't see an issue for complaining about the price.The price is a little off as pointed out many times in this thread.I still have already taken the plunge on 5 films for 75 shipped.But i will only purchase again when and if they have a sale or lower the prices.Unless like many collectors,they have a film i really want.I think if other studios follow with a similar plan the prices will fall with the competition.I hope.

re: Warner Archive Discussion Thread

From last night's chat, Warners said:

re: Warner Archive Discussion Thread

It's the law of economics - if you produce a product which is going to have limited demand, the cost will inevitably be higher than a mass market product. If the higher cost is the only way to get the Warner catalogue out then so be it. No-one is being forced to buy titles and these titles are considerably cheaper than the DVDs which I was buying when the format was first introduced. I really don't get all the whinging about this brilliant initiative by Warner Bros.