MattHR

Article on the maturing TV-on-DVD market (new marketing strategies, packaging, etc.)

Interesting article on TV-on-DVD from HomeMediaRetailing.com
http://www.homemediaretailing.com/ne...rticle_ID=8697

RoryR

Wow, Paramount does none of that with its popular sitcoms - Cheers/Frasier have typical box packaging and no special features, atleast they understand how to seperate themselves from the rest of the companies.

Stephen Wight

Actually,the first few seasons of Cheers had special features.Why they stopped including them I have no idea.That's the only sitcom,from Paramount,that I've seen special features for.

David Von Pein

While I respect Paul Brownstein immensely (and his fabulous "TV-On-DVD" abilities, via "The Dick Van Dyke Show" boxed sets, which are extraordinary digital efforts) -- I don't necessarily think he's correct when he said this in that interesting TV-DVD article.....

The days when a TV DVD release could include a few special features and expect the public to line up at retail are over, according to Paul Brownstein -- "People are waking up to the realization that [they] don’t need a third season of 'Father Murphy' on DVD," Brownstein said.

If the above comment was true, why would Universal Studios (and other studios as well) continue to pump out many, many TV-On-DVD releases without any special features at all?

And, moreover, how could they (Universal and other companies, like Paramount, as Rory mentioned previously) afford to market bare-bones TV-DVD releases month after month if the market for them has dried up (per Mr. Brownstein)?

I'll bet a whole bunch of people would rather just wait until EVERY season of a favorite series is released on DVD before they take the plunge to buy ANY of the seasons. (This "All Or Nothing" mindset is one that has been adopted by some people I've talked to.)

Actually, that comment from Mr. Brownstein about not "need[ing] a third season of Father Murphy" is a bit troublesome in my view. And to illustrate how troublesome it probably is in the view of others -- remove the "Father Murphy" portion of Mr. Brownstein's quote and substitute "Your Own Favorite TV Show That You Want All Seasons Of On DVD Eventually".

Sure, I could live without Season 3 of "Father Murphy" (heck, even the first two seasons, to boot, seeing as how I've never watched a single episode of that show ever ), but when it comes to certain other series, I wouldn't want to insert those show titles into Mr. Brownstein's remark. Heaven forbid.

And the "Father Murphy" example is a strange one in another way....seeing as how there were only two seasons of that TV series made; so there can't be a third DVD set anyway.

But, IMO, the "Special Features" for TV-DVD product always take a distant back seat in the "priority" department when compared to the main prerequisites that I would think most true fans of Classic TV would also live by -- i.e., uncut episodes with good-quality video and audio (plus a Menu system that doesn't drive the viewer to hari-kari via unwanted promo materials and unskippable loud-as-Ethel Merman logos and misc. annoyances ).

I guess I might be in the minority in this regard....but I'll bet I'm not (at least amongst HTF enthusiasts).

That said -- I'll give up watching Mary Tyler Moore for a whole month if only Paramount would announce "The Fugitive (1963): The Complete First Season On DVD" on or before October 15, 2006.

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Jeff Willis

- Jeff Willis (Mainly a late 50's - mid-90's TV/DVD Collector)

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Gord Lacey

I took Paul's quote to mean that studios have to do a better job of making their sets compelling, like putting bonus material on them.

Gord

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