Are You Happy Now With The Pace and/or Quality of Catalog Releases on Blu-ray? (1 Viewer)

[Jesse Blacklow]

Originally Posted by Andy_G

Frankly, I think that's just wrong. Amazon was quite popular by then.

Well, then provide evidence of such. Amazon's official website says they didn't even start selling DVDs until 1998, and their first profitable year wasn't until 2002. Even when Bezos was given Time's "Man of the Year" at the end of 1999, the article mentions DVDs only once, and even then only says that he started selling them.

 

[Andy_G]

Amazon's sales data isn't easy to dig up, but I don't accept that I'm making a controversial claim. Amazon sold lots of CDs ten years ago, and DVDs were a natural corollary.

In any case, online sales figures are something of a red herring.

 

[Jesse Blacklow]

Originally Posted by Andy_G

Amazon's sales data isn't easy to dig up, but I don't accept that I'm making a controversial claim. Amazon sold lots of CDs ten years ago, and DVDs were a natural corollary.

Not really. CDs were definitely "well-established" in 2000, by virtue of being available for 20 years. In any case, there's more data that I could find that refutes online DVD sales being large by that time.

In any case, online sales figures are something of a red herring.

Sure, but that still doesn't address the major economic factors I laid out.

 

[Jeff Ulmer]

Is there anyone who would impulse buy a $30 catalog title? During the heyday of DVD, you could routinely pick up a title like this for less than $20; often less than $15.

It depends what you call the heyday. Most titles were in the $30 range for the first 5 or 6 years of DVD, and while we had coupons and other goodies to lower prices, DVDs were no less expensive than Blus are now. What has changed (at least for me) is my willingness to spend that kind of money on discs anymore. Where a $30 impulse purchase wasn't an issue in 2000, good luck finding me buying anything at that price anymore. Unless it's something I really must have right now (which isn't much), under $15 is my comfort zone, under $10 even better when I know the titles will get there.


Back to the original question - I would be happier to be able to get everything I want right now, but the flip side is that the slower the pace, the less I'm inclined to buy given both selection and pricing. Where I might be buying 5-10 titles a week back in the DVD days, I might buy that in a year now. I don't buy current titles, so catalog is where my money will go, and if there isn't a lot to chose from, I'm no longer buying stuff for the sake of buying something, I need to know it is something that won't get watched once and shelved like a lot of the DVD collection.

 

[GMpasqua]

It's difficult to have an impluse to buy on a $30 catalog title during the recession with so many people concerned they may lose their jobs. Especially if you already have the title on DVD

 

[Charles Smith]

A topic of great interest and concern. In reading through it these past couple of days, I've been bouncing back and forth between feelings of cautious optimism and outright doom-and-gloom. Mostly, though, it's opened my eyes to the incredible value (personal, if not monetary) of my LD, DVD and BLU collection, mostly consisting of catalog titles, all carefully chosen as best edition for me. Faced with the changes going on in the marketplace now, I'm happier and more relieved than ever that I indulged in gathering these titles that mean so much. The importance and number of equally great finds still "out there" in the world of DVD and LD continue to be gratifying.

 

[jerauf]

This is my first post and I've got my fireproof suit on for this one. Flame away.


I basically ONLY buy catalog titles because that's what I'm mainly interested in. I think that the newest film I have on Blu-Ray is Zodiac. And I don't anticipate many announced new films that I'll be adding soon. (Jeez, I sound old).


But I'd rather have barebones releases of catalog titles that look decent than giving every catalog title the Cadillac treatment with a box full of swag and multiple discs of extras. My box sets always get the discs taken out of them and shelved and the box put in storage. And the extras get watched only a couple of times. I'm more interested in having the film.


I'd love it if they'd spend money on good transfers of several films than producing discs and discs of extras and fancy boxes for one film.


But that's just me. Give me a Music Man-style release any day. I'm just happy to have the film looking wonderful.

 

[cineMANIAC]

I can't think of a better business model than an "a-la-carte" type of release where people pay only for the features they want. Anybody who just wants the movie and couldn't give a rat's ass about trailers or commentaries would pay a reasonable price ($10-15 for a DVD, only slightly higher for hi-def) for a movie-only product and everybody else (true aficionados, film buffs, etc) will shell out for the bells and whistles. And I'm not talking about burn-on-demand nonsense, I'm talking quality-controlled, professionally-manufactured DVDs and Blu-rays. Cut out the useless garbage like BD-Live, Digital Copies and subtitles in languages nobody's ever heard of and you could save the consumer even more money. Catalog titles DO sell. These days most of what I buy are catalog titles whenever they're released. Nobody needs to see I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry in high definition and nobody wants a two-hour documentary and four commentaries on every disposable flick they comes out of the Hollywood assembly line. But I know tons of people who couldn't wait to get their hands on Humanoids From the Deep.

 

[Brandon Conway]

Originally Posted by Luisito34

I can't think of a better business model than an "a-la-carte" type of release where people pay only for the features they want. Anybody who just wants the movie and couldn't give a rat's ass about trailers or commentaries would pay a reasonable price ($10-15 for a DVD, only slightly higher for hi-def) for a movie-only product and everybody else (true aficionados, film buffs, etc) will shell out for the bells and whistles. And I'm not talking about burn-on-demand nonsense, I'm talking quality-controlled, professionally-manufactured DVDs and Blu-rays. Cut out the useless garbage like BD-Live, Digital Copies and subtitles in languages nobody's ever heard of and you could save the consumer even more money. Catalog titles DO sell. These days most of what I buy are catalog titles whenever they're released. Nobody needs to see I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry in high definition and nobody wants a two-hour documentary and four commentaries on every disposable flick they comes out of the Hollywood assembly line. But I know tons of people who couldn't wait to get their hands on Humanoids From the Deep.

The cost of making so many different versions of a disc would be detrimental. Studios are hesitant to put any money towards QC that they don't have to. The reason Blu-rays have so many "subtitles nobody's ever heard of" is because they sell that same disc in other countries, and it's far less expensive to make 3 versions of a title that covers the whole world than to make 20.

 

[Charles Smith]

 

Originally Posted by Luisito34

Cut out the useless garbage like BD-Live, Digital Copies and subtitles in languages nobody's ever heard of...

Hear, Hear!

 

[dana martin]

well to jump back into this, you know, i wouldnt mind bd live, if it was worth all it was hyped to be, prime example, most of what MGM is doing with there releases lately, no bonus material, hey make that available via bd live other than that the only purpose it serves is for disc registration. as for complaining about different languages, if its region free, then it better be ready for the whole damn world, so i see the studios points on that. this last quarter of the year, we are getting a good rum of catalog titles, and if they are up to standards it will end a good year, just wish with all that is being done, i really wish that MGM would readress what most of us are waiting on, the remaining Bonds' released in the same way as the previous were, all the bells and whistles, dont skimp on that remaining group