Complete Series DVD Sets: The Problem with the Studios (2 Viewers)

[MarcoBiscotti]

Well I'll admit that certain packages such as The Monkees record player sets and even the Man From U.N.C.L.E. attache case work because they adhere to the qualities of the programs and nostalgia of the era. Even though I hated the way the discs were packaged in The Monkees seasons, I loved the faux 45rpm picture sleeves and felt it a great concept. Now in my opinion, the design would've worked much better had they produced a full sized box with larger sleeves and actual protective paper inserts for the discs like singles come in. But I can't really complain about these sets!

Now stuff like Planet Of The Apes on the other hand, is a different story! A giant monkey head means nothing to me and just seems ridiculous looking sitting on my DVD shelf. This is the kind of thing I hate! At least if they're going to take a classic television series and reduce it to some novelty package, replicate some vintage or obscure marketing product design that clearly resembles and represents the spirit and nostalgia of the era it comes from. Such as The Monkees sets "sort of" accomplished. But keep your treasure chests and alien heads for the contemporary mainstream blockbuster junk that the fanboys feed into and keep classic releases somewhat classy!


PS - I think I'll give the TZ set a try since at least two people in this thread seem to have had no problems with it. I'll be sure to buy it in person though and examine carefully.

 

[MarcoBiscotti]

And I think we can all agree that The Flintstones package is just about the ugliest box set any of us have ever seen.

That's my biggest TV-DVD disappointment this year and I really wish WHV would reconsider. Even the initial design, while still largely unappealing, would've been better than this.

 

[RichieMagoo]

I had read some reviews warning of that, too- so I was a little leary of buying the set myself- but when it arrived, it seemed as sturdy as any other set...and I've had it for just about a year now- and it's still like new. I wonder if earlier sets were shoddy, and they later fixxed the problem?

The only complaint I have with the set, is that it is physically hard to remove the DVD from the little individual hub thingies. I mean HARD! (even for 6'/215 lb. me!)- I always feel like I'm going to break the discs when trying to remove them.

Hmmm...about the aweful packaging of some shows: It is interesting and revealing that the studios care more about attracting impulse purchasers than about the real fans. Considering that many of these sets cost $200 or more....are these really impulse items?! I think not!

I could see someone buying one season of a show, on sale, as an impulse purchase- but a whole series? Nah. I would really think that it's the die-hard fans only, who buy the whole series- especially when it comes to classic shows.

I think the gaudy packaging works against them. Now I used to watch Get Smart- but it was never a show that "I just had to have"- but hearing your comments about the tasteful packaging now, will make me take a look at it, and I will probably buy it- whereas I would not have if it was packaged liker Bewitched or those other monstrosities.

It's sad that the entertainment industry ALWAYS appeals to the lowest common denominator- rather than good taste. (Guess that's why I gave up TV nearly 2 decades ago)

 

[MarcoBiscotti]

I agree wholeheartedly.


And speaking of the following:

"The only complaint I have with the set, is that it is physically hard to remove the DVD from the little individual hub thingies. I mean HARD! (even for 6'/215 lb. me!)- I always feel like I'm going to break the discs when trying to remove them."

This actually happened to me with my standalone S1 TZ: Definitive box. There is a crack running through the plastic ring center of disc 1 which still plays fine for now at least, but I doubt will last forever. I never bothered to get the disc replaced because I only noticed this around the time the complete series set was being announced. I will certainly pick that up this week though and I'm excited about the set all over again.

 

[Mark Zimmer]

Hey Dave,
Thanks for the look at the Flintstones complete series package. That looks pretty sweet to me.

 

[DavidHAN]

Like most here, I hate the cardboard sleeves. But, I have several that with extreme caution and sweating bullets I extract discs from.
Stargate SG-1 had, upon arrival only small scuffs and so far thru six seasons all have played flawlessly.
Would much rather have a full series in a case like Buffy came in. Or Get Smart, that one was a winner for sure.
My Man From Uncle briefcase sure looks cool, too. Along with being functional for dvd storing.

As for non-diehard fans buying full series on a whim. I just don't think so.
If someone is not interested in buying a single season of something, I just think a neat looking package is not going to be enough to persuade purchasing.
I have nine complete special packages, some of these I have the complete individual seasons as well. (Just can't seem to part with them.) So, I see complete series packaging as a die hard buyer purchase only, with the occasional on a whim, that looks so cool I got to have it person.

Insanity rules.

 

[Eve Brown]

I love the packaging and found it cute. The one issue is that the odd shape boxes need to be stored on top of my tv dvd section and the anal part of me doesn't like having them out of order. I have yet to have an issue with strached discs knock on wood. I don't see the purchase as an impulse buy. Maybe they do good sales for holidays because people can request them as gifts or ask for giftcards to get them. When I find out about a complete set for one of my shows, I get rid of the individual sets I have. Aside from some having exclusive extras, part of the appeal for me is the package because am a geek

 

[Ethan Riley]

I can't vouch for the quality or scratching issues of any of these sets because I don't have any. I tend to buy all my shows on the day they come out, in individual season sets. I don't want to wait--who knows if/when those same shows will be collected together?

That said, I can ridicule the packaging aesthetics of some of these sets. I have to say the Gilmore Girls is the most ludicrous packaging of all. Some think it's cute, but it's kinda embarrassing. It's designed to look like a vinyl Barbie doll case holder circa 1966. Fun fun fun. But where the heck do you PUT it in your house? On the dvd shelf, or in the toy box?

Some of these dvd factories are trying way too hard to be clever with their packaging. Case in point: I Dream of Jeannie. I'd honestly prefer a modest box design like Roswell: the Complete Series. Saves space anyway.

 

[bmasters9]

Certainly it is, no doubt. Paramount did much the same thing to "MacGyver," the 1985-92 ABC adventure series. The true fans purchased all 7 seasons' worth of that series, hoping for Paramount to include the two 1994 movies w/the #7 release, but Paramount (in sheer greed, I believe it was) did not let them have their wish-- they, by including the 1994 movies in their package of the complete series, said something to the effect that "if you want the movies, you'll have to purchase the series again, only this time in our big package." A lot of disgusted "MacGyver" fans cried foul about that, but Paramount so far has stood firm in it. This also made them mad because, to be sure, "MacGyver" hardly ever had any bonuses in its individual releases, just the same tired old ads for some of Paramount's other series.

As for the completed series package, it was hardly a wonder of packaging, based on the reviews that I have read on Amazon and in several other places. The two disc designs that were used for the series (in its original releasing life) were mixed together-- some discs had brown labeling with images of MacGyver's tools, others had the silver labeling that is now standard and commonplace to Paramount and CBS/Paramount releases. The discs were also packaged, I believe, in a manner such that if you tried to get one out, you risked scratching it.

But, again, what really made "MacGyver" and "Brady" fans mad was the simple fact that Paramount said, "You want the big extras? Fine. Just purchase the series again." A lot of DVD purchasers, especially of completed series packages, will be (and I believe, were) turned off by that attitude.

 

[LCD22]

Also, some have purchased the first season two times already. The original release mistakenly included the syndicated master of "Thief of Budapest", so they went back and fixed that.

And to illustrate the nightmare packaging for "MacGyver":

Customer Image Gallery for Macgyver - The Complete Series

Gord's review says it best:

MacGyver - The Complete Series Review | TVShowsOnDVD.com

The reason the individual seasons didn't have extras is because CBS/Paramount supposedly did research and found that there wasn't interest in seeing them included. They obviously didn't consult MacGyver Online. If they did, we would've seen the TV movies on the seventh season set. You can thank one of the fans over there for letting CBS/Paramount know about "Thief of Budapest". Miraculously, they listened to fans on that.

As far as the TV movies not being released separately, I'm more than pissed off with them. I'm tired of being screwed by this company that can't abide by a simple (and repeated) request of mine and others. (And I apologize to Ron and Parker for this outburst, but something has got to be done with CBS/Paramount.)

EDIT: I also want to point out one other thing about the "MacGyver" TV movies: "MacGyver: Lost Treasure of Atlantis" and "MacGyver: Trail to Doomsday" have never been rebroadcasted in the States since their original 1994 broadcasts. I have them on VHS, and because of repeated viewings, the quality has become barely watchable (especially the beginning of "Trail to Doomsday").

Richard Dean Anderson has been introduced to a whole new audience who never seen his signature series in its entirely, and these new fans want to have the chance to see the "epilogue" to "MacGyver" (as RDA put it, though I don't remember what interview he said that in).

I repeat, "MacGyver: Lost Treasure of Atlantis" and "MacGyver: Trail to Doomsday" has never been rebroadcasted since ABC aired them. And you won't find them on CBS.com or Netflix (trust me; I've already requested them to be made available).

This is in my opinion as sickening and controversial as the rescoring of "The Fugitive" and "My Three Sons" that CBS/Paramount has done.

 

[Jon Baker]

Does anyone have any info on how the Complete Munsters will be packaged? I may consider double-dipping mainly because of the poor packaging on Season 2 (the Herman's head design) which got completely torn apart when attempting to remove the DVDs for the first time.

 

[Viper]

DAMMIT! I was considering getting that because of the TV movies, but the packing is the last straw. Screw it. I'm also still pissed at Paramount for not doing a proper HD release of Payback (both cuts), but that's another story. I, too, have emailed them in disgust.

 

[Jon Baker]

I'd be embarrassed to have that sitting on my shelf.

 

[Mark Talmadge]

I've been pretty satisfied with my season sets ... ehehe ...

 

[Mark Talmadge]

Another DVD series bites the dust.

When will studios learn that some of us will *NEVER* buy any set where the DVD's are *SLID* into packes just so they can increase their profit and not decrease the price on the set.

What am I talking about? I was all hyped up to purchase the Speed Racer DVD set, the complete series set. What happened? I passed on purchasing this set after I saw how cheaply packaged the set was.

I will *NEVER* buy a complete series DVD collection when the set is not only poorly manufactured but where the DVD's are, ONCE AGAIN, slid into pages in an effort to damage the DVD's in the set.

I'm completely disgusted with the way studios are treating its customers and I'm starting to think that maybe I should start buying those complete series sets on eBay that I see advertised for $100 or less. At least I know what I'll be getting or possibly downloading from an online site somewhere.

Studios don't seem to care that as consumers, we treat our DVD libraries as something of a collectible item. We don't like damaged DVD's and we surely don't like the cheap*** packaging that they seem stuck on.

You've lost another potential customer on such a classic anime-ted series.

The "Mach-5" style customed packaging was made out of a cheaply produced plastic source, it felt like a model kit and the way the DVD's are housed? What can I say? DVD's slid into pages as if the studios don't care if the DVD's are taken care of ... poor quality control.

 

[RichieMagoo]

EDIT- double post....

 

[RichieMagoo]

I concurr, Mark. What's the point of having DVDs, which, unlike video tapes, can last indefinitely- if they're going to be made to essentially be disposable?

The bootlegs are looking better all the time! Sad to say, but I think we are just about at the point where bootlegs are getting to be of higher quality than the studio releases.

 

[Joe Karlosi]

Sometimes people cry "fire!!" for no reason, IMO. I too read nightmare stories about the supposedly terrible packaging on The Complete TZ set, and that alone kept me away from it for a while. Finally, I saw a good deal online where I could get the entire series for $150, so I pounced on it. And you know what? The packaging turned out to be FINE!

Since I'm on the subject of TZ, one thing that really irks me is that the main menus show actual spoiler revelation scenes for many episodes! And I haven't seen all of these shows yet.

 

[Joe Karlosi]

I make three (so far; I'm just in the process of catching up with this old thread now). I say go for it, if you haven't already. Especially if the price is right.

 

[Joe Karlosi]

I made the switch, largely because these are not double-sided and inferior DVD18s, but a 12-disc set with one-sided DVD9s.

The packaging is much better, just two separate season boxes housed in an outer standard-sized "Munsters" sleeve/box. The season sets themselves fold open (is this what we call "digipaks"?) and there are three "pages" (like the original individual releases had) with two discs oneach page. But the thing is, they use the "one disc on top of another" approach, instead of 1 disc per page (there are 6 discs per season). The main thing is, no more of that absurd Herman head.