Concerning "Splitting" TV Series DVD sets (1 Viewer)

[Eve Brown]

I really like complete sets. I found it cheaper then purchasing a season in 2 volumes. The only time I purchased a season in 2 volumes was in France (when I was there) because they have the Pretender Seasons 1 and 2 each in 2 volumes on 3 discs. I brought 3 sets each was about 53 euros. Compared to the most I have spend on a season here Profiler complete seasons about $55(retail $90) at deepdiscountdvd. Not even counting the exchange rate I paid almost twice as much.

Note to executive from Fox if you are reading Please release the Pretender (in complete sets with episodes in correct production order) so I can stop emailing you daily. Expect and willing to pay $100 or so retail.

 

[Dave Scarpa]

I too am dissapointed in Fox and any company that pursue this. TV on DVD is successfull for a reason and that is the complete season box set, why change that now ? One thing that Fox and others need to consider is the saturation point. I'm looking long and hard at TV releases now. With 2 full Racks of TV on DVD I have far more content than time to watch it all. As that increases, releases that adhere to this split up mentality will be the first to get crossed off my list

 

[Rob Gardiner]

I would never tell you what your time is (or should be) worth, but I am curious what YOU think it is worth, which is why I phrased my comment as a question. You edited post #29 a whopping fourteen times and it STILL has typos!

The main reason I find your whole argument questionable is because you use terms like "more profit", "less profit", "some profit", "perhaps this..." and "perhaps that...". This tells me you have no hard data at all to base your arguments upon. Unless you are a News Corp shareholder, what right do you have to tell Fox how much profit is "enough" profit or how much is "too much" profit? And what was the point of the 3-way conversation between studio execs? You made the whole thing up! I learned nothing from it except that you have a low opinion of studio execs.

I've already stated that I would happily buy MTM S2 P1 if it were packaged in ziploc bags with a silica packet and tied together with phloem bundles (banana strings). What "facts" have you given that would sway me from my position? I care only about the contents on the disc, not whether it comes in one box or two, or whether the packaging is cardboard or plastic, or whether there is an extra slip of paper inside, or whether it costs $50 or $54. You're upset that Fox wants to make more profit on further LIS S2 releases. Isn't that a good thing? Doesn't that increase the chances of Season 3 seeing the light of day?

If you cannot afford an extra $2 for half of season 2, then don't buy it. Or wait to find it on Ebay or at a used CD shop. Understand that by doing so, you are decreasing the chances of ever seeing season 3. How about directing your energies toward more important issues, such as material that is not released complete and uncut, or in its original aspect ratio or with original music and soundtracks intact? Or material that is not being considered for release at all? You are complaining that a show you love IS being released, but in the wrong packaging, for $4 extra, so the company can continue to make sufficient profits and therefore continue to release more seasons of the show you love? What exactly are you complaining about????

 

[Joe Karlosi]

 

[Terry H]

True, there is a real glut, ot maybe "embarassment of riches" , when it comes to TV on DVD. I can't possibly get them all. Good suggestion.

 

[Mark Johnston]

As my vacation ends this weekend, and I am going out of town tomorrow, this will be my final post on this subject.

My only intention by starting this thread, was to inform fans of the future plan of many studios (mine included) to begin to split-up TV series sets up into 2-4 parts, for the only purpose of making even more profit over the hundreds of millions of dollars we already provide them by buying their product. And, for obviously not being honest and forthcoming to their customers, about why they are choosing to do so.

If you side with the studios, and think that CORPORATE GREED is "OK", then perhaps you should talk to some of the people who, in other aspects of life, cannot afford prescription drugs, due to the CORPORATE GREED of the prescription drug companies, or who struggle with high gasoline prices due to the CORPORATE GREED of the oil companies, or maybe some people dying of cancer, due to the CORPORATE GREED of the tobacco companies, or possible even to the mother's of children who have died too young, due to the CORPORATE GREED of the alcohol companies...
They might dissaggree with you.

Simply put, GREED IS WRONG, especially by giant corporations, who OWE a responsibility to their customers for the products and services they provide, as well as the truth behind their motivations, but whose only REAL concern is the profit margins of their bottom line. They WILL take advantage of you if you let them, and can only be stopped by the education and awareness of the public, and resistance to "business as usual".

As a fan of "Lost in Space" and many other series, I was hoping to gain enough support on this site (since it is generally respected by most studios) to send FOX (and other studios) a message. And that message was that an overwhelming majority PREFER "Complete Season" sets of their favorite TV Series releases. Sure, the majority will also ACCEPT whatever form that release comes in, but a minority here understands the complexities and politics of what I was trying my best to convey, and they represent a good portion of consumers who also understand the truth and won't take it lying down. So, with that understanding by many, I believe that I have been successful in making my point to the giant corporate divisions of the studios who deliver "Television Series on DVD" to the public.

The studios should now realize that their strategies for gouging more profit from consumers, will not always be a "slam dunk". And perhaps, just perhaps, they will consider what consumers PREFER, rather than just what they will ACCEPT, a little more carefully in the future. But as I indicated, "MONEY TALKS".

For those who understood and appreciated what I was trying to expose, and who supported my posts, THANK YOU.

For those who did not, - pull your head out of the sand, and don't let yourself be taken advantage of any more.

Best,

Mark Johnston

 

[MattHR]

I figured it out: Mark Johnston is actually Michael Moore !. Welcome to the forum, Mr. Moore! It's okay, there's no need for the disguise. There are lots of conspiracy nuts here that will help make your "coming out" more comfortable.

 

[Chris]

Hmm.

I'll be the complete ney-sayer. I have no problem with them breaking things up and making more money. If people will pay, it's great marketing. If they don't pay, then they don't. But if I was someone inside the company, I'd agree: it's stupid to do bundles this way.

Look at it from all of us who had complete ST laserdiscs. I paid $24.95 a disc for 2 episodes of DS9. I bought more then 30 discs. Add that up. (30*24=720) and that's not even 1/2 the total eps.

I viewed it as a fair value. Still do. If the entertainment is worth it, I'll pay it. If not, not. I shelled out $109 for a Toy Story Laserdisc Box Set - which I still love - that has all of the shorts from Pixar I'd do that again too.

Studios are in this for one reason: to make money. Stock holders are hoping studios make more money.

Whatever the market will bear is what they will sell. If the market tells them they will pay the price, they will sell at that price. I have seen the signs out for The Passion of the Christ that advertised it at $30. I thought "ridiculous" not because it was too high, but because I know that if it was $50, they'd still sell tons of copies.

Do I have a problem with them splitting seasons? Not at all. In fact, there are some shows I'm hopeful they will do this with as I may only want a few episodes of a show I otherwise think is "eh" (see: Showtimes Outer Limits, as an example)

Will I lement the day I could buy a whole season in a box set? In some ways, yes. But I'll assume market pressure will keep all but the most obvious still in season sets, whereas shows with heavy sell-throughs being broken up into individuals. How many of us bought the original south park DVDs with 3 episodes on them? I've got a couple. Then they went to season sets.

Market pressure is what changes everything

 

[Dan Rudolph]

I agree with Matt. Corporate greed is pretty much the reason we have these shows in the first place, not to mention the DVDs and prescription drugs. It makes no sense to condemn it.

 

[Joe Karlosi]

I'm sorry, but I think the thread was almost overwhelmingly supportive of the "split seasons".

 

[Carlos Garcia]

Thank you for your post Mr. Johnston, you've opened my eyes. Don't worry about the response you got on this thread. As everyone knows, posters on this forum are all TV and movie diehard fans and only represent a small percentage (those who are hooked on the internet) of the average DVD purchaser. Lost In Space has a cult following. It's the fans of the show who will be buying the sets, not the "impulse" buyer. Lost In Space has a reputation, either you loved it or hated it. No one will go into a store and say "Oh my dad saw this as a kid and liked it, I think I'll buy it". If sales of season 1 were as bad as Peter Staddon mentioned, then season 2 (which everyone knows was inferior to 1) will be even worse. The only good knews is that it has already been mentioned that regardless of sales of season 2 (parts 1 and 2), they WILL be releasing season 3. After the smoke has cleared, and they realize neither of the latter 2 seasons sold nearly as well as the first, the numbers should help convince those in charge that breaking up season sets is not the way to go. It's only too bad it took Lost In Space to be the show to be experimented on though.

 

[Malcolm R]

Again, alcohol use is a personal choice. If you can't deal with the consequences, don't choose to use the product. If things go wrong, put the blame where it belongs...on the user. They're the ones who put the substance into their own body.

Just because someone makes a product, doesn't mean you HAVE to eat/drink/snort it. And if you don't like what DVD's cost, don't buy them.

 

[Casey Trowbridg]

Malcolm beat me to it, just because a person doesn't have a problem with split sets, doesn't have anything to do with perscription drugs or things of that nature.

Perhaps the people in this thread that don't have a problem with splitting up the seasons sets are greedy as well? Perhaps we're greedy enough that we'd rather have the split season set than nothing at all?

 

[Rob Gardiner]

CORPORATE GREED is a BAD THING.

Children are DYING every day!

What about the children? FOR GOD'S SAKE, WON'T SOMEBODY PLEASE THINK ABOUT THE CHILDREN??






Don't worry, everyone. He'll be back.

 

[MattHR]

And just when it was starting to get fun. I was hoping we could find out how you really felt about it.

 

[Rob Gardiner]

[LOGIC]
In all seriousness, Mark Johnston's last post is the perfect example of why the "slippery slope" argument is not a valid argument at all, but a logical fallacy.

"If we allow 'A' (which is presumably desirable) then we also must allow 'X Y & Z' (which are undesirable)"

This is a logical fallacy because 'A' is completely unrelated to 'X Y & Z'.

Selling LOST IN SPACE Season 2 as 2 small boxes instead of 1 big box has nothing to do with poor children dying because their mom's can't afford prescription drugs.
[/LOGIC]

 

[Glenn Overholt]

Malcom/Casey - I am sure that you're going to have a hard time finding anyone on this forum that thinks that DVD's are a luxury item. Most of us have had to put off buying something else because they felt that a certain DVD had to get into their house NOW.

And no one can deny that some of us are anal about some aspects of DVD. It could be DTS, extras or that SE edition with 2 disks. It doesn't matter. Why not the price?

Yes, corporate greed can get nasty, but most of us live with it without any problem. Ok, we really doen't even know how much money companies make when we buy their product. I don't have that much time on my hands, but there is a limit, no?

Sure, you raise the price of a new movie on DVD to $50 and it isn't going to sell that well. Is this greed excessive Knowing that for years $25 or so has been the MSRP?

Ok, sales are down with $50. This greed was excessive. $50 is a bit much. Next time they try $45. No, I won't go on with that but at some point, the public will respond to the price and buy. After all, if a new movie showed up on the shelves with an MSRP of one dolllar, it would outsell everything else that had ever came out.

Sure, a price increase of $3 or $4 isn't much. I wouldn't have a problem with it, but suppose it does sell well, and next year they kick it up another $3.

Food for thought.

Glenn

 

[David Lambert]

In the end, though, we all have a simple decision to make: buy it or don't buy it?

Mark has made it clear that he won't buy LIS S2 as a split set. He has said, to put it in a nutshell, that if he did so he would feel bad because he feels that he would have been cheated by the studio, Fox, out of a few more dollars. And that it would lead to being cheated out of more dollars later on, by Fox and by other studios.

His entire point in starting this thread was to convince enough of us to gang up on and bully Fox into changing their minds about their plans, so that they do something different. His hopes were that the "different" thing would be to go back to the way they were selling it before. If they did, then he could buy what he wants without feeling bad about it.

The overwhelming majority of us who have spoken up in this thread have stated that we will not join him in bullying Fox. Although he's gained support from a few people, most of us simply don't agree.

Moreover, Fox's representative and decision-maker (and yes, Peter Staddon is the decision-maker, not 3 mythical 25-year-old execs who supposedly tell the SR. VP. what to do!) on the matter has made it clear that "If we are not successful with this strategy we will not go back to launching similar series as a single season".

No matter how you cut it, Mark Johnston - if that is his real name (point taken about how a person representing himself as a "whistle-blower" probably won't identify himself clearly) - has not gotten what he came here to find. This thread is being discussed elsewhere, too (DVDTalk, for example), and he's getting mixed reaction in those places as well.

In the end, though, it doesn't matter...we are in the situation we are in with this release. Nothing will change. You can buy it in R1, import it from overseas as a complete set, or choose not to buy it. It's that simple.


On a side note, I'm very surprised that our illustrious leader hasn't chimed in to this thread. He's a notorious fan of Lost In Space, and I felt he would have some passionate thoughts about this topic. Is he out of town or something?

 

[Joe Karlosi]

I was wondering where Ron is, too. Vacation time, perhaps?

 

[MattHR]

I'd guess he's in Vegas for the annual VSDA convention.