Have we become spoiled by DVD? (1 Viewer)

[DouglasRobert]

While looking through some old papers I had in storage, I came across an old brochure from a LaserDisc mail order company.

Some of the things I quickly noticed.

Prices: These LD's were really expensive. $30 to $50 for the majority of them, while some were approaching $100.

Extras: Basically most of the LD's had no extras, while some had just an Audio Commentary track and maybe a featurette.

Warranty: Most companies selling LD's had lifetime warranties on all LD's. As long as the title was still in print you could get it easily replaced, regardless of how long ago it was.

In terms of DVD:
Prices: DVDs are so much cheaper than LDs. I can just imagine how expensive some DVDs would be if available on LD. Such as the Lord of the Rings EE editions. The movies would probably be spread over 2 discs, or if in CAV, around 6 discs. Then the extras, maybe another couple of LDs. You would probably be paying about $120 or more for each Lord of the Rings EE version LD.

Extras: This is where DVD totally blows LD out of the water. You have some DVDs with 4 audio commentaries, deleted scenes, full length documentaries and so much more. We even have some people complaining that the DVD doesn't have enough extras. But if it was available on LD, we was quite happy back then to get the film in Widescreen with maybe an audio commentary and a trailer.

Warranty: In regards to DVD, this is where DVD lacks. DVDs you basically have to have a defect right away to get a replacement, but if its months or years down the road and some defect pops up, your out of luck and you probably have no choice but to either throw it away or give it away. This is especially true if you buy from B&M, don't know what warranties on-line stores have.

And then of course theres the storage of these. LDs took up way too much room, where as the DVD is easily stored in book cases or other storage cabinets. The theres reading the spine title from a distance, LDs were always a problem with the very thin spine, but DVD you can read it from many feet away.

Sorry for the rant.

 

[Gary Seven]

Not sure why there is a rant here...

As a former collector of LD of which I have about 400, the extras on them blew VHS out of the water, which was what was around then.

However, what LDs had that DVD don't were the excellent covers and gatefolds. Granted they weren't on every disc but when there, they were awesome. Also Disney discs often came with lithographs, theater cards and the like. There was something awesome about holding a deluxe edition of LD that you don't get with DVDs.

The same thing can be said for LPs and Cds.

The price difference is certainly welcome though.

 

[ChristopherDAC]

Say what you will about LD, neither DVD technology nor DVD presentation would exist without the older format. It's wonderful that it has become available to the consumer in this way. On the other hand, I collect Japanese animation, and I can get LDs of what I want cheap now that they're obsolete; the discs are often in CAV, and mostly come with impressive inserts [3 12*24 inch sheets not uncommonly, trading cards sometimes, even books] plus various special features. Throw in the gorgeous covers and the sheer physical presence of the discs, and I actively prefer tham to DVD.

 

[WillKTaylor]

Gosh, just think of the prices people paid for digital processing equipment back in the day when I had to walk 5 miles to school every day, up hill, rain or shine .. with dogs, big ones chasing me. The nerve.

Seriously though, I was never into home theater in the LD days and that might be a good thing considering the relative prices, hence, your argument. However, as much as we may be "spoiled", so are the companies profiting from this market. Aside from remastering, distribution and marketing, how much does it really cost a studio to pull the archives of, let's say, the MASH series and release it? Even with royalties, I can not even imagine it would even come close to the expense of a blockbuster release with two leading roles demanding $20mil salaries each for starters. Consider me spoiled .. then again, with over $10K spent over 3 years involved in HT and the intention of much more to be allocated to hardware upgrades alone and another $6K in DVD media, I wouldn't necessarily consider myself too spoiled.

Regards

 

[Jesse Skeen]

Funny- people used to justify high prices and reason for some titles not being released at all by saying that it was expensive to do new masters, and then only X number of people are going to buy it anyway. That's why it blows me away when restored catalog titles come out list-priced under $15, when they would have been at least $40 on LD.

 

[Tina_H_V]

Touche, Jesse. Touche. Just part of the vagaries that make DVD such the format it is. But, of course, I must say, as someone who still, to this day, spins both LD and DVD, I look upon it as having the best of both words so to speak: getting in on the comparative bargains of DVD AND the wonders of what made LD stand out in its time. And through both oprical disc formats, I can have that right at my dispersal.

So, I guess I am not only spoiled by DVD, but also spoiled by being able to be in on LD much easier than I would have been during the latter's heyday.

 

[Lou Sytsma]

Yes

 

[Jay Mitchosky]

Absolutely. And those Disney box sets were things of beauty!

Those that are comparing prices should not even bother. This was a VERY different market, not even close to mainstream. HT was a specialty interest. There were no home theater in a box systems (thankfully ), no Wal-Mart distribution chains, etc. The volumes were not even close to DVD today. Think back to the first DVDs and their prices compared to now and you'll see a change as well.

 

[Daniel Windsor]

Have we become spoiled by DVD?

I'd say the studios, distributors and stores are spoiled with us spending our $$$s.

They don't always deserve our cash though.

 

[Larry Gardner]

And just think - HD-DVD is just around the corner. We will be saying in 5 years - have we becomed spoiled by HD-DVD? And be comparing DVD with HD-DVD?

 

[Ed St. Clair]

I SURE hope so!!!

Yes, I am "spoiled"; price, availability, & extra's.
However, DVD sound has let me down. There is not a single DTS DVD title that can match, let alone best, it's LD counterpart.

 

[Leon Liew]

Quote 'What LD had that DVD don't were the excellent covers
and gatefolds'

Yeah and now a days some DVDs don't even have inserts in
them:frowning: giving an impression that it might be a bootleg
if you know what I mean.

 

[Joe Karlosi]

We've certainly been spoiled by DVD, especially when it comes to price.

I recall buying USED and very dark videotapes of previoulsy viewed fullscreen movies like AMERICAN GRAFFITI in 1982 for, like, $60.00. Now when a movie's not under $14.95 for a gorgeous-looking disc, we get upset.

TV series episodes could cost you $15 per VHS, and a grand total of around $1200 for the complete run. Now, nitpickers get upset because Seasons are broken up into two volumes, at $29.00 each!

 

[Drew Salzan]

Being a laserdisc "victim", I thought for sure I would take it easy this time around with respect to the purchasing of DVD's. Wrong. I already have replaced most of my laserdiscs with DVD's when possible. I guess my rational is that DVD's will be backwards compatible with Blue Ray (and still look good) and and that they really are priced affordably. Since I am mostly a film classics buff, most can be had for around $10 or $12 if purchased on the Internet. Box sets are an even better value (yeah DDD and Amazon!). It's true that when one thinks that they readily dropped $30 for a laserdisc, $10 is nothing. To put it in perspective, it's the price of a movie these days.

So many films, so little time and money.:frowning:

 

[Jerome Grate]

YUP, not just spoiled but educated as well. DVD has taught some the appreciation of watching a movie in it's OAR, and with great sound. VHS was so widely accepted in the market, it was able to do so much for the studio's own gain and not the viewer. Heck it was DVD that help me appreciate letterbox and when I purchased those special VHS movies like Star Wars and Indy, I enjoyed watching it the way it was intended. Without DVD, I would have accepted what VHS offered and be done with it. So spoiled yes, educated definetly, happier, hell yeah.