Obviously, I'm just guessing but I see releasing the current season on high def discs first as something that other companies will do. I can understand it to some degree because you want the new one out to catch eyes. I'd rather see them start at the beginning but it beats nothing.
And while S6 wasn't the best year of The Sopranos, it was still better than nearly everything else on television.
Anyone want to take bets on this? For most studios, that would seem natural, but we are talking HBO here, who DEFINITELY think othewise... Remember the Sex & the City complete set? WAY OVERPRICED!
By definition, overpriced DVDs (or anything else) don’t sell—or at least not in enough volume to make a profit.
I strongly suspect that HBO is testing the TV in HD market with this release. It makes some sense (from a commercial perspective) to release first material that has not yet been available at all, than to try to determine the market size by putting out Season 1, a set that many fans will already own.
The upcoming Six Feet Under set is $280 MSRP and the individual sets are $500 total so it seems like HBO is moving towards cheaper prices... for complete sets anyway.
HBO Delays 'Sopranos' HD DVD Sun Oct 08, 2006 at 11:42 PM ET
"Those anxiously awaiting what was to be the first television series released to a next-gen format are going to have to wait a little bit longer, as HBO has indefinitely delayed the HD DVD debut of 'The Sopranos: Season 6, Part 1.'
Originally announced to hit HD DVD simultaneously with the standard DVD on November 7, HBO has announced that the set has been pushed back to an undetermined date."
The problem is: the difference was more than $30. E.g. Laser's Edge has the SDVD version at $69.99 compared to $114.99 for the HD DVD version. That's $45 on the already discounted (as compared to MRSP) amount!
I wonder if there were many pre-orders, if you also take into account that many online retailers weren't even having the HD version.
IMO $70 is STILL too much, and the pricing on the HD-DVD set is beyond ridiculous. As with the SD DVD sets of The Sopranos (and Deadwood), I'll be renting only unless I can pick 'em up cheap on the used market. Helloooo Netflix.
Although season 5 got alot of heat for being bad, I think it held up pretty well when watching it with previous seasons.
But season 6 was really a disappointment. I wasnt sure I was gonna pick up the SD before investing in HDDVD. No way Im paying 100 for season 6, Ill get the SD discount somewhere.