Several hundred Warner DVDs are going OOP (1 Viewer)

Well, according to the OOP-Thread at DVDTalk, several hundred DVDs from New Line, Turner and Warner are going OOP. I don't know how accurate the list ist but these are nearly all catalog titles, many classics included that are part of boxed sets. No idea, whether those sets are going OOP, too. They aren't listed in this table, though.
Some of the discs going OOP are only 1 year old.

List 1 (New Line + Turner)
List 2 (Warner)

I'd guess the boxsets will remain in print but you will no longer be able to purchase the titles in those boxsets individually.

Originally Posted by Marcel H.

Well, according to the OOP-Thread at DVDTalk, several hundred DVDs from New Line, Turner and Warner are going OOP. I don't know how accurate the list ist but these are nearly all catalog titles, many classics included that are part of boxed sets. No idea, whether those sets are going OOP, too. They aren't listed in this table, though.
Some of the discs going OOP are only 1 year old.

List 1 (New Line + Turner)
List 2 (Warner)

Click to expand...

Well I'm not surprised. Get them while they're available & cheap (& pressed discs!!!).

No real surprises here. It seems pretty obvious to me at this point that:

1. Someone at Warner's tippy top has decided on restructuring their home video release model.
2. They will let prior licensing agreements expire (e.g., Castle Hill)
3. Their focus for catalog is Blu-ray and Warner Archive, with pressed DVD releases few and far between
4. They feel many of their titles that did not sell well have enough copies unsold out there to not require new press runs

The slight good news is that other companies may be interested in picking up the licensing of those films that are not being renewed, such as Criterion with Stagecoach. But that's really just a silver lining, because I highly doubt any other company is gonna invest the capital that Warner did c.2002-2007.

In light of what is being reported about the DVD market, pressed discs for standard DVDs are on the way out:
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/studios-hurt-as-dvd-sales-fall-and-rentals-grow-2009-09-22?dist=dist_smartbrief?dist=dist_smartbrief&dist=dist_smartbrief&dist=dist_smartbrief

We're starting to see a trend towards the rental market c. 1980s-90s. The studios are going to fight that by 1) charging rental companies more to rent their discs, 2) have rental versions of discs with no bonus content, 3) try to have a buy-only / no-rental exclusive window.

Essentially, your average person's shelves are full, except for new release (non-catalog) titles like Transformers 2.

Welcome to a new era of home video everyone!

Originally Posted by Brandon Conway

We're starting to see a trend towards the rental market c. 1980s-90s. The studios are going to fight that by 1) charging rental companies more to rent their discs, 2) have rental versions of discs with no bonus content, 3) try to have a buy-only / no-rental exclusive window.

Essentially, your average person's shelves are full, except for new release (non-catalog) titles like Transformers 2.

Welcome to a new era of home video everyone!

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I agree with the shelves being full, for mine sure are, but I think you are going to see the trend to MOD or download or catalog films. The brick and mortar rental never did carry many catalog films and made their money on Transformers 2. The rental market for catalog films is strictly NetFlix and ClassicFlix with ClassicFlix being the only one of the two renting films from the Warner Archives.

It is funny that when laserdiscs died, there were several announced that did not make it to press, one was and Esther Williams collection, now that we are in the middle of big changes in how we get classic films, we get an Esther Williams collection. Lets she, ended the MGM musicals, she ended laserdiscs, and now she is ending classic dvd's. There were months where I would buy several classic films each week, hunting them out at Best Buy or Tower Video. Now this month, I bought two collections last week and will get one collection week after next. That will be it for October and November is not much better.

I thought I was the only one who remembered the aborted "Esther Williams Collection" on laser disc. PAGAN LOVE SONG was one of the films, as I recall.

While I would LOVE to see more Warner pressed discs, loaded with extras, now that they are essentially a thing of the past, I hope there is enough life left for an Esther Williams Volume 3 set.

Well, I'm grateful for what I DO have, and wistful for what I once imagined would be coming. Like the song says, "The times they are a-changing." But I want to thank Warners for a Golden run there.

I think we'll still see a handful of releases - Esther Williams Vol. 3, hopefully a TCM classics release of the the 3-4 remaining unreleased MGM silents (Greed, The Big Parade, The Wind, The Crowd), perhaps another Errol Flynn collection, and perhaps someday the long-promised Magnificent Ambersons release. But that's about it - real 'A-list' material/sellers, and little else.

So, yes, I agree with you Allen that MOD and streaming is the likely future business model Warner is heading towards in the future for all but a few DVD-only titles - with those that are seen as 'A-list' being few and far between; MOD and Blu-ray will dominate.

Originally Posted by Richard M S

I thought I was the only one who remembered the aborted "Esther Williams Collection" on laser disc. PAGAN LOVE SONG was one of the films, as I recall.

While I would LOVE to see more Warner pressed discs, loaded with extras, now that they are essentially a thing of the past, I hope there is enough life left for an Esther Williams Volume 3 set.

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Your right, PAGAN LOVE SONG was to be in the group and I also believe so was DUCHESS FROM IDAHO. I agree with you and want and expect another Esther Williams set, that will include IDAHO.

Originally Posted by Brandon Conway

We're starting to see a trend towards the rental market c. 1980s-90s. The studios are going to fight that by 1) charging rental companies more to rent their discs, 2) have rental versions of discs with no bonus content, 3) try to have a buy-only / no-rental exclusive window.

Essentially, your average person's shelves are full, except for new release (non-catalog) titles like Transformers 2.

Welcome to a new era of home video everyone!

Click to expand...

This always surprises me. If you enjoy collecting something dont you just buy another shelf, box or other storage system? People have been collecting books for hundreds of years and you never hear someone saying they dont have room on the shelf for another one!

Transformers, Wizard of Oz, Star Trek and many other films will be selling well this fall. So people suddenly find room for these???

I believe it is more the economy. People are buying less of just about everything. How are DVDs, CD's and Video Game Discs any different?

Originally Posted by Brandon Conway

I think we'll still see a handful of releases - Esther Williams Vol. 3, hopefully a TCM classics release of the the 3-4 remaining unreleased MGM silents (Greed, The Big Parade, The Wind, The Crowd), perhaps another Errol Flynn collection, and perhaps someday the long-promised Magnificent Ambersons release. But that's about it - real 'A-list' material/sellers, and little else.

So, yes, I agree with you Allen that MOD and streaming is the likely future business model Warner is heading towards in the future for all but a few DVD-only titles - with those that are seen as 'A-list' being few and far between; MOD and Blu-ray will dominate.

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I do think we will see the big silent films along with some Erroll Flynn, Bettie Davis, Esther Williams, Andy Hardy, and the rest of Judy Garland on pressed discs. The format is not dead yet and will carry on for several years. They will just be more careful which ones they release. (I still want Raintree County)

I noticed on the OOP list were the Thin Man films. I read in Home Media that Warners is pushing ahead to press some of their classic Black & White films in Blu-ray in 2010. Taking those films off the market could be precursor to a Blu-ray collection of the films. The Thin Man series was one of their best selling collections. Magnificent Ambersons might just go straight to Blu-ray with extras and be offered only as a none frills standard DVD in the WA. Now that would be interesting.

Originally Posted by ChuckWL




This always surprises me. If you enjoy collecting something dont you just buy another shelf, box or other storage system? People have been collecting books for hundreds of years and you never hear someone saying they dont have room on the shelf for another one!

Transformers, Wizard of Oz, Star Trek and many other films will be selling well this fall. So people suddenly find room for these???

I believe it is more the economy. People are buying less of just about everything. How are DVDs, CD's and Video Game Discs any different?

Click to expand...

I think the shelf scenario is just another way of saying that a lot of classics being released does not interest the average Joe or Jane. I am a collector and collect way to much, but I enjoy it, and yes I just buy another cabinet to store them in. But, even some of the WA titles I am passing over not because of the cost, I use the coupons, but because they are so deep in the vault that I do not find then interesting (IMO).

Well, WHV stated the silents were coming and that there'll be a Harlow collection in 2011.

Personally, I'll believe it when I see it. 2011 is still too far off.

The market is changing so fast that I doubt they'll actually release these. Anyone remember when we were supposed to get the Harlow set back in 2006? What happened?

With the SD classic market rapidly declining, I sadly expect the Harlow and long awaited silents to end up in the archives. They may officially state otherwise now, but just wait until mid-2010 rolls around (and they've looked at classic SD sales numbers) and then the tune will change. In my opinion, the Big Parade, Red Dust, etc, should've been released YEARS ago.

I think there will be more collections featuring Joan Crawford and Bette Davis. Warner has yet to release several key films from both actresses to the archives which seems to suggest that they are holding them back for a pressed release. Same with the Forbidden Hollywood collections. I think we will see another set of those next year.

I think most of the titles people have mentioned here are just wishful thinking. Just because something is long overdue, doesn't mean at their lowest ebb, they'll suddenly materialise. I think people have read this news and panicked that they might have to wait for a new technology like blu ray to reach its tenth year of maturity till companies like Warner even consider getting around to these titles.

Originally Posted by ahollis

I think the shelf scenario is just another way of saying that a lot of classics being released does not interest the average Joe or Jane.

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Yes, it's just a euphemism. Studies have shown that most people do not buy more than 40-50 catalog titles.

Originally Posted by Ben Cheshire

I think most of the titles people have mentioned here are just wishful thinking. Just because something is long overdue, doesn't mean at their lowest ebb, they'll suddenly materialise. I think people have read this news and panicked that they might have to wait for a new technology like blu ray to reach its tenth year of maturity till companies like Warner even consider getting around to these titles.

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I actually believe that standard DVD and Blu-ray can co-exist. There will be collections released on standard pressed DVD and others will be available through download and DVD-r. The Blu-ray titles will continue and more than likely will become the standard for recent releases and certain catalog titles what warrant it (Gone With The Wind, Ben-Hur, Lawrence of Arabia). I do not think we will ever see a Blu-ray release of Red Dust, but we will see a collection of Harlow on standard pressed DVD with Red Dust, as we will also see a collection of Andy Hardy, but not on Blu-ray. Thousands of titles out there would need so much work to get them up to Blu-ray standards that it is just not worth it to the owners.

Originally Posted by ahollis




Your right, PAGAN LOVE SONG was to be in the group and I also believe so was DUCHESS FROM IDAHO. I agree with you and want and expect another Esther Williams set, that will include IDAHO.

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Since IDAHO is, imo, a top Williams film I also hope for a Volume 3. JUPITER'S DARLING is a huge guilty pleasure and needs to be in my pressed commercial DVD collection, also.