A possible reason for numerous cartoons to video? (1 Viewer)

[Steve K.H.]

Driving home this evening, and stopped at a light. A strange glow permeated from the vehicle in front. I was mesmerized as the soccermobile in front of me illuminated the rear of the cab with Bugs Bunny up on the center console.

Passing by the vehicle, I saw the two children in the back completely taken in with this.

Now without getting into the fact that I disagree with finding more reasons to get your kids to watch television, the reality hit me...

...there is a huge market for families who laid down the coin to put a video entertainment system into their vehicle... what do you play when you're going on these short jaunts?

Cartoons (obviously)

Jetsons, Flintstones, Bugs Bunny, we're going to see a lot of it...

...sitcoms will follow, as will short MTV type music DVDs,

...next we'll probably see those self destructing DVD's released for a song but with no ability to bypass commercials...

The trips to the store won't justify firing up the video entertainment system, but any excursion that is more than say 15 minutes is going to be met with screams from the back of the van demanding you to play something...

...we'll see a lot of weird crap trying to fill this niche.

(my prediction... )

 

[David Lambert]

Steve, I know exactly what you're saying. This subject has been on my mind for about a year-and-a-half, actually.

Back in June 2002, when I actually reviewed product for TVShowsOnDVD (I've since stopped reviewing, and now am mainly the "News Director"), I wrote this review for Clifford the Big Red Dog - Puppy Love/ Happy Birthday Clifford. In it, I became concerned about an added layer of menus needed for what was described as a "Play All" function, but actually only played half of the content on the disc.

I commented on why this wasn't acceptable:


That's pretty much along the lines of your thoughts, right? What I find surprising is that afterward, Nick Jr. - one of the biggest suppliers of KidVid DVDs (and whose stuff is distributed by Paramount) - has adapted pretty much the same pattern of only doing a "Play All" on some of the content, and not all of it.

If I'm using the "Play All" feature on a disc, I expect it to play EVERYTHING: Every episode on the DVD, including any bonus episodes thrown onto it. Clearly there's some misunderstanding of what the word "All" means, and why parents want to use it!


But I've digressed, haven't I? Sorry!


The binge of cartoons, both "educational" (Clifford TBRD, DragonTales, Blue's Clues, etc.) and "entertaining" (Looney Tunes, Disney Treasures, Scooby-Doo, Simpsons, Transformers, etc.) and of MTV-style music video releases (Pat Benatar, Duran Duran, Journey, etc.) is already well underway. We're already seeing more of all that stuff scheduled for next year.

Also, for next year there are indeed a LOT of half-hour sitcoms in the pipe, so you score on that one, too: What's Happening!, Gilligan's Island, Hogan's Heroes, Mork & Mindy, Green Acres, Boy Meets World, and yes even Seinfeld! And more releases for existing DVD sets: I Love Lucy, Dick Van Dyke Show, Cheers, M*A*S*H, Friends, and Three's Company (among others).


I don't know how much of this "planning" is done with the thought of mobile DVD playing in mind, but it really ought to be considered in the production choices and menu designs of all kinds of releases.

It makes sense to think that consumers who find certain DVDs more convenient to pay in their SUV's (and other vehicles) will end up giving those more airtime, and the "inconvenient" ones less so. Those consumers will then be more apt to be in a Wal-Mart or a Target or a Best Buy and buy the NEXT release in that series, because they remember "oh yeah, I (or my kids) really liked that last one they put out, since we play it again and again."

 

[Chad A Wright]

We watch a lot of TV on DVD while in the car. It's more for my wife and I than the kids

The only time we fire it up is if we are headed out of town. The 45 minute trip to my parents house is perfect. We can either watch two episodes of a half our show (normally about 22 minutes) or one episode of a one hour show (normally about 45 minutes. This makes that sometimes monotonous trip fly by.

 

[David Lambert]

So, Chad...you watch it while the kids do the driving? :wink:

 

[Derek S]

the wife and I bought a new saturn about 6 months ago that has a dvd player in it. and with a 8 year old and a 1 year old it has come in handy many times. my parents live about 40 minutes away....so they can watch a movie there and back. another feature is we can listen to a cd while my daughter has headphones on hearing the movie, the screen is actually 16 x 9.

Peace

d

 

[Steve K.H.]

It's interesting to hear the viewpoints... and obviously the studios have done their demographic and focus group homework.

Chad, you're scarin' me...

...I thought people had a problem with others talking on their cell or wireless phone in the car...

...watching TV and driving takes this to a whole new dimension...

...hope you aren't hoisting a few at the same time (just kidding!)