Complete Series DVD Sets: The Problem with the Studios (1 Viewer)

[TravisR]

On the internet?! No way.

 

[Mark Talmadge]

I can see doing the novelty approach but at least give fans the OPTION of choosing. Comic Book companies always do the multiple alternate cover thing, movie studios do it as well with standard DVD releases and limited DVD releases and even music studios do this so why not for the TV on DVD format?

Instead, what are we left with? An inferior collection that ends up with damaged disks ... if studios are going to create a noelty packaging for a series or a season set at least release the same set or season with standard packaging so fans like myself aren't left to purchasing pirated import copies or downloading through various 'internet services' like Usenet.

Instead, look at the crappy design on the upcoming Charmed complete series set. What happened here? I'll tell you what happened ... CBS and Paramount screwed up and created a "slide the DVD into a page pocket" for the standard version so the DVD's can get scratched versus the "one DVD per page" packaging for the limited edition for consumers of the premium version.

Is there some backwards mentality going on with the studios? There have been over a dozen of these sets that I have wanted to purchase but the idiotic numskulls at 20th Century Fox, CBS/Paramount, Warner Brother, etc continue to lose potential sales because of their unwillingness to cater to the entertainment fan who hates these specialty gimmicks.

I don't think the studios are learning the lesson that comic book companies learned over losing a ton of money to gimmick comic book covers to try and increase their sales.

 

[BobO'Link]

The *only* packaging I find acceptable for TV on DVD releases (individual seasons or full sets) is the "mini" amaray style case. It's possible to put 2 disks in one of these and they do not touch, rub, etc. They take up minimal shelf space, are easy to open, look good, are sturdy, easily replaceable if damaged, and protect the disks well.

While I'll purchase a set in other packaging I let the studio know of my displeasure. I'll not purchase any set in "cute", "custom", or "promotional" type packaging unless that's the *only* way it's available for purchase. Star Trek TOS and the original Munsters is a good example of this and had I known a improved full series set of The Munsters was coming I would have waited on them. The remastered ST-TOS sets look to be just as bad as the original as far as packaging is concerned.

People who think up and manufacture this alternate crap should be locked in a room with the packaging and be forced to open it, remove disks, replace disks, and close the packaging while keeping the disks in pristene condition until they realize what utter abominations they have foisted upon the populace and swear to make pennance.

 

[Mark Talmadge]

I'm starting to think that maybe a class-action lawsuit filed against all of these studios "et-al" on behalf of their knowingly defective products. A lawsuit placed against these companies for deliberately selling defective products would be the only way to go ... and would send a message to studios to take responsibility and test their products over a few months before releasing them for distribution.

 

[TravisR]

Do you have proof that they knowingly sold defective products? I'm no lawyer but if you have actual proof of that, you probably should call a lawyer as soon as possible. If you're just saying that without proof, you have no case at all.

 

[RichieMagoo]

As nice as it would be to teach these creeps a lesson- as long as they are willing to take back the merch and give you a refund, once you have had opportunity to see that the product is defective, there is no basis for a suit.

The best we can do, as consumers, is to vote with our feet- and not purchase their shoddy merchandise- and maybe buy from their competitors (Legitimate or otherwise).

Sooner or later, they'll be forced to follow the money...or else they'll whither, and a better company will take their place.

I haven't bought a DVD all summer! Heh...with the money I saved, not buying DVDs, I bought myself a nice leather recliner!

There's no law saying that they have to make a quality product./..just as there's no law saying we have to buy their crap. (I wish we could sue them to force them to finish all the stalled series!)

 

[RichieMagoo]

PS: You think these companies would wise up, and start listening to the consumers! I have never purchased a bootleg DVD in my life- always waited for the "legit" releases....but I'm so disgusted now, that if I see high-quality bootlegs, I'd have no reservations about purchasing them- and I'm sure that lots of other folks feel the same way I do.

 

[Mark Talmadge]

First of all, the studios knowingly produced these DVD sets aware that the disks would get scratched. But, they continue to produce these type of sets to save on costs. The defective return to store ratio must be within acceptable levels for the studios to continue to use this type of format.

I know, I've become so frustrated with the studios that I broke down and bought several of these bootleg sets myself. While I'd rather buy the official studio releases I'm through with these gimmick sets and waiting several years for a certain series to be released.

I still buy TV Show DVD sets and I continue to buy them but the studios need to get off their behinds and knock it off with these novelty limited edition sets and get back to producing these TV Show DVD sets without all of the fancy specialty packaging ...

The Charmed DVD collection set is a prime example of the screwed up backwards mentality that seems to be enforced at these studios. The limited edition set premium set is designed so that the DVD's aren't scratched yet the standard edition is designed so that they will. Why waste our hard earned money buying DVD sets that are designed to get damaged?

 

[Joe Karlosi]

I think it's often a gross exaggeration. I've heard the same story with a lot of DVD sets that are "designed to get damaged", but it's never happened to me. I've had the STAR TREK sets with discs that were VERY tightly welded onto the spindles (a real pet peeve of mine I'll admit) but you just have to be extra careful in removing them. In my experience, just being careful has never resulted in damaged DVDs.

Same thing with the annoying Herman Munster packaging for the Season Two set of THE MUNSTERS... everyone was complaining about how tight the set was cramped into the cardboard and that they were "ripping the packaging trying to get the discs out". Well, when I bought that set myself I agreed that the design was ABSURD and a real pain in the ass to open ... but I was very determined and careful, and I got the discs out and never ripped the electrodes off Herman's neck. So what was I supposed to do at the time -- NOT buy this set as some type of protest and make do with inferior bootleg copies? Screw that.

 

[troy evans]

Totally agree here as well. It's not fair for the fan who supported the series so future sets would come out. Then, to now have to re-buy the complete series set to have everything? That's a slap in the face and shows no respect for the fans. Tell me why someone who never cared to buy the show in season sets now deserves a complete series set with collector packaging and great bonus material? With so many studios sitting on tv shows that have not been released, putting effort into getting those unreleased series on the shelf is more important than this collector packaging of already released titles crap.

 

[Mark Talmadge]

No, I'm not exagerrating, Joe. Have you seen the packaging for the Charmed set? CBS and Paramount decided to deliberately screw the fans who just want the standard collection:

The Standard Collection: http://www.tvshowsondvd.net/graphics...d_Comp_int.jpg

The Limited Collection: http://www.tvshowsondvd.net/graphics...med_LE_int.jpg

Notice how the DVD's are carefully placed in the Limited Edition version so as to protect the DVD's from getting damaged. Now, look at the Standard Edition. Now, say it with me all together: PARAMOUNT SUCKS.

That's the backwards screwed up mentality that I'm talking about. Paramount and CBS could have used the same type of interior packaging and placement for the DVD's but chose not to ...

Oh, and I don't know what kind of blowhard sets you've been buying but I've heard of complaints from a lot of members here of DVD sets that are so extremely hard to pull from their packaging that the DVD's either end up nearly breaking or close to it. Universal DVD packaging, the Andromeda and Farscape DVD packaging, and so on ...

 

[bmasters9]

VEI of Toronto, Canada recently released a completed series package of "Hardcastle and McCormick," and here is the listing from Amazon:

Amazon.com: Hardcastle and McCormick The Complete Series Seasons 1,2,3 In One Pack: *: Movies & TV

Packaged in this release, I believe, are the same three individual releases, albeit in a slimmer format. This is a credit to VEI, that it did not go the fancy route with hard-to-open packaging, unlike a lot of other series. VEI, in my mind, is also to be credited for its treatment of the three individual releases when they were in the big boxes. Sure, there were a couple of minor glitches along the way (like a missing title sequence on "Whistler's Pride" in #1 and visible tape wear on several other outings), but overall, the series (which I, for one, thought was one of the best of the '80's, having seen it all through) was treated very well, even extending to the retaining of all of the music of the original episodes. The first two releases did not have any bonuses, but #3did have one, a photo gallery. VEI is also to be credited for keeping the original Cannell logo in its various forms on all of the episodes, considering that a lot of studios don't even do that. By that I mean that, for instance, Sony is guilty of replacing CPT's '80's Torch Lady, Coke edition, with the current SPT logo on such releases as "T.J. Hooker" and "What's Happening Now!!" (although the LBS logo was kept on the latter). Paramount is similarly guilty of logo replacement with a lot of their older series, like "Taxi" and "Cheers." The Blue Mountain logos of those series were replaced with (I believe) the '04 Mtn. of Monotony on both of them. On "Taxi," however, the 2004 logo was shown, but the era-appropriate jingle played through; I do not understand why Paramount did that.

What I described just goes to show, I believe, that if you release a favorite series and release it well (like VEI did with "Hardcastle"), you will get a lot of credit from the fans of that series. However, if you don't treat your releases well (or worse yet, if you don't release at all or if you go a long time between releases), those decisions will backfire on you in the form of negative comments or lack of purchases; this has been the case with the series listed as follows:

"The Fugitive," "My Three Sons," "Cheers," and "Taxi" (CBS/Paramount)
"WKRP," "The Fall Guy," "Hill Street Blues," "Bob Newhart," "St. Elsewhere," and "Mary Tyler Moore" (FOX)
"Hart to Hart," "T.J. Hooker," "The Facts of Life," and "Diff'rent Strokes" (Sony)

 

[bmasters9]

VEI of Toronto, Canada recently released a completed series package of "Hardcastle and McCormick," and here is the listing from Amazon:

Amazon.com: Hardcastle and McCormick The Complete Series Seasons 1,2,3 In One Pack: *: Movies & TV

Packaged in this release, I believe, are the same three individual releases, albeit in a slimmer format. This is a credit to VEI, that it did not go the fancy route with hard-to-open packaging, unlike a lot of other series. VEI, in my mind, is also to be credited for its treatment of the three individual releases when they were in the big boxes. Sure, there were a couple of minor glitches along the way (like a missing title sequence on "Whistler's Pride" in #1 and visible tape wear on several other outings), but overall, the series (which I, for one, thought was one of the best of the '80's, having seen it all through) was treated very well, even extending to the retaining of all of the music of the original episodes. The first two releases did not have any bonuses, but #3 did have one, a photo gallery. VEI is also to be credited for keeping the original Cannell logo in its various forms on all of the episodes, considering that a lot of studios don't even do that. By that I mean that, for instance, Sony is guilty of replacing CPT's '80's Torch Lady, Coke edition, with the current SPT logo on such releases as "T.J. Hooker" and "What's Happening Now!!" (although the LBS logo was kept on the latter). Paramount is similarly guilty of logo replacement with a lot of their older series, like "Taxi" and "Cheers." The Blue Mountain logos of those series were replaced with (I believe) the '04 Mtn. of Monotony on both of them. On "Taxi," however, the 2004 logo was shown, but the era-appropriate jingle played through; I do not understand why Paramount did that.

What I described just goes to show, I believe, that if you release a favorite series and release it well (like VEI did with "Hardcastle"), you will get a lot of credit from the fans of that series. However, if you don't treat your releases well (or worse yet, if you don't release at all or if you go a long time between releases), those decisions will backfire on you in the form of negative comments or lack of purchases; this has been the case with the series listed as follows:

"The Fugitive," "My Three Sons," and "Taxi" (CBS/Paramount)

"WKRP," "The Fall Guy," "Hill Street Blues," "Bob Newhart," "St. Elsewhere," and "Mary Tyler Moore" (FOX)

"Hart to Hart," "T.J. Hooker," "The Facts of Life," and "Diff'rent Strokes" (Sony)

 

[bmasters9]

Sorry for the double post. It posted when I was not ready. I pressed the "Escape" key to try to stop it, but it posted anyway. Please ignore or delete the first of my double posts.

 

[Rodrick]

Wow thanks I read every post. So far all my series sets are great.

King of Queens theyre individually packed by season in a spindle type box
Same as Seinfelds

Friends complete series I bought the set with all 10seasons. Imagine that they brought out another complete series set.

Surface. Well it was only 1 season.

I borrowed the That 70's Show Series set. It was made up similar to what was said about The Monkees Set was like.

My Costco in Vancouver, Burnaby and Coquitlam all sell the Mash Boxset. No wonder they sell it for ony $89.00 now. Maybe I'll go pick it up if it gets a bit cheaper. I saw the Flintstones Set. It looked funny.

StarTrek TNG Complete set for over $200.00 Doesn't look promising the way its all put together.