Is the Dick Van Dyke show series on DVD from Time-Life worth it? (1 Viewer)

[Tomoko Noguchi]

Has anyone ordered these? I'd like to get the whole set but haven't heard or seen anything else saying a whole set would come out.

 

[David Von Pein]

I'd say, "No", the Time-Life set of just 5 DVDs (only 20 of 158 episodes) is definitely NOT worth it! (Esp. @ the very high $100 price tag on it!!) :frowning:

www.dvdondvd.com promises to have ALL 158 eps. out on DVD sometime soon (I heard somebody say "3rd Quarter", but who knows).

I'm for sure holding out for the "Complete" 158-episode collection from the DVD-on-DVD website.

Quote from DVD-on-DVD:
>> "Our collection will be released after the first of the year. It will be as promised - all 158 episodes, in chronological order."

PLUS: Lookie what else you'll get if you wait for the complete collection! ......

>> "There will be 3 Van Dyke specials included, each on its own disc:

The Color Special, "Dick Van Dyke and the Other Woman (Mary Tyler Moore)", which aired on CBS April 13, 1969.

"The Dick Van Dyke Show Remembered" hosted by Charles Kuralt for CBS in 1995

and "Inside the Dick Van Dyke Show", produced by TVLAND for their Fandemonium Marathon in 2000

>> We are obsessed with quality so we are using the best possible Digital Masters made from the original 35mm film negaitves which have been kept safe in temperature-controlled vaults in Hollywood.

>> "Best of..." and "favorites..." may be released separately in the future, but that information will also be included on each disk in the numerical series, with commentary and other goodies as part of the DVD special material. We agree that the few episodes which were released in the past were not the best way to preserve the entire series. Besides, whose favorite is it anyway? Dick Van Dyke's, Carl Reiner's, or some executive in a video company? So by releasing all the episodes, you can also enjoy YOUR FAVORITES!

>> You will be able to purchase one disk, a boxed season, or the whole collection. For serious collectors, we will offer a limited edition consisting of all the disks, special material, and some personally autographed items, all encased in a "flip-top" ottoman, just like the one DVD trips over (most of the time!) in the opening credits.

>> We intend to make the price of each disk and the collection reasonable. At this time, we're estimating a cost of $799 with easy monthly payment options available.

>> No, we will NOT be colorizing this classic show! It will be preserved in living Black and White. Only the specials and any new material originally presented in color will be released in color.

>> You will also be able to download episodes online for a very reasonable fee."

--------------------------------------------

(BTW: I don't know WHY the dvdondvd site [main page] claims the T-L collection contains 40 episodes. It's only half that [5 DVDs X 4 eps. ea.].)

 

[David Von Pein]

Holy Crap!!

I just now read that $799 (MSRP) price above!

I pasted that info in the above post without seeing that price tag listed. That price was just recently added in on that website. Previously it didn't suggest a price.

$800?!! They've GOT to be crazy! Based on a 30-disc collection (which should be approx. correct here), that's an AVERAGE PER DISC of $26.63!!

Even if that MRP was slashed by the usual 20%, it'd still be outrageous, at $640 for the set (about $21 PER DISC!!).

However, in this case, I think the price the site states would be the price WE (consumers) would have to fork out. Since they definitely state that the ONLY place we'll be able to purchase the set is from dvd-on-dvd. They have us over a barrel.

No way this can be correct. I sure hope not. I want the series desperately, but $800?? That's absurd!! :frowning:

It should be closer to $225.00 for the whole deal (which would be an avg. per disc of $7.50, which is right in line with most other TV DVD product being sold today).

 

[Tomoko Noguchi]

Well at $800 I will not be buying it. If I was ever tempted to buy, I'm not now. Wow! What a disappointment!

 

[David Von Pein]

You got that right, Tomoko. :frowning:

I couldn't be more displeased right now. D Van Dyke is my all-time favorite sitcom. Been looking forward to this set for a long time. I was figuring on about a $200 set.

I just hope it's some kind of error. How can they possibly expect to sell many @ $800 ea.??!! Unless Michael Jackson has already promised to buy every set pressed!

 

[Tomoko Noguchi]

I just sent him an email wishing him luck on people buying. He's not going to get much business for that price.

 

[David Von Pein]

I e-mailed him (them) a while back as well, asking for an approximation of what he/they thought the selling price would be.

Never heard a peep out of him/them.

Perhaps I now know why. :frowning:

For this gold-plated price, we should get an in-person DVD commentary track from MTM (and Dick)!

 

[David Lambert]

I think that the exact "dream configuration" of the DVDonDVD site that you quote, DavidVP, might have been scrapped. Along with that exhorbitant price tag.

You see that the site frequently mentions Image as the folks who will print and sell the set. Well, as mentioned here, Image's Marketing VP - Garret Lee - stated to Video Store Magazine that "Image will probably release it in single-season compilations. (It is) targeted for release in the third quarter."

Image has done an excellent job with other TV Shows, like I Spy and The Twilight Zone. With the help of those at the DVDonDVD site, I expect this to be a great set of sets.

Just not as, um, "flexible" in terms of different distribution arrangements as the DVDonDVD folks originally envisioned it to be. I still hope I can get it in an Ottoman, though...IF it won't cost me a leg!


To answer the original question: I am holding off on the T/L discs, to wait on the complete Image sets.

 

[Tomoko Noguchi]

That will be really nice, David. I hope you're right.

 

[David Von Pein]

Thanks, David L., for the further Van Dyke info.

 

[Jefferson]

Damn shame, if it doesn't get released, affordably.
It is a brilliant show.

 

[Tomoko Noguchi]

Here's a quote from the guy at dvdondvd.com in an email he sent me:

"do the math. IF you bought the Time Life series at $24.99 per disc - 40
discs (enough to have all 158 episodes at 4 episodes per disc) is
$999.60
not including shipping and handling. And you don't even get a piece of
furniture.

Our COST of the ottoman itself is almost $300, so that means that we're
only
charging around $500 for the DVD's themselves - about $12.50 per disc -
a
VERY good price for any DVD."

Sounds like he's trying to sell us the ottoman more than he's trying to sell us the dvds.

 

[David Von Pein]

"...about $12.50 per disc; a VERY good price for any DVD."

He considers $12.50 to be a "very" good price PER DISC, for a disc with only FOUR 25-minute episodes on board??!!

What planet has this person been on for the last couple years?!

All In The Family Season 2 can be had for just $7.35 per disc, AND you get TWICE the # of eps. per disc vs. the Van Dyke (proposed) 4 per!

 

[Tomoko Noguchi]

I reminded him of that in my reply (All in the Family and Mash). Even I Love Lucy is coming in season sets after the first season, I think.

 

[David Lambert]

Here's a thought that hadn't even *occurred* to me until I read that: the Ottoman will be a real-life, real-size thing, and not a smaller-sized "prop" ottoman just to store DVDs in. He's talking about a $300 "piece of furniture"?!?!

Um...what if it doesn't go with my couch?

Hmmm...I wonder if Doug's really understanding the market on this. Well, if he doesn't then Image surely will.


For myself, I just want the shows - all of them - at a reasonable price. I don't want to redecorate my living room!

 

[Eric Paddon]

That is literally the most stupid bit of DVD marketing I have ever seen in my life. We have to be forced to take a glorified $300 piece of furniture just to get the DVDs we want?

No sale.

 

[george kaplan]

I am a huge Dick Van Dyke show fan, and would probably pay more than most of you for this, but not even I would buy this with $300 towards an ottoman, even if it were the original autographed by the entire cast. On the other hand, I'd pay a lot for the painting of Laura nude.

 

[Kajs]

We intend to make the price of each disk and the collection reasonable.

What a joke! I can't believe $800, who can afford this???

 

[Jeffrey Gray]

Trust me, Image will FORCE HIM to release season sets of this...this guy has ambition, but he's also apparently insane...

 

[David Von Pein]

Trust me, Image will FORCE HIM to release season sets of this...

Well, he's said that all along on dvdondvd.com.
He claims....
>> "You will be able to purchase one disk, a boxed season, or the whole collection."

Therefore, he's always claimed we'll get season sets as an option.

Then, apparently, on top of these three options, fanatical fans can get the "Limited" collection, with the La-Z-Boy footstool (evidently, as David L. pointed out, a real full-sized ottoman). I guess this'll leave plenty of room for the 30 or so discs to rattle around in, and risk damage.

BUT....Even WITHOUT the silly $300 add-on hunk o' furniture, this 5-season set still seems way, way too high-priced IMO. Twice what it probably should be (in order to be priced competitively with other TV product on DVD)!

$800 - $300 for those who don't want/need the furnishings (i.e.: EVERYBODY!) = $500 for 5 seasons = $100 PER SEASON! Who wants to pay this?? No one.

There's not a single 30-minute TV program on the market that's got this inflated a price tag.

Heck, $100 per season is approx. what we're shelling out for all the Star Trek seasons. But those have twice the footage, with 1-hr. shows.

I was fully expecting a $200 to $250 price point for this Van Dyke series. To me, that's reasonable ($40-$50 per full season, which averaged just over 31 eps. per year btw).

And this figure might STILL be considered too high by many DVD buyers today. I heard people moaning & groaning over paying $40 for the MTM Season 1! (And many people feel this "high $40" price tag is a big reason that MTM was not a large seller.)

Imagine having to dish out $100 or more for approx. the same # of minutes worth of TV material?

I've yearned for Rob, Laura, Buddy, Sally, Mel, and even Pickles, for so long on Disc .... and now this "ottoman" debacle!! I say we "Release The Hounds, Smithers!" !!!!

(I need a cool compress.)