New Hornblower DVD to be released one week after it debuts in US on A&E? (1 Viewer)

[Nick Senger]

Am I correct in seeing that the new Hornblower movies will be shown on A&E in the US on December 2 and 3, and then they will be released on region 1 DVDs on December 9 (or December 11, according to Amazon)?

I'm aware that other countries have seen these movies earlier this year, but that seems like an awfully short turn around time--not that I'm complaining, mind you--it just seems unusual to me.

 

[David Lambert]

It IS Tuesday 12/9 that the new 2-disc box set streets (don't know where Amazon got Thu. the 11th! ), and yes that's less than a week after the two new films air on back-to-back days.

A&E has done this sort of thing in the past, and continues to find that their TV airing is really just a great big ol' commercial for the sales of the DVD! I guess the home video sales are where they make their REAL money at.


Wanna go even more nuts on this?


Click here and you'll see that you can preorder it now, direct from A&E, and you will "receive your copy before retail availability". When's that? It says "Availability: 12/03/03"!! What's more, for the asking price of $39.95 (the SRP) you not only get it sent to you the day the 2nd new telefilm is airing, but you also get a free Hornblower poster ("while supplies last") along with it!


It's an amazing way to do things, but it just goes back to the formula that films make more money on DVD than in theaters. Well, it's true of telefilms, too. And unlike theatrical films that have to please all those theater chains, the cable channel has only themselves to please (and their sponsors, but the airing takes care of that). So they can set a "premiere-to-home-video" window as short as they want to. The Olsen Twins' "The Challenge" is another recent example of this, having released to DVD yesterday but aired on TV just within the past week or so.

 

[Jim Dalton]

SHAZAM!!!

My wife and I have (so far) the entire Horatio set.
We can't wait to see these new installments AND add them to our line-up.

I was getting worried there for a while! :frowning:

 

[Nick Senger]

Thanks, Dave--you really do "know-it-all!"

I am ordering this NOW, though I may have to pass on the poster and the earlier date--Amazon is $12 cheaper and has free shipping, saving me a total of $19. I can wait a little longer, especially since I can watch it on A&E anyway.

It sure will be nice to have them so soon, though. I was not counting on them until March at the earliest. I'm also glad to see that these are anamorphic, unlike the other dvds in the series--but they are still only Dolby 2.0, which is too bad.

I'm beginning to get the picture that there just aren't many of these types of movies available on dvd. I sure didn't get many responses to my thread on Age of Sail movies, so these will help me pass the time while I wait for Master and Commander to be released.