What's new

!!!! NEWS FLASH !!!! Warner to release SOUTH PARK in SEASON SETS (1 Viewer)

Vince Maskeeper

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jan 18, 1999
Messages
6,500
I saw this mentioned in an article the other day:
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/issue/0...misc/20dvd.htm
And it was discussed the past few days here:
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...&threadid=7350
Thanks RON for getting the confirmation!
1) I too wonder if they will bother re-releasing the discs that have already hit stores (1-6) and just pick up with volume 7 in boxed sets. I don't know if I have a pref either way-- I guess if they do better packaging and new extras, I'd rebuy the whole first season.
2) I guess I need to change my signature know and stop printing out the thread from the HTF and sending it to WB every 3-4 months. Thank god, I was running out of paper (the last printout was 50 pages!)
3) Thanks to everyone who posted feedback in the Feedback section of the HTF... while I don't know if we had any direct impact- I think it shows what the collector market really wants!
-Vince
 

Jeff Kleist

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Dec 4, 1999
Messages
11,266
WE WIN!

Good job Warner, you have narrowly averted my purchase of Australian discs. My wallet is waiting for your releases
 

Sarah S

Second Unit
Joined
Feb 6, 2001
Messages
333
Yay!!! Friends can fight over the first 3 discs that I have..once I have the shiny new season sets. :)
 

Dan Brecher

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jan 8, 1999
Messages
3,450
Real Name
Daniel
GREAT NEWS, these should be somewhat cheaper than the UK sets I hope, so I will finally buy these. For a moment there, Warner were really "breaking my balls". :D
Well I'm a bad ass cowboy livin in the cowboy days a wicky wicky scratch yo yo BANG BANG!
Dan
 

Joseph DeMartino

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jun 30, 1997
Messages
8,311
Location
Florida
Real Name
Joseph DeMartino
Completely unexpected but great news!!!
*shrug* :)
I think this is good news, but hardly "unexpected". Personally, I've been expecting this ever since February, when Doug Wadleigh was quoted (along with Peter Staddon and Martin Blythe) in a widely-carried L.A. Times article on TV series and DVD saying that fans prefer full-season sets. This was right around the time that the Friends complete first season was announced. A few weeks later The Digital Bits carried a "Rumor Mill" item about how lots of Warner Bros. TV material would be coming in the fourth quarter. I never doubted for a moment that South Park would be among the series that would be coming in full season sets, and have only been waiting for the official announcement since then.
As for how the seasons should be handled - they have to ignore the earlier season releases and start over. How many more DVD players are there in U.S. homes now than there were when Anchor Bay (?) did their release. Those of us who already bought all of S1 can either keep our existing discs or buy the new ones (if there are significant extras.) For S2 - tough. Having to rebuy part of a season to get the complete set is a pretty small price to pay. And it would be too confusing for the millions of people who will just be buying South Park now to have two different S2 sets on store shelves. (Not to mention too expensive for Warner Bros.)
This just shows what a no-win situation we put the studios in. :) WHV finally releases the boxed sets we've been clamoring for, and now they're going to be accused of ripping off the fans and ignoring the show's early supporters if they do a complete release of S2. That's one thing about HT fanatics, we can always find something to complain about. :D
Regards,
Joe
 
Joined
Jan 17, 2001
Messages
24
Yes, finally! I too wonder how they will be releasing them, picking up where the last disc left off or starting from the beginning again? Either way, I will pick these up when they hit the street!
 

Vince Maskeeper

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jan 18, 1999
Messages
6,500


It was actually Rhino that presented the first 3 volumes, WB the second 3 (although the packaging was nearly identical)- Anchor Bay was not involved..

They wouldn't have to start all over- and there would be no need for 2 different sets. They could simply continue with volumes 7, 8, 9 in a package like they did for 1, 2 3 and 4, 5, 6. I think the key is releasing the sets in proper order, instead of as a theme. I personally don't care if they're "boxed" by season, if the discs are released properly and include all the episodes.

Again, I could go either way on the matter-- but seems simple enough to simply pick up where they left off, doing them correctly-- rather than waiting another year for them to come out with a deluxe packaging for the stuff they already released.

Unless they plan on adding commentaries, or doing better video transfers for the material- I'd hate to see them go back and repackage the 25 episodes they've already released with nothing new but a box.

-Vince
 

Joseph DeMartino

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jun 30, 1997
Messages
8,311
Location
Florida
Real Name
Joseph DeMartino
They could simply continue with volumes 7, 8, 9 in a package like they did for 1, 2 3 and 4, 5, 6.
Which would be absolutely useless for the likely majority of buyers who don't own the now OOP earlier releases. Again, the installed base of DVD players in this country has grown enormously since WHV switched to the "Best of" sets. Why should new customers be penalized in order to placate people who bought the earlier discs? They should start at the beginning and treat South Park as a brand new release. Folks who have the earlier discs can jump in whenever they want.
Regards,
Joe
 

Tom Foley

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Oct 24, 2001
Messages
72
YES! YES!! YEESSS!!!!!!
This is very welcome news. Thank you Warner for listening. And thank you Ron for always reminding your contacts about this one.
Even though I have the first six Rhino discs, I'm so pumped for this that I would definitely get that first box set!
 

DaViD Boulet

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Feb 24, 1999
Messages
8,826
Which would be absolutely useless for the likely majority of buyers who don't own the now OOP earlier releases. Again, the installed base of DVD players in this country has grown enormously since WHV switched to the "Best of" sets. Why should new customers be penalized in order to placate people who bought the earlier discs? They should start at the beginning and treat South Park as a brand new release. Folks who have the earlier discs can jump in whenever they want.
The poster asking for Warner to bring the new discs out so early collectors can complete their sets aren't asking warner not to release the originals again either.
All warner has to do is release the series in a way so that one can either dove-tail the additional discs into their existing collection or purchase the new run of discs 1-6.
What I think some are worried about is if Warner decided to re-work the organization of the series...like putting more or fewer episodes on a disc or something which would make it the existing discs "incompatible" with the new ones.
Of course, if they packaged them right and made them affordable enough it wouldn't be a problem either way :)
btw, at best-buy yesterday in Petagon City VA I saw a TON of the first 6 Rhino discs for sale. They're still around.
 

Vince Maskeeper

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jan 18, 1999
Messages
6,500


Wouldn't it be much easier to simply place the first 6 discs back in circulation? I would guess that in terms of catering to fans, most fans of the series all purchased the first 6 volumes already- regardless of the increase in base of DVD players.

I personally think it's odd logic to redo everything from scratch rather than simply placing the first 6 discs back in circulation, and picking up with #7. Real collectors will want consistant packaging and presentation, so they will be compelled to repurchase the first seasons if rereleased in a new packaging.

I just think it's silly to say that it's better to serve "new purchasers" of the series, rather than serving the needs of the people who actually bought the product in the first place. I'd tend to sway towards taking care of the faithful... By placing the original 6 back on the market, we get to move forward with new episodes.

-Vince
 

Joseph DeMartino

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jun 30, 1997
Messages
8,311
Location
Florida
Real Name
Joseph DeMartino
I would guess that in terms of catering to fans, most fans of the series all purchased the first 6 volumes already - regardless of the increase in base of DVD players.
Really? You think that millions of South Park fans who didn't have DVD players at the time went out and bought the discs, or were even aware of them? While most South Park fans who are members of this forum probably have the early discs (I happen not to be one of them) I doubt that most South Park fans in America already have them. Therefore it is imperative that Warner Bros. release all the episodes, in order, as part of their new collection. Whether WHV does this by re-issuing the existing discs in new packaging or by totally revamping the entire release will be a marketing decision based on what is most likely to sell in the current DVD market. Which they do will probably depend on what fraction of the estimated audience for the new set WHV estimates already owns the existing discs. And the increase in the installed base of DVD players will almost certainly factor into that calculation.
Regards,
Joe
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Top