USHE Press Release: Universal Collections September 2020 (4k UHD) (Blu-ray) (1 Viewer)

[Josh Steinberg]

Sure, but if think about impulse buys I have made, they are usually inexpensive. I saw Mrs. Doubtfire at a grocery store one day, and I thought, "I don't own that yet" and I bought it. I had always wanted it, but the fact that I saw it there while I was already at the store buying groceries made me think, "Well, I might as well get that too since it's here."

It was probably $10 or so. These 10-movie sets have hefty SRPs, so even if the stores discount them, are they going to be an impulse buy? The titles in the live-action sets are even more confusing because they don't appear to have anything to do with each other necessarily. How many people are going to want enough of them to make the purchase? I mean, good luck to Universal with these, I guess, but I doubt they'll sell very many copies. At least the DreamWorks and illumination box sets are groups of films that will probably appeal to the same audience.

I think it’s mostly a case of, we made too many of these discs, they’re sitting on the shelf not moving, this bundle is a chance to maybe move some more before we just liquidate the warehouse. Often you replicate more discs than you actually assemble and package at first, and then package more as necessary. They may have a bunch of these lying around where they know they’re not selling individually, so might as well try a bundle with a new PR push. It’s not a sexy product but it’s probably accomplishing a goal.

 

[Craig Beam]

This 4K collection is only discounted $5 from its MSRP of $69.98. How many people are still going to buy it September 8th, instead of waiting for it to be discounted more later this year?

I'll have it on day one. I upgraded to an LG OLED C9 recently, and I wanna see some Hitch in 4K, dammit!

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Man, you're not talking to some rookies here! We've been playing this pre-order game for many years.

I have mostly stopped pre-ordering, unless something hits a price I like before release date -- which is pretty rare these days. I usually get a better deal waiting a few months. The recent 4K release of The Blues Brothers was probably the most recent example. By waiting a little while I was able to pick it up for $10. I do have the UHD set of Back to the Future on pre-order, as I thought Target's price, along with some store credits I had that were going to expire, made it an attractive deal. That's more the exception than the rule now, though. The days of release week deals as enticements to get shoppers in the stores is long gone.

There are tools out there to assist in automatically monitoring prices, so I don't have to check myself.

 

[Jake Lipson]

I do have the UHD set of Back to the Future on pre-order, as I thought Target's price, along with some store credits I had that were going to expire, made it an attractive deal. That's more the exception than the rule now, though.

[sidebar]

So do I, and I'm going for Best Buy's steelbook. I'm not 4K equipped, but Back to the Future is such a favorite series of mine that I want to have the new remastered Blu-rays and new bonus, and the steelbooks look great. So that is for sure an exception to the rule for me as well. It would be cheaper to just buy the new Blu-ray only edition, but then I wouldn't have the steels and would have the disc book packaging, which I hate. Universal is going to make enough money off of me from that set that I don't need to be pre-ordering anything else big from them right now.

[/sidebar]

 

[Johnny Angell]

Has anyone reviewed the Hitchcock set?

 

[Colin Jacobson]

Has anyone reviewed the Hitchcock set?

Don't think it's gone out to reviewers yet. I've not received shipping notice - and it's possible I just won't get one, but usually when I request from Uni, they send.

Hopefully it'll be in our hands by the end of the week!

 

[JPCinema]

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My 4K set arrived today. A nice surprise.

 

[JPCinema]

Has anyone reviewed the Hitchcock set?

Yes today. A nice surprise!

 

[Robert Crawford]

Yes today. A nice surprise!

He said has anybody reviewed it, not received it.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

Be careful with the handling of these discs. I left a small fingerprint smudge on the edge of "Psycho" 4K and it left the whole disc virtually unplayable!

Worked fine when I wiped it clean - which was a relief, as I thought the whole disc was defective.

Never seen a disc rendered unplayable by such a small mark!

 

[JPCinema]

I'll be watching PSYCHO uncut tonight.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

BTW, I also experienced the weird "image suddenly got dark for reasons unknown" issue with "Psycho" that impacted the 4K "It's a Wonderful Life".

When I watched that 4K, the image occasionally became way too dim for no reason. I could backtrack and the same scenes would show appropriate brightness.

For me, this happened toward the end of the Marion/Norman dinner scene. All of a sudden the shot became about 50% darker than it'd been.

I "rewound" and it looked fine.

I guess this is just a quirk of a still relatively new format. I have no idea if others will encounter the same issue!

 

[Robert Crawford]

I still haven't pre-ordered this box and will wait for better discounting later on. I can't believe I'm showing such purchasing discipline for four favorite movies of mine. I guess that's some progress.

 

[Matt Hough]

I still haven't pre-ordered this box and will wait for better discounting later on. I can't believe I'm showing such purchasing discipline for four favorite movies of mine. I guess that's some progress.

My sentiments exactly about a potential purchase. For me, I've watched these movies so many, many times over the years in every conceivable format, and I'm just not sure how much more I'd watch them even if the 4K masters are pristine. I do want the complete Psycho very badly, but the others, as brilliant as they are as movies, have just been played to death at my house.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I’m opting for the standalone Psycho BD (which is down to like $12 on Amazon) so I can see the uncut version, which is a middle ground option I’m glad they’re offering.

 

[Mark-P]

Since my 4K is only through digital purchases, I will be opting for digital counterparts of the Hitchcock titles. Haven't decided whether I'll buy each title separately when they go on sale, or just spring for the whole 14-title bundle when the price is right.

 

[Johnny Angell]

I still haven't pre-ordered this box and will wait for better discounting later on. I can't believe I'm showing such purchasing discipline for four favorite movies of mine. I guess that's some progress.

I’ve got enough Amazon reward points to pay for this set. I want to wait for a better price, but those points are burning a hole in my digital wallet.

I’d like to at least read some viewer comments on all the movies, but especially The Birds.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I’ve got enough Amazon reward points to pay for this set. I want to wait for a better price, but those points are burning a hole in my digital wallet.

I’d like to at least read some viewer comments on all the movies, but especially The Birds.

I hear you as I have several hundred dollars worth of Amazon reward points and gift cards, but my discipline is still holding.

 

[Johnny Angell]

I hear you as I have several hundred dollars worth of Amazon reward points and gift cards, but my discipline is still holding.

You’re a better man than I am, Ganga Din.

 

[Johnny Angell]

I'll be watching PSYCHO uncut tonight.

So tell us what you think.