Why do some DVD titles become out of print? (1 Viewer)

[Phil_William]

Why do some DVD titles become out of print? For example disney seems to let certain titles (Island At Top of the World) go out of print. Thanks for any insights on this topic...does not have to be limited to Disney..

 

[Alex K.]

So that they can re-re-release them over and over again, marked as "Disney Classics".

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Alex makes a good point -- mostly so studios
can put them on moratorium, build up renewed
interest, and re-release the title a second
(or third) time as a Special Edition.

Also, some titles don't sell well so they just
disappear after their initial run.

 

[Robert Dunnill]

Also, rights can expire.

 

[Anthony Clifton]

There's only one reason: money.

Either a title is purposely put on moratorium, e.g. the Disney titles, so that people will buy the title sooner rather than waiting.

Or a company doesn't want to spend the money to pay for the rights to release a film. Or the company that owns the rights thinks they'll make more money holding on to it, rather than licensing it.

Movie studios are nothing more than companies; it's important to remember that.

 

[Brian E]

Or the title sold so poorly as to not rate another run. It's the same as with other things. Books for example. Not exactly the same thing, but similar. As Anthony said the studios are a business & must try & do what makes sense for the business even though fans don't always agree with those decisions.

In the case of Island At Top of the World I'd guess Anchor Bay's rights ran out & either Disney didn't want to renew them or AB didn't want to renew them.

 

[Craig Beam]

It's frustrating, to say the least. I'm waiting for new releases of DOUBLE INDEMNITY and PORTRAIT OF JENNIE, both of which are waaaaaaaaay out of print on DVD.

 

[Jonathan Dagmar]

the only out of print titles that drive me crazy are disney cartoons, as these movies are extremly popular, and therefore extremely hard, and expensive to find once they are out of print.

If a title went out of print because it didn't sell well, it usually sticks around for a couple of years, AND hits the bargain bin...

 

[Chad A Wright]

Don't you just love the new thing Disney does? They only leave a new title out for about 2 or 3 months before it goes on moratorium for 10 years. They did this with Beauty and the Beast and Lion King both. It's really irritating, because I'm going to be mad if something happens to one of my discs 6 years from now, and I'll have to wait to get another one. I realize there are a ton of discs out there, but are they going to last 10 years?

 

[Jonathan Dagmar]

While I think the dics will certainly last for 10 years, but there is the possibility that one could get lost..

For me it is simply irritating because last year I did not have a DVD player or home theatre system, so I wasn't even thinking of buying DVDs (actually it did corss my mind a couple times, but everytime I would tell myself: "what's the point? I don't have a player yet").

Now that I do have a DVD player and theatre system, there are several Disney titles that I really want, such as Snow White, that are now out of print, and will cost me an arm and a leg to get. I will have to make a point of picking yp Sleeping Beauty, and perhaps the Lion King before this happens to them too.

 

[William Waits]

- To create artificial demand (ala Disney)
- To release a remastered version (audio or video, but usually just video) that is better than the previous version (Terminator 2)
- To correct a wrong to expand on title's outreach (MAR'd title "upgraded" to OAR version) (Space Jam)
- To re-release as a special edition with extra material over a barebones release (Space Jam, the upcoming Purple Rain, Dances With Wolves, and too many others to name)
- To include new material (not necessarily better) that is discovered or created (Terminator 2 - James Cameron's commentary)
- To release another edition to piggy back a teatrical release from a particular company, having to do with a sequel, or with a particular actor/director (Pixar's A Bug's Life, Terminator 2)
- Bragging rights over technical achievements (DVD-18 Terminator 2, Hi-Def video - again Terminator 2)
- The title no longer sells well enough to merit the overhead to produce and/or process orders/products (many IMAX titles).
- Licenses have expired (Silence of the Lamb) or contracts disolved (Monsters Ball)
- Distribution rights have changed hands (Walking With Dinosaurs)
- Licenses have changed hands because company sold or gave away titles, or the company's holders were bought outright (2001: A Space Odessy, The Wizard Of Oz)

But, in the end, as Anthony so elequantly pointed out, it all boils down to MONEY, and all of the reasons (and any more that you can think of) are the great reason behind it all....

 

[JimmyT]

I think what Chad was getting at was although there may be a large supply of discs in the stores right now - will that supply be enough to last 10 years if he needs to find a replacement disc before then.

 

[Jonathan Dagmar]

You are right Jimmy, I missed that.

In that case he is absolutly right, they certainly won't last 10 years, in fact Snow White and Beauty and the Beast are already nearly impossible to find.

 

[Ian_H]

Nothing new on Disney's part they have been doing that for years with since thier VHS releases.


--Ian