DVD Pricing, The Reality It has been a busy August since I posted my last editorial. Lets see what happened...
George Lucas is apparently sticking to his guns about Star Wars on DVD. According to Rick McCallum, in a recent European interview, Lucas is looking towards a higher density DVD around 2005. It sounds mysteriously like, dare I say it? HD-DVD. The DVD masses are outraged! Hardware manufacturers are mum on the subject. Then again, has anyone actually pressed them about the feasibility? Could this be the deep dark secret that no one wants to admit? Was this the biggest story of August? No.
In the middle of August, Disney finally announced plans to release some of their most treasured product on DVD. The missing film of Walt Disney's deep freezing. Just kidding, we all know it's their animated classics. Though I would personally like to know where Walt "The Popcicle" Disney currently resides.
Needless to say, in the famous word of Monty Python "There was much rejoicing. Yeah!" A few days later, the pricing bomb was dropped. $34.99, with very little, if no, extras. Fortunately, all of the nine films announced will be presented in their original aspects ratio. Non-anamorphic widescreen transfers aside, most people were happy. The pricing was disappointing, but not un-expected. People's rejoicing was wavering slightly...
Sherman sets his way-back machine for the future... Ok, I know that doesn't make sense, but bear with me.
August 30th, 1999. Disney gets bored, realizes they've got the public by their shortened curlies (excuse the rudeness), and drop the nuclear bomb. They've changed their mind, the MSRP of the titles will now be $39.99. The web sites lite up! (mine included) OUTRAGE!!! "Disney is evil! Walt would have never done this he made this product for the people!"
Before I go any farther, I'd like to smack that last statement back into reality. Disney was a business man, much as our beloved Speilberg and Lucas. If you truly believe he wouldn't have gone for the bucks, I have seven bridges for sale here in the Bay Area, including the Golden Gate Bridge, all for an astounding price of $14. Free during the commute hour, long as you have enough people. Chew on it a second, you'll figure it out...
If you still need proof that Walt Disney was a business man, find a friend that has a laser disc player (yeah, that ancient technology) and the SE box set of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Go into the supplemental discs and you'll see what I mean. Lucas didn't create film licensing for profit, he just perfected it.
God forbid Disney, or any other studio, would try to take advantage of the un-suspecting public by raising prices.
Now your all going, "Look what Warner and Universal give you for the price, compared to Disney and Fox!" I'll give you that argument for the moment...
Moments over. Has anyone really been paying attention lately? Have you noticed that the average list prices of DVD are now somewhere between $29.99 and $39.99. Damn, it's starting to feel a lot like LD. True, Warner has been cranking out a shit load of $19.98 discs, but was Heat with three trailers really what you wanted? And after taking a peak at American President, Disney's not the only ones lacking in transfer quality.
When it comes to pricing, I don't understand why everyone is aghast at the current Disney policy. They, like Fox, were dragged kicking and screaming into the DVD format. They only got into when they felt the needed the money. Money, the primary motivation behind Disney releasing animation on DVD, I might add. Fox has established $35 dollars as their magical price for new releases, and like it or not, X-Files and There's Something About Mary are their two of their biggest sellers to date.
What's to stop the studios from raising their prices? I haven't seen any new DVD's announced from Universal in the past two months that weren't $29.99 or up. Fortunately their titles currently include supplements, but inevitably fewer and fewer extras will be included on the bargain $29.99 titles.
Speaking of raising prices. The patron saints of DVD are looking towards raising thier prices. Warner and Columbia/Tristar have openly admitted to wanting to "explore" revenue sharing on DVD, as mention in my previous editorial from August 1st. You know those new $59.98 "collector's editions" that Warner is pushing for Casablanca, The Matrix, Enter The Dragon and the Exorcists? My boss says those are an aberration, due to the Christmas holiday. I buy that somewhat, but basically, these sets are being released to ease the consumer into paying higher prices for less content.
Speaking of less content... I have both Analyze This and Contact, which were both $24.98 discs, do you think these discs are of equal value? I don't. Lets compare content: Analyze This: movie with two commentaries, one trailer and one ten minute gag reel. Contact: movie with three commentaries, computer animation test documentary (w/commentary), special effects designs, three theatrical trailers. Are these two really of equal value?
What everyone new to home theater is discovering is the bait and switch. The studios sell their movies at incredible prices to begin with, and once market penetration has been achieved, they start to raise their prices. I've been around laser disc since 1984, and I remember how the prices started out low, with early discovision titles, as well as... Warner titles. They all started out about $20 to $25, and were much cheaper than VHS tapes. We are coming full circle with another great formats bait and switch, as before. It's just that there's not enough people around that remember, or will admit, they seen this cycle before.
Will this bait and switch work on today's consumer? Well, if it's the only choice they are given, and it's important enough to him or her, yes. People are easily manipulated by the press and advertising. What else explains the Blair Witch Project, Star Wars: Episode 1 or Independence Day? Were these movies really that good? Or did the marketers make us believe they were that good? Just because a film makes $100 million, or $1 billion, doesn't mean it deserved it.
Hell, I'm not infallible to marketing either. I waited two years for the SE of ID4 on laser disc and shelled out the $100 for it. I will say this without apprehension. If anyone pays more than $15 list for the ID4 (SE) (DVD) when ever it comes out, you've screwed yourself, and Fox will laugh all the way to the bank. Believe me, I absolutely love movies, and will pay high prices for movies I enjoy, but when a studio fall so short from their original promise on a set, it pisses me off to no end.
Well now that I've finished my rant, just remember this. DVD prices will continue to climb, it's inevitable. Especially when you keep buying their product.
Now excuse me while I run off to work so I can afford to pay for the titles I want the next few months. You know... Nightmare On Elm Street (Box Set), the James Bond movies (Box Set), the Disney animated classics (might as well be), the Indiana Jones Trilogy. Oh wait, that doesn't exists except on VHS and some other ancient technology called laser disc. It will look good between my Star Wars (SE) (DD LD) and Jurassic Park (DD LD).
By the way, Indiana Jones was the last major news story from this month. Good thing I have an LD player, I won't have to wait for HD-DVD for a new widescreen, Dolby Digital 5.1 presentation. :-)
Laughing all the way to the bank... until my credit card bill arrives. ;-)
Dan Linzmeier, FIT Production
Fitprod@aol.com
Home
Editorials
Copyright 1999-2000, FIT Productions