TV DVD.. is it too much?

06-02-2005, 01:28 PM

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Studios are pumping out TV-DVD packages faster, and more furiously, than ever.

Virtually no Tuesday goes by without a handful of complete-season TV sets arriving in stores. And even obscure, short-lived series like "Ned and Stacey" are being resurrected on DVD. Next Tuesday, 17 sets will hit stores, according to Gord Lacey, who operates the http://www.TVShowsOnDVD.com Web site.

"I think it's starting to get a little strained ... and consumers are going to have to pick and choose," he said. "Some visitors to my site have even begun asking why the studios are loading certain dates."

The answer is easy: There's so much stuff coming out that "loading" certain dates is inevitable. At a time when the DVD business overall is beginning to soften, TV-DVD is one of the few growth areas left in what is fast becoming a mature business.

As of May 20, 207 multidisc TV series had come to market this year, 55.6% more than at this same point last year, according to the DVD Release Report, a weekly industry tip sheet.

Merrill Lynch analyst Jessica Reif Cohen released a report in the fall in which she predicted that the TV-DVD market will grow at an annual rate of about 30% a year, topping out at a projected $3.9 billion in consumer spending by 2008.

The overall DVD business, meanwhile, is no longer growing in the double digits, as it has been since its March 1997 launch. In April, consumer spending on DVDs even took an unprecedented *** of 1.7% from April 2004, the first year-to-year decline in the format's history, according to a Home Media Retailing market research analysis of Nielsen VideoScan numbers.

No wonder, then, that suppliers are ready and willing to clog the DVD pipeline with TV shows new and old, popular and obscure.

"I think what you're seeing is the start of the maturing of that business," said Steve Beeks, president of Lions Gate Entertainment. "A lot of the 'A' shows have now been released, and suppliers are looking at the 'A-minus' and 'B' series. At the same time, we are finishing the cycle of releasing a lot of TV programming to DVD for the first time, which has created this bulge in the marketplace.

Universal Studios Home Entertainment is so up on TV-DVD that it plans on releasing twice as many titles this year as it did in 2004. Upcoming offerings include episodes of "Northern Exposure" and "Quincy M.E."

"Our research shows that there is no sign of the TV-DVD market slowing down," said Ken Graffeo, executive vp marketing. "Among DVD owners between the ages of 18-64, the number of consumers who have purchased TV-DVD product has increased 95% this year alone."

[ June 02, 2005, 12:30 PM: Message edited by: TrineX ]

**RebelMan** · 06-02-2005, 03:17 PM

Yes it is. You either have to choose 1 or 2 max. Plus some are way to Expensive: All the "CSI" are $60 for each Season, they are now saying "Smallville" Season 4 is going to be $59.98, the Original "Battlestar Galactica" Complete Series is $98, "Band of Brothers" is $99, & "Gilmore Girls" Season 4 is going to be $59.98. They need to back off releasing them every Tuesday of every week & drop the Price on some of them.

06-02-2005, 03:50 PM

just drop the price.. it's ridiculous anyways ;p

JenniferNoble · 06-02-2005, 04:56 PM

i found the sex and the city shoebox on ebay...for €100,- :eek: :eek: :eek:

Wolf · 06-02-2005, 10:12 PM

I Record smallville so I don't have anything to worry about.

[ June 02, 2005, 09:12 PM: Message edited by: Forgotten. Soul ]

farsighted · 06-03-2005, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by JenniferNoble:
i found the sex and the city shoebox on ebay...for €100,- :eek: :eek: :eek:

There's a deal, I really can't find anything good on ebay for band of brothers right not though. I've been trying to get that for a long time and I just haven't seen any deals.

06-04-2005, 02:00 AM

well with most people dropping their vhs players.. the only option is a dvr to record but who wants to do to that ;p it's expensive

solo1 · 06-05-2005, 12:12 PM

I really like the TV shows on DVD. When I like a series, I don't usually have the time to catch it every week, so I don't bother. I just expect to see it appear six months later on DVD and I buy it and watch it in my own time. This was the only way I could watch Buffy. And recently I bought Firefly on DVD, which was a very good purchase of a show I didn't see ANY episodes of. But it's great, if anyone wants to check it out.

I wonder how many people buy DVDs of shows they have never seen?

06-05-2005, 01:42 PM

I did.. sort of. I bought the shield and I only saw a trickle of episodes. Loved it and bought every season that's out.

SilverSpoon · 06-05-2005, 01:45 PM

All anyone really needs is Transformers on DVD. Everything else doesn't matter.

06-02-2005, 01:28 PM	#1 (permalink)
TrineX Posts: n/a	LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Studios are pumping out TV-DVD packages faster, and more furiously, than ever. Virtually no Tuesday goes by without a handful of complete-season TV sets arriving in stores. And even obscure, short-lived series like "Ned and Stacey" are being resurrected on DVD. Next Tuesday, 17 sets will hit stores, according to Gord Lacey, who operates the http://www.TVShowsOnDVD.com Web site. "I think it's starting to get a little strained ... and consumers are going to have to pick and choose," he said. "Some visitors to my site have even begun asking why the studios are loading certain dates." The answer is easy: There's so much stuff coming out that "loading" certain dates is inevitable. At a time when the DVD business overall is beginning to soften, TV-DVD is one of the few growth areas left in what is fast becoming a mature business. As of May 20, 207 multidisc TV series had come to market this year, 55.6% more than at this same point last year, according to the DVD Release Report, a weekly industry tip sheet. Merrill Lynch analyst Jessica Reif Cohen released a report in the fall in which she predicted that the TV-DVD market will grow at an annual rate of about 30% a year, topping out at a projected $3.9 billion in consumer spending by 2008. The overall DVD business, meanwhile, is no longer growing in the double digits, as it has been since its March 1997 launch. In April, consumer spending on DVDs even took an unprecedented *** of 1.7% from April 2004, the first year-to-year decline in the format's history, according to a Home Media Retailing market research analysis of Nielsen VideoScan numbers. No wonder, then, that suppliers are ready and willing to clog the DVD pipeline with TV shows new and old, popular and obscure. "I think what you're seeing is the start of the maturing of that business," said Steve Beeks, president of Lions Gate Entertainment. "A lot of the 'A' shows have now been released, and suppliers are looking at the 'A-minus' and 'B' series. At the same time, we are finishing the cycle of releasing a lot of TV programming to DVD for the first time, which has created this bulge in the marketplace. Universal Studios Home Entertainment is so up on TV-DVD that it plans on releasing twice as many titles this year as it did in 2004. Upcoming offerings include episodes of "Northern Exposure" and "Quincy M.E." "Our research shows that there is no sign of the TV-DVD market slowing down," said Ken Graffeo, executive vp marketing. "Among DVD owners between the ages of 18-64, the number of consumers who have purchased TV-DVD product has increased 95% this year alone." [ June 02, 2005, 12:30 PM: Message edited by: TrineX ]

06-02-2005, 03:17 PM	#2 (permalink)
RebelMan AgEnT oF ChAoS Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: The Web Posts: 10,490 My Profile	Yes it is. You either have to choose 1 or 2 max. Plus some are way to Expensive: All the "CSI" are $60 for each Season, they are now saying "Smallville" Season 4 is going to be $59.98, the Original "Battlestar Galactica" Complete Series is $98, "Band of Brothers" is $99, & "Gilmore Girls" Season 4 is going to be $59.98. They need to back off releasing them every Tuesday of every week & drop the Price on some of them.

06-02-2005, 03:50 PM	#3 (permalink)
TrineX Posts: n/a	just drop the price.. it's ridiculous anyways ;p

06-02-2005, 04:56 PM	#4 (permalink)
JenniferNoble Lovely Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: the Netherlands Posts: 4,654 My Profile	i found the sex and the city shoebox on ebay...for €100,- :eek: :eek: :eek:

06-02-2005, 10:12 PM	#5 (permalink)
Wolf The Elder Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 4,147 My Profile	I Record smallville so I don't have anything to worry about. [ June 02, 2005, 09:12 PM: Message edited by: Forgotten. Soul ]

06-04-2005, 02:00 AM	#7 (permalink)
TrineX Posts: n/a	well with most people dropping their vhs players.. the only option is a dvr to record but who wants to do to that ;p it's expensive

06-05-2005, 12:12 PM	#8 (permalink)
solo1 Heartless Bastard Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Ireland Posts: 3,500 My Profile	I really like the TV shows on DVD. When I like a series, I don't usually have the time to catch it every week, so I don't bother. I just expect to see it appear six months later on DVD and I buy it and watch it in my own time. This was the only way I could watch Buffy. And recently I bought Firefly on DVD, which was a very good purchase of a show I didn't see ANY episodes of. But it's great, if anyone wants to check it out. I wonder how many people buy DVDs of shows they have never seen?

06-05-2005, 01:42 PM	#9 (permalink)
TrineX Posts: n/a	I did.. sort of. I bought the shield and I only saw a trickle of episodes. Loved it and bought every season that's out.

06-05-2005, 01:45 PM	#10 (permalink)
SilverSpoon Kamen Rider Kiva Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: www.canofnothing.com Posts: 7,555	All anyone really needs is Transformers on DVD. Everything else doesn't matter.

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