Anyone else noticed that movies are on DVD almost immediately after theater release?

[Son Goku]

Not a complaint, but more an observation. Was looking down at Suncoast, and many movies that were in theaters not that long ago are already comming out on DVD. I've got a pre-order in for Serenity (yeah saw it in theaters, but decided to purchase it as well).

But some other recent movies, such as Flightplan, Red Eye, and movies that have been out or mentioned not that long ago are all up for an almost immediate pre-order as well. True, it's the Christmas buying season, but quite different from how things were, and not that many years ago...

 

[X-Istence]

I have noticed this as well, but they are trying to beat the internet. If they release as soon as they are out of the theaters more people will be thinking, ah, might as well go pick it up on DVD rather than wait for the download to finish.

 

[mooo]

I remember when it used to be 6-8months if lucky till it would hit vhs.. But the reason I was told they are doing it is because the movie industry wants to keep the movie while its still got its theater hype up and people don't forget about it. Back in the day there were not as many movies being released, so its hard to remember what all is going to be out(and the process of vhs took longer ). I can't remember 1/2 of all the movies that get done on dvd and they were all wide theater releases.

and X-Istence, they have made a HUGE step in piracy actually, the shipping is now with locked containers and if any are broken the people risk getting the pink slip on the first time it happens. The printing warehouses have locked down as well, the technicolor place in cali made it so people get searched going out to make sure noone is stealing for pre-release. Its not a piracy issue as much because they know it will be released no matter what, instead its just trying to keep the hype up to boost the sales.

Lastly, I was a projectionist, what really happens is the theaters pay to rent the print from the movie studio's.. Once the theater sales enough tickets to pay for the rent of the film they start to make money on the film and to pay the, employee's its from consession and advertisement. The Movie Companies will still make the cash no matter what, the actual people who are hurting are the theater chains.

 

[VenomXt]

Re: Anyone else noticed that movies are on DVD almost immediately after theater relea

I have noticed this as well, but they are trying to beat the internet. If they release as soon as they are out of the theaters more people will be thinking, ah, might as well go pick it up on DVD rather than wait for the download to finish.

this is acually the strat they are thinking. this and the fact that DVD sales in the short term can push a movie up while the "freshness on the end consumers minds" is still there.

 

[BouncingSoul]

Bad movies do get a shorter theatre run. A good example is the last Ben Affleck debacle "Surviving Christmas". In theatres before Halloween (WTF) and out on DVD just after Thanksgiving. The real tragedy is that crappy movies will still get made and people will still go see them. God I hate this "lowest common denominator" mentallity

 

[Son Goku]

Re: Anyone else noticed that movies are on DVD almost immediately after theater relea

Lastly, I was a projectionist, what really happens is the theaters pay to rent the print from the movie studio's.. Once the theater sales enough tickets to pay for the rent of the film they start to make money on the film and to pay the, employee's its from consession and advertisement. The Movie Companies will still make the cash no matter what, the actual people who are hurting are the theater chains.

I'm actually aware of this aspect; as well as why we end up paying exhorborant prices for concessions. I mean things like $3.75 for a cup of soda we could get at McDonalds for $1.50, or 7/11 a larger cup for $1.

Thing is, even with the ticket sales, the production companies are still not making back the cost of movie production (with some ranging in the 10s of millions of dollars); and so now depend on the foreign theater market, and DVD sales to try to make some of it back. Whereas it was once considered a bonus, it's now necessary to break even. Yeah, one semester with a communications course required for my comp networking major, I took a course in mass media studies.

this is acually the strat they are thinking. this and the fact that DVD sales in the short term can push a movie up while the "freshness on the end consumers minds" is still there.

Well, the only thing with DVD sales from the consumers side is three things:

- cost
- space

And combining these with the fact that given both are limited, one doesn't necessarily want to own everything one might chose to see. Though I myself typically only download TV shows (which are on the air waves anyway) or shows available in foreign markets (for instance the new Doctor Who that just started showing earlier this year); it's simply not available on any of the channels provided by Comcast, even giving my subscription to digital cable with all the premium channels (aka the platnum) package being "beemed" into my home. However, I delete upon viewing...

Still, what I tend to buy, are things I liked enough to feel it warrants my owning. Even without question of cost, my apt is only 650 sq. ft. I simply don't have enough room to store what I don't feel good enough to actually keep...

 

[mooo]

I don' tthink the movie industry is "hurting" that much, thnk of all the dvd sales that go to blockbuster and other rental places. The pay a higher amount for the disc than we do because the resale..Yes the movie ind. is probably not making as much money as they used to, but instead of makin gthe crap after crap movie they do.

if this was stupid i just woke up so i will reread in a few after a shower )

 

[Khayman]

Yay movies!, yay DVD's

Its a chaning market. Many movies make more on DVD that at the BO these days, especialy if they didn't do to well at the BO. They relaease early to cash in on any publicity still going and fresh in peoples minds

 

[muzikool]

It's true that many movies hit DVD soon after leaving the theaters, but there are also some examples of current movies that take quite a while to hit DVD. Mr. and Mrs. Smith, for example, just came to DVD a few weeks ago, and it's theatrical release was in June of this year -- more than a 5-month difference.

 

[Son Goku]

Re: Anyone else noticed that movies are on DVD almost immediately after theater relea

Well the biggest difference I can think of in recent times, was LotR. The extended version DVD came out about 11 months to a year after it was in theaters. Course the theatrical version came out in the interum; but having been tipped off with Fellowship of the Ring, that it would have an extended version I waited...

And yeah, the movie industry wouldn't be going further into debt; else they would have stopped spending $50 million in making a movie and the like...

 

[muzikool]

I thought about LotR Extended Edition, but all of the additional footage and features made that understandable. Plus, it was somewhat of a marketing strategy to release a "barebones" version and then the extended edition later.

 

[Evil Marge]

Re: Anyone else noticed that movies are on DVD almost immediately after theater relea

I've never bought a film on DVD or on VHS for that matter.I wait till they come on telly.A film is only interesting once and I don't see the point of watching them over and over cause the endings always gonna be the same :laugh:

 

[mooo]

haha so true marge..
I quit watching movies for the most part and started doing tv shows. Tv shows are made to be rewatched many times. I know almost every seinfeld episode line for line and yet its still funny.. Just the tv box sets are what will kill ya

 

[Evil Marge]

Re: Anyone else noticed that movies are on DVD almost immediately after theater relea

haha so true marge..
I quit watching movies for the most part and started doing tv shows. Tv shows are made to be rewatched many times. I know almost every seinfeld episode line for line and yet its still funny.. Just the tv box sets are what will kill ya

I don't buy those either,I just record them off the telly :laugh:

 

[Mastershakes]

Maybe they use a formula.

absolute crap movies get released almost at the same time they come out in theatre.

not so crap movies get released later.

good movies - 8 months to a year.

 

[Son Goku]

Re: Anyone else noticed that movies are on DVD almost immediately after theater relea

Though Serenety wasn't bad... I wouldn't rate it the same as LotR; but it was a decent watch IMO...

As to re-watching things though; I can see that, in time... For instance just this year (actually end of last year to this) I had gone back to watch Earth Final Conflict again... Course I also hadn't seen it in several years (well since season 5 stopped airing).

All said though, I probably own fewer movies then TV shows; due in large part to my watching a fair amount of anime.

 

[joyojoy]

I think the movie makers are also catering to the growing number people who can't stand movie theaters and choose to watch them on their own home theaters instead. After our exerience with the Chronicles of Narnia (paid $7 a head to see it, sat through 20 minutes of commercials, and then couldn't hear the movie over the squawling babies and toddlers), I'm almost to the point of boycotting the theaters myself.

It's just my guess, but once a movie has passed it's peak in theater attendance, DVDs are probably their next major profit center: especially if they can release it in time for Christmas.

 

[Son Goku]

Re: Anyone else noticed that movies are on DVD almost immediately after theater relea

Only thing with theater attendance, is that after a movie hits the US theater market; there are then markets in Europe and Asia that the movie can move too. Over seas, the movies aren't released at the same time as in the US either...

 

[joyojoy]

Good point... I forgot there is life outside the U.S... (probably a lot more intelligent life, at that...)