Single-episode Blu-rays?!

[Smellincoffee]

While looking at new releases in a DVD store today, I noticed Worf scowling at me from a top shelf. The item proved to be the TNG episode "Redemption" -- a two parter, but a single episode by itself, selling for $16. Right behind me were Star Trek DVD sets, selling $35-40 a season. Why on earth would someone buy a single episode, a la the VHS days, for that much money when entire seasons are in the offering? Sure, "blu ray" sets aren't as cheap as DVD sets, but even so..is there really a market for people looking for single episode in "blu ray"?

Obviously there is, since they're in this store, but -- why? And why "Redemption"?

 

[Leroy]

They also did this for 'Best of Both Worlds', since the episodes work out to two parts they are also feature length. I also think that in both cases the episodes are cut together making one long episode removing the cliffhanger if I'm not mistaken. It's also a marketing tool a person on the fence about BDs could get one of these or the sampler before spending much more money on a whole season set.

 

[Hober Mallow]

There's also a "sampler" Blu-ray disc, the first TNG Blu-ray release, featuring "Encounter at Farpoint," "Sins of the Father," and "Inner Light."

 

[Maxwell Everett]

Single-episode Blu-rays?! But -- why?

Basically, we live in the end times. Pretty sure it was prophesied in the Bible somewhere. You know, single-episode blu-rays, human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together... mass hysteria!

Seriously though, the low-cost deals offered at retailers during release week (I essentially got it for free, most only had to pay a few extra bucks) coupled with exclusive special features make these attractive to hardcore fans. Later on, more casual fans who would never consider buying a season set pick them up too: "Oh, yeah... I remember that show when I was ten. What the hell, it's only $15 bucks!" It's really a no-brainer for CBS. It costs them almost nothing to produce them and it makes their first week numbers look better on the Blu-ray sales charts.

 

[Tiberius]

Single-episode Blu-rays?! But -- why?

Basically, we live in the end times. Pretty sure it was prophesied in the Bible somewhere. You know, single-episode blu-rays, human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together... mass hysteria!

Seriously though, the low-cost deals offered at retailers during release week (I essentially got it for free, most only had to pay a few extra bucks) coupled with exclusive special features make these attractive to hardcore fans. Later on, more casual fans who would never consider buying a season set pick them up too: "Oh, yeah... I remember that show when I was ten. What the hell, it's only $15 bucks!" It's really a no-brainer for CBS. It costs them almost nothing to produce them and it makes their first week numbers look better on the Blu-ray sales charts.

From the Book of McCoy, Chapter 3, verse 17-19:

17 And lo, there shall come a day when the people shall have too much choice, and they will become confused by the choice. 18 For the stores shall have both the entire season, and yet there shall also be a single episode, that is both one and two episodes at the same time, and it shall also be peddled. 19 And the people shall buy it with their money, even though it costeth nearly half the price of the entire season alone.

 

[HGN2001]

I bought the sampler, "The Best Of Both Worlds" and "Redemption", along with the season sets.

It's actually a good thing for us. There is never a time when my wife is happy with a cliffhanger on DVD/Bluray. The first episode ends with a "To Be Continued" and it's immediately, "Put on the second part!" And quickly too - make sure to skip the "Last time on STAR TREK ______"

Now - all of that is not that easy to do with just season-enders on season sets. First you have to eject the disc with part one. Then put that away, grab the next season off the shelf, open it, find disc one, put it in the player, go through the menu hoopla and get to the second part of your two-parter. Then it's speed through the "Previously on..." stuff to get to the rest of the episode you're watching.

Having CBS edit these two episodes together is a good thing. It makes for a seamless viewing experience. I hope they do more.

As it turns out, whenever STAR TREK did a two parter, it almost always happens that the two episodes are on separate discs in the four-episode-to-a-disc format. So I'm happy they've done this. I look forward to "Time's Arrow" and "Descent" as well.

Harry

 

[Mage]

I suppose for someone like me who, right now, isn't in a position to buy al 7 seasons on BR but would love to see TBOBW in HD, it's a great change to own it. The only problem is, I'd have to order overseas, since I can only find the first sampler and the complete seasons here in the Netherlands. TBOBW and Redemption have sofar eluded me.

And I was extra lucky with the first sampler, the one with the pilot. Saw it at a store closing down because of financial issues, and got it for 5 euros. That's a steal for me.

 

[Makarov]

With the target deal, these "single ep" blurays only cost an additional $3. Really cool for that much. Comes with nice packaging and you can watch both parts in one convenient disc. I'd be pretty reluctant to drop $15 on one.

It's worth it just to have Worf's angry face on my shelf.

 

[jimbotron]

I imagine after the show is out completely, there will be "best of" collections, just like the DVDs.

 

[Lipton]

This blended two-parter stuff could be cool for the reasons you just mentioned, and for introducing people to the show who are curious about it, but how about for $10 dollars?

$15 dollars? No siree bob.

 

[Dream]

I imagine after the show is out completely, there will be "best of" collections, just like the DVDs.

I don't see any "best of" TOS Blu-ray collections.

 

[BillJ]

I imagine after the show is out completely, there will be "best of" collections, just like the DVDs.

I don't see any "best of" TOS Blu-ray collections.

Star Trek: Origins is being released on September 10th.

 

[Dream]

Star Trek: Origins is being released on September 10th.

"Best of" sets always seem pretty pointless to me.

Why buy 5 episodes for $20 when you can get a full season for $60? Of course, I always buy the season sets of my favorite shows, so what do I know?

 

[BillJ]

Star Trek: Origins is being released on September 10th.

"Best of" sets always seem pretty pointless to me.

Why buy 5 episodes for $20 when you can get a full season for $60? Of course, I always buy the season sets of my favorite shows, so what do I know?

I'm with you on buying season sets. Just pointing out that we do have a "Best of" set coming to Blu-ray.

 

[Lance]

Simple answer to the OP question: not everyone is an obsessive like we are. A more casual buyer who isn't interested in owning every episode of TNG can just collect the 'movies', and I can imagine people owning a small collection of TNG that includes just BOBW, Redemption, Descent, whatever else, as well as any combination of Generations, First Contact, Insurrection, Nemesis. CBS is effectively targetting the "not we" with these releases.

 

[Starbreaker]

I'm holding off until there are full series sets of everything for less than $200 a piece. I don't care if I have to wait until 2100.

 

[Admiral James Kirk]

I hope they put Chains of Command out as a single disk movie. I watch that one over and over again on Netflix.

 

[Aatrek]

I'm holding off until there are full series sets of everything for less than $200 a piece. I don't care if I have to wait until 2100.

You'll probably have to wait a lot longer than that.

 

[Maxwell Everett]

I'm holding off until there are full series sets of everything for less than $200 a piece. I don't care if I have to wait until 2100.

You'll probably have to wait a lot longer than that.

Yeah, less than $200 each is a price that not even the DVD sets have reached, and they've been out for nearly a decade! As far as everything being available in HD, well... looking at just the series that require remastering, to date CBS have already put out 101 TNG episodes and they take about a week per episode to complete at this point. So there are 77 episodes left of TNG to release (they're actually done with S5, so there's really only 52 episodes left) and 176 DS9's and 172 VOY's. Now assuming they don't farm out any work like they did with TNG, it would take CBS Digital another 400 weeks or sometime around spring 2021 to finish!

The TNG-R project started in summer 2011 and will finish around summer 2014, so it will have taken them 3 years from start to finish with two other VFX companies helping out on two seasons. Basically CBS-D did about 75% of the work. So, at minimum, there's got to be at least another 7 years left to go. Not quite 2100, but

 

[BillJ]

I'm holding off until there are full series sets of everything for less than $200 a piece. I don't care if I have to wait until 2100.

You'll probably have to wait a lot longer than that.

Yeah, less than $200 each is a price that not even the DVD sets have reached, and they've been out for nearly a decade! As far as everything being available in HD, well... looking at just the series that require remastering, to date CBS have already put out 101 TNG episodes and they take about a week per episode to complete at this point. So there are 77 episodes left of TNG to release (they're actually done with S5, so there's really only 52 episodes left) and 176 DS9's and 172 VOY's. Now assuming they don't farm out any work like they did with TNG, it would take CBS Digital another 400 weeks or sometime around spring 2021 to finish!

The TNG-R project started in summer 2011 and will finish around summer 2014, so it will have taken them 3 years from start to finish with two other VFX companies helping out on two seasons. Basically CBS-D did about 75% of the work. So, at minimum, there's got to be at least another 7 years left to go. Not quite 2100, but

Do you know something we don't? Last I heard, no decision had been made yet on Deep Space Nine or Voyager.