TNG DVDs being "discontinued by the manufacturer"

[Dream]

I was checking out DVDEmpire and saw that TNG season one has now been discontinued by Paramount. That means when it is sold out, no new copies will be made. That explains why the S1 dvds have been so high on Amazon lately.

http://www.dvdempire.com/Exec/v4_it...tab=0&date=412033095486111&anchor=1#topoftabs

Looks like the rest of TNG seasons are probably going to be discontinued as each remastered season is released.

 

[LOKAI of CHERON]

I just can't imagine why anyone would choose the DVD set over the Blu-ray's at this time. Certainly, Blu-ray has long since reached the point where players can be purchased cheaply in the £40-50 range at a local supermarket. All BD players will happily play your old DVD collection and can even be connected to older non-HD displays.

Should you watch a BD in that way, you'd still see the increase in quality - particularly with the immense leap in clarity offered by the TNG discs. Honestly, if someone didn't own TNG on home video, I would strongly advise them to jump directly to BD.

 

[BillJ]

I just can't imagine why anyone would choose the DVD set over the Blu-ray's at this time. Certainly, Blu-ray has long since reached the point where players can be purchased cheaply in the £40-50 range at a local supermarket. All BD players will happily play your old DVD collection and can even be connected to older non-HD displays.

Should you watch a BD in that way, you'd still see the increase in quality - particularly with the immense leap in clarity offered by the TNG discs. Honestly, if someone didn't own TNG on home video, I would strongly advise them to jump directly to BD.

This.

 

[Warp Coil]

I would not be surprised if the DVDs are eventually re-released at a future date, possibly in smaller packaging and with a a cheaper price tag. Many older TV DVD releases end up following this route. Perhaps they'll even take the new HD versions and down-convert for standard def DVD?

 

[LOKAI of CHERON]

Perhaps they'll even take the new HD versions and down-convert for standard def DVD?

But why would anyone want this? Re-release the BD's later at a reduced cost and patrons can watch on their SD sets if required!

 

[The Laughing Vulcan]

Perhaps they'll even take the new HD versions and down-convert for standard def DVD?

But why would anyone want this? Re-release the BD's later at a reduced cost and patrons can watch on their SD sets if required!

Because 70% of the developed world is yet to upgrade to Blu-ray.

 

[LOKAI of CHERON]

Perhaps they'll even take the new HD versions and down-convert for standard def DVD?

But why would anyone want this? Re-release the BD's later at a reduced cost and patrons can watch on their SD sets if required!

Because 70% of the developed world is yet to upgrade to Blu-ray.

I guess this is the point I'm trying to make. Those who don't own a BD player can make a small investment right now enabling them to enjoy and benefit from the format on their existing displays immediately - while simultaneously "future proofing" themselves.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Perhaps they'll even take the new HD versions and down-convert for standard def DVD?

But why would anyone want this? Re-release the BD's later at a reduced cost and patrons can watch on their SD sets if required!

Because 70% of the developed world is yet to upgrade to Blu-ray.

That's not Paramount's problem.

 

[The Laughing Vulcan]

The industry shouldn't try and shape the market by how they release their product, the consumer should shape the market by simple demand. If they want Blu-ray, they'll buy Blu-ray, if they want DVD, they'll buy DVD. If they want DVD and can only buy Blu-ray, they'll either leave it altogether, or upgrade while developing a grudge to the studio that forced them to. Heck, DVDs are so cheap now that Paramount just ought to have made the TNG-R releases triple plays, Blu-ray/DVD/Digital combos, and stuck another $10 on the RRP.

 

[BillJ]

The industry shouldn't try and shape the market by how they release their product, the consumer should shape the market by simple demand. If they want Blu-ray, they'll buy Blu-ray, if they want DVD, they'll buy DVD. If they want DVD and can only buy Blu-ray, they'll either leave it altogether, or upgrade while developing a grudge to the studio that forced them to. Heck, DVDs are so cheap now that Paramount just ought to have made the TNG-R releases triple plays, Blu-ray/DVD/Digital combos, and stuck another $10 on the RRP.

But then you're still forcing some consumers to buy something they don't want. Why should I be forced to pay more for features I don't use (DVD, Digital Copy) because others refuse to upgrade?

 

[The Laughing Vulcan]

The industry shouldn't try and shape the market by how they release their product, the consumer should shape the market by simple demand. If they want Blu-ray, they'll buy Blu-ray, if they want DVD, they'll buy DVD. If they want DVD and can only buy Blu-ray, they'll either leave it altogether, or upgrade while developing a grudge to the studio that forced them to. Heck, DVDs are so cheap now that Paramount just ought to have made the TNG-R releases triple plays, Blu-ray/DVD/Digital combos, and stuck another $10 on the RRP.

But then you're still forcing some consumers to buy something they don't want. Why should I be forced to pay more for features I don't use (DVD, Digital Copy) because others refuse to upgrade?

But that is standard, make everyone happy policy across the entertainment industry. Most of the Blu-rays on sale come with crap that Bluray owners don't need. About half the titles on sale at my local supermarket each week have combo, triple play, ultraviolet and the like banners...

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

The facts, as I understand it, are these:

- Blu-Ray players are not that expensive. They can be had for less than a hundred dollars. About $80 will get you a decent player. The days of expensive BR players are over.

- Said players can be used on existing sets that are not high definition, and Blu-Ray discs can still be played. You won't see the HD, but you can watch them. So you can get a BR player before upgrading to actual HD television.

- Perhaps most important of all: The existing ST:TNG DVDs simply SUCK. Why should Paramount be obliged to continue to release an obviously inferior product?

You do the math.

 

[The Laughing Vulcan]

The facts, as I understand it, are these:

- Blu-Ray players are not that expensive. They can be had for less than a hundred dollars. About $80 will get you a decent player. The days of expensive BR players are over.

- Said players can be used on existing sets that are not high definition, and Blu-Ray discs can still be played. You won't see the HD, but you can watch them. So you can get a BR player before upgrading to actual HD television.

- Perhaps most important of all: The existing ST:TNG DVDs simply SUCK. Why should Paramount be obliged to continue to release an obviously inferior product?

You do the math.

I think the option was mentioned before of striking new DVDs from the newly created HD masters, so they'd be film quality, not NTSC videotape quality.

But as you so eloquently put it, it will come down to maths (Yup, British). If the number of people willing to shell out for TNG or rather TNG-R DVDs is large enough for Paramount's coffers to swell, then they are obliged to their own bottom line (and shareholders, do they have shareholders?) to make a profit. It's up to Paramount to sell their product in a way that makes most money, it's not up to Paramount to sell Blu-ray players.

 

[Therin of Andor]

Looks like the rest of TNG seasons are probably going to be discontinued as each remastered season is released.

Most ST fans already have them. Market saturation. If someone brand new to ST enters the home entertainment market at this late point, they'll buy Blu-Ray.

 

[BillJ]

The facts, as I understand it, are these:

- Blu-Ray players are not that expensive. They can be had for less than a hundred dollars. About $80 will get you a decent player. The days of expensive BR players are over.

- Said players can be used on existing sets that are not high definition, and Blu-Ray discs can still be played. You won't see the HD, but you can watch them. So you can get a BR player before upgrading to actual HD television.

- Perhaps most important of all: The existing ST:TNG DVDs simply SUCK. Why should Paramount be obliged to continue to release an obviously inferior product?

You do the math.

I think the option was mentioned before of striking new DVDs from the newly created HD masters, so they'd be film quality, not NTSC videotape quality.

But as you so eloquently put it, it will come down to maths (Yup, British). If the number of people willing to shell out for TNG or rather TNG-R DVDs is large enough for Paramount's coffers to swell, then they are obliged to their own bottom line (and shareholders, do they have shareholders?) to make a profit. It's up to Paramount to sell their product in a way that makes most money, it's not up to Paramount to sell Blu-ray players.

But we don't know what back door deals CBS has made. TOS Remastered season one was partially funded by Toshiba, which was why we didn't get a DVD or Blu-ray version originally just HD-DVD.

Since studios have increased prices on discs to include DVD and Digital Copy, I've actually been buying far less in the way of discs. If there isn't a Blu-ray only copy, I usually pass.

 

[The Laughing Vulcan]

The facts, as I understand it, are these:

- Blu-Ray players are not that expensive. They can be had for less than a hundred dollars. About $80 will get you a decent player. The days of expensive BR players are over.

- Said players can be used on existing sets that are not high definition, and Blu-Ray discs can still be played. You won't see the HD, but you can watch them. So you can get a BR player before upgrading to actual HD television.

- Perhaps most important of all: The existing ST:TNG DVDs simply SUCK. Why should Paramount be obliged to continue to release an obviously inferior product?

You do the math.

I think the option was mentioned before of striking new DVDs from the newly created HD masters, so they'd be film quality, not NTSC videotape quality.

But as you so eloquently put it, it will come down to maths (Yup, British). If the number of people willing to shell out for TNG or rather TNG-R DVDs is large enough for Paramount's coffers to swell, then they are obliged to their own bottom line (and shareholders, do they have shareholders?) to make a profit. It's up to Paramount to sell their product in a way that makes most money, it's not up to Paramount to sell Blu-ray players.

But we don't know what back door deals CBS has made. TOS Remastered season one was partially funded by Toshiba, which was why we didn't get a DVD or Blu-ray version originally just HD-DVD.

Since studios have increased prices on discs to include DVD and Digital Copy, I've actually been buying far less in the way of discs. If there isn't a Blu-ray only copy, I usually pass.

I'm in the same boat. I've been Blu-ray capable for about 18 months, and I've only bought around 30 titles on Blu-ray. In the same amount of time back when I upgraded to DVD, I had gone on a VHS replacement binge and had bought around 300 DVDs.

I didn't know that the TNG Blu-rays were coming, and started a rewatch of the DVDs last year, which I have just last week concluded, and I have no pressing need to buy them on Blu-ray now. Maybe next time when I get round to watching them, which won't be for a good five or so years. Next up on my rewatch list was Deep Space Nine, which I last watched on VHS (and which I still own). I was going to buy the DVDs and throw away the tapes this time, but with all the whispers about a possible Blu-ray upgrade for DS9, I may not bother. I'll either dig out a video player, or I'll wait the five or six years...

 

[wissaboo]

NOOOOOO! I was afraid this was going to happen. I'm only up to season 3 on dvd. Pisses me off immensly. The dvds are already far over priced and I'm gonna guess the bluerays are even more.

and btw, I've had a blueray for years and still buy lots on dvd. I can still watch it, the blueray player upgrades the image and it's a much better price.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I can still watch it, the blueray player upgrades the image

No, actually, this "upscaling" is not what you think it is. If they didn't do that, you would see a little postage stamp sized image surrounded by two feet of black on all sides. Upscaling simply means allowing the image of a standard DVD (or channel) to fill the screen. It does not make it better quality or anything like that.

It's up to Paramount to sell their product in a way that makes most money, it's not up to Paramount to sell Blu-ray players.

Exactly. Sure, they may lose a bit of business by selling TNG-R only on Blu-Ray, but those who can and will buy the new releases will more than make up for those who can't or won't do so.

And I apologize if this sounds harsh, but there's really very little excuse not to own a Blu-Ray player. If you can afford to buy DVDs at all, you can afford a BR player. You can get one such player for the price of two or three DVD movies! And since a BR player does not require a HDTV set to use (maybe to get the full HD effect it does, but not to simply watch), then I'm just not seeing the downside here.

 

[LOKAI of CHERON]

I can still watch it, the blueray player upgrades the image

No, actually, this "upscaling" is not what you think it is. If they didn't do that, you would see a little postage stamp sized image surrounded by two feet of black on all sides. Upscaling simply means allowing the image of a standard DVD (or channel) to fill the screen. It does not make it better quality or anything like that.

But some chipsets will do it noticeably better than others - Oppo BD players for example. The "near HD quality" upscaling claims put forth by some manufacturers is utter nonsense of course.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

^ Most decent HDTVs are far better at upscaling than the so-called "upconverting" DVD players ever were. By definition, upscaling must occur every time, without exceptions, that you watch standard material on an HD set. If the player doesn't do it, the TV will.