Comments on: Warner Archive to offer on-demand DVDs of previously unavailable movies

Warner Home Video will allow film fans to buy previously unreleased movies on DVD on an ad hoc basis.

[U. Tripps]

Good way to take advantage of the "long tail."

[zunemoon]

I would love it if Warner would release the 1940's and 50's Bowery Boys movies!

[johnbuker]

Agree with your comment for want of a rental or streaming option. There are probably several of these I'd like to see, but not too many of them (if any) that I'd likely pay $20 for- even if that $20 was for a Blu-Ray (which it won't be).

[blusky08]

I'd rather see these released in the normal way--$20 is very steep for a DVD movie. Guess this is their way of keeping the prices inflated since profits from DVDs are down.

[tikoro]

Honestly. I understand nostalgia and "cult classics". Putting these old movies on to DVD makes sense in making them available, but for #20.00 a pop? C'mon, no matter how much you re-master them, they're not going to be HD quality, they're not going to be all that great quality even by standard NTSC/PAL viewing standards. At this rate you might as well take some of the newer movies and put them in to 10 tape box sets on BetaMAX tapes. I can go get a brand new, just released movie for $20.00...From the titles above it looks like they're taking some of the titles TCM turned down for their fall movie line up and burning them to DVD..

[make_or_break]

It's not like they're counting on sales to the likes of you for this sort of marketing strategy. Grab the hardcore collectors first, then after those few are satiated, then consider dropping the price for everyone else (well, at least to those few miserly collectors who might jump off the sidelines at a cheaper price).

Films like these are NICHE sales, period. Why the hell should Warner put a bargain basement price when most consumers would ignore most of this stuff anyways?

"Cult" material often gets all sorts of people willing to pay top money for stuff, even if the material is new to the market. Why should you expect Warner or any other FOR-PROFIT entity to want to leave money on the table? Besides, if they don't sell from the outset Warner can always drop the price later on; given how they've long since gotten whatever real profit mileage they have from these old flicks to begin with, it's not like it's going to cost them anymore to do it this way from this point on...it's all just gravy from their long dead stock.

[wshwe]

I hope few people buy these outrageously priced DVDs.

[sld72382]

I would never buy any Warner product again after they crippled Youtube....

[Jay M]

I think it's true they will lower the prices after the initial feeding frenzy by obsessive collectors. I am one of those myself, but I will not pay these prices. Many of these films have in fact appeard on TCM and other places, so many of us already have decent copies.... What's more, these are said to be DVD-r copies and for that reason alone they should be about half the posted price. I do give them credit for issuing the films in original aspect ratio (assuming they really are doing that) :)

[Eludium-Q36]

Definitely a pricing FAIL, regardless of allegedly bilking collectors, that's hogwash. This is a wholesale, not retail operation, and should be priced accordingly. Availability + Unreasonable Pricing still = Black Market. They've STILL learned nothing.

[blusky08]

For some reason, it seems relevant that:
1) You can see a new movie in the cinema for $10 (or less).
2) They made their money off these years ago.
3) You can often purchase most older television series/seaons with over 10 hours of content for similar money.
4) DVDs are cheap as chips to manufacture.