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Do you buy many DVDs anymore? If so, how?
On an episode of The Simpsons I saw recently, a scene took place in a junkyard, which contained several piles, each with a sign: LPs, eight-tracks, laserdiscs. Then there was an empty spot with a sign that said “Reserved for DVDs.”
Pretty funny gag, but it may not be long before the joke becomes a reality. According to this recent story in the New York Times, DVD sales have started to slip, and studios are worried. Last year saw the first decline, and it’s expected to continue this year and next.
Why is this? The story says the biggest culprit may be the Internet because of the increasing availability of movie downloads and the like. Certain Fox DVDs such as Juno, which was released last Tuesday, come with a “digital copy” of the movie that you can download to your computer or iPod.
I’m not so ready to blame the ‘net, though. Sure, it has some impact, but I think the real culprits are more market saturation, and lately, an economic pinch.
In the late 90s and early this decade, I bought DVDs quite frequently, sometimes just for the special features, even if I didn’t love the movie much (example: Gladiator). Lo and behold, I found I have accumulated many DVDs I haven’t watched in years.
That’s why I’ve become choosier in how I buy DVDs - and when. I only buy new DVDs when I absolutely love the film and know I will watch it repeatedly and show it off to people (See Enchanted).
Sometimes it depends on how the DVDs are packaged. Take There Will be Blood, for instance. I loved that movie too, and I consider it the best I’ve seen this year. However, that came out in two versions: A single disc bare bones edition, and a double-disc DVD with a few extras. However, the extras are pretty sparse (they last only about an hour), so I probably won’t watch them much. Seems to me it would be better to buy the single disc, and rent the bonus one from Netflix.
I did the same thing for Munich. Its bonus DVD had only about an hour of interviews, so I rented that and picked up the movie-only disc, packaged with Schindler’s List, which I did not have, for $20. I think I got a better deal that way.
In other cases, I’m content either to rent the DVDs or buy them when I find them cheap ($10 or less) at Netflix or a used CD/DVD place. I find it pays off - literally - to be patient these days.
While I’m not keen on watching movies on an iPod, I do think technology is increasing to the point that downloads will become more and more prevalent - which is why I remain unconvinced Blu-Ray will become the main movie-watching format for long, despite its recent victory in the format war.
So how do you buy your DVDs? Do you buy many new ones anymore? Why are sales slowing down?
Permalink | Comments (5) | Post your comment | Categories: On Video/DVD
Comments
By Cali
April 16, 2008 5:50 PM | Link to this
I don’t really buy DVD’s anymore, but I’m interested in checking out the rentals in itunes…occasionally I buy dvd’s when they are on sale for really cheap, but other than that, I’ll just record them when they come on TV sometime if I want.By Allie D.
April 16, 2008 1:46 PM | Link to this
I too have been feeling the economic pinch and so haven’t been buying many DVDs of late. I only really splurge when I have a gift card to redeem or if something is cheap. I did buy the special ed of There Will Be Blood, but I too was disappointed. I was really hoping for a commentary. What was there was interesting, but I still feel a little cheated. As of right now, I buy the new releases I really like when they are cheapest and then just wait for the price to drop. I’m most interested in building up my classics collection, but that isn’t always a very inexpensive pursuit.By Rob
April 16, 2008 1:18 PM | Link to this
I’m pretty much in the same situation. I try to only buy movies I really loved and rent the rest with my Blockbuster subscription. And I’d say that my DVD buying has probably dropped off a bit. I think Juno and There Will Be Blood are probably the only two I’ve bought so far this year. By the time I got around to buying There Will Be Blood this week there was only a $3 difference in the price between the standard and the Special Edition so I just went with the special.By Kim H.
April 16, 2008 12:27 PM | Link to this
I have gotten more selective. I have found the same thing - a living room filled with DVDs that I never/rarely watch and the price has gotten too high for that -I’m not paying $20 for a DVD just to watch it a couple times. I am more likely to just rent it if I feel a burn, or I’ll wait to get a copy for a better price. There aren’t that many movies that I want to watch over & over. My rentals have even gone down because my daughter got a job at a movie theater so I get to go for free - SWEET! So not instead of “waiting for the DVD” - I say, “Why pay to rent a DVD when I can see it on the big screen for free??” Of course - that isn’t true of most people - ha! But I think market saturation, declining overall quality of “rewatchable” movies and the poor economy (DVD or milk, bread, eggs and a few gallons of gas??) are the biggest culprits. The net has no affect at all on my DVD buying habits - other than making it easier to buy them when I feel so inclined!By Kim S.
April 16, 2008 12:01 PM | Link to this
I am rebuilding my collection one piece at a time. Most of my purchases come from the discount racks at my local video store. I would be hard pressed to buy something new. I didn’t even buy the films I thought I would - like “Sweeney Todd” or “No Country”. I know I’ll buy them eventually, but why pay 15.99 when I can eventually get it for 9.99. The last film I bought (not one word, Eric) was “The Marine” because I got it for 7.99. The last one I paid full price for was a rebuy of “Magnolia”, which I bought for 9.99. I think it’s just that I’d rather wait to get them cheaper. Although I do seem to have a slight obsession with red box and netflix.