Here's good news...it looks like the gates will open for those rare Universal titles when TCM partners with the studio to release on-demand DVDs, similar to the Warner Archives, only judging by this notice, TCM-Uni will include supplemental materials:
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/forum/t ... -order-dvd
Universal & TCM Partnering for On-Demand DVDs
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MissGoddess
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Universal & TCM Partnering for On-Demand DVDs
"There's only one thing that can kill the movies, and that's education."
-- Will Rogers
-- Will Rogers
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charliechaplinfan
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Re: Universal & TCM Partnering for On-Demand DVDs
That's great news 
Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself - Charlie Chaplin
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moira finnie
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Re: Universal & TCM Partnering for On-Demand DVDs
Wow, looking at the negative responses among the knowledgeable posters on that forum over this good news, makes me glad that I'm a peasant who'll just be glad to have such movies available in some form--even if they don't come with tons of extras. I realize that dvd-rs aren't the ideal form for video aficionados, but I think I'm interested in getting a copy of Remember the Night (1941-Mitchell Leisen).
Thanks for sharing this news, Miss G.
Thanks for sharing this news, Miss G.
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MissGoddess
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Re: Universal & TCM Partnering for On-Demand DVDs
Wow, looking at the negative responses among the knowledgeable posters on that forum over this good news, makes me glad that I'm a peasant who'll just be glad to have such movies available in some form--even if they don't come with tons of extras.
I didn't even look at the comments. It's interesting that since I've been doing a lot of "research" on a new computer I am considering, I've looked into lots of various forums and notice the same thing...there are always nay sayers mixed in with legitimate concerns mixed in with pot-stirrers. Just when I thought I'd narrowed down my choice, I'd come across all these complaints and have to re-think. In today's world, it becomes harder than ever to make a decision if your as naturally undecisive as me!
But for hard to find, must-have titles, I will eventually go to TCM-Uni and WHV Archives (I have only bought one from Warner, have been renting the others).
By the way, Deepdiscount recently added some of the Warner Archive titles (I'm not sure, maybe they have them all)...but at the astronomical price of $23.88.
I'm not sure why, or if they plan to drop the price eventually.
I didn't even look at the comments. It's interesting that since I've been doing a lot of "research" on a new computer I am considering, I've looked into lots of various forums and notice the same thing...there are always nay sayers mixed in with legitimate concerns mixed in with pot-stirrers. Just when I thought I'd narrowed down my choice, I'd come across all these complaints and have to re-think. In today's world, it becomes harder than ever to make a decision if your as naturally undecisive as me!
But for hard to find, must-have titles, I will eventually go to TCM-Uni and WHV Archives (I have only bought one from Warner, have been renting the others).
By the way, Deepdiscount recently added some of the Warner Archive titles (I'm not sure, maybe they have them all)...but at the astronomical price of $23.88.
I'm not sure why, or if they plan to drop the price eventually. "There's only one thing that can kill the movies, and that's education."
-- Will Rogers
-- Will Rogers
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Lzcutter
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Re: Universal & TCM Partnering for On-Demand DVDs
Holy Cripes, Moira, are you ever right. What a bunch of naysayers.
Don't those people realize that in this economic climate when the studios would rather not take any risks on DVDs that don't come with a guarantee of selling well that this type of product should be supported?
Would I rather see all those titles in Warner Archives and now Universal all get top of the line restorations, bonus features, fancy packaging, etc? Of course.
But, the bottom line still remains what David Shepard and Kevin Brownlow (kneels in honor of both) told us last year, classic film lovers are a niche market and only the most well knows titles like Wizard of Oz, GWTW and other tent-pole titles sell through the roof.
That Warners (and thus the WB, MGM (pre-1986) and RKO libraries) and Uni (Universal and the pre-1948 Paramount non-silent library) are offering these films at all should be seen as a good sign and should be supported. That Universal and TCM are going the extra mile by including Robert Osborne and bonus features is a step above what WBros Archives is doing and maybe they will follow suit.
Would those negative Nellies prefer that the films just sit in the vaults and never see the light of a television screen?
The underlying best news of all about this is that means the films offered from this new partnership between Universal and TCM will have digital broadcast masters made and that means that TCM will be able to run them.
Which means, in the long run, those from Universal should start to show up on TCM. This partnership seems to point to the fact that Universal has finally seen the light and realizes that working with TCM allows more exposure (and thus more dollars) to their film library.
That this partnership is offering Robert O and bonus features means that people who really like these films and want to own copies won't be satisfied with just recording them off TCM, they will want to buy the discs for the bonus features and the introduction by Robert O (who likely won't be introducing every one of the films on the air).
Which means if this partnership is successful it may be successful enough to get Warners Archive to adapt the same strategy (restoration, introductions and bonus features) and wouldn't that be nice?
It's affordable, it brings more films out of the vaults and into the hands of classic film lovers, it allows for TCM to air the films (because they are now on a digital format) and lastly, it brings more exposure to those films.
Those all seem like win-wins to me.
Don't those people realize that in this economic climate when the studios would rather not take any risks on DVDs that don't come with a guarantee of selling well that this type of product should be supported?
Would I rather see all those titles in Warner Archives and now Universal all get top of the line restorations, bonus features, fancy packaging, etc? Of course.
But, the bottom line still remains what David Shepard and Kevin Brownlow (kneels in honor of both) told us last year, classic film lovers are a niche market and only the most well knows titles like Wizard of Oz, GWTW and other tent-pole titles sell through the roof.
That Warners (and thus the WB, MGM (pre-1986) and RKO libraries) and Uni (Universal and the pre-1948 Paramount non-silent library) are offering these films at all should be seen as a good sign and should be supported. That Universal and TCM are going the extra mile by including Robert Osborne and bonus features is a step above what WBros Archives is doing and maybe they will follow suit.
Would those negative Nellies prefer that the films just sit in the vaults and never see the light of a television screen?
The underlying best news of all about this is that means the films offered from this new partnership between Universal and TCM will have digital broadcast masters made and that means that TCM will be able to run them.
Which means, in the long run, those from Universal should start to show up on TCM. This partnership seems to point to the fact that Universal has finally seen the light and realizes that working with TCM allows more exposure (and thus more dollars) to their film library.
That this partnership is offering Robert O and bonus features means that people who really like these films and want to own copies won't be satisfied with just recording them off TCM, they will want to buy the discs for the bonus features and the introduction by Robert O (who likely won't be introducing every one of the films on the air).
Which means if this partnership is successful it may be successful enough to get Warners Archive to adapt the same strategy (restoration, introductions and bonus features) and wouldn't that be nice?
It's affordable, it brings more films out of the vaults and into the hands of classic film lovers, it allows for TCM to air the films (because they are now on a digital format) and lastly, it brings more exposure to those films.
Those all seem like win-wins to me.
Lynn in Lake Balboa
"Film is history. With every foot of film lost, we lose a link to our culture, to the world around us, to each other and to ourselves."
"For me, John Wayne has only become more impressive over time." Marty Scorsese
Avatar-Warner Bros Water Tower
"Film is history. With every foot of film lost, we lose a link to our culture, to the world around us, to each other and to ourselves."
"For me, John Wayne has only become more impressive over time." Marty Scorsese
Avatar-Warner Bros Water Tower
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MissGoddess
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Re: Universal & TCM Partnering for On-Demand DVDs
Perfectly said, Lynn. You should post that at the Home Theater Forum!
"There's only one thing that can kill the movies, and that's education."
-- Will Rogers
-- Will Rogers
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charliechaplinfan
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Re: Universal & TCM Partnering for On-Demand DVDs
I couldn't agree with you more Lynn, I'm just glad more titles are coming available.
Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself - Charlie Chaplin
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MissGoddess
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Re: Universal & TCM Partnering for On-Demand DVDs
Looks like the horror collection is already available, at least through ClassicFlix.
More details, including what extras are on the discs, here:
http://tinyurl.com/ylpg3ao
More details, including what extras are on the discs, here:
http://tinyurl.com/ylpg3ao
"There's only one thing that can kill the movies, and that's education."
-- Will Rogers
-- Will Rogers
Re: Universal & TCM Partnering for On-Demand DVDs
[quote="Lzcutter"]Holy Cripes, Moira, are you ever right. What a bunch of naysayers.
Well, as we all know there are some folks over there who wouldn't be happy if the studios gave them away for free and had the president of the company hand deliver them to their door.
Well, as we all know there are some folks over there who wouldn't be happy if the studios gave them away for free and had the president of the company hand deliver them to their door.
Re: Universal & TCM Partnering for On-Demand DVDs
I am only upset by the incredibly steep price, the unreasonable price. The biggest cost factor in commercial DVDs is Shelf Space - getting stores to allocate shelf-space, scattering tens of thousands of copies on a few thousand shelves, tracking them, distributing them.
Now, they've done away with the costliest factor but are increasing the item's price above the market-norm.
The argument of, "Well, we have to buy them or they won't make any more!" has the corollary that sounds awfully like, "A fool and his money is soon parted" - ie, "What's their incentive to price their products more in-line with the existing market if we keep giving them extraordinary amounts in the beginning?"
We bought 3 Warners at their original $19.95 plus shipping price. We've bought three 10-sets from Warners once they started the ten-for-$100. But we'd buy twenty, forty, eighty - 100? 200? - if they were half that. That's still a huge profit margin for the product itself. But no, it's not a $19.50 profit on a $19.95 sale. I doubt they actually spend 45-cents per Warners DVD, even. Probably more like 12-cents or 8.
Now, they've done away with the costliest factor but are increasing the item's price above the market-norm.
The argument of, "Well, we have to buy them or they won't make any more!" has the corollary that sounds awfully like, "A fool and his money is soon parted" - ie, "What's their incentive to price their products more in-line with the existing market if we keep giving them extraordinary amounts in the beginning?"
We bought 3 Warners at their original $19.95 plus shipping price. We've bought three 10-sets from Warners once they started the ten-for-$100. But we'd buy twenty, forty, eighty - 100? 200? - if they were half that. That's still a huge profit margin for the product itself. But no, it's not a $19.50 profit on a $19.95 sale. I doubt they actually spend 45-cents per Warners DVD, even. Probably more like 12-cents or 8.
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MissGoddess
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Re: Universal & TCM Partnering for On-Demand DVDs
Those are all very good points, Ollie. I'm surprised by the high prices, frankly, and keep hoping they will be better about offering deals and steep discount sales, but so far I haven't heard of anything from WHV (I mean of a very significant price drop) and even at Deepdiscount.com they charge over $23 per title for Archive selections.
But what can we do? Besides petition for steeper cuts in pricing.
If we don't buy any at all, they may just pull the plug, right?
But what can we do? Besides petition for steeper cuts in pricing.
If we don't buy any at all, they may just pull the plug, right?
"There's only one thing that can kill the movies, and that's education."
-- Will Rogers
-- Will Rogers
Re: Universal & TCM Partnering for On-Demand DVDs
(Heading eastward from central CO into Kansas this Friday morning. Stopped to test out wireless facilities at a small town library's parking lot. Perfect!)
One point that keeps popping up... we've had "straight to video" and "straight to TV" films for, oh, the life of TV, right? Those "straight to video" films are routinely criticized - in fact, that label alone generally makes them 'unworthy' for most consumers' to even watch, much less purchase, much less rent.
Yet, these "on demand" classics say "Sorry, we can't justify the expense of a Cary Grant film..."
Straight-to-video can. Straight-to-video can even manage distribution deals that shove other products off the shelves and puts them ON those shelves.
How does that work?!! I find it SO unbelievable that "Cary Grant" alone wouldn't inspire from-a-retail-shelf purchase.
I'm having a hard time envisioning how the logic can possibly be correct. I can't imagine the arguments that went on in those committee rooms went - "Well, yes, we can put out 2,000 straight-to-video titles a year, but we can't waste shelf-space for 7 Cary Grant DVDs."
MissG, as for "what do we do?" Boy, this brings out the bomb-thrower in me. I remember the '60s Radicals talked about bomb-throwing and tearing down the system, starting all over. Boy... where's my brick when I need it?!! Actually, ClassicFlix is one of the mail-rental places and we will strongly consider that option more and more. In the late '50s and early '60s, the NAACP was able to create a boycott of CBS's AMOS & ANDY TV Show so its' 70-odd episodes (orig broadcast 1952-53) were taken off the air. CBS no longer even allowed them to be rerun. There was a lawsuit in the early '80s that argued those were commercial products, created solely for commercial, profit-making purposes - they had nothing to do with politics, they were only commercial for-sale products. And since CBS refused to sell them, then they should become Public Domain. Which is what happened. Hooray! A great classic is occasionally available, as are thousands of old radio programs - also made for commercial purposes.
I can only hope that more classic films find their way onto YouTube or even Alpha (gag) video. "It's better than nothing," after all.
One point that keeps popping up... we've had "straight to video" and "straight to TV" films for, oh, the life of TV, right? Those "straight to video" films are routinely criticized - in fact, that label alone generally makes them 'unworthy' for most consumers' to even watch, much less purchase, much less rent.
Yet, these "on demand" classics say "Sorry, we can't justify the expense of a Cary Grant film..."
Straight-to-video can. Straight-to-video can even manage distribution deals that shove other products off the shelves and puts them ON those shelves.
How does that work?!! I find it SO unbelievable that "Cary Grant" alone wouldn't inspire from-a-retail-shelf purchase.
I'm having a hard time envisioning how the logic can possibly be correct. I can't imagine the arguments that went on in those committee rooms went - "Well, yes, we can put out 2,000 straight-to-video titles a year, but we can't waste shelf-space for 7 Cary Grant DVDs."
MissG, as for "what do we do?" Boy, this brings out the bomb-thrower in me. I remember the '60s Radicals talked about bomb-throwing and tearing down the system, starting all over. Boy... where's my brick when I need it?!! Actually, ClassicFlix is one of the mail-rental places and we will strongly consider that option more and more. In the late '50s and early '60s, the NAACP was able to create a boycott of CBS's AMOS & ANDY TV Show so its' 70-odd episodes (orig broadcast 1952-53) were taken off the air. CBS no longer even allowed them to be rerun. There was a lawsuit in the early '80s that argued those were commercial products, created solely for commercial, profit-making purposes - they had nothing to do with politics, they were only commercial for-sale products. And since CBS refused to sell them, then they should become Public Domain. Which is what happened. Hooray! A great classic is occasionally available, as are thousands of old radio programs - also made for commercial purposes.
I can only hope that more classic films find their way onto YouTube or even Alpha (gag) video. "It's better than nothing," after all.
Re: Universal & TCM Partnering for On-Demand DVDs
Ollie said:
Ollie, should I throw an extra steak on the grill?????(Heading eastward from central CO into Kansas this Friday morning. Stopped to test out wireless facilities at a small town library's parking lot. Perfect!)
Re: Universal & TCM Partnering for On-Demand DVDs
Knit, thanks for the offer but we didn't make it that far. We went from Vail-Boulder-Denver to Westkan, Kansas, on State-40. Then, down to Garden City and Holcomb (the Clutter Trail and prayers), then over to Dodge City for Friday night. Now, we're heading due south for Granite, Oklahoma, paralleling the Okla-Texas Panhandle border. That's an amazingly hilly part of the country, so different from the Texas Panhandle but, once I'd realized this was a drainage-plain into the Red River, all these hills and creek-troughs makes perfect sense. Sunday, we'll cross the Red River and head into home sweet home.