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B5 DVD's?
- Thread starter HockeyPlayer47
- Start date
Re: B5 DVD\'s?
Not just me but the customer base in general. As hard as it is to believe there are B5 fans who aren't sitting on the internet waiting for word on the DVDs. There are even fans whose lives don't revolve around B5 but would be willing to buy the DVDs if they aren't too expensive. Those are the people we will need buying them if we want all five seasons.
Not just me but the customer base in general. As hard as it is to believe there are B5 fans who aren't sitting on the internet waiting for word on the DVDs. There are even fans whose lives don't revolve around B5 but would be willing to buy the DVDs if they aren't too expensive. Those are the people we will need buying them if we want all five seasons.
Re: B5 DVD\'s?
quetion time, do the sales in other countries carry weight here or is it just the US market. The reason why i ask is that viewers from other countries don't seem to be taken into consideration with regrds to stats. Local ratings (usa) seem to be the deciding factor whether a series makes it or not. Anybody have some imput?
quetion time, do the sales in other countries carry weight here or is it just the US market. The reason why i ask is that viewers from other countries don't seem to be taken into consideration with regrds to stats. Local ratings (usa) seem to be the deciding factor whether a series makes it or not. Anybody have some imput?
Joseph DeMartino
Moderator
Re: B5 DVD\'s?
<blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr>The reason why i ask is that viewers from other countries don't seem to be taken into consideration with regrds to stats.<hr></blockquote>
You can't generalize from ratings to "stats". You have to understand what ratings are to understand why they are used the way they are.
The primary buyer for any Warner Bros television series is going to be an American network. WB produces TV series for the U.S. market, and only sells overseas when it can, for secondary income. American networks make their money by delivering X number of viewers to American advertisers for a given number of dollars. These figures are established by ratings (and, often more important, demographics - a breakdown of viewership by age, sex and income. A company that makes pantyhose would rather buy ad time on a show with a 1.2 rating and a 90% female audience than on one with a 3.0 rating and a 95% male audience.)
So the buyer judges a show based on ratings, which are purely local. This is as true for shows produced for commercial television in Spain, Italy or Germany as it is for the U.S. For them the U.S. (and the U.K. and Estonia) "don't count." The difference is that we export more shows to more countries than most European nations do, so there tend to be more overseas fans of U.S.-made TV shows.
DVDs are driven by sales in each country - which also differ for reasons of habit, culture and demographics. The U.K. market has always been very good for TV series on VHS, because until recently many shows were never re-run after their intitial airings. In the U.S. all but a few series have died on VHS because the greater number of local stations (and later cable and satellite networks) meant that any popular show was in perpetual reruns and could be seen for free by anyone who took the time to find them.
DVD is changing this picture somewhat, but there are still going to be differences in approach based on country. (Friends has been selling the in U.K. in full-season sets for something like two years. The intitial U.S. release was a three-pack "Best of Friends" collection, based on Warner Bros. assumption that the DVD market would be very much like the VHS market. They've just release Friends S1 on DVD, after howls of protest from American fans. (And after seeing how other shows were doing in full-season sets.)
Overseas sales will certainly "count" on WB's P&L statement. And since WB makes the decision on what happens with DVDs (as it does not with TV series production, where it has to have a distribution partner to do anything) they will certainly consider such sales. But if the B5 DVDs bomb in the U.S. and break sales records in the U.K. or in Austria, we may see the U.S. release cancelled and the show continue on DVD in those other countries. (I don't think this will happen, for the reasons noted above, but I have a region-free player, just in case. /ubbthreads/images/icons/smile.gif)
Regards,
Joe
<blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr>The reason why i ask is that viewers from other countries don't seem to be taken into consideration with regrds to stats.<hr></blockquote>
You can't generalize from ratings to "stats". You have to understand what ratings are to understand why they are used the way they are.
The primary buyer for any Warner Bros television series is going to be an American network. WB produces TV series for the U.S. market, and only sells overseas when it can, for secondary income. American networks make their money by delivering X number of viewers to American advertisers for a given number of dollars. These figures are established by ratings (and, often more important, demographics - a breakdown of viewership by age, sex and income. A company that makes pantyhose would rather buy ad time on a show with a 1.2 rating and a 90% female audience than on one with a 3.0 rating and a 95% male audience.)
So the buyer judges a show based on ratings, which are purely local. This is as true for shows produced for commercial television in Spain, Italy or Germany as it is for the U.S. For them the U.S. (and the U.K. and Estonia) "don't count." The difference is that we export more shows to more countries than most European nations do, so there tend to be more overseas fans of U.S.-made TV shows.
DVDs are driven by sales in each country - which also differ for reasons of habit, culture and demographics. The U.K. market has always been very good for TV series on VHS, because until recently many shows were never re-run after their intitial airings. In the U.S. all but a few series have died on VHS because the greater number of local stations (and later cable and satellite networks) meant that any popular show was in perpetual reruns and could be seen for free by anyone who took the time to find them.
DVD is changing this picture somewhat, but there are still going to be differences in approach based on country. (Friends has been selling the in U.K. in full-season sets for something like two years. The intitial U.S. release was a three-pack "Best of Friends" collection, based on Warner Bros. assumption that the DVD market would be very much like the VHS market. They've just release Friends S1 on DVD, after howls of protest from American fans. (And after seeing how other shows were doing in full-season sets.)
Overseas sales will certainly "count" on WB's P&L statement. And since WB makes the decision on what happens with DVDs (as it does not with TV series production, where it has to have a distribution partner to do anything) they will certainly consider such sales. But if the B5 DVDs bomb in the U.S. and break sales records in the U.K. or in Austria, we may see the U.S. release cancelled and the show continue on DVD in those other countries. (I don't think this will happen, for the reasons noted above, but I have a region-free player, just in case. /ubbthreads/images/icons/smile.gif)
Regards,
Joe
A_M_Swallow
Regular
Re: B5 DVD\'s?
The current series being sold in box sets in the UK is Star Trek the Next Generation. So Warner Brothers may copy this.
There is an odd difference between the 2 B5 DVD movies. "In the Beginning" has been dubbed into French and German but "The Gathering" in only in English.
The current series being sold in box sets in the UK is Star Trek the Next Generation. So Warner Brothers may copy this.
There is an odd difference between the 2 B5 DVD movies. "In the Beginning" has been dubbed into French and German but "The Gathering" in only in English.
kin_of_zathras
Regular
Re: B5 DVD\'s?
Has anyone considered that TNG DVD releases are going to squeeze scifi fans dry, and that those ocassional viewers who would have bought the B5 dvd's now won't have any money left.
Has anyone considered that TNG DVD releases are going to squeeze scifi fans dry, and that those ocassional viewers who would have bought the B5 dvd's now won't have any money left.
Recoil
Regular
Re: B5 DVD\'s?
<blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by kin_of_zathras:
<font color=yellow>Has anyone considered that TNG DVD releases are going to squeeze scifi fans dry, and that those ocassional viewers who would have bought the B5 dvd's now won't have any money left.</font color=yellow><hr></blockquote>
You are probably exaggerating. Sure there are some sci-fi fans that are on a budget being at college and such, but there are many, many, more who work for a living, and if they want something, they go out and buy it. I dont think it will be a big issue.
<blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by kin_of_zathras:
<font color=yellow>Has anyone considered that TNG DVD releases are going to squeeze scifi fans dry, and that those ocassional viewers who would have bought the B5 dvd's now won't have any money left.</font color=yellow><hr></blockquote>
You are probably exaggerating. Sure there are some sci-fi fans that are on a budget being at college and such, but there are many, many, more who work for a living, and if they want something, they go out and buy it. I dont think it will be a big issue.
Joseph DeMartino
Moderator
Re: B5 DVD\'s?
<blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr>Has anyone considered that TNG DVD releases are going to squeeze scifi fans dry<hr></blockquote>
I don't think so. There isn't that much of an overlap between TNG and B5 fandom. The vast majority of TNG fans aren't going to buy the B5 sets - assuming they've even heard of the show. (People on this board might be astonished to learn how many SF fans have no clue what a "Babylon 5" is...) B5 fans who don't like TNG won't be buying it. (Again, a pretty substantial number.) Those who like both and have the money will buy both. Only the minority of folks on a really tight entertainment budget (like me /ubbthreads/images/icons/smile.gif) will have to make a choice. I suspect that most will wait on TNG (which is in little or no danger of going out of print anytime soon) and opt for B5.
Even a lot of TNG fans will probably skip the first two sets, since the show didn't really hit its stride until S3. And Paramount will be releasing S3 in July. At this rate they'll have the entire series out by early 2003. If Warner Bros. uses a less-agressive release schedule, and doesn't release any B5 season in the same month that a TNG or X-Files set is released, I don't think they'll suffer too much from the competition.
I will be going with B5. I can always pick up the Trek discs later, when I have a real job again. /ubbthreads/images/icons/smile.gif
Regards,
Joe
<blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr>Has anyone considered that TNG DVD releases are going to squeeze scifi fans dry<hr></blockquote>
I don't think so. There isn't that much of an overlap between TNG and B5 fandom. The vast majority of TNG fans aren't going to buy the B5 sets - assuming they've even heard of the show. (People on this board might be astonished to learn how many SF fans have no clue what a "Babylon 5" is...) B5 fans who don't like TNG won't be buying it. (Again, a pretty substantial number.) Those who like both and have the money will buy both. Only the minority of folks on a really tight entertainment budget (like me /ubbthreads/images/icons/smile.gif) will have to make a choice. I suspect that most will wait on TNG (which is in little or no danger of going out of print anytime soon) and opt for B5.
Even a lot of TNG fans will probably skip the first two sets, since the show didn't really hit its stride until S3. And Paramount will be releasing S3 in July. At this rate they'll have the entire series out by early 2003. If Warner Bros. uses a less-agressive release schedule, and doesn't release any B5 season in the same month that a TNG or X-Files set is released, I don't think they'll suffer too much from the competition.
I will be going with B5. I can always pick up the Trek discs later, when I have a real job again. /ubbthreads/images/icons/smile.gif
Regards,
Joe
D
**DONOTDELETE**
Guest
Re: B5 DVD\'s?
Well Thats not entirely true. I think there are fans of both Trek and Babylon 5. I fall into that catergory and I have several friends who are to. I purchased TNG Season 1, and I plan on purchasing all the Seasons. Plus DS9 and Voyager (when they hit DVD as well). I'm also a big fan of Babylon 5, I purchased all the Videos that came out, I also purchased the DVD for Gathering/Beginning. I also plan on buy the Babylon 5 DVD's (dispite the fact that I already have all of Season 1 on VHS).
I know there is a big Trek vs Babylon 5 war thing going on, and there will be people responding, on how I suck for liking Trek and B5, but I don't care. I like both franchises.
I do hope to see new B5 again someday and hope that, we can see the conclusion to the Crusade storyline at sometime at least.
Well Thats not entirely true. I think there are fans of both Trek and Babylon 5. I fall into that catergory and I have several friends who are to. I purchased TNG Season 1, and I plan on purchasing all the Seasons. Plus DS9 and Voyager (when they hit DVD as well). I'm also a big fan of Babylon 5, I purchased all the Videos that came out, I also purchased the DVD for Gathering/Beginning. I also plan on buy the Babylon 5 DVD's (dispite the fact that I already have all of Season 1 on VHS).
I know there is a big Trek vs Babylon 5 war thing going on, and there will be people responding, on how I suck for liking Trek and B5, but I don't care. I like both franchises.
I do hope to see new B5 again someday and hope that, we can see the conclusion to the Crusade storyline at sometime at least.
Joseph DeMartino
Moderator
Re: B5 DVD\'s?
<blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr>Well Thats not entirely true. I think there are fans of both Trek and Babylon 5.<hr></blockquote>
Which is exactly what I said in my post, so I'm not sure what you're disagreeing with. /ubbthreads/images/icons/smile.gif Here's the relevant section:
<blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr>There isn't that much of an overlap between TNG and B5 fandom. ... Those who like both and have the money will buy both. Only the minority of folks on a really tight entertainment budget (like me /ubbthreads/images/icons/smile.gif) will have to make a choice.<hr></blockquote> (Emphasis added.)
I just said the overlap probably wasn't big enough to be a huge issue in terms of sales, not that it didn't exist. I'm a big TOS fan myself (though I only bought two of the DVDs because they were such a lousy value) and I liked TNG well enough, after it hit its stride around S3. DS9 never did anything for me, since I disliked most of the characters who got the majority of the screen time. I've heard it got better in the last few seasons, long after I'd given up on the show, so I might check those out on DVD - assuming I can rent them. /ubbthreads/images/icons/smile.gif The less said about Voyager the better, and Enterprise has foiled my attempts to like it.
Regards,
Joe
<blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr>Well Thats not entirely true. I think there are fans of both Trek and Babylon 5.<hr></blockquote>
Which is exactly what I said in my post, so I'm not sure what you're disagreeing with. /ubbthreads/images/icons/smile.gif Here's the relevant section:
<blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr>There isn't that much of an overlap between TNG and B5 fandom. ... Those who like both and have the money will buy both. Only the minority of folks on a really tight entertainment budget (like me /ubbthreads/images/icons/smile.gif) will have to make a choice.<hr></blockquote> (Emphasis added.)
I just said the overlap probably wasn't big enough to be a huge issue in terms of sales, not that it didn't exist. I'm a big TOS fan myself (though I only bought two of the DVDs because they were such a lousy value) and I liked TNG well enough, after it hit its stride around S3. DS9 never did anything for me, since I disliked most of the characters who got the majority of the screen time. I've heard it got better in the last few seasons, long after I'd given up on the show, so I might check those out on DVD - assuming I can rent them. /ubbthreads/images/icons/smile.gif The less said about Voyager the better, and Enterprise has foiled my attempts to like it.
Regards,
Joe
Joseph DeMartino
Moderator
Re: B5 DVD\'s?
<blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr>Judging by what you say you have I think you have a much larger home entertainment budget than a majority of people.<hr></blockquote>
Ah, but that was in the good ol' days (two years ago /ubbthreads/images/icons/grin.gif) before layoffs and the recession hit. Now I can pinch a penny with the best of them.
From 1997 to 2000 (when I bought my house and most of my furniture and toys) I worked for an expanding company and got a handsom raise each year. (Between my start date in j1997 and my second anniversary in 1999 my salary - which was already $7,000 higher than that on my previous job - went up by another $10,000. My 2000 annual review, which should have been in July and accompanied by another raise, was put off without explanation. Of course, when they closed down my office in August I pretty much figured out the why I'd never received a review or a raise. Severence pay was based on current salary. /ubbthreads/images/icons/smile.gif)
Now I'm working nights at a bookstore for considerably less than half of what I used to earn, and picking up the odd computer consulting job on the side. Trust me, in these circumstances you learn to economize. (I even dropped my subscription to the local newspaper because I can get the want ads for free on-line.)
So I will be one of those who has to choose between buying B5 on DVD (my first DVD purchase in over 18 months) or TNG, if I haven't found a real job by fall. Guess which one I'll be picking? /ubbthreads/images/icons/grin.gif
Regards,
Joe
<blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr>Judging by what you say you have I think you have a much larger home entertainment budget than a majority of people.<hr></blockquote>
Ah, but that was in the good ol' days (two years ago /ubbthreads/images/icons/grin.gif) before layoffs and the recession hit. Now I can pinch a penny with the best of them.
From 1997 to 2000 (when I bought my house and most of my furniture and toys) I worked for an expanding company and got a handsom raise each year. (Between my start date in j1997 and my second anniversary in 1999 my salary - which was already $7,000 higher than that on my previous job - went up by another $10,000. My 2000 annual review, which should have been in July and accompanied by another raise, was put off without explanation. Of course, when they closed down my office in August I pretty much figured out the why I'd never received a review or a raise. Severence pay was based on current salary. /ubbthreads/images/icons/smile.gif)
Now I'm working nights at a bookstore for considerably less than half of what I used to earn, and picking up the odd computer consulting job on the side. Trust me, in these circumstances you learn to economize. (I even dropped my subscription to the local newspaper because I can get the want ads for free on-line.)
So I will be one of those who has to choose between buying B5 on DVD (my first DVD purchase in over 18 months) or TNG, if I haven't found a real job by fall. Guess which one I'll be picking? /ubbthreads/images/icons/grin.gif
Regards,
Joe
A_Ranger
Regular
Re: B5 DVD\'s?
I'm just on the regular old poor college student budget. I don't know how I"ll afford all of em. Hopefully season 1 will come out around Xmas time. Maybe I can con my parents into plopping out extra money for when the other seasons come out. If not, then I don't know how I'll come up with the money
I'm just on the regular old poor college student budget. I don't know how I"ll afford all of em. Hopefully season 1 will come out around Xmas time. Maybe I can con my parents into plopping out extra money for when the other seasons come out. If not, then I don't know how I'll come up with the money
GKarsEye
Regular
Re: B5 DVD\'s?
Joe, good luck, man. I'm in the tech field, too, and I know how hard it's been. My company's going through some major restructuring, so who knows what's going to happen. Hopefully, good things. The market may be turning around, soon, so things should be better. Heck, I think my company's looking for network engineers and technicians. Wanna live near Boston? /ubbthreads/images/icons/smile.gif
Since I spend the vast majority of my spending money on music, I am very picky about DVDs and such. For this reason, I am not getting the Trek DVDs, because I probably wouldn't watch them more than once. Oddly enough, I got the Prisoner box set without watching a single episode, but that's a lot cheaper and I don't regret it (that last episode goes great with the lights off and some "brownies").
But if B5 comes out, you bet your ass I'll jump all over that shit. If I have to put a moratorium on all the crap I get from www.disciplineglobalmobile.com for a while, so be it.
Joe, good luck, man. I'm in the tech field, too, and I know how hard it's been. My company's going through some major restructuring, so who knows what's going to happen. Hopefully, good things. The market may be turning around, soon, so things should be better. Heck, I think my company's looking for network engineers and technicians. Wanna live near Boston? /ubbthreads/images/icons/smile.gif
Since I spend the vast majority of my spending money on music, I am very picky about DVDs and such. For this reason, I am not getting the Trek DVDs, because I probably wouldn't watch them more than once. Oddly enough, I got the Prisoner box set without watching a single episode, but that's a lot cheaper and I don't regret it (that last episode goes great with the lights off and some "brownies").
But if B5 comes out, you bet your ass I'll jump all over that shit. If I have to put a moratorium on all the crap I get from www.disciplineglobalmobile.com for a while, so be it.
kin_of_zathras
Regular
Re: B5 DVD\'s?
"Plus DS9 and Voyager (when they hit DVD as well). "
hahahahaha!
you're gonna buy voyager!
nothing personal dude.
how about sponsoring my b5 collection intead
I have nice cousin sisters....
just kidding
"Plus DS9 and Voyager (when they hit DVD as well). "
hahahahaha!
you're gonna buy voyager!
nothing personal dude.
how about sponsoring my b5 collection intead
I have nice cousin sisters....
just kidding
D
**DONOTDELETE**
Guest
Re: B5 DVD\'s?
Well kin_of_zathras
Lets see some pics and information about your cousins and sisters. then we'll talk when the DVD's come out.
To the rest of you, I'm not rich, but when it comes to DVD's I don't hold back. I have a lot of movies that I bought on tape before, and I've purchased DVD's (that are available) for the one I like. espacally if they have Extras.
I'm glad that some of my favorite shows including B5 are going to come out on DVD. Even without a lot of extras, it would be nice to have them on a format that won't degrad overtime.
If anybody has seen the way the X-files or TNG for that matter have their season boxes. That is a good way to do it. 6 Disks for a season and an extra disc.
Well kin_of_zathras
Lets see some pics and information about your cousins and sisters. then we'll talk when the DVD's come out.
To the rest of you, I'm not rich, but when it comes to DVD's I don't hold back. I have a lot of movies that I bought on tape before, and I've purchased DVD's (that are available) for the one I like. espacally if they have Extras.
I'm glad that some of my favorite shows including B5 are going to come out on DVD. Even without a lot of extras, it would be nice to have them on a format that won't degrad overtime.
If anybody has seen the way the X-files or TNG for that matter have their season boxes. That is a good way to do it. 6 Disks for a season and an extra disc.
