DouglasRobert

So my question is, how long from initial DVD release should a DVD's SRP (Suggested Retail Price) be lowered to a more affordable price?

I think at least 6 months to about 12 months for sets/ multiple disc releases.

Some DVD's have been on the market for years without a lowering in the price. Or have just recently been lowered in price. Some people really don't want to pay $20 or $25 for a year or 2 old recent movie or $50 or higher for years old TV product. Don't the studios realize that some people wait for the prices to come down before going and buying DVD's.

mookiemeister

I think if DVD is selling well, there is no reason for them to lower the price. They only lower price to get rid of some DVDs that were originally priced too high to sell well.

nemein

As long as the product is still selling at a reasonable level (I guess what that is depends upon the product itself and how the studio feels about it) they'll leave the prices where they are. If they feel they have sufficiently recovered their costs and/or they need to eliminate some inventory then they'll lower the prices. Considering the prices of DVDs (compared to rental VHS for example) personally I think most DVDs are affordable, whether or not they are "worth it" (movie/features vs price) is another story

renaldow

The cheapest you'll find a DVD is usually within the first week of it being released when retailers run specials on them. After that, it's regular price and generally stays that way as long as the movie/set is selling reasonably well. The only thing that really motivates studios to drop a price down the road is if there's a price change on catalog titles, or distributors complain because their warehouses are full of the non-selling discs. In other words, they don't lower the price out of the goodness of their hearts.

Walk into a Tower Records and find a CD released 10+ years ago, it's selling for more than yesterdays new release. Time has nothing to do with price.

SCHMEGGA

This is exactly why I get most of mine on release day. It is usually cheaper than my wife and me going to the movies to see it together.

Count_Zero

I've found that there really is no way to tell how long it might be before a price change. Take Universal's bare-bones/P&S DVD of THE SHADOW for instance. That was one of the first three or four DVDs Universal ever released (back in 1997 or '98) and it's just this month going from $19.99 MSRP to $14.99. So, who the hell knows?

philo

Generally I wish it were 6 months. Some titles take years for price drops.

I've been waiting ages for the price of HENRY & JUNE to drop. It still costs over $21 at DDD and this disc came out 4 years ago! I can't imagine it's moving many copies. Maybe if they cut the price they'd sell more.

There's very few titles I'll spend more than $20 on. I hate buying something then finding out a few months later its been reduced to $8.99

hifi

I think its none of your business, seriously, the movie companies run a business, there are no rules about when how what where why they release dvds. People perceive all this crap and assume it to be law and and when one studio doesn't follow these so called rules people freak.

Obviously I like it when prices are lowered, but since thats out of my control (or is it) I don't care.

/me waits for the "dvdtalk'ers should boycott buying DVD [insert dvd here] , so they lower the price quicker' thread.