Teremei

I found and bought Season 2 and 3 of next generation at Sam's Club for $43 and change. I thought I'd pass it on. A search here didn't pull up much. DDD also has season 1-3 very cheap but 4 and on are still up there. Perhaps soon all of them will be near $50. That's nice. I can finally collect my favorite series ever!

Dazed

Yeah, i remember this from another thread. Im so glad they are finally dropping in price.

I just need 1, 2 and 7 to complete TNG. Im now deciding whether to start collecting the others (TOS and VOY specifically) or just wait for the inevitible HD versions down the line.

DavidH

I thought about buying TOS if it too would drop to near the $50-60 mark. However, with HD formats nearly here, I think I'll just wait for that inevitable release.

DVD Josh

This is a repost.

In any event, I really doubt we'll see a price drop on 4-7. This is standard studio practice - lower the price of early seasons in an attempt to get people hooked to buy the later seasons at regular price.

fitprod

I wouldn't be too sure of that, we're in a transition phase for DVD now, much like the last few years of laserdisc, and studios may be trying to get rid of inventory...

It's the very early stages, but it's starting.

What else can explain the slash and burn Sony did over the holidays with the 2 for 1 deal on TV series? Sure they wanted to boost their bottom line for the quarter, but wouldn't price drops have been more logical instead of 2 for 1?

fitprod

DVD Josh

(Politely)

No we aren't and no we haven't.

Teremei

They can kiss my grits then. I'll own seasons 1-3 happily. If and when they ever decide to sell 4-7 lower, I will own them.

lisadoris

I'm still crossing my fingers that there'll be a price drop on Voyager soon.

Fok

If they were even cheaper I'd probably pick them up

brainee

What may be more likely is its a transition phase for Paramount and their Star Trek franchise. All Star Trek (at least live-action) is now out on DVD. There's nothing new in the works. That's it! They got away with rip-off pricing because the die-hard fans paid it. Now they're thinking about getting the crowd that likes ST, but not enough for $100+/season.

leacha

That's me.

emhello

Let me know when it's $29/season like most other TV series...

slothroplt

Bingo.

marty888

Yup, definitely would buy TOS if/when there is a substantial price drop.

Jeremy517

You are seriously overestimating the market for HD-DVD/Blu-Ray.

Seeker

$39.95 a season and I'm there.... (saw seasons 1-3 for $45 at Costco)

riley_dude

Wow. It took Paramount long enough.

Dmacsg1

Prices should have been around $50.00 all along! Damn Paramount!

I just need seasons 5-7 of DS9 and I will be a happy camper!

Come on Paramount...get ALL of your Star Trek sets lowered in price!

Take care all!!

Joe Molotov

I'd like to know where you're getting most hour-long, 26 episode TV seasons for $29. Sounds like I need to start doing my shopping there.

fitprod

HD-DVD/Blu-Ray is only a minor part of the transition, most likely it will make a significant dent either in late '07 or early '08, once the format war is officially over. (Toshiba and Microsoft will at least drag this through the first quarter of '07.)

Sales of DVD players have reached the saturation point, and sales of discs are starting to level off. With all of the big catalog guns out, the industry is going to have to rely on heavily on it's newer releases than ever before.

Overall unit sales were up last year but the revenue generated from them was down, be it only 1%, but considering that is the first drop in the home video market in 25 years, the studios are probably becoming nervous, since it is their primary link in their revenue chains. The "thud" that accompanied the theatrical releases last year didn't help settle their nerves either.

For the first time, they have a format that shouldn't require the consumer to re-purchase a title over. Assuming DVD lives up to the promises of never wearing out, Universal excluded, why should anyone re-purchase a title?

The only motivation they have are improvements such as new anamorphic prints, new supplements and extended cuts of films. And considering only the truely geekly like us care, what kind of customer base is that to draw from, espeically with a new format on the horizon?

You can argue that is a problem HD-DVD and Blu-Ray will face, and paritally it's true, but they will be able to recoup part of the cost with the initial higher prices.

The studios are also in the process of figuring out what to do with VOD, PPV and other delivery systems in a effort to boost their revenue. It may not work, lord knows the studios have been promising that move for nearly a decade now...

In those ways, DVD and the home video industry are in a major transition period that, for the first time in years, the future is not guaranteed.

fitprod

Jeremy517

It isn't going to make any significant dent. It is going to be a niche market.

As for the rest of what you wrote, nothing there gives any support to your theory that they are dumping inventory.