gmerreighnjr

didn't see this posted anywhere,but i got the following email this morning:

awesome news IMO

Ketchup

Does anyone know how much they will be typically charging on their site?

X

RIF

MovieExchange

Most likely they'll be charging full MSRP, and then giving the advertised 20% off on top of that.

Videodrome, for example, has a $39.95 MSRP. If that's the price Criterion bases their discount off of (and since they set the MSRP there's no reason to expect they'd use any other price), their website would sell it for $31.96.

By way of comparison, Amazon normally sells it for $35.99 and Deep Discount sells it for $32.15. DVDPlanet currently sells it for $25.97 (dunno if they're having a Criterion sale at the moment or if they're always that low).

Seven Samurai has a $49.95 MSRP. Criterion would sell it for 39.96. Amazon sells it for $44.99. Deep Discount, though, sells it for $32.38. DVDPlanet asks $32.47.

So, as always, check prices and make sure you're getting the best deal. Also remember the occasional Criterion sales at various online retailers.

Trevor

So basically 28% off retail and free shipping if you end up buying in $500 increments down the road.

I believe we have a lot of options that will beat that. But maybe the hard to find or oop ones will be available here longer than thru retailers.

Yakuza Bengoshi

35% discount on Criterion Collection DVDs has been standard at DVDPlanet for several years. Since merging with DigitalEyes, the final price is routinely even better thanks to the constant stream of $/off coupons.

Yakuza Bengoshi

Maybe, but doubtful. Unliked items discountinued for lack of sales, OOP Criterions remain in strong demain. Likely, Criterion will continue to fill retailer orders for announced OOP titles for as long as supplies last. Accordingly, their store will probably be one of the first places to go OOS on OOP titles.

MoviePage

Is there any danger that DVD Planet will be forced to increase their prices on Criterions because of this? Doesn't seem like Criterion would be happy about their business being taken away, but I'm not sure how it works as far as whether or not they would have any control over it.

Yakuza Bengoshi

I don't think DVDPlanet will be compelled to raise their prices because of the Criterion Store. Boutique DVD labels that run their own E-tail stores rarely or never do so with the intention of undercutting their established major E-tailer customers.

chase3001

If they can offer free shipping to Canada, I might be more inclined to shop there.

Dr. Henry Jones, Jr.

But maybe unlike DVDPlanet, your DVDs won't be crushed due to being shipping in a yellow envelope.

Johnny Zhivago

^ DVDPlanet went back to boxes... Mark posted it in the DVDPlanet sucks thread in the store forum.

Or rather... Reading it again... It looks like they are going back to boxes.

Yakuza Bengoshi

If you order $500 worth of DVDs at once though, DVDPlanet will put 'em in a box for you.

noahtc

Their prices are up now at http://www.criterion.com/asp/index.asp

gfoots

This is really a genius move on Criterion's part.
Traditionally, a retailer buys its product from a distributer for 40-50% less than MSRP.
The distributer buys its product from the manufacturer for 40-50% less than that price.
In this case a DVD with an MSRP of $39.95 probably earns Criterion somewhere between $10-11.
By selling directly to the customer, Criterion is setting themselves up for a much greater per-DVD profit.

tacos

Now that there is HD media on the market. I still think no 2 disc dvd should be over $20.

Yakuza Bengoshi

I agree. What's more, now that there are jet aircraft, no propeller aircraft should cost more than $100.

cupcake jesus

Looks like I'll be buying a Janus Films t-shirt - I've always loved that logo.

cheers,

-the Jesus

TomOpus

I wonder if they'll break the street date for new releases

PopcornTreeCt

I kinda feel the same way but Criterion puts so much extras on releases (Stranger Than Paradise includes another full length movie) that I tend to give them a pass.

I don't plan on shopping at the Criterion shoppe. However, I do hope many do as more cash flow through to Criterion could mean a faster decision regarding High Def.

Frenzal Rhomb

The only problem is that for now they're standing as a niche product for Standard Definition, which represents only a small percentage of the whole industry. So do you really expect them to take the leap into a format that only holds let's say, 1% or less of the current market?

Brooklyn

Got an order today with 2 Criterions. Shipped less than a week ago and was in
one of the yellow envelopes. Unless they changed policy within the past few
days I see no evidence they've stopped this miserable packaging. I'm 3 for 3
with these damn things (even after calling and having them note on my account
not to ship with the envelopes, only boxes). Several box sets, 4 Criterions,
then 2 Criterions, doesn't matter, all envelopes. To top it off my only Deep
Discount order lately also arrived in one (1 box set, 1 single and 1 - 2 DVD set)

PopcornTreeCt

True, I understand the risks are pretty great, however, I think it's also kinda hypocritical of Criterion as they have always tried to represent themselves as offering the best quality in video and audio.

If Anchor Bay can make the leap why not Criterion?

Matthew Chmiel

Anchor Bay is now owned by a much larger company who has the resources to take such a risk.

Yakuza Bengoshi

Criterion cares about putting out a quality product, but other than with respect to commentary tracks on laserdiscs, Criterion has never strived to be on the bleeding edge of technology. They adopted the DVD format only once it was fully mature and they were late to adopt anamorphic widescreen.