Original Desmond

It's so much better than having to wait a week for a new episode, sometimes several weeks when there are non ratings periods.

This is especially true for continuous story shows like Angel, Buffy, Smallville and Alias.

I'm just loving watching these and other tv shows on dvd watching one episode after another really getting down and dirty into the story. Things are much clearer watching one ep straight after another.

I've read tv shows on dvd are amongst the best sellers on dvd.

Giantrobo

I totally agree. I don't have cable so watching series on dvd boxsets is very cool.

Some of my faves are The Sopranos, Six Feet Under, and Britcoms like Absolutely Fabulous and Thin Blue Line.

Jackskeleton

Yeah... who would have thought that "all at once whenever you want it" would be better than "spread out and not on your schedule" would have been the better of the two...

Bronkster

I got sucked into this more than I thought I would. Some shows were a no-brainer for me, like ST:TNG and M*A*S*H, but I've also gotten into trying out shows I'd never watched before, like Buffy and Sopranos. I've currently got over 20 seasons of various shows to watch, some I love, some I've yet to introduce myself to. I love the whole DVD format because of the freedom it gives me.

ClarkKentKY

I've only watched ALIAS on DVD. Now that i'm caught up i'm sort of disappointed i'll have to wait every week for the story to continue.

tofu

I always have that feeling after finishing a show on DVD. We get spoiled by being able to watch them in continuous fashion like that.

tonyc3742

In a way, it's kinda sad--here's a series that dozens of people work on, possibly for years, and the show comes out over most of a year, and then it gets released on DVD and some people watch it in a weekend or a week and then want the next season.
I'm the same way, but it's definitely another aspect of our 'instant gratification' society. When I first got Showtime and On Demand, I watched almost every episode of Dead Like Me in a weekend [because they expired the next Tuesday], then didn't want to wait for the new episodes.
But yes, I also love TV on DVD; I think 9 of my last 12 purchases/recievings have been TV on DVD.

Fok

I agree, TV shows on DVD are awesome.

quackers

I recently purchased 24 Season 1 for 14.99 during one of those sales.

I'd never watched a minute of this show but for 14.99 couldn't pass up.

I finally sat around last weekend and started watching it and couldn't stop. I ended up watching the entire season in two days. I couldn't imagine having to wait a week to see what happens next. I'll probably purchase seasons 2 and 3 and I might try and watch season 4 when it starts but we'll see, I may just wait for the DVD.

RayChuang

I definitely like watching TV shows on DVD! Avoiding the commercials is one good thing, the picture quality is generally excellent, and sometimes you get longer versions of the episodes, too.

One DVD set I really liked was Sailor Moon First Season in the original Japanese version with English subtitling (all 46 episodes). (Alas, it's no longer available no thanks to a change in Toei Animation's license policy after the set was released by ADV Films.) Unlike the American version "adapted" by DiC, the original Japanese version is much darker and probably not recommended for viewers under 11 years old. But it also has vastly superior storytelling, too.

SuprVgeta

Heh, I think the majority of us have this feeling. I bought several TV shows over the last couple of months, the majority in the $14.99 sale(s), and I haven't gotten around to watching them yet, but that's what I love about having them on DVD - I can watch them whenever I feel like it.

wearetheborg

I bought buffy season1, was planning to watch 2eps/day.
Ended up watching the entire season in < 12 hrs.
Its like drugs, very addicting.

DeadLamb

I really like TV on DVD and own a ton of of shows.. Still, on some level you do lose that little kid like anticipation of the next show in 7 days and having to wait to find out what happened..

This only kicks in for shows that are drama based like say Alias or mini ep to ep cliff hangers on 24 etc.. I don't know for example if that new show Lost will have the same effect on DVD as it does now. Don't get me wrong, I don't think a show suffers a ton from being on DVD but there is a little trade off if you don't have to wait for some shows.

BizRodian

I'm go against the grain.

Watching something spread out, like Buffy, lets me experiance the show in "real time" so a year to me, is a year on the show. In that respect, I grow with the characters more. I can't imagine Season One Willow becoming Season Four Willow all in a few weeks. I don't think it would seem as good to me.

I generally watch TV shows on DVD very slowly for this reason.

Darkfriend

I got "24 season 1" as a gift awhile back and I watched the whole thing in 2 days also

I'm staying away from the TV because I could not stand the torture of waiting a week to find out what's happening next. Same goes for The sopranos.

68ShelbyGT500KR

Since I don't have cable, I bought The Sopranos(all Seasons) and Band of Brothers on DVD. I have watched both 2 times and enjoyed them greatly. Good for a marathon viewing!

spartanstew

I'm probably one of the very few TV and Movie junkies that's never watched a TV show on DVD and I don't ever intend to own any. I have 5 directivos with a total capacity of 500 hours. I also have 200 DVD's. If I want to watch TV, there's always something on one of the tivo's and if I want to watch a movie, then that's what the HT room is for. I actually enjoy the anticipation of upcoming episodes on really good shows.



Stew

BigDan

I don't mind waiting for the next episode of a show if I only have to wait a week (two at the outset), but when shows are off the air for months at a time (as they are now quite often), I don't care for it (especially with a show with a season-long arc. By the time the show comes back, I don't remember what's happened before).

What they're doing with Alias and 24 this season is good for me (delaying the premieres until January and playing them weekly without significant interruption).

I really do enjoy the TV Shows on DVD, too, though. There are quite a few shows I'm willing to give a whirl on DVD that I didn't invest the time to find to watch during their broadcast run (Angel is a prime example. I don't know why I didn't watch it from the beginning since I was a Buffy fan, but I didn't. I ended up watching the first season on DVD and was hooked. Ended up loving just over 4/5ths of the series run).

Giantrobo

Just watch them once a week.

For me, I don't get to see most shows during their current seasons. I missed the last season of Six Feet under and most of last season's Sopranos eps so getting them on dvd, a year late, will work out just fine. Shows from the UK are a no brainer for me I must have them and for the most part they don't air here. I woud love some of the Star Trek sets but to me they're overpriced. I'm also waiting for The Nanny.

Crazy Aoshi

Allow me to go against the grain too. Whille it is indeed convenient to be able to watch everything at once on DVD, I do prefer HDTV to DVD. For example, one of my favorite shows Alias, looks better in 720p than it does in 480p. Now that I don't work for ABC anymore, I no longer have access to that HDTV feed, especially now that I live overseas. Here's hoping for blue-ray in a year or two.

tonyc3742

That's true. I'll admit HDTV, when done right, looks immensely better than even the best DVD.
We've got an HD-DVR, and being able to record HD definitely helps. But I still don't want too much tv, and most of what I do watch doesn't really benefit from HD. Plus, the hard drive is only 150 GB, and they say to not fill it up, so I can't keep stuff on there forever.
For me, the convenience and all-at-once [or multiple at once] capability of TV on DVD is still a winner. But, most of what I've got on DVD, isn't shown any more on TV, or has added features/deleted scenes/etc., so even if it were shown on an HD channel, other than the picture, DVD would offer a little more. Or I'll catch a show on DVD when it's a good price, that I never caught on first run.

Tscott

I love them. And there pretty economical too (if you can get past the marathon mentality). I tend to watch an episode a night, two at the most and this nets me 2 to 3 weeks of entertainment for my $40-$60- if instead I had bought a few movies for that same price that would've lasted me 2 to 3 DAYS at most.

I can't buy as many DVDs as I could 2 years ago, so when faced with the choice of a full season of my favorite TV show (or newly discovered TV show) or taking a chance on a blind buy of I, Robot or whatever- it's the TV show that wins out.

Red Dog

TV-on-DVD rocks. Over the last year, I'd say 3/4 of my DVD purchases were TV shows rather than movies. Oh and this is coming from someone who has 3 DVRs.

tonyc3742

Agreed, I'm not buying as many movies as I was for precisely that reason--would I rather spend 15-20 bucks on a movie DVD which has perhaps 2.5-6 hours of stuff, or 15-40 bucks on a TV DVD with 400-1500+ minutes of stuff. Some movies are exceptions [LotR, Star Wars], and of course I have to like the show or it has to be a good price if a blind buy.

Phil L.

Same here for us.