I have been thinking about this lately and I hate that many 2-disc releases are $10 more than the single disc. It really seems that for the quality of the extras on some of these sets that $10 is a bit much for an extra disc, I think that a difference of maybe $3-4 is more reasonable.

I used to always try and pick up the 2-disc deluxe editions when there was a choice, but lately I've been picking up whichever version I can get cheapest, which usually means the 2-disc if it's available from Columbia House or the single disc if I'm buying it previously viewed.

I like the idea of extras, but don't tend to watch that many of them.

I don't really like paying more for them, although I don't really think it's unfair to charge more for the extra disk, and make the movie only release cheaper. My biggest objection is that most of the DVDs that have this pricing scheme have a really mediocre second disk for $10 - $15 more MSRP--I look at the extras, and I can't justify paying that much more for them, but I want the "best" version, so I end up buying neither. Walk the Line is the most recent example--the cover is cooler on the 2-disk, but the second disk looks pretty mediocre (if it had some actual footage of Johnny Cash, esp. at one of the prisons, I'd have been all over it). It wasn't that much more, but still not worth it to me, and I ended up not buying it.

This topic has been discussed here before:

http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=444084

Actually, you're absolutely right! I even have Tarzan and New Groove in my collection, how could I forget!? I still stand by their trend in these cases, though, as both of those editions (and likely the Atlantis and Dinosaur 2 Discs) are jam packed with features that put most current special editions to shame. I feel that my $22 was well spent there.

I hope I'm not invalidating my previous statements now, I just feel like the 2 disc releases of today are not as well thought out as just a couple of years ago! I suppose I'd rather they just shelve these two-disc editions and slap one or two extras on a single disc release instead of putting together a lazy two disc edition to cash-in on those of us who can't help being tempted by the hope of some worthy dvd supplements. Then, even though we'd all be complaining about the lack of a better disc, we'd all at least have $6 saved up for some catalog title sale.

I chalk a lot of that up to the fact that now the masses are involved. Now they have to try to please everyone, including children, rather than a smaller group of people serious about film. Compare the earlier Disney special editions like the Fantasia Anthology and Snow White to the more recent ones: originally we mostly got great features for adults, now there are more "games" and music videos with pop stars.

Absolutely; perhaps this is the reason the term "Collector's Edition" is so seldom used in lieu of "Special Edition"? I just wish that they weren't a hybrid of both these days, at least I haven't seen a disc like the first Harry Potter film, where the kids would have to play a game for the adults to see a special feature, again.

I wonder if this shows that DVD is now accepted as VHS was at the start of DVD's reign, where family friendly fare was relegated to the older format. Should we be expecting a return to great features on the HD formats, with games and fluff sticking to DVD for the time being? I surely hope not, as I am planning on sticking with DVD for a while, before placing my bets in the inevitable money pit caused by two warring camps.

Ive been used to getting the super duper special edition in the past, only to say Ive got the best, I never really watched the features themselves but once or twice, with the price hikes I think Ill be downgrading to the single disc editions. Except of course the ala Lord of the Rings Extended editions with footage inserted back into the film.!

Understandable. Too bad you're still going to pay the same price for that single-disc that you used to pay for the special edition. That's what sucks about it.

Like the guy above talking about Walk the Line, I'm finding exactly the same thing- I'm not buying movies that I would have bought if they were packaged as they were a year or two ago. I won't buy bare-bones, but refuse to spend 30-40 dollars on a 2-disc set, so I just don't buy it at all. I don't get how they're making money this way.

On the other hand, the single disc editions seem to be dropping in price much faster than the old two-disc editions did. For example, Target has had Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Batman Begins on sale for $10 each, only 3-4 months after release. It used to take over a year for DVDs to drop that low, if they weren't downgraded to single-disc editions in the process anyway.

Walk the Line 1-disc was flying off the shelf all week where I work at. We couldn't keep it in stock. The 2-disc sold fairly well, but not nearly at the same level.

I think studios realized that most people just want the film. If a few extras fit on the disc, so be it. Unfortunately, the people who want lavish extras-loaded DVD sets are in the minority now, not the majority. On the bright side, for now we're still getting the option of an extras-loaded edition. If the possible cancellation of the Jarhead SE is any indication, we may not even get that in the future.

I think you are drawing the wrong conclusion. Many people are still interested in extras and they might even pay a couple bucks extra for them... but $10 extra? Hell no.

In either case, the point is that the lack of extras isn't significantly reducing sales, which is what would concern the studios. If they can sell the same number of DVDs, or near the same number at least, while reducing cost by eliminating a disc from the set, that's what they're gonna do.

I do what one of the initial posters does...buy the one disc version, then netflix the extras disc if it seems worth watching. No way I'm paying $10 more for a disc that I'll watch once.

= J

Wanted to bump this thread, because the trend lately just seems weird. the 1 disc releases are still ok, especially on release week, $14-15... but the two disc versions, even first week, are $21-22 or more, like $32 for Jarhead. I'm finding myself skipping on the extra material, so that I can buy another 1 disc release instead. What happened to the 2D version being just a few bucks more?

This trend annoys me. Sometimes the MSRP price difference is $1 but in street prices it's close to $10. In most cases the extra content is just unimportant fluff with maybe a 10 minute documentary. I wouldn't buy any two disc editions if I couldn't get them through Columbia House when fullfilling an account since the price difference is usually only $2-$3.

I passed on Walk the Line for now since I couldn't get it through Columbia House and the prices for the 2-disc are so high. Honestly, I want the 2 disc Walk the Line because of the packaging, there really isn't much on the second disc that I really want to see.

That's pretty much how I am. If it's a movie I really liked, I'll pick up the two disc. Of course, that's only if the extras are worth it, and not just some PR crap.

My guess is that the studios don't think the general public sees the added value in a second disc of extras- they just want the movie. The collector or film buff on the other hand really does want these things- and the studios are betting we're willing to pay through the nose for them. They are probably right. If there is a superior version of the film, even if it's just the packaging, more than likely a collector is going to buy that one instead. Take for instance Walk The Line. I really like watching the extras on movies I enjoy and on top of that the 2 Disc version has far superior graphic packaging verses the 1 disc floating head version. I know, I know- I'm anal. But I'm not alone- some of these other forum threads suggest the same thing.