The Official DC Animation DVD Talkback, Part 6

[Dogbert]

Even though I'm not buying this, I'm still worried about the fact that WHV is calling this an Original Aspect Ratio DVD "preserving its original television exhibition." It seems to only reinforce the idea that WB doesn't care for widescreen releases.

 

[Supremus]

3 episodes!?!?!?!?!? No widescreen!?!?!?!?!? I could give the swear filter a run for its money right about now.

No to go cross-subject here, but in the debate about which is better JLU or Teen Titans, it's certainly obvious which show gets the better DVD releases. This is just disgraceful.

Just for that, I'm not going to buy any more WB DVDs of any kind until they start getting their act together. That should teach them.

Is there any chance this could just be the mini-DVD specs? ... Please?

Actually, GA does seem to have a little stump that could be his bow, but there's no string. Or maybe he has 6 fingers, just like those slack-jawed, knuckle-dragging, tobacco-spitting, armadillo-eating, cousin-marrying hillfolk at WHV probably do... allegedly

 

[William C. Maune]

Why is it that WHV wants to only please the kids anyways?

They don't only want to please kids. If they did then Batman Vol. 2 and Superman Vol. 1 would not be coming out soon. As long as they keep consistently bring out these bigger sets I don't see much of a problem.

 

[Hero Supreme]

As long as they keep consistently bring out these bigger sets I don't see much of a problem.

That is the problem! While we know that BTAS and STAS will receive box set treatment, we really can only guess about what sort of release BB, JL, and JLU will get (if any -- is BB ever getting another release?). I dont think people would be as frustrated if WB said that they would eventually release seasin sets, but for now they are releasing small 1 disk sets. Then we could make informed decisions and buy only the ones we want. Its the way WB and other companies are trying to double dip in th emarket by withholding their plans for future relesases.

How many people would wait for a Spiderman 2.5 DVD with extra integrated footage (though admittedly not too much) if they knew it was coming out in a few months? How many people will buy Spiderman 2 and 2.5 soley because they were uninformed during the first release? Same goes for Hellboy and Daredevil releases. How many people would not have bought the phantom menace on VHS if they knew a DVD release was pending? This sort of intetionaly double dipping in aggravating. The only case that dosent annoy me is with the lord of the rings, because the extended versions of the film are essentially a different product, and the details of there releases have not been kept secret until after the initial release has sold well.

The fact is, that as many people as are complaining about this mediocre JLU release, many of the complainers will give in sooner or later and buy the damned disk.

So how many of us are going to buy most of JL season 1 as single disk releases only to end up also buying a complete season 1 set if WB holds back from competing the single disk schedule? How many of us are going to end up begrudgingly buying WB releases in a desperate but futile attempt to get a complete collection. and how many versions of star wars am i going to end up buying before i finnally wise up? im up to 4 so far.

 

[n8twing]

Just when you THINK they START to get their act together....

I could scream. WB Video Dept. sucks beyond words-- JLU.... a more 'adult' show... gets 3 episodes with no widescreen.

I hate them.

 

[William C. Maune]

That is the problem! While we know that BTAS and STAS will receive box set treatment, we really can only guess about what sort of release BB, JL, and JLU will get (if any -- is BB ever getting another release?). I dont think people would be as frustrated if WB said that they would eventually release seasin sets, but for now they are releasing small 1 disk sets. Then we could make informed decisions and buy only the ones we want. Its the way WB and other companies are trying to double dip in th emarket by withholding their plans for future relesases.

I think we can probably assume that as long as the box sets remain successful WB will continue releasing box sets through the rest of the DCAU. Most studios just don't announce their overall release strategy for a property for an extended period of time. Paramount seems to do it with Star Trek, but that is the exception, not the rule.

For now they are releasing one disc sets, but they are also releasing the bigger box set volumes. The two differently styled releases target two sets of consumers. The box sets target us, while the single disc releases generally target parents looking for something cheap for their kids. It's not a double dip when it is targeting two different markets. The two releases are targeted and promoted differently.

So how many of us are going to buy most of JL season 1 as single disk releases only to end up also buying a complete season 1 set if WB holds back from competing the single disk schedule? How many of us are going to end up begrudgingly buying WB releases in a desperate but futile attempt to get a complete collection. and how many versions of star wars am i going to end up buying before i finnally wise up? im up to 4 so far.

The solution is to just not buy the single disc releases. The Batman:TAS Volume One release was very successful. Thus, WB knows there is a market for those kinds of releases and based on the upcoming release of two more box set volumes, they look ready to exploit that market.

 

[Hero Supreme]

I think we can probably assume that as long as the box sets remain successful WB will continue releasing box sets through the rest of the DCAU.

can we? other than wishful thinking, i have not seen any indication of this. the batman and superman box sets are listed as part of a "classics collection." i dont have any reason to believe JLU or BB will fit into that category, maybe JL does but it is questionable. What about SS? furthermore, the release pattern so far has indicated that since they are more or less releasing episodes in order on single disks, that whole seasons will be available that way, and season sets would be redundant. after all, the BTAS single disk releases seem to contain random episodes rather than sequential ones.

is it so much to ask for warner to say "box sets are in the works" without necessarily providing any specific details? I mean, which series will recieve the box set treatment? thats all i want to know.

 

[maxnugget]

That is the problem! While we know that BTAS and STAS will receive box set treatment, we really can only guess about what sort of release BB, JL, and JLU will get (if any -- is BB ever getting another release?). I dont think people would be as frustrated if WB said that they would eventually release seasin sets, but for now they are releasing small 1 disk sets. Then we could make informed decisions and buy only the ones we want. Its the way WB and other companies are trying to double dip in th emarket by withholding their plans for future relesases.

How many people would wait for a Spiderman 2.5 DVD with extra integrated footage (though admittedly not too much) if they knew it was coming out in a few months? How many people will buy Spiderman 2 and 2.5 soley because they were uninformed during the first release? Same goes for Hellboy and Daredevil releases. How many people would not have bought the phantom menace on VHS if they knew a DVD release was pending? This sort of intetionaly double dipping in aggravating. The only case that dosent annoy me is with the lord of the rings, because the extended versions of the film are essentially a different product, and the details of there releases have not been kept secret until after the initial release has sold well.

The fact is, that as many people as are complaining about this mediocre JLU release, many of the complainers will give in sooner or later and buy the damned disk.

So how many of us are going to buy most of JL season 1 as single disk releases only to end up also buying a complete season 1 set if WB holds back from competing the single disk schedule? How many of us are going to end up begrudgingly buying WB releases in a desperate but futile attempt to get a complete collection. and how many versions of star wars am i going to end up buying before i finnally wise up? im up to 4 so far.

Exactly. I have no problem waiting for the "collector's edition" releases. I can't complain about the single-disc releases in cases where WB changed their mind and decided that it was worth it to release season sets. That's fine, obviously your product offerings change in accordance with your estimation of the market.

What I DO have a problem with, though, is the increasing trend on the part of the studios to engage in strategically misinforming the marketplace in order to increase sales in not-so-ethical ways. Exactly to what extent this occurs, we may never know -- we're not privy to the internal workings of the marketing departments. But there's no reason so many people I know should have Daredevil AND DD Director's cut, Spiderman 2 AND Spiderman 2.5, etc... It's certainly not as if Spiderman 2.5's release was in question or contingent on the sales of Spiderman 2...

 

[William C. Maune]

can we? other than wishful thinking, i have not seen any indication of this. the batman and superman box sets are listed as part of a "classics collection." i dont have any reason to believe JLU or BB will fit into that category, maybe JL does but it is questionable. What about SS?

I think the fact that they are releasing Batman V2 and Superman V2 is an indication of this. If Superman can fit in the "classics collection" even though it only ended about 5 years ago, I don't think there is really a problem with the other shows falling under that banner. I don't think "Classics Collection" should be taken to literally anyway. It's likely mainly a way to designate that these are the DVD sets targeted for the fans unlike the cheap releases targeted at parents and kids. That way they specifically distinguish the two lines and having two distinct lines of product is also a way to warn the consumer they may be double dipping if they buy both lines.

is it so much to ask for warner to say "box sets are in the works" without necessarily providing any specific details? I mean, which series will recieve the box set treatment? thats all i want to know.

Eh, I think we can assume they will get to them as they get through Batman and Superman.

 

[Squall]

The way I see it, as long as we get the modern DCAU shows in DVD Box Sets (with widescreen for JL & JLU), I don't care what Warner Home Video does after that.

I'm patiently waiting for...

B:TAS Volume 1 (got it!)
B:TAS Volume 2 (already out?)
B:TAS Volume 3
B:TAS Volume 4 (TNBA)

S:TAS Volume 1 (already out?)
S:TAS Volume 2
S:TAS Volume 3

JL Season 1 (widescreen)
JL Season 2 (widescreen)
JLU Seasons 1 & 2 (widescreen)
JLU Seasons 3 & 4 (widescreen)

BB Volume 1
BB Volume 2
BB Volume 3

I'd also gladly buy a single Static Shock DVD with the episodes "The Big Leagues", "Hard as Nails", "Toys In The Hood", "A League of Their Own" Parts I & II, and "Future Shock" on it.

But, I agree about the single-disk releases, they should average 6-7 episodes per DVD, not a measly 3. What a rip-off!

You know what's really sad? If you go to websites like http://www.thedigitalbits.com/ you'll see that many TV shows and movies that few people outside of a film school in college would recognize have long since gotten the DVD treatment...

 

[Robin]

Does anyone plan to email WB about this. I don't think I've ever seen such outrage from the fans here and this would be the perfect oppurtunity to do something about it. WB has been really poor with most of their releases but this is their first blatant mishandle, where everything single thing about this release is completely wrong. This would be a good one to write in about. I'd like to see the posters and moderators give a go at this. Is there a contact email where we can send our feedback about this release?

 

[Fone Bone]

They don't only want to please kids. If they did then Batman Vol. 2 and Superman Vol. 1 would not be coming out soon. As long as they keep consistently bring out these bigger sets I don't see much of a problem.

But they HAVEN'T been coming out consistantly. Yes, BTAS and STAS sets are great but they should have come out three years ago. We should be on Batman Beyond and Justice League sets by now. I refuse to call throwing the fans a bone after so much pestering ANY kind of fan pleasing.

First Justice League disc I am not buying.

 

[William C. Maune]

But they HAVEN'T been coming out consistantly. Yes, BTAS and STAS sets are great but they should have come out three years ago. We should be on Batman Beyond and Justice League sets by now. I refuse to call throwing the fans a bone after so much pestering ANY kind of fan pleasing.

Another volume being released six months after the previous volume seems pretty consistent to me as far as box sets go. They can't go back and release the box sets three years ago. However, now that they are releasing the box sets they seem to be on the right track.

 

[Fone Bone]

Another volume being released six months after the previous volume seems pretty consistent to me as far as box sets go. They can't go back and release the box sets three years ago. However, now that they are releasing the box sets they seem to be on the right track.

If releasing a three episode, non-sequential full screen disc is the right track I'm gonna stop getting on the train.

 

[William C. Maune]

If releasing a three episode, non-sequential full screen disc is the right track I'm gonna stop getting on the train.

That disc is a different track meant for a different audience than the box sets.

 

[Trevor Balena]

I think I'm gonna have to agree with whoever said that there's a possibility that the disc will contain both fullscreen and widescreen versions of these episodes, but that it just hasn't been advertised as such.

Think about it. Even the el-cheapo single disc Batman and Superman releases had 4 or 5 episodes, and the Teen Titans and Static Shock releases (WHV's most recent releases of DCAU shows on DVD, and therefore perhaps the best case study) had 6.

So, I think it's entirely possible that this disc will contain both fullscreen and widescreen copies, for a total of 6 "episodes".

I don't see any reason why WHV would suddenly reduce the number of episodes they include on these things by half.

 

[Supremus]

... So, I think it's entirely possible that this disc will contain both fullscreen and widescreen copies, for a total of 6 "episodes".

Even if that were the case, which is by no means certain, having both wide and fullscreen on the same disc is almost as annoying, as we would still only get 3 episodes per disc.

There is no point in having a fullscreen version anyway. Apart from the fact that it's a waste of disc space, all DVD players can down-convert a properly encoded anamorphic widescreen DVD to pan-scan on the fly. This is how digital satellite and cable works as well, and nobody complains about that. There is a small loss of resolution, but people who don't like widescreen are generally the kind of people who wouldn't notice it anyway, let alone be bothered by it. And if the argument is that the discs are for kid, even better. They can't even spell anamorphic widescreen, and they certainly wouldn't realize if they were missing a few lines of resolution.

At the very least, they could make the disc a flipper and put widescreen on one side and full on the other, so we at least got a few more episodes, but that would mean doing something right, and that's just not the WHV way.

 

[TheScarecrow]

But they HAVEN'T been coming out consistantly. Yes, BTAS and STAS sets are great but they should have come out three years ago. We should be on Batman Beyond and Justice League sets by now. I refuse to call throwing the fans a bone after so much pestering ANY kind of fan pleasing.

But it didn't happen that way, so it's a moot point. Unless time travel becomes possible, it makes no sense to obsess over the lack of box sets three years ago.

 

[Hero Supreme]

But it didn't happen that way, so it's a moot point. Unless time travel becomes possible, it makes no sense to obsess over the lack of box sets three years ago.

i think the point is that we can hardly call their release strategy thus far "rational". that being said, who can predict what they will do next. so many peole seem to think that box sets are inevitable for all of the series. i am not convinced.

 

[GL2k2]

i think the point is that we can hardly call their release strategy thus far "rational". that being said, who can predict what they will do next. so many peole seem to think that box sets are inevitable for all of the series. i am not convinced.

Chalk me up of those people. I think WB has issues with worrying about how they can market something. If it wasn't for that, they'd just throw everything they got. I mean, I think marketing is holding back "Tiny Toons" and "Animaniacs" too, because you got the suits asking "Gee, I don't think anyone is going to remember that show." And that is the problem with all of the animated properties.