Topic: Dear WB, Universal, and Fox: Fuck you.

[gpw11]

These three studios have new policies:They will no longer supply DVDs for rentals until 28 days after their release date.  The idea being that this will boost disc sales and also increase video on demand purchases...which they profit more off of. I don't know how this really affects brick and mortar stores like Blockbuster as it doesn't appear the studios have gone after them to get them on board as of yet, but Netflix already signed on.  Redbox was fighting the good fight and holding out.  They threw down some anti-trust lawsuits, tortuous interference lawsuits (beautiful by the way), and got around the fact that they couldn't directly order the DVDs by sending employees out to clear out chain stores like Wallmart of stock. This makes sense, because RedBox's buisness model pretty much relies on new releases (unlike Netflix....probably).

Well, sadly, RedBox has now signed on....probably because they're a startup and don't have the capital to take on three movie studios in court.  But where does this leave the consumer?  Well, fucked I guess.  That or downloading shit.  I know which road I'm taking.

[nickclone]

So, let them do it. If anything, they're just pushing more traffic to the torrent sites...which happen to get DVD/BR quality releases before the movies become available anyways.

[idolminds]

This doesn't make a lot of sense to me. People that wait to rent a movie are already waiting months after the theater release. How many of those people are going to rush out and pay $20 for the DVD instead of waiting another month to rent it for next to nothing?

[Pugnate]

Hard to argue with idol's logic. It is very rare for me to want to buy a movie without either having seen it on cinema, or gotten a view from the magic underworld store.

The strange thing is that they are almost giving fuel to their competition. I am sure they make some money off of rentals, and if given the choice people will rent something else instead of spending $20 on a movie they aren't sure about.

Besides, with peoples qued up in services like Netflicks will people even notice?

[idolminds]

heh, Thats also a good point. It can be weeks before you can get a "new release" on Netflix as it is. I can't remember which movie it was, but it was at the top of my queue with a "Long Wait" for a good month and a half before they could send it to me.

[Cobra951]

So, let them do it. If anything, they're just pushing more traffic to the torrent sites...which happen to get DVD/BR quality releases before the movies become available anyways.

[beo]

So, let them do it. If anything, they're just pushing more traffic to the torrent sites...which happen to get DVD/BR quality releases before the movies become available anyways.

it's ridiculous for this very reason. in russia, they have to get the official releases out almost immediately to have any chance of recouping money on dvd sales - what the fuck do they think is going to happen in the rest of the world? when piracy was something that held it's majority with physical media, the western world would have to put up with the studios whims - but with the relatively unpoliced state of the internet, they need to give us more reasons to fork over money for their shit, not less.

UTTERLY RETARDED. i can not fathom this, it's going to lose them money.

i should also note that i don't actually care, because i will never pay new retail price for a dvd. £15 ($23) - fuck off. if i want to watch something, i'm going to watch it. if you want to charge me more than £5, i'm not going to pay you.

[gpw11]

[iPPi]

Haha so true gpw. 

[Pugnate]

Oh god I HATE some of that crap. Sometimes I have a nice dinner ready and by the time the movie starts I am already half a sleep with sauce stains on my shirt.

This is for DVDs I PAID FOR!

What is worse is when you get really agitated at advertisement number 3 and start hitting buttons in a panic, and somehow restart the whole crappy thing.

[iPPi]

Aside from the typical FBI and copyright warnings, I think most blu-rays don't have unskippable previews or commercials in them.  I'm trying to remember from my blu-ray collection and I don't think any of them have that crap.

[Pugnate]

Yea they don't seem to. I have only four blu-rays so far, but it doesn't seem to be an issue.

Even on DVDs it didn't happen regularly, but when it did, it was hella irritating.