Are TV DVD Boxset a Rip Off?

Elmo

This could be in the LOST tread but are we paying too much for TV DVD box sets.

€49 for the first 12 episodes of series one of LOST. Why didn't they bring out a full box set of the whole series?

The same goes for the CSI franchise they only give you half a series.

So far the best value I have seen has been 24 series 1 - 4 for €124 in HMV. €30 a series and I still think that this is too much to pay, Okay and I bought the First series for €64 :mad: Can only blame myself.

So are their any good deals on DVD boxsets for TV shows?

I mean lets face it the american have made their money back from Advertising Revenue and Foreign Sales to other TV stations around the world surely the could cut the cost of the box set.

BBC and RTE series seem to be overly expencive.

Cabaal

I believe for the most part year, Startrek Enterprise Season 1 for example is over 100e to buy, yet they've canceled the show so now they're just trying to make extra money after pissing on all its fans. :mad:

Niall123

In shops yes. They're overpriced but all you really need is a region free player. Just buy online (e.g. from amazon.com) and you can get them on Region 1 for a hell of alot cheaper. E.g, Lost from them is €37 for the whole series.

SprostonGreen

I got the first two Sopranos series box sets for about €38 each, from play.com

Lochaber

Well I picked up the Babylon 5 universe set, (season 1-5, Crusade, all 6 movies) for €240 on play.com, thought it was a good deal for what you are getting and considering how much the individual seasons are... (€40 on play.com and retail in HMV for around €70-€80)

Nightwish

I buy them on the net as they are far cheaper. Dont buy them so soon after their release date as they are at their most expensive then. I agree with you on CSI though. Its a bit sh!tty only selling then in half seasons.

mathie

Got Teachers Seasons 1 - 3 for 28 Euro from DVDPopcorn.
For what you get its pretty good
M

YeatsCounty

Onlline purchases (of mostly Region 1 disks) are the way to go, you'll get the best deals there. Lost Season 1 is around $50 in most stores here. As far as I can see, most TV Series box sets are in that price range, but I haven't been in that many video stores.

Pigman II

Whats the point tho really? Unlike favourite movies, TV shows (even my favs) have no rewatch value and all they do is look nice gathering dust on a bookshelf.

MisterAnarchy

Yes I agree ,these Tv boxsets are a rip off.
If you by a film on DVD in most cases it wont have been on TV yet,it will only have been in the cinema.
I find it strange people buy a TV series on DVD after it being on TV.

mickymg2003

The full first series of lost will probably be released over here once its finished airing on channel 4. And it will most likely be better value that waisting your money on just the first part of it.

I do rewatch tv shows that i get on dvd. I watch family guy a good bit when i have some time to kill.

Basq

mickymg2003 wrote:

The full first series of lost will probably be released over here once its finished airing on channel 4.

It will... i've seen it on a few sites on pre-release for February.

^CwAzY^

I got the Lost full series region 1 for €52 on cdwow (well worth it, best tv show ever made), there's no way I was paying €50 for 12 eps then another €50 for the last 12 eps in a few months time.. To whoever said tv boxsets aren't rewatchable, then don't buy them.. I always rewatch the boxsets I own, 24, father ted, seinfeld, the oc, etc

Mossy Monk

i wouldnt say they are a rip off, if you dont buy them from a shop and wait a while before buying online

i saw The Sopranos a few weeks ago for €85 per season. cant remember where but it was somewhere in Waterford. that price is an absolute disgrace

i picked up Shameless Series 1 on Play.com for €23 which i thought was very good

ixoy

Not really, if you aren't foolish enough to buy them in Irish stores at inflated prices. I got S1-S3 of Stargate, for example, at €20ish each. Minute for minute, TV boxed sets generally work out better than purchasing a movie and there's few movies I'd watch more than 2-3 times. In fact most of my recent purchases have been TV shows as a result of this..

missingtime

In HMV in Cork for about the last month they have had a sale on box-sets. You can get The X-Files for about 30-40 euro. Same for Sopranos and CSI.

When The X-Files box sets came out first they were about €130 that pissed me off something shocking.

Laguna

I'm sorry all, but Star Trek: Enterprise is easily the most expensive boxset of a tv series.. EVER

For just four seasons comprising of 24-25 episodes each, the boxset has a suggested retail price of £349.99... WTF!, play.com sell it at a 'reduced' price of £249.99, but JESUS christ...

sceptre

ixoy wrote:

I got S1-S3 of Stargate, for example, at €20ish each.

I'm sorry, you what now? Where might that be from then?

tvnutz

Ye if you buy boxsets in Irish stores you will be ripped off. Buy them online,and you can usually get some good deals,especially if you have a multi region dvd player. The Buffy and Angel boxsets are close to 100 euro,I got a few different seasons for less than 50 e.

The most expensive ones are HBO,they only have half the number of episodes than a normal show,yet seems to be twice the price,even on the net. Yes,HBO shows are mostly better than the majority of crap on tv...but its still a rip off for only 12 or 13 eps.

whiskeyman

Not really a ripoff, but markup is huge.
XFiles used to be around €100 per series, not its down to around €30 in some places.
Band Of Brother is now half what it was last year.
Lost series will be high now, but in a couple of years it'll be cheap.
They may as well charge it if demand is there..

sweetie

If you think dvd sets are too expensive buy a dvd recorder with haard drive
and you can keep a dvd copy of your favourite shows for free. And it is legal!
I currently am copying Rome, 4400, threshold, Larry Sanders, Seinfeld, Mad
about you and Medium.

ixoy

sceptre wrote:

I'm sorry, you what now? Where might that be from then?

DVDSoon.com are selling S1-S7 for CA$36.98 currently which is actually €26.70 quid each so a little bit of an exagerattion but not too much...

Nimrod's Son

Irish stores definitley extract as much money out of you as possible for their boxsets. Play is the way to go I find.

Elmo

If you think dvd sets are too expensive buy a dvd recorder with haard drive
and you can keep a dvd copy of your favourite shows for free. And it is legal!
I currently am copying Rome, 4400, threshold, Larry Sanders, Seinfeld, Mad
about you and Medium.

Yeah I have a DVD Recorder (no hard drive) I am copying The Practice, Medium, alias and Grounded for Life because RTE put them on in the early hours of the morning

But I would like to have at least the first season of a show on DVD in a box set

I don't get why people buy Friends, The Simpsons and other shows that are repeated so much on TV.

gary_s

Pigman II wrote:

Whats the point tho really? Unlike favourite movies, TV shows (even my favs) have no rewatch value and all they do is look nice gathering dust on a bookshelf.

I would say that goes for TV shows AND movies (unlike music CDs which bear repeated listening... well some of them!)

That said I have written to santa for two DVD box sets of TV series/mini-series, but only because I missed them on TV and they're available on DVD at bargain prices. I'll no doubt watch them once and then flog them on eBay

Cork

Whats the point tho really? Unlike favourite movies, TV shows (even my favs) have no rewatch value and all they do is look nice gathering dust on a bookshelf.

I would agree. I think TV series are so often repaeted - box sets are a dust gatherer.

The same goes for movies unless you really enjoyed the movie.

I love many TV series but I would not sit down and watch them again.

It is as bad as watching repeats.

AdMMM

Recently I've been picking up alot of boxsets in Gamestop second hand. Picked up the first 4 series of 24 for €15 each, the first 2 series of Bo Selecta for €6.99 and the first two series of Scrubs for €20 each.

cashback

Cork wrote:

I would agree. I think TV series are so often repaeted - box sets are a dust gatherer.

The same goes for movies unless you really enjoyed the movie.

I love many TV series but I would not sit down and watch them again.

It is as bad as watching repeats.

The one exception to that are comedy series i think. Can't imagine watching something like Lost multiple times but I've bought sets of The Office, Alan Partridge and Curb your enthusiasm and watched them loads. Unlike a drama series, you can just stick it on and watch one or two.

RuggieBear

Cork wrote:

I would agree. I think TV series are so often repaeted - box sets are a dust gatherer.

The same goes for movies unless you really enjoyed the movie.

I love many TV series but I would not sit down and watch them again.

It is as bad as watching repeats.

I'd agree with that to a certain extent but I must have watched my Band of Brothers dvds 5 to 6 times now...practically know all the lines at this stage

nlgbbbblth

ixoy wrote:

DVDSoon.com are selling S1-S7 for CA$36.98 currently which is actually €26.70 quid each so a little bit of an exagerattion but not too much...

Avoid DVD Soon
More info in the latter pages of this thread

nlgbbbblth

Anyone who buys TV boxsets in Irish stores needs their head examined.

Region 2
www.play.com
www.sendit.com

Region 1
www.playusa.com
www.amazon.com

I buy a lot of TV boxsets and watch them more than once. I have my own television schedule and try to watch things just once a week on a certain day - the way in which they were intended to be shown.

Most of the stuff I like dates from 1967 - 1989 with some recent comedy thrown in.

The best company for releasing archive shows are Network.
www.networkdvd.co.uk

MorningStar

MisterAnarchy wrote:

Yes I agree ,these Tv boxsets are a rip off.
If you by a film on DVD in most cases it wont have been on TV yet,it will only have been in the cinema.
I find it strange people buy a TV series on DVD after it being on TV.

I don't get who buys them or what they do with them either. Buying the "Friends" has got to be one of the worst buys considering it is on every day anyway.

I don't buy much DVDs either way as I don't find myself rewatching them that much and in soome cases never.

A friend of mine thinks it all the kids brought up on videos. THe fact that parents used to stick their kids in front of videos to shut them up now has a generation of people who equate owning a dvd disc as a way to pleasure. MInd you the same could be said to most people who collect to an extent

Vokes

Battlestar Galactica: Season 2.0

i.e. the first 10 eps of Season 2.

roughly €45

TCamen

The reason 'The X-Files' sets came down in price is because FOX re-issued them after they originally released them for much higher RRP and they didn't sell that well.

I like to get older series on DVD that I haven't seen in ages to re-watch them, e.g Murder One/Profit though there's lots of series like The Shield that I missed first time around on TV and couldn't be bothered waiting for FX to get back to the beginning again so I got the first 3 seasons for €25 each - I don't consider that a waste of money whether I've seen the series or not because any series I'd consider getting on DVD is one I'd watch multiple times.

Anyone who buys TV boxsets in Irish stores needs their head examined.

*Sometimes* when there's sales on in Irish stores, the discounts on TV DVDs can be decent enough. For example, 'The Shield' S1 has been down to €29 or so in HMV/Virgin from time to time, which isn't terrible when you're getting the set in hand rather than having to wait for it to be shipped. I got 'Murder One' S2 for €25 in Virgin Megastore over the summer, which was a bargain since the R1 edition hadn't even been released at that stage.

It's definitely worth having a rummage in Virgin/HMV from time to time to see what stuff they have on sale. Granted there's things like 'Babylon 5' and Buffy/Angel which are pretty much never in line with cheaper R1 sets, but sometimes there's good deals on other series.

ChumpStain

Gamestop is ok for boxsets actually, I got the infamous Lost box set for €30, and Scrubs for €40 which is decent enough. Especially when you're paying 55 - 60 for the full series of Lost on Region 1. Only this PC plays them in this house and everyone in my family is addicted so it helps that it plays on all my DVD players. So my advice is if you don't have a credit card etc, or can't download fast go for Gamestop. And Golden Discs in fact, Twin Peaks series 1 for €25! Basically, shop around

Basq

My advice... if you don't have a credit card, use 3V.

The amount you save when shopping online - have bought the Lost (Complete Series 1) for under €40, two series of 'Scrubs' for €25 each and the 4 disc set of Undeclared for €30.

A €5 surcharge is nothing compared to how much you saved as compared to your local HMV / Gamestop / Virgin etc.

ScruffySlayer

I agree the shops here overcharge but GameStop can be very good. Got alias season 3 for 60 euro there when it came out, only a few euro more then what play/cdwow were charging. They have Lost S1 Part 1 for about 30 euro when i was in there recently. Obviously not as cheap as R1 but still the cheapest I've seen s1 part for anywhere.

AdMMM

One of the reasons why I buy boxsets is because I miss the original episodes on TV and having the DVD's are much more convenient. As for replay value, I agree that with certain series like 24, there isn't much desire to watch it again after you've seen it fully for the first time. However series whose episodes don't really intertwine have tonnes of replay value! I find myself watching the first two series of Scrubs over and over again!

Lump Basher

SprostonGreen wrote:

I got the first two Sopranos series box sets for about €38 each, from play.com

Exactly - only suckers buy from HMV and expensive retail outlets. Same goes for Dixons & The Sony Store - like a magnet for suckers.

FX Meister

sweetie wrote:

I currently am copying , Mad about you.

Why?

sweetie

FX Meister wrote:

Why?

Because I like it?

Lump Basher

sweetie wrote:

Because I like it?

My condolances.

Tusky

basquille wrote:

My advice... if you don't have a credit card, use 3V.

The amount you save when shopping online - have bought the Lost (Complete Series 1) for under €40, two series of 'Scrubs' for €25 each and the 4 disc set of Undeclared for €30.

A €5 surcharge is nothing compared to how much you saved as compared to your local HMV / Gamestop / Virgin etc.

whats 3v ?

Basq

From 3v.ie:

A 3V Voucher™ is a disposable 16-digit prepaid VISA debit number issued by permanent tsb in association with VISA.

The 3V Voucher™ can be used by anyone aged 16 years or more and who has the use of a mobile phone to shop on the Internet, over the telephone or through mail order wherever the VISA logo is displayed. It can be used to make any number of transactions up to the monetary value of the 3V Voucher™ purchased and, when the funds are all spent, you just throw it away.

No Credit Checks, No Application Forms and No Bank References needed! No Stamp Duty or Interest Charges, just a nominal €5 surcharge for every 3V Voucher™ purchased. Please also note that a redemption fee of €1.50 will apply to redeem any unused funds left on a 3V Voucher and there is a 1.75% commission charge for transactions outside the Eurozone.

Lump Basher

basquille wrote:

From 3v.ie:

Sounds pointless. I have a credit card that will do the same thing for free...

Basq

YOU GENIUS..! :rolleyes:

Like i said.. it's for people who don't have a credit card!

Lump Basher

basquille wrote:

Like i said.. it's for people who don't have a credit card!

AKA suckers willing to pay a hefty surcharge and fee that could be easily avoidable with a Credit Card.

basquille wrote:

GENIUS...

Yeah, because I'm the one paying sucker surcharges...

Tusky

Lump Basher wrote:

Sounds pointless. I have a credit card that will do the same thing for free...

hahahahaha. youre a twat.

Lump Basher

Tusky wrote:

hahahahaha. youre a twat.

Because?.....

FX Meister

sweetie wrote:

Because I like it?

Oh ok, I didn't think that show had any fans. The combination of Helen Hunt and Paul Riser just boggles the mind. Why anyone would put two of the most annoying actors in a sit com together is beyond me. Don't forget to catch the Golden Girls too.

Blisterman

Most DVD box sets go way down in price after a few months.
Simpsons is buy one get one free at the moment.