'Star Trek: The Next Generation - Season 1' Coming July 24

[Super-VHS]

I'm guessing not a lot of real fans bought them for that price either, I've only started getting them on DVD and thats because FOX now has them at $15 a season or so, totally worth it at that price point, $125 never! Same goes for Star Trek on Bluray, I'll just wait a while till Paramount figures out that no one is going to buy them for that much money, except for the people where money isnt an issue to blow on stuff like this....

So, you waited, like, 12 years, to get the series on DVD?

'X-Files' was one of the first, and most requested, and most successful, series on the DVD format. Many, many, many fans paid the ~$120 price. Many more paid for the cheaper, but still expensive (I think $79.99?) slim-sets released in 2005-2006.

The $39.99 per season ($15-20 retail) the series goes for now is because Fox doesn't really care at this point. It's been pure profit for years.

[Josh Z]

Were there even full season box sets available before the X-Files?

IIRC, The X-Files was the first TV series to be released in full-season box sets. Prior to that, Paramount had released single-disc editions of Star Trek: The Original Series with two episodes per disc.

[MrAngles]

IIRC, The X-Files was the first TV series to be released in full-season box sets. Prior to that, Paramount had released single-disc editions of Star Trek: The Original Series with two episodes per disc.

I remember that. Those Star Trek releases (not to mention the VHS releases of Star Trek and The X-Files) even further reinforced the idea that the X-Files sets were a good deal at $100.

[ttringle]

I guess you didn't buy The X-Files on DVD at $125 a season when they first came out.

I loved that show and I bought season one on DVD, but it was just too damned expensive to get the other seasons and by the time they brought the price down to reasonable level. I had already become an HD snob and I won't buy them unless they put the episodes that were shot in HD on Blu-Ray.

But hell, I don't have to. it's on Netfix streaming, I can watch every episode any time I want.

anything above $50 dollars really makes me think about it. Especially with how streaming is taking over the entertainment empires. Eventually what I want will be available on streaming. So why buy it instead.

Just like Audio had to compete with Piracy in the 90's Video is going to have to compete with streaming in the 2010's or however the hell you say that correctly.

[ttringle]

No matter what if they sell it for the right price, it will sell many times more than previous sets so I have to believe that if more people actually buy it they will recoup their money faster. It doesn't make sense to price it out of reach of all but the most fervent fans. I consider myself one but if it's more than $60 or so I'll have to think twice about it.

[Super-VHS]

I had already become an HD snob and I won't buy them unless they put the episodes that were shot in HD on Blu-Ray.

'The X-Files' was never shot or post-produced in HD.

Much like TNG, the series was shot on 35mm* but had all post-production completed on 480i NTSC video. ,The series finished out the rest of its run while FOX was pushing their "Enhanced Definition" 16x9 480p crap in favor of real HD (FOX didn't start broadcasting in 720p until 2004) and so in season five, 'The X-Files' moved to SD widescreen (and is presented as such on DVD).

As it stands, 'The X-Files' doesn't exist outside of the SD realm (the movies aside). And I wouldn't count on that changing any time soon. Fox has shown little interest in the catalog TV on Blu market.

*The seventh season episode 'X-Cops' was actually shot on videotape, with basically the same camera equipment and crew that 'Cops' was using at the same time. Even if the series was given a TNG: Next Level style remastering, 'X-Cops' would still be standard def.

[gravis778]

You also have to remember that CBS is going to get money from syndication and streaming. TOS remastered was showing on television here before the sets were even available (my local channel only broadcasts in SD, but we were marveling at the new CGI effects). TOS is also available now in HD on Amazon and Netflix, for people who do not want to pay the premium. Yeah, I know, Amazon and Netflix's HD is not nearly as good as Blu, but its a heck of a lot better than SD.

I am watching Quantum Leap now on Netflix and Hulu (Netflix doesn't have EVERY episode) in HD. Granted, Quantum Leap has far less special effects than TNG did, but Quantum Leap isn't even available on Blu-Ray. It showed briefly in HD on HDNet, and you can watch it on streaming.

TNG, which is still widely syndicated, will probably easily make back what they spent on remastering between syndication and streaming rights. Blu-Ray sales are pretty much going to be icing on the cake.

I think $40-$50 a season, though, might be wishful thinking. $70-$80 a season sounds like a realistic price to pay. If TOS is any indication, though, these will probably have a MSRP of around $129. But I am sure Amazon will probably have it in the $70-$80 range, and probably drop down to $50-$60 in a Bargain of the Week or Lightning Deal.

Yeah, it may be $129 at Best Buy, but who freakin' shops at Best Buy anymore? This is probably why they had losses last year of over $1 billion. If CBS / Paramount releases these at $129 a piece, I am sure that is what Best Buy will sell them at, but I am sure most of us will pick it up for $70ish at Amazon.

[Krawk]

Interestingly enough - Amazon UK has it listed for £51.27 (which of course includes VAT) - They also list it as Region Free. With a release date of July 23 you would thing Amazon US would pull their heads out of their asses and accept preorders.

Star Trek: The Next Generation - Season 1 [Blu-ray][Region Free]

Shipping to US the non-VAT price w/shippjng converted is:
45.81 GBP = 73.6185 USD

I preordered it and will opt to cancel as the date gets closer if the U.S. site has a better deal (unlikely)

[Whirlygig]

If TOS is any indication, though, these will probably have a MSRP of around $129.

Listed on Amazon now. You called it...MSRP $129.99. Current pre-order price, $90.99. Pretty steep. Could a guy get a discount for having bought the sampler??

[Krawk]

I wonder if I should keep both the UK and US on preorder then cancel whichever one just before release date (??)
I did this with the Bond set and may cancel the UK one if they don't announce it as region free beforehand.

[Whirlygig]

The fact that this set costs as much as the Star Wars set just seems like a huge injustice...and the Star Wars MSRP is even $10 higher. When you think about it like that, the Star Trek set seems like a better deal since I'd take a full "crappy season" of TNG over SW modified-OT and craptastic-PT any day.

[OneManShow]

Listed on Amazon now. You called it...MSRP $129.99. Current pre-order price, $90.99. Pretty steep. Could a guy get a discount for having bought the sampler??

Damn. This may be the MSRP of Star Trek TOS, but it's pretty far from the pre-order price. I bought the first season of TOS for $64.99 on amazon at release. That ain't bad, but $90 is too much. Maybe the price will go down as we approach the release date. If not, I don't want to see it in HD that bad. I can wait for Netflix to get it or wait for a good sale.

[Bane]

I'm definitely not biting at that price. Was possibly going to wait until season 3 comes out to start buying them anyway so this makes skipping the first two (unless a big holiday drop happens or something) even easier.

[kjordan2001]

It's $74 on buy.com and deepdiscount.com.

[Krawk]

It's $74 on buy.com and deepdiscount.com.

Reminds me of Star Wars Collection - AMZ did not budge on their price, I preordered from DD, then at the last second the price went down on AMZ, it was a runaround with DD - at first they said they did not PM, I tried to cancel, they said they couldn't do it at that phase of the shipping, I said I would refuse delivery, then they reluctantly matched the price (via a refund credit.)