Those wacky Brothers Warner are always looking to make a buck, but this time I think they offer a wonderful opportunity to fans while breaking out a new on demand service that will offer “longtail” releases that were never scheduled for DVD to now be available.
Warner Bros has produced over 6,800 theatrical films, but only 1,200 or so titles are available on DVD today. But tonight the studio has announced that they are opening their movie vault, through a new website — WarnerArchive.com. Until now, the limited sales potential of some films and tv shows has prevented Warner Bros from making the titles available to the public. The new site is an on-demand manufacturing operation which allows customers to purchase long tail titles. Movies will cost $19.95, and will be shipped in a shrink-wrapped case with cover art within five days of purchase.
I think this is pure brilliance by WB and I do hope that other studios follow suit.
With this “on demand” service they leave themselves with far less risk on titles they haven’t released thinking it wouldn’t be worth while. Now those small groups of fans who wish their guilty pleasure or a moment from their past would show up on the Dvd shelves so they can relive some nostalgia or add it to their collection will have the opportunity to own a movie or TV Series that previously WB wouldn’t have thought twice to releasing.
Some simple math calculates out that with 5000 titles or so potentially being offered, (there is only 150 on the site right now) and with their schedule to release 20 new movies or TV eps a month it will take 22 years for the entire library to be available. Of course many of the titles on the list are much older and titles you may have never heard of, so I doubt it will take that long to fill their online service catalogue.
Would you be willing to shell out $20 to own a copy of a film or TV show previously not released to DVD?
