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Ghost Cat
Guest
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 Posted:
Mon Nov 08, 2004 8:12 am Post subject:
Another dead format? |
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Noel (Flexplay 48-Hour DVD) - Amazon.com Exclusive
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00068RELO/
Is this another dead format or are studios testing waters of rental media
again? DIVX has flopped but that could be explained to the need of more
expensive players, registration via phone line etc. This time it is going to
play on ordinary machines and there are tens of millions of them already.
For DIVX customers it was a new thing, for most people it was a new thing
back then, yet the outcry was enormous. Circuit City was not very popular
store among early adopters of DVD. Did Amazon took that into consideration?
Anyway, price and convenience beats all. No matter how much there will be
outcry "Boycott Amazon!" in DVD newsgroups and forums most will go where the
price is low and the sailing is smooth.
Let's look at the price.
$4.99 + $2.98 (shipping) = $7.07
A bit steep for 48 hour DVD, don't you think? 43 cents more and you can
watch it on a big screen many months in advance. Interestingly enough the
regular DVD cost $2.49 to ship on Amazon. I wonder why the difference.
As for the convenience part, shopping on Amazon became pain in the azz. Even
when you manage to find what you need, swatting off annoying offers getting
in your eyes like flies on a hot day, you click on buy and the flies follow
you to the other screen. Did I step on a cow pie? Is there a dead mouse in
my hairdo? - the thoughts begin racing in your mind. - Where is "checkout"
button? I can't see anything. Get off me bloody buzzers! Ah, here it is.
Click. Damn! They are still there. I can't see what I'm ordering. What's the
shipping? Where's my address? What button should I click next? OH, F**K IT!
I am out of here.
Thank you for shipping on Amazon! - the explamation sign, now reminding more
a questiion mark or a used sex toy, tries in vain to catch up to the echo of
your steps running away.
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Pug Fugley
Guest
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| Posted:
Mon Nov 08, 2004 8:38 am Post subject:
Re: Another dead format? |
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Yes, I say it's already a failure. Just read those shill reviews about it.
Yeeesh.
"I cancelled my Netflix so I could rent this title. Taking the DVD's all the
way to the mailbox was way too much trouble. This concept it awesome!"
HUH????????
"Ghost Cat" <goaway@spam.nyet> wrote in message
news:WuBjd.41891$cS6.19286@bignews6.bellsouth.net...
| Quote: |
Noel (Flexplay 48-Hour DVD) - Amazon.com Exclusive
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00068RELO/
Is this another dead format or are studios testing waters of rental media
again? DIVX has flopped but that could be explained to the need of more
expensive players, registration via phone line etc. This time it is going
to
play on ordinary machines and there are tens of millions of them already.
For DIVX customers it was a new thing, for most people it was a new thing
back then, yet the outcry was enormous. Circuit City was not very popular
store among early adopters of DVD. Did Amazon took that into
consideration?
Anyway, price and convenience beats all. No matter how much there will be
outcry "Boycott Amazon!" in DVD newsgroups and forums most will go where
the
price is low and the sailing is smooth.
Let's look at the price.
$4.99 + $2.98 (shipping) = $7.07
A bit steep for 48 hour DVD, don't you think? 43 cents more and you can
watch it on a big screen many months in advance. Interestingly enough the
regular DVD cost $2.49 to ship on Amazon. I wonder why the difference.
As for the convenience part, shopping on Amazon became pain in the azz.
Even
when you manage to find what you need, swatting off annoying offers
getting
in your eyes like flies on a hot day, you click on buy and the flies
follow
you to the other screen. Did I step on a cow pie? Is there a dead mouse in
my hairdo? - the thoughts begin racing in your mind. - Where is "checkout"
button? I can't see anything. Get off me bloody buzzers! Ah, here it is.
Click. Damn! They are still there. I can't see what I'm ordering. What's
the
shipping? Where's my address? What button should I click next? OH, F**K
IT!
I am out of here.
Thank you for shipping on Amazon! - the explamation sign, now reminding
more
a questiion mark or a used sex toy, tries in vain to catch up to the echo
of
your steps running away.
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LASERandDVDfan
Guest
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| Posted:
Mon Nov 08, 2004 7:26 pm Post subject:
Re: Another dead format? |
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| Quote: | Is this another dead format or are studios testing waters of rental media
again?
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It's, indeed, another dead format.
FlexPlay is Disney's mistaken answer to try and counter the rental market.
Amazon is not the only retailer to stock items for sale. There are some
convenience outlets, such as 7-Eleven and Circle-K, that sell discs.
Selection is abyssmal and is usually limited only to hit titles from Buena
Vista (Disney, Touchstone, Dimension, Hollywood Pictures, Miramax).
That's the other problem with Pay-Per-View formats. You won't see very many
titles that aren't mainstream. Divx and FlexPlay have to cater to the lowest
common denominator with what's most "popular" to be profitable to the extent
that the studios would want. This would, in my opinion, flood the market with
cookie-cutter releases and keep truly cutting edge cinema out of reach for home
video release.
Fortunately, the average Joe or Jane would rather buy a disc that he can play
over and over that won't self-destruct "in five seconds." If someone wanted to
rent a movie, that person would usually go to Blockbuster and not bother with
FlexPlay. People may try FlexPlay for the sake of curiousity, but I suspect
that it would stay that way for the majority of DVD users.
When people spend money to rent, they are aware that they have to return it.
When people spend money to buy something, then they are expecting to be able to
use it for as long as they keep it, even though people may know that a FlexPlay
disc will expire once you open the sealed package.
It's the expectation that follows through what any buyer will experience, I
suppose. No one buys something that will spoil days later after opening it,
unless you think of a FlexPlay title like certain kinds of food. - Reinhart |
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One-Shot Scot
Guest
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| Posted:
Mon Nov 08, 2004 8:12 pm Post subject:
Re: Another dead format? |
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"Pug Fugley" <nosir@not.com> wrote in message
news:%SBjd.8461$O11.8457@newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net...
<<Yes, I say it's already a failure. Just read those shill reviews about
it. Yeeesh.>>
<<"I cancelled my Netflix so I could rent this title. Taking the DVD's
all the way to the mailbox was way too much trouble. This concept it
awesome!">>
<<HUH????????>>
That Amazon site is getting worse and worse. There are now more shills
on Amazon than there are on eBay. I thought that you were making up that
Netflix thing. But, sure enough, it's right there on the Amazon site:
"I recently cancelled my account with Netflix... I am VERY excited
about the Flexplay concept. It is exactly what a family like mine
needs; no late fees, no monthly fee commitment, movies at MY
convenience, for 4 times less than it would cost my family to go to
the theatre!"
And of course, the "awesome", Menthol-KOOL, throwaway technology is
worth the price of admission:
"And for the record, I havent' seen Noel, but I'm definitely getting
this movie on Flexplay. As cool as the technology is, I'm getting
one as a gift for a bunch of my non-techie friends who will be
baffled by this awesome technology."
The "distinctive red" adjective ad line and the double-whammy "coolness
factor" give this one away:
"I have seen the Flexplay technology in Disney's ez-D releases, and
itis the coolest thing! You will totally love it. You can buy the
distinctive red DVD anywhere, and open the package and watch the
movie whenever you feel like, even at 1am instead of dumb
informercials and reruns. And you never have to worry about
returning it, as 48 hours later the DVD turns into a black coaster.
I plan to buy several as stocking stuffers. Much less hassle than
giving someone a Blockbuster rental coupon, not to mention the
coolness factor. That's why I am giving the 5 stars.
Oh, and this gem from the Flexplay ad committee:
"... the DVD IS RADICAL!... As soon as you open the packaging, some
Inspector Gadget style technology takes over where you have only 48
hours to watch the movie as many times as possible before it self
destructs. Okay, so it doesn't really self destruct....it just stops
playing. But the concept is genius... great movie...even better
technology. |
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