Arrow not releasing this movie on DVD

[TheOwlsAreNotWhatTheySeem]

i'm really disappointed this isn't on DVD. I doubt I'll be able to buy a BD player and hi-def TV for a long time.

Knowing future releases may not be on DVD also makes me less inclined to keep collecting current Arrow releases.

Couldn't Arrow at least go dual format? Eureka/Masters of Cinema and BFI do this, and they are the closest things to Arrow/CultLabs.

[TheOwlsAreNotWhatTheySeem]

Originally Posted by Nosferatu@Cult Labs

Check out this article in the Guardian far more on why Blu-ray has yet to replace DVD:

Thanks - interesting article. Also strongly backs up my suggestion that Arrow should do dual format!

Isn't this getting the worst of both worlds? BD collectors can't get them all on BD, and DVD collectors can't get them all on DVD.

BD will never replace DVD in a real sense. DVD will always be so much bigger than either VHS or BD - VHS was horribly flawed in various ways (price/quality/physical size), and BD will be overtaken by downloading before it even properly takes off. Just so many films have been released on DVD over the last decade - can you imagine, at random, things like AB's Norman J Warren box set, or Arrow's 17-DVD Fassbinder sets, ever being released on BD?

[peteyt]

HMV claims there's a DVD version but with no release date. Is this an error?

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by peteyt

HMV claims there's a DVD version but with no release date. Is this an error?

Yes, there's no DVD release -- this is Blu-ray only.

[peteyt]

Thanks for clearing that up. I don't have a blu ray player, but I'm slightly unsure if I should get it after hearing about the cropping issues. Is it really that bad?

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

Not in my opinion, no. If you want to read more and have a look at a gallery of some screenshots, take a look at my review:

The Bird with the Crystal Plumage Blu-ray Review

[Prince_Vajda]

Originally Posted by peteyt

Is it really that bad?

That is up to you. I personally really do not care that much - Nos also got used to the different aspect ratio, according to his review. But ask Daemonia - he will tell you a different story.

Besides, the transfer looks quite crisp to me. Judging from screenshots, the blood colour looks very natural, too. Mine will arrive tomorrow.

Greetings!

PS: Nos was faster.

[platostotal]

Now, I'm not one to criticize, but surely the right move is to release it on DVD first and when it recoups it's cost think about special edition Blu?? I will concede Arrow seem spot on (apart from pricing, but all companies incur my wrath on that) up till now, but this is beyond me.

[peteyt]

I wonder if part of the problem of sales is lack of DVD's in stores?

While I'm all for ordering online I love to be able to just go to my local DVD store, HMV, buy a dvd, and take it home, no waiting for it to be delivered, all nice and simple.

I bought Deep Red when it came out, there only seemed to be one copy, and after that copy went, thanks to me, it never seemed to be put back on the shelves.

Maybe a bit more promotion could help, showing people it was out. It wasn't on anything saying just released like some DVDs.

[platostotal]

Originally Posted by peteyt

I wonder if part of the problem of sales is lack of DVD's in stores?

While I'm all for ordering online I love to be able to just go to my local DVD store, HMV, buy a dvd, and take it home, no waiting for it to be delivered, all nice and simple.

I bought Deep Red when it came out, there only seemed to be one copy, and after that copy went, thanks to me, it never seemed to be put back on the shelves.

Maybe a bit more promotion could help, showing people it was out. It wasn't on anything saying just released like some DVDs.

Yep, even worse for Blu's I have a big HMV near me and at a guess Blu is only about 10% shelf space of sd DVD. Also correct that they may only have 1 or 2 copies of cult related stuff.