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  #31  
Old 20th May 2012, 10:01 AM
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Why is it that on just about every forum whether it be blu-rays, Doctor who figures or dvds, there is always someone that blindly thinks consumers should be eternally grateful to the distributor just for releasing their product?

You say that they are not making much profit from Prisoner dvds, well I can assure you they are not releasing them out of the goodness of their hearts either.

It shouldn't be too much for collectors to ask for a little commitment from the distributor, after all, they ask for our commitment in continuing to buy their product.

You seem to think we are not entitled to this information or any explanations, personally I think its a big ask to expect someone to buy 13 dvds of a series and take it on blind faith that the rest of the set will be released and risk owing a completely worthless half a series should they not be, especially considering the time period here which they are released over.

I really don't care if the next dvds take 2 months or 2 years to be released as long as we know they will be. Would it really take that much effort from the distributor to announce their commitment to bring out the full set if only to put collectors minds at rest? Well apparently it would.

At the end of the day buying and selling of these dvds is a beneficial to both parties involved and neither party should be beyond reproach

As far as I can see it would make complete business sense to show a full commitment as there may be people out there waiting to see if the full set will be released before purchasing and if they are not doing that and not providing this commitment for some reason, then that in itself is enough to cause concern whether the full set will be released

Is it selfish of people who are regularly parting with their hard earned money to want to know they wont be left high and dry with a worthless half set of dvds, I don't think it is actually.
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  #32  
Old 20th May 2012, 12:05 PM
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Originally Posted by The~Governor View Post
You keep talking about Fremantle Media but the DVDs are actually being released by Shock - is Shock the distribution arm of Fremantle or something?
Shock Entertainment are an Australian company, who own the Wordlwide rights to P:CBH. Fremantle Home Entertainment are the company releasing P:CBH in the UK. Trust me. I know what I'm talking about.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Robert View Post
wow JonD..you make some fair points although some of the comments are perhaps slightly patronising
and also unless you work for fremantle you can't be sure on some of the points you make
I wouldn't have said people are being selfish in what they have said..even if it may seem that way to you
I apologise if my comments appear patronising. They aren't intended to be. I am simply trying to get across the point, that people are whinging and (proverbially) jumping-up-and-down over not hearing any news. My argument, is that fans have no right to demand information, AND that there may be a perfectly legitimate reason for why there is no news on Volume 14, and that people need to be more patient. Unless you've worked within the industry (I have, and I'm going to assume most of you haven't - though I'm happy to be corrected), then it can appear to a distributor that fans expect and demand to know information, and if they don't get it, they throw their toys out of the pram, like babies.

Has anyone contacted Fremantle? Has anyone e-mailed them, telephoned them, or written to them? If the answer is "no", then maybe those of you who do want to know, should try thinking outside of the box, rather than just moaning on one Forum, that nobody's supplying you with information.

Also, whilst you are right in that I don't know what's happening, I did use the words "maybe" to make my point, thus explaining that these are possibilities, not facts.


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Originally Posted by sam tyler View Post
Why is it that on just about every forum whether it be blu-rays, Doctor who figures or dvds, there is always someone that blindly thinks consumers should be eternally grateful to the distributor just for releasing their product?
Umm, that's not what I'm saying. Fans should be greatful, especially for a show like P:CBH which runs for such a long time (692 episodes, I believe, at about 50-minutes each!), but they should also be a little less demanding from distributors. Sometimes things happen, that the distributor has no control over. In this thread, some of the fans are demanding information, that they have no automatic right to know of.

Asking for info, is one thing. Expecting and demanding it, are another. It's the latter, I have an issue over.


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Originally Posted by sam tyler View Post
You say that they are not making much profit from Prisoner dvds, well I can assure you they are not releasing them out of the goodness of their hearts either.
That's true enough. But Fremantle also release other stuff, alongside P:CBH and so fans of this show, can't expect a monopoly, just because they want it. Releasing films and DVD's/Blu-Ray's is a juggling act, when it comes to deciding what titles to release, and when to release them. Decisions are often made weeks or months in advance, but sometimes problems occur along the way, and a release is delayed.

All I am saying, is that fans should NOT be demanding information from Fremantle. They can ask for it. They can politely request it. They can make enquiries. They should not, however, demand it!


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Originally Posted by sam tyler View Post
It shouldn't be too much for collectors to ask for a little commitment from the distributor, after all, they ask for our commitment in continuing to buy their product.
I would have thought that 13 volumes, demonstrates a BIG commitment to the series. Distributors take a gamble on some films and shows. They can't make people buy them and nor would they. But just because there appears to be a demand for something, doesn't necessarily mean that that demand will equate into actual sales.

P:CBH is a small, cult TV show, with finite appeal, to a small, but loyal audience. It's never been a major success. It's never had mass appeal. As such, over a year's worth of releases from Fremantle, it's not going to be one that is going to be given the highest priority.


Quote:
Originally Posted by sam tyler View Post
You seem to think we are not entitled to this information or any explanations, personally I think its a big ask to expect someone to buy 13 dvds of a series and take it on blind faith that the rest of the set will be released and risk owing a completely worthless half a series should they not be, especially considering the time period here which they are released over.
You aren't entitled to that info! And I say this, as someone who collects films and TV shows. You can ask for the info. You can politely enquire for it, but you aren't entitled to it by automatic right!

As no one on here has contacted Fremantle directly, to enquire, then I would recommend to those of you who DO want to know what's happening, that you contact them directly. Their contact details will be easily available on the Net, so it shouldn't pose too much of a problem for any of the fans amongst you, in this thread.


Quote:
Originally Posted by sam tyler View Post
Would it really take that much effort from the distributor to announce their commitment to bring out the full set if only to put collectors minds at rest? Well apparently it would.
In the case of a series liek P:CBH the commitment is a long one. Therefore, even with the greatest will in the world, no company could guarantee 100% that all the episodes will definitely be released in the UK. It's like asking someone to guarantee that the sun will rise tomorrow. There's a 99.9% chance it will rise, but there may be a time when it may not. There's no absolutes, when it comes to film and TV releases.

And anyway, I think more fans would be pissed-off if Fremantle promised to release all the show, and then failed to do so. It's the lesser of two evils, I'm afraid. Never promise something that you may fail to deliver. That's the general adage that most small, independant film companies abide by.


Quote:
Originally Posted by sam tyler View Post
Is it selfish of people who are regularly parting with their hard earned money to want to know they wont be left high and dry with a worthless half set of dvds, I don't think it is actually.
That depends on which side of the fence you sit on. As I've said, the distributor's could promise you they will release every P:CBH episode. But, let's say another 5 years down the line, they're two-thirds of the way into the show's release, and the company goes belly-up, through no fault of anyone's. How would you feel, as a P:CBH fan, if Fremantle promised you that you'd see all of the releases occur, and then it doesn't happen?

I suspect you'd be livid.

From a fan's point of view, yes, you want to be sure that if you commit yourself to a major purchase, like P:CBH, that you'll be able to buy the entire run. So I fully understand where you are coming from. However, the fact remains, that there are no guarantee's in life. Even less, when it comes to the vaguries and highly complex issues surrounding DVD releases.

No one, from any DVD company, unless they were one of the major's like Fox, Universal or Warner Bros, could assure you that they would release every single episode of P:CBH, because they'd either have to release all the volumes together, all at once, or they'd have to invest a significant sum of money, to be able to do it - and I'm talking sums in the order of several hundred thousand pounds, or maybe even a million or more!

No such company has that kind of income to just release all 692 episodes of P:CBH all in one go. And how many of you, would have the £600-or so quid available, to buy all of the episodes in one go, anyway?

Not many, I'd guess.

In Australia, they released the entire series in one go, but at a cost of about £600. It was a very limited release, however, and people were able to pre-order it to secure a copy. Thus the distributor knew roughly how many people were willing to commit to it.

For reasons of economy, the UK has decided to release each Volume, with 16 discs in it - double what each of the Australian ones got. However, it's still a major investment, and any company, is going to have toe a fine line between making a profit, whilst trying their best to eek out as many sales as possible, whilst - fingers crossed - hopefully being able to complete the show's entire run.

If they do complete it, it will be the longest ever release in UK history!

That's one hell of a commitment.
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  #33  
Old 20th May 2012, 04:09 PM
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I agree I would be annoyed if they promised a release of the whole series and then didn't deliver, but I will be equally annoyed if they stop the releases half way through and lets face it there's currently a 50/50 chance of that happening anyway

If fans aren't entitled to any information, maybe they just shouldn't buy a series at all until its all fully released, the only problem then is that the distributor would lose money and probably couldn't afford any releases in the first place.

As I said earlier buying and selling these dvds is a two way street,

Yes we need to be patient and understanding with the distributor, but they also need to take into account the collectors needs and point of view as without us they wouldn't be able to sell their product in the first place.
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  #34  
Old 21st May 2012, 11:04 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sam tyler View Post
As I said earlier buying and selling these dvds is a two way street,

Yes we need to be patient and understanding with the distributor, but they also need to take into account the collectors needs and point of view as without us they wouldn't be able to sell their product in the first place.
And therein lies the problem: titles won't be released if customer's don't buy them, and customer's won't buy stuff, if it doesn't get released.

It's a lose-lose situation. Companies would never release anything, because they would always be worried that no one will buy it, and customers won't buy stuff if they fear that they won't see the entire series get released.

Ultimately, for me, it comes down to this:
1) There may be a legitimate reason for the delays, and there may be a legitimate reason why they aren't able to discuss the delays (legal red-tape, for example).
2) None of you have bothered to contact Fremantle, outside of posting messages in this Forum thread, to find out any more info. You're all simply waiting for Fremantle to get in touch with you, via this Forum!

Thus, in my view, the people who want more info, should be making an educated efffort to try and get in touch with Fremantle to ask for more info. It won't kill any of you to write an e-mail, make a phone call, or write a short letter. If that gets you nowhere, then maybe you may have the right to air your grievances in here. But from where I'm standing, it's a distinctly one-sided affair, and it is the customers/fans of P:CBH who are coming-off worst!

Be pro-active. Make an effort. Then see what happens. If none of you have any success, then I will be more inclined to side with you all.

But right now, it's looking like little children begging their parents for something, and when the parent says no, the children storm off in a huff, for not getting their way!
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  #35  
Old 21st May 2012, 11:22 AM
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I'm sorry but it shouldn't be up to the customers to request information from the supplier of their goods. Any company with a good sense of Customer Service will already have provided their customer with info, by understanding that after the product has been released every month at the beginning of the year to nothing, the customer would be concerned. A message of reassurance is not much to ask. Like we have all said. Delays we can accept but lack of information is not acceptable.

And also this is the "Official" DVD release forum so it's quite understandable that people should voice their concerns on here!

If expecting a certain level of customer service from a company I've paid a fair bit of money to sounds like I'm throwing my pram out of the cot, then I'm prepared to accept that comment.

I deliver training to customer service assistants and would never dream of teaching them not to tell customers why their train is delayed. Providing information is Good Customer Service at the most basic level!!
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  #36  
Old 21st May 2012, 02:09 PM
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ChrissyJM, you clearly aren't listening to anything I've read or bothered to post.

I have constantly stated that there may be a reason for the delays. The fact that you, or I, or anyone else collecting the P:CBH DVD sets haven't been told this reason, is just sheer bad luck, but Fremantle are under NO OBLIGATION WHATSOEVER to tell you what those reasons are.

They have the right to tell you, if they wish to.

You have the right to ask for it.

You also have the option of contacting them to ask for the info, other than via this Forum, but no one has done so.

Customer Service in relation to Train Services or Technical Support, is not the same as a company telling you why a DVD release has been delayed.

You are all looking at this from one, extremely selfish point of view - that of the customer.

None of you are looking at this, from the viewpoint of Fremantle. Maybe they have no info to tell you? Maybe they don't want to tell you something? Maybe they can't tell you what you want to hear?

Have you thought about that?!

All of you have demanded to be told why there's a delay. All of you have demanded to be told when the next Volume is due out. All of you have been spitting blood, at not being told.

Please come into the real world!

You are NOT entitled to know everything that goes on! Some things that occur, are NOT for public knowledge!

You CANNOT demand an explanation of why Volume 14 has been delayed.

At best, you can politely ask for this info. But you cannot demand it, nor should you expect to be told it!

In an ideal world, Fremantle would see that there's an interest for the information, and they would make a post. However, they are also free NOT to tell you anything they don't want you to know.

Sadly, we don't live in an ideal world. This is the real world. In the real world, customers don't always get told everything. In the real world, customers don't always get told why something is, the way it is.

So, please, if none of you are prepared to write an e-mail, make a phone call, or write a letter, purely because you don't feel you should have to do that, then be prepared for a very, very long wait!

Fremantle will tell you, when they chose to tell you. If you don't like that, or can't accept that, then sell the DVD's you have bought, and try importing the Australian P:CBH sets! Not only will it cost you an arm and a leg, you'll be shooting yourself in the foot as well.

Have fun!
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  #37  
Old 21st May 2012, 02:20 PM
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I have listened to all you have to say and frankly disagree with it. In this age of freedom of speech I am entitled to express that view, which I'm choosing to do on this forum.

With regards to customer service we are their customer and am sorry but I feel I am entitled to know whether I've just wasted several hundred pounds on a half released product.

I have taken your advice and contacted freemantle regarding the release, which again shouldn't be my responsibility!

It doesn't alter the fact that freemantle have not provided a basic level of customer service and had left a bit of a sour taste in my mouth! That I would expect from any company.
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  #38  
Old 21st May 2012, 02:40 PM
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I have spoke with Fremantle and they have no idea why there hasn't been any news on the rest of the release ( their own release schedule ends at Volume 13 ) but will contact Shock and get back to me.


I will keep you updated
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  #39  
Old 21st May 2012, 02:58 PM
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Hi there everyone,

Some very interesting points raised here! Sadly, due to changes at Shock down under we're still waiting on what is happening with any forthcoming releases. We're asking exactly the same question as you. Hopefully we'll find out what's happening with these releases soon - you'll be the first to know.
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  #40  
Old 21st May 2012, 03:37 PM
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Originally Posted by iluvdvds@Cult Labs View Post
Hi there everyone,

Some very interesting points raised here! Sadly, due to changes at Shock down under we're still waiting on what is happening with any forthcoming releases. We're asking exactly the same question as you. Hopefully we'll find out what's happening with these releases soon - you'll be the first to know.
Ok that's got me really worried now, however it's reassuring to know you guys are on the case.

I really want to buy vol 13 as I'm up to date with Vol 12 but the thought of possibly no further releases is stopping me from getting this.
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