Do niche titles sell better on Blu-ray or DVD?

[RebelPhoenix]

I was on the Synapse website, and I noticed they are releasing Basket Case 3 on DVD, but not blu-ray (and strangely not blu-ray/dvd combo pack), which made me think.....which sell better??

I feel niche, genre titles, appeal more to the serious fan as far as purchasing. Only someone who is researching releases would know if, and when Basket Case 3 comes out. Now someone with that level of interest in collecting and purchasing, they would probably have gone blu by now, no??


I don't know if its just the horror genre, but ALOT of new and catalog releases are consistently released on DVD only. It's 2012. I was a casual consumer when I changed to blu-ray in 2010. Why haven't some of the smaller studios?

[remake]

The Forger should've been released on blu-ray since it has two big stars, Josh Hutcherson and Hayden Panettiere.

96 Minutes is another movie I wanted to blind-buy but it was only released on DVD.

These 2012 DVD release only movies are getting ridiculous.

Also, the upcoming release of Hick is DVD-only as well.

[Johnny Vinyl]

Perhaps the cost of releasing on Blu-ray is too great to warrant a release on that format. After all, these are niche titles that won't generate a lot of sales.

[budious]

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Baske...Blu-ray/51391/

A UK release in 2 months, so I'd keep my hopes up for a NA release. From the looks of the UK company, not many region free titles though.

[Hatter]

Code Red who release a lot of niche titles asked their fans if they wanted any future titles on blu-ray and most of them weren't concerned about having blu-ray.

[DetroitSportsFan]

Originally Posted by Hatter

Code Red who release a lot of niche titles asked their fans if they wanted any future titles on blu-ray and most of them weren't concerned about having blu-ray.

What true fans of those films they are.

[budious]

Originally Posted by DetroitSportsFan

What true fans of those films they are.

When resurrecting movies from the vault such as Code Red, I think many niche genre fans prefer quantity of restorations over quality. If the vendor can restore twice as many films for the same cost then everyone wins by saving and reintroducing more films to new generations. Supporting Code Red by purchasing the DVDs is the way to show your support for future blu-ray transfers.

[MykeHavoc]

Didn't Code Red go out of business? I guess we know why.

[Chet Desmond]

Originally Posted by MykeHavoc

Didn't Code Red go out of business? I guess we know why.

Code Red is still around. They're only selling directly from the website now.

[Hatter]

Originally Posted by MykeHavoc

Didn't Code Red go out of business? I guess we know why.

Spoken like a true blu snob.

The reality is that blu-ray would have lowered their profit margins even further. Most of the films they released weren't blu-ray worthy anyway due to the source material of these niche titles.

By the way, you can read the fan feedback regarding the issue.

http://codereddvdblog.blogspot.ca/20...-feedback.html

Most are concerned about code red being able to survive and make a profit. It's not simply about them saying they don't care about blu-ray.

[RebelPhoenix]

Originally Posted by Hatter

Spoken like a true blu snob.

The reality is that blu-ray would have lowered their profit margins even further. Most of the films they released weren't blu-ray worthy anyway due to the source material of these niche titles.

By the way, you can read the fan feedback regarding the issue.

http://codereddvdblog.blogspot.ca/20...-feedback.html

Most are concerned about code red being able to survive and make a profit. It's not simply about them saying they don't care about blu-ray.

let's be real....that was Feb 2011...it's now Aug 2012...that's a LONG time in terms of blu ray media infiltration.

Code Red should've followed the business model of say, Twilight Time. Release a limited run of Blu-Ray/DVD combo packs to appeal to both sides of the market, at the same time not doing a print run too large.

You're telling me if Code Red pressed 2500 copies of Madman on Blu/DVD combo it couldn't sell out??? BELIEVE ME, it would. If nothing more, to be a collectors item (check Fright Night).
But there business model was mass printing stuff like 'Weekend Murders' and 'Messiah of Evil', while great to have available....it's WAY too obscure to NOT run a limited press, and your boxing out, let's LOW ball it....the 25% of the market of blu-ray collectors.
And again, that's LOW to estimate that only 1 out of 4 niche/genre collectors are strictly blu-ray.

[wicky_J]

Now to be fair if they took the TT business model everyone would complain that the prices are too high (as they already are) for most of their titles by comparison to companies like Blue Underground, Shreik Show, etc..

Also, take into consideration Bill is already going to a similar model by selling directly to simply stay afloat in the "DVD game". I just hope that he can hang on and start cranking out quality over quantity but it's a bunch of movies that 99% of folks wouldn't care about anyway. I just hope that he doesn't go out of business because I enjoy the content that gets pushed out from time to time.

[Hatter]

Originally Posted by RebelPhoenix

let's be real....that was Feb 2011...it's now Aug 2012...that's a LONG time in terms of blu ray media infiltration.

Code Red should've followed the business model of say, Twilight Time. Release a limited run of Blu-Ray/DVD combo packs to appeal to both sides of the market, at the same time not doing a print run too large.

You're telling me if Code Red pressed 2500 copies of Madman on Blu/DVD combo it couldn't sell out??? BELIEVE ME, it would. If nothing more, to be a collectors item (check Fright Night).
But there business model was mass printing stuff like 'Weekend Murders' and 'Messiah of Evil', while great to have available....it's WAY too obscure to NOT run a limited press, and your boxing out, let's LOW ball it....the 25% of the market of blu-ray collectors.
And again, that's LOW to estimate that only 1 out of 4 niche/genre collectors are strictly blu-ray.

I have a hard time believeing that blu-ray would increase sales as a whole, market penetration be damned. After all, we are talking about niche titles where many do not sell out and which of course work on a blu-ray player. Only a hardcore blu-ray snob into these niche titles would dismiss dvd outright. If they are niche movie collectors, they already collect tons of these titles from other distributors too who only release dvd versions.

[Undeadcow]

I've often wondered if Mondo Macabro will go blu-ray.

Redemption films has been unleashing a slew of obscure eurohorror on blu-ray at a rate convinving enough to believe they are making a profit (~3 month).

Synapse Films putting out material like The Image or Blue Undergrounds' Quiet Days in Clichy makes a point that even commercially less viable material gets pushed out. I think Blue Underground publicised that they didn't think they would make money back on Clichy but released it anyway so profit alone is not always the motivate.

Perhaps blu-ray is not viable for some niche titles but eventually companies will have to up the ante to survive.

[Cevolution]

Originally Posted by victim

The Forger should've been released on blu-ray since it has two big stars, Josh Hutcherson and Hayden Panettiere.

96 Minutes is another movie I wanted to blind-buy but it was only released on DVD.

These 2012 DVD release only movies are getting ridiculous.

Also, the upcoming release of Hick is DVD-only as well.

96 Minutes is being released on blu next month here in Australia.

http://www.ezydvd.com.au/blu-ray/96-...117013#bc=80ab

[Undeadcow]

Severin Films has also had some luck with blu-ray format; plus Santa Sangra and Stunt Man are real gems.

[remake]

Originally Posted by Cevolution

96 Minutes is being released on blu next month here in Australia.

http://www.ezydvd.com.au/blu-ray/96-...117013#bc=80ab

Wonder if it'll be region free