Hate Combo Packs

[davelistro]

If I still wanted to buy dvd's I would not have switched years ago to blu-ray. I am one who when Universal was with HD-DVD and no one knew for sure who would win, I stuck with blu-ray. But now with the combo packs I feel like the decision was for not. I don't want Dvd's, I don't own a dvd player! I don't buy combo packs for $30 because I will never use that DVD! I waited until Avitar came out only as a blu-ray. Am I the only one who sees this as frustrating??

[jwoodwar]

I love them and I hate them. I love them because it's nice to have a the dvd copy of the film. and I have three reasons why I hate them.

1: They overprice the movies with dvd combo.
2: I hate friends asking me for the copy. I know you can call me a dick but here is the third reason why.
3: Trading: It's nice to have the full set so you can get a better deal.

[Chloenator]

Personally, I like combo packs and I like having the DVD option. I have family members who don't own Blu-ray players yet, so if there is a movie I have that they want to see, the DVD comes in handy. This is especially helpful when it comes to family films. I would rather have a DVD than a digital copy. I have no use for digital copies.

[Caesu]

I find the DVDs useful. I use them in the portable dvd player in the car for my baby as well as a disc they can kick around and not have to worry about it really since the blu ray is the one i want to keep damage free.

[Underworld54]

I like them a lot. To get two formats in one package is added value.

[Mr. Lost]

I try my best to sell them on amazon and ebay. I carefully list the item as "Only dvd! No cover art or case!" but there's always that one self righteous ass hole that messages me telling me that I'm a scammer and a liar.

In short... I hate them because they just jack up the value of the blu rays themselves, cause unneeded stress, and adds a higher percentage for a heart attack down the road

[ablu]

I think some combos are pretty cool. My son uses the DVDs and I am building a collection for my IPad/Apple TV. I only buy combos that my son can watch or a digital copy I would love to have. Have you seen the prices on DC lately? A no-brainer for this dude.

[My_Two_Cents]

Fortunately, it's not all about you.

[hidef al]

I love Combo Packs. Especially the ones that come with slipcovers.

[The Dark Uniter]

Originally Posted by Fragile Line

Personally, I like combo packs and I like having the DVD option. I have family members who don't own Blu-ray players yet, so if there is a movie I have that they want to see, the DVD comes in handy. This is especially helpful when it comes to family films. I would rather have a DVD than a digital copy. I have no use for digital copies.

Pretty much this. However, I'm glad most companies aren't making digital copies on disc now.

[T2JP]

I'd rather they didn't come with dvds. If I could get the movie for even $2-3 cheaper without that dvd then I'd be happy I don't want to pay ANY extra to get the BD version just because it also comes with a dvd.

[HD Goofnut]

I'd take the BD only if that version came with a slipcover, but often times it's the BD/DVD/DC and BD/DVD combo pack that gets the slipcover. The studios do that on purpose I am sure.

Take Cars 2 for example. Wal-Mart had a BD/DC exclusive that contained no DVD for $19.96, which was much cheaper than all of the other versions, but it was the only version that did not come with a slipcover. Big thumbs down. So of course for a slipcover and a DVD instead of a DC I didn't mind paying $22.99 at Best Buy.

[Me-Hostage]

I don't hate them, but I would rather they not do combo packs. If they want people to convert over to Blu-ray there's no reason to make them pay extra for a DVD that's included that most will never use.

The only good thing I find about them is if I want to watch a movie in the living room and I have the combo pack, I can watch it. I don't like having to move my PS3 from room to room, and right now too cheap to spend a little money on a stand alone Blu-ray player, but that's only with a few movies. Most of the ones I buy are single releases, unless the combo pack is cheaper than the single release, which is what the deal was a few months ago with the Child's Play Blu-ray and Blu-ray/DVD combo.

[Dynamo of Eternia]

They don't bother me much. I like having a DVD copy in the event that I want to bring a movie over to a friend or family member's house who doesn't have Blu-Ray. I have little use for digital copies, but I'm not too bothered by their inclusion.

And really, the cost to replicate a DVD is dirt cheap these days. Adding in a DVD-movie disc and/or a digital copy disc (or a 'combo' disc that contains both) isn't adding some huge expense to the package.

Besides, given how much I hate the stupid eco-cases with the holes in them that are often used these days for 1-disc and 2-disc releases, I actually like it when the inclusion of additional combo pack discs (even one-time-use digital copy "coasters") bump the number up to 3 discs. Because they have to hold more discs, the 3-disc cases aren't coming in eco-form (at least not yet). I like having the sturdier case, and a 3-disc case takes up the same amount of space on the shelf as a 1 or 2 disc case (at least for the Elite brand ones), so if having what for me amounts to a useless extra disc wields getting a sturdier case, then I'm all for combo packs. It's not like the discs that I don't need/want are going to effect the playability of the ones that I do want.



The only thing that kind of bugs me about them (speaking as someone who does get kind of particular about packaging at times.... though on-disc content is ultimately what matters most) is having all of the text on the top of the box saying things like "Blu-Ray + DVD + Digital Copy" (or the other variations of it depending on what is included). I don't care for that notation at all, but it doesn't look too bad IMO on slip covers on either side of the Blu-Ray logo. But it really looks cheesey on the cover insert of the actual Blu-Ray case, where they have that stupid stripe at the top of the label that says it. It just looks so badly added on, like an after thought. At least fine more of a way to blend it into the cover than make it look like an after the fact add on.

[blurayfriend]

I actually prefer when a DVD is included, but I understand that people who have no use for them don't like having to pay extra for a combo pack when that's the only choice. It's like, we committed to BD, leave us alone!

I think that the hate DVDs unanimously get on this site is a little disingenuous though, as you have to consider it from the point of view of DVD only consumers who are sick of blu getting all the extras. I like getting the combo and the DVD because there are some places in the house where you can only use the DVD, and I think deep down I wonder if in the future when all physical media is gone, I'll only be left with a DVD player to watch my old movies on a la I Am Legend style.

I think in a perfect world, they would offer all extras on all versions, the blu-ray single on its own and the combo separately. But that will never happen because the studios use the extras to hold us hostage. Just wait, soon they'll only put the extras on the 3D combo and then hose us further, it's like they're never happy to just give us what we want and not gouge us further.

[MOONPHASE]

I don't like having it include a DVD copy or a Digital Copy. To me, those are waste of discs for the company to manufacture and like the DVD discs could be used for more DVD copies of the movie.

Then there's Funimation who I have many titles from that have lately been making most of their Blu-ray releases as combo packs with DVDs but do not just make a standard DVD release or a standard Blu-ray release and instead put them both as 1 release.

I still buy any Blu-ray I want regardless, but doesn't mean I have to like every decision those companies make when putting out the movie I want to buy.

[opterasis]

In this thread: Some people who think they are the only ones that matter, and if they don't want or need it, no one else in the world should.

[Moviefan2k4]

What bugs me the most about the whole "combo pack" phenomenon (regardless of type) is not being given other options too often. At the moment, Disney's been making it worse, by keeping most bonus content on the 3D releases, trying to force folks to support something they don't like, just so their 3D sales numbers will go up. To quote Daffy Duck, that is truly "disssth-pickkable". I just hope none of the other studios start doing it.

[Eny-]

I swallowed the fact that I couldn't get the most complete version (extras-wise) and got the 2D version of Cars 2. I skipped Pirates 4 altogether because of this. I'll just get the trilogy once the next two movies get made.

[OrchidClub]

I like the combo packs if they don't raise the price for it. It's nice to have a DVD copy in case I want to show the movie to a friend who doesn't have a Blu-ray player.

However, I HATE the digital copies. I don't watch my movies "on-the-go" on a tiny iPod (and I find the notion ridiculous, to be honest) so I have no use for them.