Convoy (1978) 4K UHD (Kino Studio Classics)

[moviemaker]

Originally Posted by sherlockjr

Kino isn't raising their list prices on new release single disk 1080p BlueRays, which remain at $29.95 or on older titles. Only on new release 4Ks--even older 4K's remain at their prior $39.95 list--which nobody ever paid either.

Is Kino raising prices because 4Ks are more expensive to produce through the entire process? Are they charging more because they're selling less and they need more per disk to pay for 4K creation costs? Are they charging more for 4K's because they're selling more and they want to make more money? If sales per new release 4K drop because of the higher list price they may decide to reset those prices. (That's the free market at work, not "price gouging".)

What I haven't seen them say is they're charging more due to tariffs, which currently aren't affecting disks coming from Mexico anyway.

Kino's a for profit company--if they need more revenue to stay in business, raising prices on new 4K releases may be one way to get that.. Because if they become a money losing business, they soon won't be a business at all.

Agreed, but this price increase strategy could backfire in today's economic climate. If they keep raising prices on 4K releases, customers will inevitably prioritize their purchases, especially for what remains a niche product in a challenging economy.

While I understand that Kino needs revenue to stay profitable, the fact that competitors like Orbit and Diabolik sell those same items much cheaper hints at what their markup may be versus wholesale prices. This significant price gap raises questions about whether this is truly about covering costs or maximizing margins.

You're right that the free market will ultimately decide if these prices are sustainable. If sales per new release 4K drop because of the higher list price, they may indeed need to reset those prices. However, if they miscalculate consumer tolerance for these increases, they might accelerate the very business challenges they're trying to solve.

I appreciate that they're not blaming external factors like tariffs, but I wonder if they've considered the long-term impact on customer loyalty when comparable options exist at lower price points.