Facts of Life downloads to affect DVD release? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

ontheroof · 12-30-2005, 05:40 AM

Now that a website is offering free downloads of FOL episodes (from Comcast), will Sony be even more hesitant to release this series? I would still buy an FOL release, but I have to say I'm not as eager as I was before I found these free downloads.

Dean Winchester · 12-30-2005, 06:05 AM

if anything, I think this site should send Sony an even bigger message that WE WANT THE DVD'S. If there was a "lack of interest" in the show, I don't think so many people would've gotten excited at the idea of downloading the episodes. I have been downloading the episodes but when Sony finally gets off their butts and announces it, I'll gladly replace it.

Shows like South Park, Simpsons, Charmed, Veronica Mars, etc... have been surfacing online for a long time and it didn't really make or break DVD's for the shows. You can pretty much download any episode ever made from South Park online, the DVD's still sell well

Nighthawk76 · 12-30-2005, 04:36 PM

We can only hope that Sony wises up and sees the logic of putting The Facts of Life on DVD.

factsoflife · 01-02-2006, 01:07 AM

its funny that on tvshowsondvd.com FOL is listed as one of the top ten most requested shows to be released on DVD yet, so far no releases have happened.

KristinHerreraFan · 01-02-2006, 01:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by factsoflife

its funny that on tvshowsondvd.com FOL is listed as one of the top ten most requested shows to be released on DVD yet, so far no releases have happened.

I don't get it either. I wish wish wish Sony would come to their sences and realise that FOL deserves a DVD Release, and quick!! I can't believe Diff'rent Strokes got a 2nd season release before FOL got season 1

Dean Winchester · 01-02-2006, 01:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KristinHerreraFan

I don't get it either. I wish wish wish Sony would come to their sences and realise that FOL deserves a DVD Release, and quick!! I can't believe Diff'rent Strokes got a 2nd season release before FOL got season 1

actually, it makes perfectly good logic. DS season 2 ran in the 1979-1980 season... I think Sony will release FOL season 1 and 2 together because they are smart enough to know season 1 won't recoup on its own, so why not get DS s2 out of the way first before getting to the 1980-1981 tv season episodes?

Chelsea · 01-02-2006, 01:55 AM

No longer an issue - it appears the site owner took them down.

ontheroof · 01-02-2006, 08:39 PM

Quote:

No longer an issue - it appears the site owner took them down.

Although it says on that site's homepage that the episodes have been taken down, they are all still available for download on the site's message board -- including three new episodes that were added Sunday. Kind of a mixed message, not that I'm complaining!

TJ · 01-02-2006, 10:07 PM

The real question though is, if you had Comcast, would having them offered on their On Demand service affect whether you'd buy the set or not? The episodes they offer on their free service are basically the same as what they would offer on a DVD release. They've skipped a few episodes here and there though. I really think Comcast and Sony have them on there to gauge interest in them more than anything. Would a 24/7 Sony/Tubetime network affect your purchasing them on DVD? Will Warner's online service affect their DVD sales? I think it will actually help them as watching episodes on the computer is not the same and they won't be the same quality.

Now Comast is offering One Day at a Time which is rumored to become available in 2006.

What affects your buying habits? The non die-hard fans might be satisfied with the edited episodes Nick at Nite/Hallmark aired.

ontheroof · 01-03-2006, 03:31 PM

I am a die-hard FOL fan, so even if I got Comcast, which I don't, I would still buy FOL season sets. Casual fans, however, might be satiated by seeing the show every now and then on Comcast.

As much as I hate to say it (because I would love to see FOL on TV again regularly), I think the best case scenario for drumming up demand for a DVD release like FOL is to deprive the public of the product. FOL is not Seinfeld. It cannot be airing 10 times a day and still have good DVD sales. FOL appeals to a much smaller market, and that market needs to be handled carefully.

Of course, we have been deprived of FOL -- it's not like that many people have access to Comcast. As for the downloads, perhaps only die-hard fans would find out about them and download them. And since we've established that the die-hards would buy the set regardless, we may still be in pretty good shape for the eventual FOL DVD releases.

Dean Winchester · 01-03-2006, 04:03 PM

very true, the people downloading episodes are mostly people who have just gotten tired of waiting and waiting for Sony to announce the show on DVD. I think most everyone who has downloaded the episodes would get the show when Sony announces it. I think TV and downloading is quite a bit different than music and downloading

12-30-2005, 05:40 AM	#1
ontheroof Member Occasional Poster Join Date: May 10, 2004 Posts: 61	Facts of Life downloads to affect DVD release? Now that a website is offering free downloads of FOL episodes (from Comcast), will Sony be even more hesitant to release this series? I would still buy an FOL release, but I have to say I'm not as eager as I was before I found these free downloads.

01-02-2006, 01:07 AM	#4
factsoflife Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Sep 11, 2000 Posts: 8,747	its funny that on tvshowsondvd.com FOL is listed as one of the top ten most requested shows to be released on DVD yet, so far no releases have happened.
	__________________ "and to the fans. I was only supposed to be on every other Tuesday. But, thanks to you, I'm here, and I promise! I will try my best never to let you down. I am going back into that studio on Monday, and I'm going to play Erica Kane for all she's worth!"-- Susan Lucci, May 1999 Daytime Emmy Speech.

01-02-2006, 01:55 AM	#7
Chelsea Semi-retired Forum Veteran Join Date: Jan 07, 2001 Location: Washington Posts: 5,727	No longer an issue - it appears the site owner took them down.
	__________________ Chelsea Former Administrator, 2005-2012 Former Member, DVD Review Team, 2004-2010.

12-30-2005, 06:05 AM	#2
Dean Winchester Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Sep 28, 2003 Location: Louisville KY Posts: 14,803	if anything, I think this site should send Sony an even bigger message that WE WANT THE DVD'S. If there was a "lack of interest" in the show, I don't think so many people would've gotten excited at the idea of downloading the episodes. I have been downloading the episodes but when Sony finally gets off their butts and announces it, I'll gladly replace it. Shows like South Park, Simpsons, Charmed, Veronica Mars, etc... have been surfacing online for a long time and it didn't really make or break DVD's for the shows. You can pretty much download any episode ever made from South Park online, the DVD's still sell well

12-30-2005, 04:36 PM	#3
Nighthawk76 Rachel Berry Forum Celebrity Join Date: Feb 28, 2003 Location: Illinois Posts: 23,254	We can only hope that Sony wises up and sees the logic of putting The Facts of Life on DVD.

01-02-2006, 10:07 PM	#9
TJ Site Owner Administrator Forum Star Join Date: Feb 03, 2000 Location: Marietta, GA Posts: 10,696	The real question though is, if you had Comcast, would having them offered on their On Demand service affect whether you'd buy the set or not? The episodes they offer on their free service are basically the same as what they would offer on a DVD release. They've skipped a few episodes here and there though. I really think Comcast and Sony have them on there to gauge interest in them more than anything. Would a 24/7 Sony/Tubetime network affect your purchasing them on DVD? Will Warner's online service affect their DVD sales? I think it will actually help them as watching episodes on the computer is not the same and they won't be the same quality. Now Comast is offering One Day at a Time which is rumored to become available in 2006. What affects your buying habits? The non die-hard fans might be satisfied with the edited episodes Nick at Nite/Hallmark aired.

01-03-2006, 03:31 PM	#10
ontheroof Member Occasional Poster Join Date: May 10, 2004 Posts: 61	I am a die-hard FOL fan, so even if I got Comcast, which I don't, I would still buy FOL season sets. Casual fans, however, might be satiated by seeing the show every now and then on Comcast. As much as I hate to say it (because I would love to see FOL on TV again regularly), I think the best case scenario for drumming up demand for a DVD release like FOL is to deprive the public of the product. FOL is not Seinfeld. It cannot be airing 10 times a day and still have good DVD sales. FOL appeals to a much smaller market, and that market needs to be handled carefully. Of course, we have been deprived of FOL -- it's not like that many people have access to Comcast. As for the downloads, perhaps only die-hard fans would find out about them and download them. And since we've established that the die-hards would buy the set regardless, we may still be in pretty good shape for the eventual FOL DVD releases.

01-03-2006, 04:03 PM	#11
Dean Winchester Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Sep 28, 2003 Location: Louisville KY Posts: 14,803	very true, the people downloading episodes are mostly people who have just gotten tired of waiting and waiting for Sony to announce the show on DVD. I think most everyone who has downloaded the episodes would get the show when Sony announces it. I think TV and downloading is quite a bit different than music and downloading