Do people think you are weird for buying DVD TV sets?

[BuddyHinton]

People tell me all the time "Why do you buy Roseanne, it's always on cable?" I always hear that stuff. It strikes me as odd so few people want to watch shows in their correct order and often for a fraction (if we are talking about minutes) of what a "90" mintues movie would cost them, not to mention when ever they want WITH often nice packaging with NO commercials. Part of me thinks it's my "collector mentality" but a lot of it is also a great value in terms of what you get. I mean c'mon a timeless classic like the Honeymooners for $20-$30? Lucy, Rockford, Star Trek, TZone, and all my faves are out on DVD and it is so utterly sweet. This is a good time to be alive!!

[Adamantium]

Well for me, I've always taped episodes of shows ever since I knew how to work a VCR. So it was natural for me to buy DVD season sets of shows. The people I know, know that I love TV. Most of them are impressed with my collection. Some of them might think it's weird, but no one has really said it to me.

However, a friend of mine, tells me I shouldn't tell girls about my collection on dates and stuff. Like I shouldn't brag about it.

Sometimes, the people at Best Buy, kind of look at me like "Here's the DVD guy again." One employee even said he bets I have a large collection by now.

I don't understand why fans of shows DON'T buy the season sets of their favorite shows. Unless it has to do with money issues. To me, if you're a fan, you'd want the season sets. What makes cable so much better than DVD sets? Like with "Pee-wee's Playhouse." It came out on DVD in 2004. Every single episode. Yet, it wasn't a big deal. Until it came to Cartoon Network. Then it was a big news story and people were like "I haven't seen this show in years!"

[BuddyHinton]

"I don't understand why fans of shows DON'T buy the season sets of their favorite shows."

Great point. I lived with my aunt and uncle for a short period of time while i saved money. I have a HUGE collection (well BIG) and I tried to lend them shows that I had that I knew they liked. They had no interest. They just sat and flipped through cable bored out of their minds. I think people watch TV for different reasons and in different ways, and I think some of it is just sad.

[robby76]

I see what you're saying... just like someone has a favourite music group but wouldn't necessarily buy their albums. I agree that people use tv for different purposes. There are different levels of fandom. Just like some poeple don't obsess over music, some don't obsess over television.

I buy all my childhood favourites on dvd and I know my brothers and sisters love them too, yet they just casually watch an episode, sometimes leave half way through and generally have little interest. Different strokes for different folks.

[gadfly]

tv is bad now just like radio.....i buy dvd's of shows that tv won't show anymore. i wish i didn't have to, it was better when i COULD flip around and find something cool, but now it's pretty much the same crud on every channel....when i was kid ditching school it was always a bummer when it hit about 12:30 and there was nothing on but marcus welby or mike douglas, but those shows would probably be better than whatever any network is showing at that time slot nowadays. i guess i don't understand how people that actually LIKE tv watch the same things over and over, again when i was a kid i watched probably too much tv, and i'd read that complete guide to prime time tv shows book and think man, there's hundreds of shows that look like they were pretty cool, why doesn't anybody show them now? and that was over 20 years ago.....it's just part of the continuing narrowcasting of american culture, in a few years oldies radio will just play the same 5 songs over and over and the same show will be every channel all the time. maybe an exaggeration but not much.

[robyrob]

people thought i was weird before that, so it wasnt that big a deal.

[Ant-Lox]

I get odd looks from people when they see 9 sets of Frasier on my dvd shelf..lol..

[TJL]

You can dismiss collecting any kind of entertainment.

Why buy that album when you can hear the song on the radio?

Why buy that movie? It's always on cable.

It's a great time to collect TV DVDs. The prices are always dropping, and there are more and more shows becoming available. It's not just for "hardcore" TV fans anymore.

[gadfly]

i wasn't really dismissing collecting tv dvd's. i have some myself, but they are of shows that aren't really shown anymore. i also collect records/cds, but again they are mostly things that aren't played on the radio all the time. if you do buy music/dvd's of things that are played all the time that's fine...i think some people are just frustrated that with the enormous number of "choices" cable/tv/radio etc offers, a lot of it is basically the same few things....oldies radio for instance 20 years ago played a much wider range of songs, now it's the same few over and over. much as tv stations up until the late 80's seemed perfectly happy to play a movie from 1940, 1960, or 1980, now for the most part it's all pretty new stuff.

[BensonFan]

Yeah, some people think it's strange.....I have every season of "Frasier", "Three's Company", and "Seinfeld" that has been released and sometimes the question is, why buy these DVDs when you can turn the TV on and see them? Well, several reasons, actually...

1) The TV version is edited. You get the full unedited episodes on the DVD. My God, I've been watching Three's Company all my life but I'll watch certain episodes on DVD and think, "Wow, I've NEVER seen that part before" and then you realize you never would if you didn't have the DVD.
2) You can watch the episode you want, when you want. If it's on TV you have to watch the episode they are showing.
3) Extras! A lot of the DVD sets have extras, like bloopers, scenes that were scrapped, interviews with the stars, etc. Maybe some people don't like watching that stuff, but I do.
4) No commercials.
5) If they ever stop airing the show you like for any length of time (in my case, "Benson"), then you always have the DVDs to fall back on. In fact, I wouldn't care if I never saw Benson on TV again if I had every season on DVD. It's nice, but not necessary.

I'm sure there are other advantages to having the shows on DVD that I'm not thinking of right now, but you get the gist of what I'm saying.

[Yooch]

I don't think it's weird at all, because you might have a favorite show that for one reason or another you miss episodes here and there. There are certain times of the year where I'm so busy with work, that my TV watching is erratic at best. The good thing about sets is that when you actually do have the time, you can then sit down and watch what you missed, as well as watch some of the episodes that you did see, and liked, and want to see again. You remember funny lines that the characters said, and for me at least, that never gets old.

[BuddyHinton]

^Obviously we on the boards do not think it's weird, heck we are on a TV MESSAGEBOARD, I was mostly talking about your friends and family.

"Best case" scenario (in my circle) is my friend Mike who likes the X Files, Millennium and Lost and buys those sets... but then that's IT. Most people I have noticed also only like a few shows; me I'm all over the map. I have Millennium and the Flinstones... Andy Griffith and Alias..... have you noticed people in general only have a few favorites?

[mlingerfelt]

one thing dead blame cable gonna be sky high. season sets are good if you are like me you flip through the channels no commercials.

[big bertha]

Let me explain. In the first place, it is my dvd collection and my money. I never really watched Roseanne that much on cable. But when I bought the dvds and started watching them I found the show to be funnier on dvd. I think that comedy definitely has a timing thing and I found that Roseanne was a riot!! Another thing I love about dvds is that sometimes you can collect shows that are not on tv and there are no commercials. And I think the prices are reasonable. Compared to movies you get more bang for your buck. There is one show I won't buy on dvd though and that is Married With Children. It is just not the same without the theme song! Silly I know but I will just tape that show. Other than that, dvd all the way!!! You think you have it bad-I have Cheers, Mash, Frasier, and Murder She Wrote all trying to find space in my room. UGGGHH. I think I will have to move to a bigger house!! But I am not weird!!!

[Japs]

People think im weird for collecting so many kids shows like California Dreams, Saved by the bell etc but I love them so Im not too bothered. I have Roseanne and people love it anyway.