What is the Deal with SONY????? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

McGillicuddy · 07-21-2009, 02:25 PM

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is at it again with another announcement of re-hashing a dozen of their shows with "best-of" releases, announced today At TVSODVD. This is all "fine and dandy" but, when in the world are they going to get back to the un-released seasons of shows, some of which are on this list???

What do we need to do to let them know we want our All in the Family, Maude, Jeffersons, One Day at a Time, Archie Bunker's Place, Facts of Life and Diff'rent Strokes completed. Can't we have some sort of hint, explanation, or reason for this mystery???? Please Sony!!!! Comunicate with Us!!!!!

JulieSomoski · 07-21-2009, 02:33 PM

It's a mystery. I don't get the point of this at all - why would someone buy a single disc best-of release of a show that's already out on DVD? Why can't they just continue with the season sets? I just don't get their thinking at all.

Robert 13 · 07-21-2009, 02:39 PM

With all the money they must have invested in re-hashing already-released material, they could have made more money by releasing something that's not out there already...like...say...All in the Family: Season 7?! I mean, they are re-releasing the first 6 seasons. Why not add Season 7 into the mix?!?

A real waste of time Sony is.

I still can't believe they re-packaged some of their "complete" series and didn't bother to add bonus features which would have increased sales. A bonus episode of Shirley Hemphill's "One in a Million" series for "What's Happening!!" or a bonus episode of "Sanford" for "Sanford & Sons" would have been great. It's not that much extra work for them, is it?

megamanj2004 · 07-21-2009, 03:02 PM

That's why I never buy most of their sitcoms on their DVD's too much to begin with, since they treat the majority of them like crap.

I noticed on one of their sets for "Married with Children" they used some lame, cheesy cheese in place of Love and Marriage" since they were too lazy to obtain clearances for the theme song.

They also craptastically crammed episodes on their DVD set for "227."

I'd say that Sony and CBS-Paramount are two of the worst companies when it comes to the majority of their TV shows on DVD's.

Those two need to take some serious lessons from Shout! Factory, who by the way treats their shows far better.

JulieSomoski · 07-21-2009, 03:17 PM

They make it seem like with each season set they release, they're losing millions. I'd think that they must be making some margin of profit off of each season set, so why not release more? Why does Sony always have to wait until their "goal" for each set is reached before releasing another? I can't stand it. Rehashing their already-released episodes makes no sense to me. How could that possibly be making them money?

Robert 13 · 07-21-2009, 03:49 PM

It's amazing how much they have deteriorated. Several years ago, they were releasing lots of tv-on-dvd. We got announcements almost every week. With their library of shows, they really would have to try hard to fail. And they have. Whatever shake-up or change in that department took place, it definitely wasn't for the better. They need a massive rehauling to take place if they are ever going to rise again.

cajunhillbilly · 07-21-2009, 08:37 PM

I completely agree with everything said above. Come on Sony let's see more Difdf'rent Strokes, Facts of Life or Jeffersons, etc.

catlover79 · 07-21-2009, 08:51 PM

I could say plenty of things about Sony, but I'll limit it to this:

JamesG · 07-21-2009, 08:53 PM

Wait, so SONY is releasing "Best-of" material from things that have been already previously released?

TV_Fan · 07-21-2009, 09:58 PM

Definitely nothing I'm buying. I want season 7 of AITF & The Jeffersons, not a single disc release of episodes I already have. Sony bites!

TV DVD Fan · 07-21-2009, 10:21 PM

Sony infuriates me, even more than CBS does, which is hard to top. Even though CBS treats 90 percent of their TV DVDs like crap, they do release their shows at a far better rate than Sony does (for example, all eleven seasons of both Frasier and Cheers have been released while Sony can't even scratch the surface of the amount of episodes of Diff'rent Strokes or Facts of Life that have yet to be released). Someone alluded to this a few posts up: it's as if they have come to a DEAD stop in releasing seasonal TV DVD sets. Seriously, when WAS their last full season release? The only shows Sony takes care of are their more current ones like "Seinfeld" and even "Newsradio." But the lull that's been going on with them for the better part of 3 years now is simply inexcusable. Sure they took their sweet ass time then too but at least you could look forward to a set every year or so. The last seasonal release of All in the Family was released in 2006, with no signs of a 2009 release in sight. And yet they try to pass of that Norman Lear set as a suitable replacement. Get the hell out of here, Sony, that's just nonsense. All of us already HAVE those sets. Give us NEW sets, what's so hard about that? It's not like when they do release these sets they give them a fabulous treatment. As a matter of fact, there is no treatment! They just cram the episodes onto the discs with nothing else: horrible packaging, horrendous menus, nothing looks remastered and no special features. I don't know what else to say about them but that they just suck, pure and simple.

bliss · 07-22-2009, 12:52 AM

Sony recently released the last season of Bewitched. It took 4 years but the series is now complete!!!! Thanks Sony!!!!! I hope Sony releases the last season of Charlie's Angels before the end of the year.

cajunhillbilly · 07-22-2009, 08:53 AM

yes it is true that they have finally finished Bewitched. Plus I have all of I Dream of Jeannie. But I would also like to complete Diff'rent Strokes, Facts of Life, and The Jeffersons, amongst others. We can only hope that now Bewitched has been completed, Sony will return to their other classic sitcoms.

Robert 13 · 07-22-2009, 09:54 AM

To make things even more stupid, they are releasing specific discs. For example, these aren't "best of" releases but random discs from a random season of each show. According to online retailer dvdempire.com, this is what they are releasing:

Newsradio: Season 3 - Volume 2
Sanford And Son: Season 1 - Volume 1
All In The Family: Season 2 - Volume 2
Barney Miller: Season 3 - Volume 1
Bewitched: Season 2 - Volume 1 (Color)
Diff'rent Strokes: Season 2 - Volume 1
Good Times: Season 4 - Volume 1
I Dream Of Jeannie: Season 5 - Volume 2
Jeff Foxworthy Show, The: Season 2 - Volume 1
Jeffersons, The: Season 2 - Volume 2
King Of Queens: Season 9 - Volume 2
Married With Children: Season 1 - Volume 1

Where's that head-scratching smiley?

Heidi Dawn · 07-22-2009, 10:32 AM

I do have to give Sony credit for not stalling on the releases of Bewitched and I Dream Of Jeannie.

I give them poor marks on not releasing the rest of Diff'rent Strokes, The Facts Of Life, and 227. Charlie's Angels is the only other Sony DVD that I have and they've finally released season 4 (I do hope they release the final season in 2010).

I will not buy another Sony show again once they complete these sets.

07-21-2009, 02:25 PM	#1
McGillicuddy Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Sep 28, 2002 Posts: 5,179	What is the Deal with SONY????? Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is at it again with another announcement of re-hashing a dozen of their shows with "best-of" releases, announced today At TVSODVD. This is all "fine and dandy" but, when in the world are they going to get back to the un-released seasons of shows, some of which are on this list??? What do we need to do to let them know we want our All in the Family, Maude, Jeffersons, One Day at a Time, Archie Bunker's Place, Facts of Life and Diff'rent Strokes completed. Can't we have some sort of hint, explanation, or reason for this mystery???? Please Sony!!!! Comunicate with Us!!!!!
	Last edited by McGillicuddy; 07-21-2009 at 08:40 PM.

07-21-2009, 02:33 PM	#2
JulieSomoski Roseanne Reboot - March 27! Forum Veteran Join Date: Nov 06, 2004 Location: Michigan Posts: 7,558	It's a mystery. I don't get the point of this at all - why would someone buy a single disc best-of release of a show that's already out on DVD? Why can't they just continue with the season sets? I just don't get their thinking at all.
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07-21-2009, 02:39 PM	#3
Robert 13 Member Senior Member Join Date: May 10, 2006 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 1,521	With all the money they must have invested in re-hashing already-released material, they could have made more money by releasing something that's not out there already...like...say...All in the Family: Season 7?! I mean, they are re-releasing the first 6 seasons. Why not add Season 7 into the mix?!? A real waste of time Sony is. I still can't believe they re-packaged some of their "complete" series and didn't bother to add bonus features which would have increased sales. A bonus episode of Shirley Hemphill's "One in a Million" series for "What's Happening!!" or a bonus episode of "Sanford" for "Sanford & Sons" would have been great. It's not that much extra work for them, is it?
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07-21-2009, 03:02 PM	#4
megamanj2004 Member Senior Member Join Date: Dec 21, 2004 Posts: 2,361	That's why I never buy most of their sitcoms on their DVD's too much to begin with, since they treat the majority of them like crap. I noticed on one of their sets for "Married with Children" they used some lame, cheesy cheese in place of Love and Marriage" since they were too lazy to obtain clearances for the theme song. They also craptastically crammed episodes on their DVD set for "227." I'd say that Sony and CBS-Paramount are two of the worst companies when it comes to the majority of their TV shows on DVD's. Those two need to take some serious lessons from Shout! Factory, who by the way treats their shows far better.
	__________________ 10 AND A HALF YEARS GOING STRONG!!!

07-21-2009, 08:51 PM	#8
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,392	I could say plenty of things about Sony, but I'll limit it to this:
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07-21-2009, 03:17 PM	#5
JulieSomoski Roseanne Reboot - March 27! Forum Veteran Join Date: Nov 06, 2004 Location: Michigan Posts: 7,558	They make it seem like with each season set they release, they're losing millions. I'd think that they must be making some margin of profit off of each season set, so why not release more? Why does Sony always have to wait until their "goal" for each set is reached before releasing another? I can't stand it. Rehashing their already-released episodes makes no sense to me. How could that possibly be making them money?

07-21-2009, 03:49 PM	#6
Robert 13 Member Senior Member Join Date: May 10, 2006 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 1,521	It's amazing how much they have deteriorated. Several years ago, they were releasing lots of tv-on-dvd. We got announcements almost every week. With their library of shows, they really would have to try hard to fail. And they have. Whatever shake-up or change in that department took place, it definitely wasn't for the better. They need a massive rehauling to take place if they are ever going to rise again.

07-21-2009, 08:37 PM	#7
cajunhillbilly Member Forum Regular Join Date: Dec 21, 2008 Location: Dallas Posts: 790	I completely agree with everything said above. Come on Sony let's see more Difdf'rent Strokes, Facts of Life or Jeffersons, etc.

07-21-2009, 08:53 PM	#9
JamesG Freakshow Moderator Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 01, 2008 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 57,188	Wait, so SONY is releasing "Best-of" material from things that have been already previously released?

07-21-2009, 09:58 PM	#10
TV_Fan Member Forum Regular Join Date: Jun 15, 2005 Location: USA Posts: 876	Definitely nothing I'm buying. I want season 7 of AITF & The Jeffersons, not a single disc release of episodes I already have. Sony bites!

07-21-2009, 10:21 PM	#11
TV DVD Fan Member Senior Member Join Date: Apr 07, 2005 Posts: 2,602	Sony infuriates me, even more than CBS does, which is hard to top. Even though CBS treats 90 percent of their TV DVDs like crap, they do release their shows at a far better rate than Sony does (for example, all eleven seasons of both Frasier and Cheers have been released while Sony can't even scratch the surface of the amount of episodes of Diff'rent Strokes or Facts of Life that have yet to be released). Someone alluded to this a few posts up: it's as if they have come to a DEAD stop in releasing seasonal TV DVD sets. Seriously, when WAS their last full season release? The only shows Sony takes care of are their more current ones like "Seinfeld" and even "Newsradio." But the lull that's been going on with them for the better part of 3 years now is simply inexcusable. Sure they took their sweet ass time then too but at least you could look forward to a set every year or so. The last seasonal release of All in the Family was released in 2006, with no signs of a 2009 release in sight. And yet they try to pass of that Norman Lear set as a suitable replacement. Get the hell out of here, Sony, that's just nonsense. All of us already HAVE those sets. Give us NEW sets, what's so hard about that? It's not like when they do release these sets they give them a fabulous treatment. As a matter of fact, there is no treatment! They just cram the episodes onto the discs with nothing else: horrible packaging, horrendous menus, nothing looks remastered and no special features. I don't know what else to say about them but that they just suck, pure and simple.
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07-22-2009, 12:52 AM	#12
bliss THAT GIRL Senior Member Join Date: Apr 26, 2009 Posts: 1,000	Sony recently released the last season of Bewitched. It took 4 years but the series is now complete!!!! Thanks Sony!!!!! I hope Sony releases the last season of Charlie's Angels before the end of the year.

07-22-2009, 08:53 AM	#13
cajunhillbilly Member Forum Regular Join Date: Dec 21, 2008 Location: Dallas Posts: 790	yes it is true that they have finally finished Bewitched. Plus I have all of I Dream of Jeannie. But I would also like to complete Diff'rent Strokes, Facts of Life, and The Jeffersons, amongst others. We can only hope that now Bewitched has been completed, Sony will return to their other classic sitcoms.

07-22-2009, 09:54 AM	#14
Robert 13 Member Senior Member Join Date: May 10, 2006 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 1,521	To make things even more stupid, they are releasing specific discs. For example, these aren't "best of" releases but random discs from a random season of each show. According to online retailer dvdempire.com, this is what they are releasing: Newsradio: Season 3 - Volume 2 Sanford And Son: Season 1 - Volume 1 All In The Family: Season 2 - Volume 2 Barney Miller: Season 3 - Volume 1 Bewitched: Season 2 - Volume 1 (Color) Diff'rent Strokes: Season 2 - Volume 1 Good Times: Season 4 - Volume 1 I Dream Of Jeannie: Season 5 - Volume 2 Jeff Foxworthy Show, The: Season 2 - Volume 1 Jeffersons, The: Season 2 - Volume 2 King Of Queens: Season 9 - Volume 2 Married With Children: Season 1 - Volume 1 Where's that head-scratching smiley?

07-22-2009, 10:32 AM	#15
Heidi Dawn Muppets Forum Regular Join Date: Jan 01, 2003 Location: Canada Posts: 883	I do have to give Sony credit for not stalling on the releases of Bewitched and I Dream Of Jeannie. I give them poor marks on not releasing the rest of Diff'rent Strokes, The Facts Of Life, and 227. Charlie's Angels is the only other Sony DVD that I have and they've finally released season 4 (I do hope they release the final season in 2010). I will not buy another Sony show again once they complete these sets.
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