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Store Pricing Feedback & Debate
- Thread starter TrackZ
- Start date
KDeering
Well-known member
I wish K would address this. We saw high upgrade prices for Indy, LOTR and others and when people inquired about the lack of consistency they were fixed to upgrade prices that made sense. I did all the previous Star Trek upgrades day one because the prices were in line with paramount upgrades. These make zero sense and will just be passed on until they do.
TrackZ
Well-known member
And it’s $19.99 just to buy it regular price.
I think The Godfather 4k upgrade price was also "fixed", I seem to remember D2D price was $20 after the 4k update until they reduced it to $4.92
SeriousSloth
Active member
Just some acknowledgment of the concerns (even if they don't talk of any solution) would be a huge step in the right direction. Again, if you compare them to Storm/Trinnov/madVR/Lumagen or any other botique high end HT company, the lack of feedback/response is frustrating.
My support ticket asking to remove a movie so I could take advantage of a super bundle never even got a reply. For the amount of money I've spent on K (both hardware and on the store), it's rather absurd. I've had people ask me if I'd recommend the system and frankly my enthusiasm to evangelize them has waned over the last few months.
My support ticket asking to remove a movie so I could take advantage of a super bundle never even got a reply. For the amount of money I've spent on K (both hardware and on the store), it's rather absurd. I've had people ask me if I'd recommend the system and frankly my enthusiasm to evangelize them has waned over the last few months.
Rengozu
Well-known member
Sure I'd like to know more details, but I'm also aware they're not always able to go into details about some of the why's, especially being there's probably different answers for each studio deal. Yes, it sucks when a new format version is released and the upgrade fee isn't worth it initially, but hell, then I think back to all the times I've bought Terminator 2 over the last 30 years. I didn't get a credit for any of the old buys and if you wanted the new you just shelled out for it again. (and again!)
The studios just put their resources into releasing a new master, so don't know why it's not understood that they want to maximize what they can get out of it to make it a worthwhile release. Once the new release window is done and launch hype sales die down, the price for many titles will eventually drop to your normal worthwhile $4.92 HDR upgrade. Patience. (Except for Disney because they're just mean with it!)
The studios just put their resources into releasing a new master, so don't know why it's not understood that they want to maximize what they can get out of it to make it a worthwhile release. Once the new release window is done and launch hype sales die down, the price for many titles will eventually drop to your normal worthwhile $4.92 HDR upgrade. Patience. (Except for Disney because they're just mean with it!)
TrackZ
Well-known member
Agree. How many times have I purchased the original Star Wars movies with zero credit going to the next version/format. Starting with VHS, Laser Disc, DVD, BluRay, etc. Some multiple times in a single format.
I remember saving up to buy Star Wars on VHS from Suncoast at the mall as a teenager. Probably paid like $75 per movie making like <$4 an hour at the time. LOL.
KDeering
Well-known member
I see people keep comparing an update to a digital file to buying a whole new copy of a movie on physical media. Sorry, they are not even REMOTELY in the same category. Updating the video file for a movie you already own is no different than doing an update for A/V or some other random bug. Sure they might update the image of the cover art, but that is about the only other thing. If updates from a studio for D2D were about $4-5 dollars before, they are not any different now. I put this squarely at K's feet, I don't think the studios have anything to do with this.
I think if you are describing a correction to a movie (i.e. the new version is in the same format as before) then I would agree with you but I find it difficult to agree that we should have a right to the 4k HDR version if we have bought say the SD or HD versions. If they choose to offer that for free as part of their wider offering then of course that is their marketing/business decision but I couldn't feel indignant about it if they didn't.
Personally I hadn't expected any sort of upgrade offers. It's not something I am used to seeing very often in other industries (music etc. or hardware). I have bought every format and quality version of numerous favourite albums over the years and never once been offered an update price reduction, full price every time. If for marketing reasons they (studio and Kaleidescape choose to offer one then all good news but it's not our right or at least I can't see we can demand that. When they do set prices then I would say that those pricing levels (like any pricing) have to tempt the buyer if they are seeing this as an income stream. Its clear that with disks a group of buyers will continue to snap up each and every version brought out and at full price. Thats up to the individual I guess.
We haven't bought the movie, we have bought the version of the movie on offer. I like the idea of the former but it's not how the studios have ever worked and with its current evolution the cost would not doubt be prohibitive anyway and so can't see that in my lifetime.
Getting any sort of D2D discount is a welcome surprise and fair play to all involved. Why there is such variance is less obvious but hey the easy answer to that is to bump up all of the prices. Can be achieved overnight.
I don't know why you seem convinced it's anyone's fault or want to put the blame anywhere. It's what's on offer. We buy or choose to take a pass don't we?
Rengozu
Well-known member
Agree with Oldred. And I still say it's safe to assume that it's the studios setting their bottom line here. It's not like K can just pick any price they want when they're likely just the delivery vessel making some middleman change off the top of each download.
I mean, I'd love for it to be like KDeering wants, but I don't see how it makes business sense for the studios. They don't care what you've already bought. They want to milk the cow and sell a new and improved version as many times as they can.
I mean, I'd love for it to be like KDeering wants, but I don't see how it makes business sense for the studios. They don't care what you've already bought. They want to milk the cow and sell a new and improved version as many times as they can.
agreed, but it isn’t exactly milking the cow. someone needs to pay for the very real costs associated with the developing, distribution, and promoting as well as a profit. they cannot charge anything they want the price must be what enough people are willing to pay of their own free will.
SeriousSloth
Active member
I don't think anybody is saying they're owed an update. I don't even think anybody is asking for it for free. We are saying the price for the update is too high. I think it's interesting that people think ~$20 for a 4K upgrade to a movie they already own is reasonable.
Considering K already charges a premium compared to other digital stores (and I understand why and buy 99% of my content here so I clearly value it), and other stores *do* often include quality upgrades (even free), I'm not sure why there's opposition to desiring more reasonable prices....
KDeering
Well-known member
And look at that, the upgrade pricing is now $5 instead of $18. Randomly (for Star Trek movies). Yet other Paramount catalog releases have not been. So was that an error and those are fixed but the other haven't been?? This is what I mean, there is absolutely no consistency and without any official word from K it is impossible to know what any price should be. Again, this has happened so many times now that it is impossible to know.
KDeering
Well-known member
I reached out about upgrade pricing on two other Paramount titles: Enemy at the Gates and Stardust. They had the same D2D higher pricing. They were changed within a few hours of my inquiry. Hopefully someone that manages this catalog can go through and fix up the pricing across the board and update it. Again, Paramount's pricing is all over the place for both full retail and upgrading. I think it is being lost in the mix and needs to be addressed so threads like this don't even have to exist.
wow, thanks Kris!
I wonder if the other Paramount D2D's that are high priced could be reduced?