And Angel Season 1 DVDs R1 are at Amazon for $24.99, which is 50% off the list price. Fox is having some sort of 50% off sale on selected tv titles (Simpsons, 24, etc). It probably won't last long.

phlebotinin | January 03, 08:01 CET

must...go...buy...more...Buffy

nixygirl | January 03, 08:03 CET

So getting Angel S1 and Buffy S1 (R1) will put it at $40 for both which then means free shipping.

RavenU | January 03, 08:08 CET

Darn. I've got season 1 Buffy, and I have missed season 1 Angel on sale for $15 twice. I'm going catch it one of these times.

Thanks for the notification when they are on sale. You folks are the best.

newcj | January 03, 08:46 CET

Yeah, they had these on sale before at this price. They had Roswell on there last time though. I'm getting Dark Angel this time around. Unfortunately, I have all of Buffy, and through 4 of Angel (5 isn't out until FEBRUARY!!!) :(

tnewebmaster | January 03, 09:51 CET

Thanks for this post RavenU, it gives me the chance to ask a slightly off topic but still Buffy DVD related question.

I was browsing Buffy stuff at Amazon UK the other day and i noticed that seasons 1 to 3 were being released again at the end of January at a much reduced price to the current versions. All i've been able to find out so far is that the packaging is different but what that actually means i have no idea.

This isn't just another sale of the current boxsets as far as i can tell, they are brand new versions with a 31st January release date. Does anyone know anything about them and whether it is worth my while waiting for them to come out before i buy any DVD sets?

Also it appears that whilst the seasons 1 and 2 sets are being released with all the relevant episodes included (Welcome to the Hellmouth to Prophecy Girl and When She Was Bad to Becoming P2 respectively) the season 3 set is only being advertised as containing the first eleven episodes (Anne to Gingerbread). Again any information on whether this is just a mistake on Amazon's part or if there is a reason for it would be appreciated.

The Arcane | January 03, 13:33 CET

Well, the Buffy DVDs have already been rereleased in the UK once (one or two years ago). It was originally advertised as being repackaged with Amaray cases (the standard DVD plastic boxes) but it turned out to be exactly the same packages at a cheaper price.

Or it could just be a cock-up by Amazon.

It seems unlikely that it season 3 only has the first half, it is listed as containing 6 discs. My guess is that Amazon just copied that information from the first VHS box set of S3, which would only have contained those episodes.

To be honest I wouldn't be surprised if this turned out to be exactly the same as the existing packages, at a new price.

mjwilson | January 03, 14:15 CET

Yeah, that Amazon had screwed up was my first guess when i saw the episode listing compared to the fact the set contains six discs. It seems very unlikely that they would release a set with only half a season regardless but i thought it was worth asking just in case something odd was going on with these new sets.

What really got me wondering was the fact that another online store (HMV i believe it was) also states that the season 3 boxset only contains Anne through to Gingerbread so it seemed strange that two stores would make the exact same mistake. Hopefully that is what it is though.

It was also the HMV UK site that gave me the impression that the rerelease would include a new style packaging. It would be nice if something official was announced, especially as we are less than a month away from the supposed release date now.

The Arcane | January 03, 15:08 CET

It's possible that they're doing the same thing that they've done here in Australia (R4).

The Buffy/Angel DVDs were originally released in three disc box sets (half a season each boxset). Recently there was a nation wide sale with the boxsets going for $20-$25 each (previously they were around $70).

This sale concurred with the release of a new style packaging (known as Amaray) - rather than three discs each in it's own seperate case, they now come as three discs sharing the one case (similar to how the Firefly DVDs are packaged), and with no more box. So that's 11 episodes in one case, no more boxsets. They're selling for $20-$25 also, I assume the price won't rise again.

I hope that makes sense. The reason I mention the prices is because since this switch in packaging, people all over Aus who have collected almost all the boxsets have all scampered to finish their collection in the tradional boxsets which are now very hard to find in stores, especially Angel season 4 and Buffy season 7 (possibly because they produced less of them in preparation for the new format). So anyone who is desperate enough to complete their collection is forced to pay, seriously, up to $160 on ebay for an 11 episode boxset. Fortunately for me I got in early.

The question is when season 5 of Angel is released here (I think Feb. 25), will it be released in both new and old formats? I hope so.

So if this is what's happening over in the UK, you might want to get in early and try to finish your collection before you have to pay over 5 times the retail price if you want to keep the same style packaging.

Also, there was supposed to be a "Willow Demon Guide DVD-ROM" in the R4 DVDs, which was not included as advertised on the box. I called Fox and they informed me that was a typo. However, Fox forgot to rectify that typo and the new format are still Willow Demon Guideless :(.

If you want to see examples of the different packaging styles, check out this page and click on the appropriate links.
http://www.ezydvd.com.au/mech/search.zml?f=title&q=buffy&x=14&y=14

[ edited by buffbuff on 2005-01-03 15:49 ]

buffbuff | January 03, 17:38 CET

At this price, maybe fans could buy a copy and donate it to their local library, hospital, youth shelter or some other worthwhile organization. Spread the love!

killinj | January 03, 17:45 CET

Bought one for a friend...she should receive it on Wednesday...I secured a commitment to watch the first two episodes in tandem, one right after, no breaks!

I can't even remember how many Season Ones I've bought over the past few years...has to be in double figures, though.

Chris in Virginia | January 03, 19:28 CET

Thanks for that Buffbuff. I've no idea if that is the style of packaging that they are planning to use for the new UK versions but it sounds likely that it will be something similar at least.

The Arcane | January 03, 19:59 CET

All that re-packaging really is a bummer. I have all the original Buffy and Angel UK box sets, except Angel season 1 (which was not availiable on Amazon Germany because of the age certificate, I think). Now AtS S1 in the original packaging is impossible to find, leaving a hole in my collection (still, I have the german version, but it sucks in ways of aspect ratio, title translations and packaging).

So those of you who consider buying those "complete" box sets, wondering what to do with your season boxes - you might actually have treasures on your hands.

TactGuy | January 03, 20:12 CET

Mine are starting to get scratched up, from constant use and one annoying 9-year-old brother who doesn’t under stand the concept that disks go in cases. I think I'll definitely consider buying them again.

BufSlyAngel | January 03, 22:37 CET

I wonder what'll happen when blu-ray becomes the norm. Will BtVS and AtS be released in blu-ray format? I imagine the packaging will be quite different as you'll only need a couple of blu-ray discs to contain an entire season of either BtVS or Ats.

I don't know much about blu-ray, but from what I understand it's a new format that will replace DVDs. It might debut this year or the next. If anyone knows different, please correct me. I believe that blu-ray players will also play DVDs. Let's hope so.

phlebotinin | January 03, 22:55 CET

Blu Ray players will play existing DVD's, just as DVD players now will play music CDs, so you won't have to throw out your old collection. I can't see a BluRay Buffy collection doing much, the discs we all have now show the episodes as good as they can get picture quality wise. The early seasons particularly were shot with basic film. Putting them onto Blu Ray will do nothing for the picture or sound.

New movies including, say, ones with spaceships, action, hot babes, fistfights and space hookers, will be shot in far better film and will look fantastic on Blu Ray on your fifty inch plasma. Almost as good as it will look in the cinema.

However.... Blu Ray has a competitor. HD-DVD is a similiar, but uncompatable, system. Some electronics companies are plugging BluRay, some HD-DVD just as some studios are planning to release BluRay and others HD-DVD. It's Betamax and VHS all over again....

You can buy BluRay players now in Japan.

zz9 | January 03, 23:33 CET

Ah, thanks for the clarification, zz9. I knew there was a competitor but no more than that. And I'm glad that our DVD collections won't be rendered obsolete in the near future. I do wonder about, say, 30 years from now. Will players still exist to play our ancient sets? What technology will exist then? Fun to contemplate.

phlebotinin | January 03, 23:57 CET

And I'm glad that our DVD collections won't be rendered obsolete in the near future. I do wonder about, say, 30 years from now. Will players still exist to play our ancient sets?

A friend of my parents was a big time collector of 78rpm records. Had a couple of hundred thousand... He died a few years ago and the BBC wanted his collection but were outbid by a Japanese collector. Anyway, many people still collect, and play, 78's. He even sold a few cylinders. They're the ones the shape and size of a Coke can with the grooves running round the outside.

So I think DVD's will be playable for a while yet. Though the speed at which technology is moving on may mean that you won't want to play them you will still be able to keep them, just as I still have some Pink Floyd and Bowie LPs from the late seventies.

My comments about Serenity on Blu Ray look like being ever so slightly garbage. While Fox look like being in the Blu Ray camp Universal have decided to go for HD-DVD, acording to http://www.forbes.com/facesinthenews/2004/12/09/1209autofacescan03.html and http://www.geek.com/news/geeknews/2004Dec/gee20041229028455.htm

So we'll all have to buy a HD-DVD for Serenity AND a Blu Ray for Buffy and Angel.....

[ edited by zz9 on 2005-01-04 00:47 ]

[ edited by zz9 on 2005-01-04 00:49 ]

zz9 | January 04, 02:34 CET

I don't know zz9, i'm not sure that DVDs will ever hold the same kind of nostalgic place in our hearts that vinyl has managed to find.

I've a big box of records in my attic, both albums and singles, that i will most likely never play again. Not only have i replaced them all on CD now but i haven't got a record player anymore and don't intend to buy one anytime soon. However i still wouldn't dream of throwing the records out. If and when i do replace my DVDs with whatever new format eventually takes their place i doubt i'll need very much persuading to get rid of them.

I think the difference is that DVDs just haven't been around for long enough for us to get attached to them in the same way. Vinyl was around for decades before CDs took over, even managing to stay popular when tapes became the "next big thing". DVDs haven't had nearly as long to become important to us and if they really are already being replaced with something better then i'm certain that people in 30 years time aren't going to spend much time remembering their old DVD collections and missing the good old days.

Although vinyl will most likely still be being fondly remembered. :)

The Arcane | January 04, 02:48 CET

My second link quoted above says that both formats have built machines that not only PLAY the new format and DVD discs but have built discs that have DVD and the new format....

Since, as the article says, it's the choice of shows and movies that leads the market it's clear they both expect DVD to be around. So the $14.99 for Buffy is still a bargain!

zz9 | January 04, 02:53 CET

Its not certain that Blu-Ray or HD-DVD will take off if they are competing against each other. he consumer market could get confused and just stick to regular DVD's. Blu-Ray and HD-DVD have a high chance of becoming a niche product like Laserdisc. Plus it'll be a few years before anyone not rich can afford to buy actual discs, DVDs will still be cheaper.

eddy | January 04, 03:09 CET

The idea of having two incompatible systems competing for consumers is deeply annoying. If the systems are split along production studios, etc., what is the average consumer going to have to do to purchase movies from both Fox and Universal, for example? Buy both types of players? Who needs that kind of expense? That's a big, fat consumer turnoff. I'll stick to DVDs until there's some kind of triumph of one system over the other or there's a merger.

phlebotinin | January 04, 03:38 CET

Phlebotinin, at the risk of going way, WAY even more off topic, the idea behind the dual format discs will be so that a studio can make and sell a disc that is both DVD and HD-DVD or BluRay.
Throw your shiny new Serenity disc into your new HD-DVD player and it'll give high definition on your eight foot plasma. play the same disc in your old DVD player and it'll play in 'standard' DVD quality. So... If you've bought a BluRay player to play Buffy on then your HD-DVD/DVD disc of Serenity will only play in standard DVD format.

If you're not confused then I'm not explaining it right....

zz9 | January 04, 04:40 CET

Ah, I see. I'm not confused and you did explain it right. Many thanks again for your techno saavy.

phlebotinin | January 04, 04:43 CET