Warner Bros launches "made-to-order" DVD service

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Originally Posted by LOS ANGELES (Reuters)

- Warner Bros on Monday became the first studio to open its film vault to "made-to-order" DVDs, as it sought new revenues in a slumping DVD market by making it possible for fans to buy decades-old films.

Warner Bros, owned by Time Warner Inc, made an initial batch of 150 titles available for purchase online at www.WarnerArchive.com , including 1943 comedy-romance "Mr. Lucky" starring Cary Grant and the 1962 release "All Fall Down" with Warren Beatty and Eva Marie Saint.

Sales are not expected to approach those of new releases on DVD, but the service gives Warner Bros another way to make money from a film archive it already exploits by selling titles for broadcast in the United States and internationally.

The on-demand service allows Warner Bros. to avoid the risk of manufacturing too many copies of old or obscure titles and shipping them to retailers because customers directly order only the titles they want to buy.

"This way you've completely eliminated the risk of not selling them. You're not going to make them until they're sold," said Tom Adams, president and senior analyst with Adams Media Research.

Warner Bros. said that each month it will make about 20 films and television programs from its archive available for purchase through this DVD-on-demand program.

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Good idea/Bad Idea?

I do like this idea.

I'll have to have a look and see what is available. I bet there are unbelievable films in that list that people have forgotten about.

I wish it would be extended to music too. Sure iTunes and Amazon have millions of tracks available, but it should be hundreds of millions of tracks. In lossless. There are albums you just can't find these days, I've even considered taking a copy of a couple of albums from my brother because they are near impossible to find.

It's a lovely idea. I'm not so much a fan of very old movies.. I don't know why but they very rarely appeal to me.

I'm sure however there are lots of people who will rejoice at the opportunity to buy old but obviously not forgotten movies.