not to target the original poster in this, but why do people buy box sets of movies that you know have more movies coming out? I can understand if its just to own the movies, but i feel like the people who buy these also own the first few in the series, then buy the box set, and then buy the next movie, and repeat.

But the HD-DVD magically turned into a Blu-ray version with a twist and flick of the wand. Now that's magic.

Yea, this seemed like forever ago. The store staff just missed a title that should have been sent back to be exchanged. I'll bet there are still defective Back to the Future and Superman sets in that store too.
At least they took care of it, so no harm done.

@JerseyCelebrity: I'm sure there are people that do that, but most likely it's a very small percentage. Most people probably only own 1 or 2 of the movies and then bought the box to get the rest. Or sell/give away the individuals when they buy the boxset. Granted, you could just wait till all the movies are released in a single set, but by the time the 7th movie rolls out those kids are likely to be old enough to be cast as the teachers.

I kind of like the way some anime companies have been handling boxsets. When the first dvd comes out you have the option of buying a version that's $10 more but comes with a box you can put the other DVDs in as they're released.

Mark my words, these screwed up bundles are going to be worth thousands (for some reason) in the near future.

@Matthew Berkhan:

Yeah that sounds like it would be a good idea. More companies should do something along those lines. I think its more consumer friendly

@FooSchnickens: If you can only tell the bundle is messed up by opening it, couldn't you buy the BR box set and put an HD-DVD disc in?

@Matthew Berkhan: The anime idea generally doesn't work that well for movies.

The only one time I remember such a thing happened was Jurassic Park.

When Jurassic Park 3 was released on DVD there was an option to mail off for an extra special features DVD plus a box to hold all 4 DVDs (in essence, allowing people who owned 1 and 2 to make their own box set) for a few bucks.

@FooSchnickens: Why would they?

I can't imagine there'd be a huge demand for a HD DVD copy of Goblet of Fire.

And people scoff at the notion that Valdemort was defeated... Scoff, I say NOT.
...Silly muggles and their silly, silly ways.

The analog book versions are much better and they don't have any of the pesky region coding so you can read with out any problem the proper English version of the books instead of the dumbed down for the American market US versions.

@negitoro: People will pay absurd amounts of money for something printed incorrectly, especially something with a following like Harry Potter has. Remember Beanie Babies, anyone?

I worked in a local record store a few years back that also sold DVDs. One fellow happened across an apparently very rare copy of the first Harry Potter movie that had a mistake on the cover, and got so excited he offered to pay a hundred dollars for it.

I told him he could have it for the $15 on the price tag, and he went along his merry way, the proud owner of an inexplicably valuable Harry Potter DVD.

@negitoro: Maybe I'm missing something, but there are 3 Jurrasic Park movies, right?

So why are there four DVDs? Was there a bonus disk or something?

But yes, I agree with the whole "box set" conundrum. Why do DVD packagers release the box set before the series/season (oh yes, I have seen incomplete TV seasons) is finished? Oh wait, because people buy them. But still.. I think just "bundling" the movies in a coupon/deal without all the extra packaging/etc that makes it a box set would do until the last one.

@JerseyCelebrity: I agree. I work in a bookstore that sells DVDs as well (in addition to technically owning two Harry Potter box sets [I did not buy them, fwiw]). The Harry Potter series is especially notorious for this. They released a box set for the first two movies, for the first four movies, and then for the first five movies. And people buy them! In my case, I have the box set of the first two movies and the first four but the boxes fit inside one another and I sold back the first two copies so it works but it's just weird how they make these sets fully knowing there are (at this point) two more movies to come out.

@Wombatish: Zomg, didn't know they were making a fourth one. Too bad it will probably be bad (the books were amazing, and the influence of the books on the movies (plus just the wonder of the animatronics (sp)/CG) is what helped make the movies amazing).

Too bad it looks unofficial/neglected/abandoned.

I heart spoiled children. Dad should have just went out and bought said child a HD-DVD player also. I mean, all her friends have one too, and have ALL the Harry Potter movies on Blu-ray AND HD-DVD. What, do I sound bitter? Nah...

@Psychosocial: If someone has a Blu-Ray player... why would they not purchase Blu-Ray discs for it... uh... and it's not like Harry Potter is like.. the Bratz movie or something. It would look nice in Blu-Ray..

Manufacturer messed up.
Store got bad discs.
Store had bad discs unknowingly.
Customer bought said bad discs.
Customer returned bad discs for good discs with no hassle or issues.

How is this a story?

@I Love New Jersey: How have the American books been dumbed down? This isn't an issue I've heard more than unreliable here-say about.

@Wombatish: "When Jurassic Park 3 was released on DVD there was an option to mail off for an extra special features DVD"

Three movies + one special features disc.

@FDCPAGuy: I can't speak for Consumerist, but sometimes it's a nice reminder that good things still happen. It's refreshing to know good things can happen at Best Buy as much as the bad things.

@Matthew Berkhan:

Eighth movie. The last book is being split into two.

@Robobot:

At the very least, the title. Sorcerer's Stone vs. Philosopher's Stone. The Philosopher's Stone has been in legend for centuries, yet they changed the name for the the American book.

@JerseyCelebrity:

Yeah, I have to agree. I mean BIG fans who love the movies won't stop at buying a box set eventually (just breaking down and then deciding to get the rest of the set in indivudual DVDs if they skipped over the first few), but if you know the end, I don't mind waiting.

Same with Lost. I COULD get the individual sets now, but you just know that at the end of the series, there will be a mega massive box set at the end of 2010 that will make the individual sets look useless.

@Trai_Dep:
It's VOLdemort.

Oh gosh, I said the name! :O

I thought you could play DVDs on Blu-ray players. Or did my techie coworker steer me wrong, and I have to replace my 180-something collection of movies?

Did they just want all the discs to match?

I bought them individually. I can't afford box sets (although I splurged on the Looney Tunes ones).

@HogwartsAlum: Watch out for Trackers!!

@RandaPanda:

I'm screwed! Hide me in your purse, Hermione!

@Wombatish: They're not making it anymore. Michael Crieghton died and they canceled the project.

@JerseyCelebrity: I bought the box set because I hadn't seen any of them, and it was cheaper to buy the box set than it was to buy each movie on blu-ray.

@HogwartsAlum: You can play REGULAR DVDs in blu-ray players, not HD-DVD DVDs.

You guys gotta here this,
My sister just bought an iPod touch, and we bought the extended warranty (3 years).
The future shop representative mentioned that their coverage of loss of battery life was much better then apples.
He said that Apple only covers it if it is x% within y time.
Future shop will cover it if there is ANY loss over 3 YEARS.
So utilising one of lifehackers tips about keeping batteries out of (read: in) coldd weather to maintain (read: kill) battery life, we will take it back after 2.5 years to recieve:
A FULL refund, via Future shop gift card.
We got this in writing, along with an employee name and staff number.
Sweet eh?

@Steeldrumhero: I'm not sure bragging about something like that online is such a good idea.

Besides any company will follow the letter of the policy and isn't going to just give you a free gift card to cover the amount. Maybe a depreciated value though since by then newer versions will have been released.

"WHOOPS
This Harry Potter Blu-Ray Set Requires A HD-DVD Player"

It should be "an" and "HD DVD."

Whoops is right.

@sqlrob: I also wrote about Harry Potter and I assumed they would just release both movies in one DVD-case as a single movie even though the release dates for theaters are a few months apart. Although, knowing the HP franchise, maybe they WILL put it out on two different DVDs.

@negitoro:
Actually, they did it for Lord of the Rings, the extended editions. I know because I have it.

With the purchase of the third movie, there was a coupon or such that you could send away with like $5 and they mail you the box to hold all of them. I thought that was very nice and wished more franchises did that.

@FDCPAGuy:
Well, it's also the fact that the problem was discovered 2 years ago, and most manufacturers would, we hope, try and recall defective batches from the stores before it became a consumer issue.

In this case, it shows that either the store didn't heed the warning, or one wasn't done, and there are still defective products out in the market.

More buyer beware, and check your merchandise before leaving Best Buy.

@I Love New Jersey:

Books come with a much more insidious region coding: Language.

Unlike video discs that always have an analog hole, the only way to read a foreign language is to master it. And that takes far longer than outputting your Region 2/1/whatever disc through a Macrovision stripper...

@sqlrob:

I must confess, I'd never heard of a "Philosopher's Stone" until I watched a foreign TV show a few years back, and I like to think of myself as someone in the know. :o) It didn't take long to find out about it, but I believe alchemy just isn't something that pervades American culture the way it does elsewhere.

@Spinfusor:

[en.wikipedia.org]

:^)

@HogwartsAlum: You see? You see?! Much trouble would have been avoided had only the DAs substituted an "a" for an "o".
Tracking spells being oh-so-literal, y'know.

@shepd: I love the fact that whether or not "a" or "an" depends on if you're Catholic or Protestant (Irish), according to your cite.
Ethno-linguistic trivia is really fun.

@JerseyCelebrity: The person buying the set might be changing formats. VHS > DVD or DVD > Blu-ray.

Also consider the fact that since the HP movie series has been going on now for almost a decade there are kids watching it now that were only babies when the first movie came out.

How is this a story?

@FDCPAGuy: Because there's usually someone in one of the posts criticizing Best Buy saying, "OMG, why are you always bashing Best Buy?!?!"

@Deranged_Kitsune: It was something like $3 to send away for the slipcase. (I definitely did it too, hehe.) I thought that was a very nice gesture to the fans / customers who had been excitedly purchasing the movies as soon as they became available.

@pecan 3.14159265:

Whaaaaaaat?!?!?!?!?

THAT'S STUPID! I don't wanna replace anything!!! *kicks and screams*

Oh wait...most of my discs are just regular...I think. Now I'm paranoid and need to check!

@HogwartsAlum: You should know if you ever bought an HD-DVD. It was the competing format vs. BluRay that lost.

@Smashville:

I thought that was just DVD.