Dis-a-POINT-ed!

[gwyn]

Unbelievably disappointing news for La Femme Nikita fans (this is from the LFN Haven message board):

Today we received a call from a representative at Warners Home Video and were told that the release of LFN Season 4 DVDs has been delayed until the third quarter of 2006, which is July, August and September.

This, of course, means that Season 5 will also be delayed. We were told that a three month delay had been anticipated between the release of Season 4 and Season 5, and with the new schedule, Season 5 may still possibly be released very late in 2006 if time allows. Otherwise, we can expect Season 5 in early 2007.

This is disappointing news, but we are encouraged that LFN is still on the active DVD release schedule. Perhaps you have been following recent news stories of the industry's overall disappointment in DVD sales this past year and of the layoffs and reorganization in this particular division of Warners. All of this has been a concern to us, so it was a relief to know that WHV is still interested in LFN and sufficiently that they will keep us advised of the status of the DVDs as it changes.

I just can't believe this. It will make it more than a year since third season came out, four years since the first season was released on DVD. The way Warner's has treated this series is unreal. And I have a hard time believing that thing about layoffs and reorgs based on sales, when DVD sales have been the one shining star in the declining entertainment money figures for the past few years. Selfishly, it totally hampers my vidding ability for the show (I have one vid idea that I can make with S1-3, but that's about it). Recently someone rec'd one of my LFN vids on the_reel, which was really nice, but they made this unnecessary comment about the quality of the source, because I had to use my tapes for the vid, since that's all that's extant for the entire series. And that's the thing -- there's this sense of entitlement in fandom, that everything's digital and downloadable and all that. I'm in a small minority of fans who had the whole thing archived from the beginning. And now what it sounds like is that we'll have to still rely on old source if we want anything comprehensive. I have grave doubts about whether we'll even see this fourth season; I don't trust Warner at all.

And also, more important, S4 has some of my favorite eps, including the love slinky and the spit kiss and the most romantic things Michael ever said. It has some dogs, true, but... that opening arc of four eps is stellar. To not have that now for almost a whole year, after waiting all this time and being told first quarter... arg.

Comments

[melinafandom.livejournal.com]

I can't believe they are releasing seasons 4 and 5 separately anyway, considering 5 was only 8 episodes... it would seem logical to just put them together.

As for stupid fans, just ignore them. :) But IMO, I wouldn't hesitate to use your DVDs for what you have and tapes for what you don't... as long as the aspect ratios are the same (the dvds are 4x3, IIRC?) and the tapes are reasonably good quality.

I used DVDs and tapes that for a couple of HL vids when the DVDs hadn't all come out yet, and while it wasn't ideal, it wasn't awful, either. Plus it makes it *so* much easier to go back and get the entire vid in DVD once they do come out.

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

I think it's just that my tapes for the later seasons are noticeably different than DVDs to the point of distraction -- I had to stop getting cable through the box at that time, and so midway through second season, my USA feed turned to mush and there was this consistent rolling line through it. I also have noticed the heads on the vcr that I use for capturing from them are getting worn enough that they're dropping out white spots from time to time. It's hard to watch that and the DVD quality side by side!

And to think that we used to make do with 18th-gen tapes from PAL source where you could barely tell who was who...

I thought they were initially going to release S4 and 5 together, as well, or at least, that was the direction they hinted at. This is just so lame and pathetic.

[maubast.livejournal.com]

there's this sense of entitlement in fandom

It just gets bloody old. At least, I'm sick of it.

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

Yeah, and the thing is, we used to... well, we walked uphill both ways in the snow and printed our zines with potatoes and recorded our shows with parrots and all, but we also were happy with things even if they weren't pristine perfect source. It was like... things were the way they were, we made do, and nowadays all the young net newbies who think everything is free and perfect gripe if it's not. Wow, wouldn't life be wonderful?

[maubast.livejournal.com]

*hugs* ha - you're so right.

We not only made do, we had fun doing it. Now, I'm burnt out. (just posted a bit of a 'tired of it' rant to my lj, in fact)

[kirbyfest.livejournal.com]

they made this unnecessary comment about the quality of the source, because I had to use my tapes for the vid, since that's all that's extant for the entire series.

Wow. I have trouble with this. Not everyone has access to all the digital source, for so many reasons-- it may not be out on DVD, they may not be able to afford the DVDs, yadda yadda. I'd hate for someone to not vid at all just because everything wasn't Just Perfect.

Sure, I prefer digital, clean source when I'm watching vids. But a good vid is a good vid.

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

Yeah. It's hard -- I was really, really grateful for the rec (because honestly, I figured that the likelihood of anyone reccing my vids on that community was about as strong as anyone reccing my fic or vids on crack van -- in other words, none), but I found that really upsetting and frustrating. Warning people that the source wasn't good (they are first gen videotapes, though they have visual problems I couldn't control) and that they had "watermarks" (meaning station ID bugs). As if, you know, that makes a vid something you have to *warn* people about, for god's sake. "Oh, it uses VCR source and --gasp! -- it wasn't DLed from a hi-def broadcast pirated bit torrent copy!" I know the reccer didn't mean it that way, but it just smarts, nonetheless. For many shows, we just don't have choices. As any Witchblade fan, for pete's sake.