The student news site of Marquette University

Marquette Wire

The student news site of Marquette University

Marquette Wire

The student news site of Marquette University

Marquette Wire

No need to tape it: TV DVDs a complete package

By Heather Leszczewicz

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There are those days that you just want to spend in front of the television. You have nothing to do and it's just something that's relaxing, no thinking needed. However, the problem with television comes when there's nothing on except horribly bad Lifetime movies and the shopping channel.,”

There are those days that you just want to spend in front of the television. You have nothing to do and it's just something that's relaxing, no thinking needed. However, the problem with television comes when there's nothing on except horribly bad Lifetime movies and the shopping channel.

DVD comes and saves the day. TV companies have realized there's a gold mine when it comes to TV on DVD. Why flip channels when a DVD cuts out the commercials and viewers can plant themselves in front of the TV to catch up on an entire season just like that.

Why own TV on DVD?

The most enticing, and most simple, reason is that you can. The addition of a person's favorite TV show to a DVD collection can be rewarding and exciting. But there's a need to be sure that you want to own a season or two of a series otherwise they'll sit on the shelf collecting dust and a hefty amount of money will have been wasted.

One of the best reasons to own a series on DVD is to share the love. There are so many amazing shows on television that people need to watch and haven't. It's great to take one of your favorite shows, be able to thrust a box set at someone and help spread the word about a great show. It's word of mouth that really creates buzz about a show.

Marathons and group viewings would be another reason to own TV on DVD. How great would it be to throw a party with a DVD as the main attraction? It could be like a book club, but with a TV show at the center, like a "Sex and the City" party complete with cosmos and fashion magazines.

It's also commemorative, as there are plenty of shows that get a cult following after being canceled.

Two cases in point: "Firefly" and "Arrested Development." It's those "what-ifs" of the television realm. What if that show had gone on for another season? What if this great show hadn't been replaced by a crap reality show?

And for those who only have basic cable, or no cable at all, HBO and other premium channels get their shows out on DVD pretty quickly. Frankly, shows on those stations are syndicated on other stations, but it's not the same without the F-bomb, other explicit language and sex.

Buying TV on DVD

The best time to buy a TV show would either be the first week it comes out or be aware of the sales at certain stores. TV on DVD can be expensive depending on how many episodes, how many extras and how many discs in each set.

When a show is first released there's that little price break, but there's also a chance of the show selling out. Grab a raincheck, if possible, it'll extend that price break for at least another week or two. When the latest season of a TV show comes out, it's likely that there will be sales on the older seasons as well.

Amazon.com, eBay.com and resale stores are also great places to find prices that won't break the bank. Just be aware of what you are purchasing. Make sure that the discs are only gently used because they are most likely used to begin with.

Many people watch a season and then sell it right away. It's not really suggested since it's likely the resale price will be less than what was paid to begin with. If you don't think you'll keep the DVDs, try renting the DVDs from Netflix or Blockbuster rather than dropping $50 on a set you won't treasure.

Why aren't my favorite shows on DVD?

The sad part of TV on DVD is that older shows have a problem getting out DVDs due to musical copyrights. Many show creators didn't have the foresight to be aware of how expensive certain songs are to put onto DVD. The United States has strict copyright laws and many television studios don't believe it's worth the price to pay for those songs to get the DVDs to the public. European laws are less stringent and several shows get released there in their entirety.

For example, all five seasons of "Ally McBeal" were released in the United Kingdom, but not the United States because of copyright laws. U.S. fans can't purchase the DVDs because of the regional differences involved in DVDs. It's sad because many fans would be willing to pay a little extra for the original shows.

There are companies that are replacing the original songs with cheaper ones, but it's not the same.

So rent, collect and join TV on DVD fans. There's no shame in a guy owning (and loving) "The OC" or a girl getting something like "The Sopranos." Make your collection your own.

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