A Harry Potter PSA (Goodbye iTunes Harry Potter 7, Part 1)
As you’ve probably heard by now, Warner Bros. is vaulting the Harry Potter DVDs — as in prying those DVDs you’ve been wondering if you should buy but haven’t sucked it up and paid for yet — on December 29th. After that point, you will not be able to purchase the DVDs anymore once supplies run out. They’ll re-release the films in the future at which point they expect that consumers will drink them in like water found at an oasis. That we’ll be so Harry-starved that we’ll devour two or three DVD copies each in order to satiate our Potter-appetite.
Or something like that.
Perhaps Warner Bros. will be hiding them in Vault 713.
I’ve seen mixed reports that the online versions will also be gone, and other newspapers that report that the online versions will be available for download. As is, Harry Potter 7, Part 1, has already disappeared from iTunes, and from what I’ve read, there’s a good chance that it won’t be coming back at all as a singular — and therefore less expensive than being forced to buy parts 1 and 2 together — download. The twins are so into Harry Potter that we decided not to take our chances — we purchased the 7 out of 8 films from iTunes so we have them for the future.
This is the PSA: in the time it took me to decide to do this last week until the time I actually got off my ass and hit the button on my computer, the price went up $3 per film. They were selling for $6.99 last week, and they were $9.99 when I downloaded them this week. I may end up regretting that I bought high if the price drops again after Thanksgiving, or I may end up breathing an enormous sigh of relief if the price goes up to $12.99 as we near Christmas and the vaulting deadline. Or what if they go up to $4 million PER FILM? See, then you won’t be laughing if you have to pay $28 million for 7 out of 8 films (since you can’t get Harry Potter 7, Part 1 anymore… that just saved you $4 million dollars) in order to fill your iPhone.
So.
Well done, Warner Bros, well done. I have played straight into your trap; purchasing Harry Potter movie copies with abandon. But when the long, cold Harry Potter winter comes, I’ll be ready. And as we gather around the iPad, watching Dolores Umbridge tell the children “wands away please!,” those of you who do not bend to the will of Warner Bros. will find yourselves standing with your noses pressed against the window, like ten-year-olds without any galleons to shop at Honeydukes.
Enemies of the consumerism heir… beware!
11 comments
But we will always have the books! As good as some of the movies are, they aren’t as good as my imagination.
I think we have them all already, but I will make sure!
You know , I feel like such a Scrooge, but I’ve read only borrowed copies of the books and don’t plan to buy any of the DVDs because I can easily borrow those too. Jk Rowling is so rich, I don’t feel like I have to help support her. I’d rather spend my book budget on authors like you 🙂
And this is why I support my local library. I might have to wait a few weeks, but they always have a copy of the DVD or the book somewhere!
Oh I did way worse than you. I buy the physical copy the DAY the DVD, now Blu-ray, comes out…and I’ve done this since Prisoner of Azkaban (movie 3). I don’t just buy the average Blu-ray that only features the movie. I have to have the Blu-ray, 4 disc, Special edition that has 8 hours of special features. I’m that obsessed…er…passionate about the series.
I also own all the books and got the last two the day they came out.
I agree with Chickenpig…
With that being said, I rushed out the first day each DVD was in stores and purchased it. Luckily it always seems to be “on sale” on that day, because every store wants you to buy it there.
So, let WB vault them away! I’m prepared.
Earlier this week I read about this and decided to buy both the boxed set of all 7 books and a collection of all 8 DVDs on Amazon. I got both for just under $100. They will be a Christmas gift for Sean and the plan will be for us to read them together in the new year (and for each book we finish, we can then watch the corresponding DVD). I have been holding out on reading the books and seeing the movies until I could experience both with my son. You have definitely wet my appetite with your love for Harry Potter! 🙂
Yeah. I bought it. And I’m okay with it.
Oh bloody hell, I am going to have to play straight into their hands too. I was waiting just to buy them all in a bundle some day in the future (the books I always bought the day they came out though, I loves me my books). Thanks for the heads up, am off to iTunes.
I will simply say that I bought all 7 DVD’s at Walmart last week for $3.96 each. I couldn’t believe the value, so I snatched them all up! Glad I did, it seems!