What is going on with the Fatso DVD rental service?

Forums › Home Theatre (including HTPC and EPG Collector) › What is going on with the Fatso DVD rental service?

wreck90

780 posts

Ultimate Geek
Inactive user

#38450 29-Jul-2009 15:46

I belong to the fatso Postal DVD service. Lately I've noticed they have not been stocking some new releases until a long time after the normal retail stores.

eg, Yes Man, Lakeview Terrace, Big Stan, Zack and Miri.

These have all been top 10 movies. Lakeview terrace won't even be stocked by fatso until the end of september. Yes Man has been out for a couple of months at the local store, but fatso won't even confirm a release date yet.

I asked Fatso why they are not stocking quite a few of the top new releases at the same time as the retail DVD stores.

Fatso say that they cannot stock these DVD's due to retail restrictions. I asked them to elaborate, but they are ignoring me now.

I don't understand why Fatso would be subject to retail restrictions while normal retail stores are not.

thecripplernz

252 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 3

#240465 30-Jul-2009 09:12

Hey Wreck, my guess is that those movies are Roadshow titles.
That means that when they are available for rental they cost a video store about $60 a copy and must make there money back very fast.
After a 45 day window these titles are available to be sold by video stores (and everybody) and the purchase price of these titles comes down significantly.

So im assuming Fatso wait out the 45 day window then release it, which they get at a cheaper price. With the whole mailing turnaround thing a new dvd probably doesnt make its money back for a long time, and if a $60 title got stolen that would also suck for Fatso.

ajobbins

5053 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1279

Trusted

#240469 30-Jul-2009 09:21

I have recent release movies in my queue that only show as 'medium' demand, but have been on there for a month or longer and I havent got them.

It seems they try and run a very lean operation. Haven't been all that impressed to date.

buzzy

217 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 2

#240902 31-Jul-2009 11:50

I guess it depends what you use Fatso for. I've got a backlog of around 200 titles in the queue, many of which are TV series that I've missed (Sopranos, for example). I can get through a couple of DVDs a week and the turnaround time's always pretty good.

Occasionally I'll get a recent-release movie, but I don't tend to get many new releases. If I'd wanted to see it that badly, I'd have gone to the cinema when it came out.

turb

880 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 135

#245733 12-Aug-2009 18:06

Aren't Fatso owned by Sky? A TV station...mmm....call me cynical

Interests: HTPC, Web App authoring.

old3eyes

9158 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1364

Subscriber

#245743 12-Aug-2009 18:35

turb: Aren't Fatso owned by Sky? A TV station...mmm....call me cynical

You beet me to it. They want to release then the same time as they are PPV.

Regards,

Old3eyes