USB, DVD, BD or all three - Pricing?

Chris Harding · November 22nd, 2014, 06:12 PM

I'm sure supplying a "free" BD player works for some but for me it's a messy solution. You are sort of telling them .."You have to plug in this big box to your TV so you can watch your wedding video" ..they might not have space or want another electronic box in their already full entertainment unit. So if they treat it as a portable solution it also means they need to take the player and remote in the car to Grandma's house so she can watch their wedding! I have never had a bride complain about resolution issues so I still offer DVD's and almost every bride will also ask for DVD's even though I currently offer their choice of DVD or USB (or even a mixture of both) but no Bluray.

I actually offered a Media Player FREE to brides so they could watch their wedding on any media and not a single bride took me up on my offer. I think they prefer convenience over technology and don't like complicated or messy delivery of their wedding video!

Roger? So buying a home in London must be a pipe dream now for most couples? Our house prices in Perth are also crazy. Median house price in the suburbs is around $440,000 and wages about $40K ... Funny most brides DO have a big 50" TV in their living room but only a DVD player!! Because we deal a lot with China, big screen TV's and electronics are pretty cheap here!!

Chris

Roger Gunkel · November 22nd, 2014, 06:36 PM

Chris, because of the amount of land compared to population in both Oz and the US I am sure that average houses are much bigger in both countries than in the UK. Certainly going by the size of houses I have visited in Florida and friends houses in OZ that is the case. A much bigger lounge will mean a greater viewing distance and bigger screen requirements. Presumably that means more sales for bigger tvs and lower prices.

My findings on dvd delivery are identical to yours.

Roger

Chris Harding · November 22nd, 2014, 07:05 PM

I had a mate in Florida and he used to do Realty Videos .. sheesh you can get a huge 5 bedroom home on the waterway with your own jetty and a huge garden for less than you would pay for a bed sitter in London. Even Sydney here is crazy!! They sold a home on auction yesterday (it was on the news) it was directly under the airport flight path and the house itself had a fire and was essentially gutted so it was a shell. Some woman paid $790,000 for it ..Are people crazy???

Yeah the bride is still the boss! I'd love my brides to look at their weddings on a 60" TV in 4K UHD but if they ask for DVD's that's what we have to supply them even if the footage is in low 720x576 SD!!

We actually give ourselves headaches if we try to push the resolution issues. I have had weddings on decidedly nasty wet and windy days and the bride has been over the moon with the result! It's all about content rather than resolution ...When we get to 8K we will have to start softening images so the imperfections showing thru the makeup are hidden... photogs already do this so often a bride will look more attractive in SD than pin sharp UHD where every blemish shows up !!

Tim Bakland · November 22nd, 2014, 09:13 PM

BluRay and DVD mainly. (And hosted highlights.)

Lots of blu-ray requests in my turf.

Arthur Gannis · November 23rd, 2014, 11:44 AM

Almost all the video guys I talk to are getting in the BluRay wagon. They are all either upgrading or replacing their MacPro desktops for the 4K cameras that will also be replacing their HD cams. For me, my eye is on the Samsung NX1 just for the fact that it can record 4K in the H265 codec, hope the low light is great with the BSI sensor. I already have several contracts next year for 4K capture. I only got those because I told the clients that I can do it. If I didn't offer it, they would have booked elsewhere. There is a huge Arabic community here that is handled by my friend who only does Arabic weddings. I don't touch them, but he charges a pretty penny and is upgrading all his 4 workstations as well as his cameras for 4K to be ready for 2015 season. His average price just jumped 40% for BluRay 4K.

November 22nd, 2014, 06:12 PM	#16
Chris Harding Inner Circle Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Perth, Western Australia Posts: 8,441	Re: USB, DVD, BD or all three - Pricing? I'm sure supplying a "free" BD player works for some but for me it's a messy solution. You are sort of telling them .."You have to plug in this big box to your TV so you can watch your wedding video" ..they might not have space or want another electronic box in their already full entertainment unit. So if they treat it as a portable solution it also means they need to take the player and remote in the car to Grandma's house so she can watch their wedding! I have never had a bride complain about resolution issues so I still offer DVD's and almost every bride will also ask for DVD's even though I currently offer their choice of DVD or USB (or even a mixture of both) but no Bluray. I actually offered a Media Player FREE to brides so they could watch their wedding on any media and not a single bride took me up on my offer. I think they prefer convenience over technology and don't like complicated or messy delivery of their wedding video! Roger? So buying a home in London must be a pipe dream now for most couples? Our house prices in Perth are also crazy. Median house price in the suburbs is around $440,000 and wages about $40K ... Funny most brides DO have a big 50" TV in their living room but only a DVD player!! Because we deal a lot with China, big screen TV's and electronics are pretty cheap here!! Chris

November 22nd, 2014, 06:36 PM	#17
Roger Gunkel Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: LIncolnshire, UK Posts: 2,213	Re: USB, DVD, BD or all three - Pricing? Chris, because of the amount of land compared to population in both Oz and the US I am sure that average houses are much bigger in both countries than in the UK. Certainly going by the size of houses I have visited in Florida and friends houses in OZ that is the case. A much bigger lounge will mean a greater viewing distance and bigger screen requirements. Presumably that means more sales for bigger tvs and lower prices. My findings on dvd delivery are identical to yours. Roger

November 22nd, 2014, 07:05 PM	#18
Chris Harding Inner Circle Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Perth, Western Australia Posts: 8,441	Re: USB, DVD, BD or all three - Pricing? I had a mate in Florida and he used to do Realty Videos .. sheesh you can get a huge 5 bedroom home on the waterway with your own jetty and a huge garden for less than you would pay for a bed sitter in London. Even Sydney here is crazy!! They sold a home on auction yesterday (it was on the news) it was directly under the airport flight path and the house itself had a fire and was essentially gutted so it was a shell. Some woman paid $790,000 for it ..Are people crazy??? Yeah the bride is still the boss! I'd love my brides to look at their weddings on a 60" TV in 4K UHD but if they ask for DVD's that's what we have to supply them even if the footage is in low 720x576 SD!! We actually give ourselves headaches if we try to push the resolution issues. I have had weddings on decidedly nasty wet and windy days and the bride has been over the moon with the result! It's all about content rather than resolution ...When we get to 8K we will have to start softening images so the imperfections showing thru the makeup are hidden... photogs already do this so often a bride will look more attractive in SD than pin sharp UHD where every blemish shows up !!

November 22nd, 2014, 09:13 PM	#19
Tim Bakland Major Player Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Beverly, MA Posts: 512	Re: USB, DVD, BD or all three - Pricing? BluRay and DVD mainly. (And hosted highlights.) Lots of blu-ray requests in my turf. __________________ Event Videography, New England www.timothybakland.com

November 23rd, 2014, 11:44 AM	#20
Arthur Gannis Major Player Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: New Jersey USA Posts: 504	Re: USB, DVD, BD or all three - Pricing? Almost all the video guys I talk to are getting in the BluRay wagon. They are all either upgrading or replacing their MacPro desktops for the 4K cameras that will also be replacing their HD cams. For me, my eye is on the Samsung NX1 just for the fact that it can record 4K in the H265 codec, hope the low light is great with the BSI sensor. I already have several contracts next year for 4K capture. I only got those because I told the clients that I can do it. If I didn't offer it, they would have booked elsewhere. There is a huge Arabic community here that is handled by my friend who only does Arabic weddings. I don't touch them, but he charges a pretty penny and is upgrading all his 4 workstations as well as his cameras for 4K to be ready for 2015 season. His average price just jumped 40% for BluRay 4K.