Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 ggr 02/21/84; site bocar.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxt!houxm!ihnp4!bocar!man
From: man@bocar.UUCP (M Nevar)
Newsgroups: net.video
Subject: Re: Why are prerecorded tapes so ?!$# expensive ?
Message-ID: <158@bocar.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 10-May-85 14:11:42 EDT
Article-I.D.: bocar.158
Posted: Fri May 10 14:11:42 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 11-May-85 03:19:16 EDT
References: <5260@cbscc.UUCP> <654@vortex.UUCP> <10507@brl-tgr.ARPA>
Distribution: net
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Piscataway
Lines: 24

<The thing is that SOME tapes are retailed at $39.95 list, while others
<have lists of $79.95, or $89.95, etc. If a company can make money 
<duplicting and selling any one tape at $39.95, they can just as
<easily sell ALL tapes for $39.95. And these are current, high-return-
<to-the-participants tapes. Old movies retail for $11.95 at K-Mart.
<
<I think I can use your argument against you -- if you have to make
<real-time duplicates, it is just as easy to switch the master any
<time and make different tapes; with high-volume stamping, it costs
<more to stop the line and change the master to make different items.
<So real-time duplication could lead to it being as easy to make many
<different tapes, all at the same low cost. The only higher cost factor 
<would be that the per-item printing costs for the sleeves would be
<higher (25 cents instead or 5 cents, maybe? piffle!). So there should be
<a wide variety of tapes available at the lower lists (like $39.95 for 
<newly-released movies).

Well, it costs the vendor more for the right to duplicate these tapes
as well.  They have to get back their initial pay-out.  They do this
by charging more.  I still agree with you.  They'd probably make more
at the cheaper price because of volume.  But, they probably charge more
because they pay more for the rights.

						Mark Nevar