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coffeeman
Joined: 24 Nov 2005
Location: Korea
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 Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2006 7:10 pm Post subject: Why Aren't DVDs Popular In Korea? |
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This question has been nagging me for some time.
Korea has a lot of state-of-the-art technology in electronics, but people still haven't embraced dvd technology here. Go to a video store and they have tons of VHS but only a few dvds. What's the deal with this?
Even the dvd players are overpriced here. I found a "cheap" no-name one at Wal-Mart for 80,000 won. In North America, you could buy one for $40. We are even moving onto dvd recorders that record tv programs from the tv. These are going for as low as $200 now.
Anyone know the answer to this mystery? |
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just because
Joined: 01 Aug 2003
Location: Changwon - 4964
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| Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2006 8:12 pm Post subject: |
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Put your finger at market and tariff protectionism...
this way they can keep the prices artificially high... |
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indiercj
Joined: 30 Jan 2003
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2006 9:10 pm Post subject: Re: Why Aren't DVDs Popular In Korea? |
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| coffeeman wrote: |
This question has been nagging me for some time.
Korea has a lot of state-of-the-art technology in electronics, but people still haven't embraced dvd technology here. Go to a video store and they have tons of VHS but only a few dvds. What's the deal with this?
Even the dvd players are overpriced here. I found a "cheap" no-name one at Wal-Mart for 80,000 won. In North America, you could buy one for $40. We are even moving onto dvd recorders that record tv programs from the tv. These are going for as low as $200 now.
Anyone know the answer to this mystery? |
We DL them. |
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chronicpride
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2006 10:08 pm Post subject: |
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| Exactly. There are loads of Korean p2p sites, some of which you can download full movies in under 5 seconds. The DVD industry here has fallen victim from the high broadband penetration and the online industries that pop up, as a result of that. |
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just because
Joined: 01 Aug 2003
Location: Changwon - 4964
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| Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2006 7:17 am Post subject: Re: Why Aren't DVDs Popular In Korea? |
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| coffeeman wrote: |
| Even the dvd players are overpriced here. I found a "cheap" no-name one at Wal-Mart for 80,000 won. In North America, you could buy one for $40. |
I saw a DVD player at Costco today for 49 000 won |
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Gord
Joined: 25 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2006 10:47 am Post subject: Re: Why Aren't DVDs Popular In Korea? |
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| coffeeman wrote: |
| Korea has a lot of state-of-the-art technology in electronics, but people still haven't embraced dvd technology here. Go to a video store and they have tons of VHS but only a few dvds. What's the deal with this? |
Much like back home, younger people are more likely to adopt electronics sooner. And younger people, who consume more movies, are generally limited to jobs that pay under $4 an hour in Korea.
With new-release movies tagged at 29,000 Won at HomePlus, how many movies would you be willing to buy in exchange for more than seven hours of your time?
Even rental places which charge "only 1500 Won", that's still half an hour of work for most young people (sometimes more). Compared to downloading for free, it's a no-brainer.
Plus most Koreans don't have TVs much bigger than their monitors. Every child in this country has a 17" or 19" monitor in their own room, while the family TV isn't much bigger and is in the living room where they have to share it. Who wouldn't download everything? |
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coffeeman
Joined: 24 Nov 2005
Location: Korea
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| Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2006 4:57 pm Post subject: |
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DL is killing everything here.
Last edited by coffeeman on Sun Feb 12, 2006 5:02 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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coffeeman
Joined: 24 Nov 2005
Location: Korea
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| Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2006 4:57 pm Post subject: |
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Sorry for the 2 extra posts. Computer problems. See next message
Last edited by coffeeman on Sun Feb 12, 2006 5:05 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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coffeeman
Joined: 24 Nov 2005
Location: Korea
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| Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2006 4:57 pm Post subject: |
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Great points!
Downloading is killing the dvd industry too. What a shame. The Korean film indusrty is undergoing a boom called the Korean New Wave or "Hallyu" (or something like that).
They should lower the prices of dvds (like we do in North America 6 months after a dvd release) to 10,000 won to own or 1000 won to rent.
I've seen downloaded movies. Not always very pretty to look at. Ranges from crap to near dvd quality. I think people would pay for the perfect picture and 5.1 dolby sound. But then, maybe Koreans, especially young Koreans are not that demanding.
I'm surprised the gov here doesn't crack down on download sites. It's not like they can't do anything. These sites are on their own turf, not overseas. Many of these sites even require the users to register entering their Korean I.D. number.
Maybe Korea only cares about the big screen and not the little screen. Maybe they're happy enough with the profits made from movie screenings. I do see Koreans still going to the cinemas. |
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Yaya
Joined: 25 Feb 2003
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2006 7:16 pm Post subject: |
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You should, however, check out Korean exclusives like the Superbit edition of Black Hawk Down.
The DVD market has also suffered from a lack of good releases. I haven't bought one in ages because none warrant purchase. |
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sid
Joined: 02 Feb 2003
Location: Berkshire, England
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coffeeman
Joined: 24 Nov 2005
Location: Korea
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| Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2006 8:53 pm Post subject: |
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It's too bad that even in Seoul there are no dvd specialty shops that just sell new dvds. C'mon, there are a lot of rich middle-aged business people that would buy them I think.
They have to have something worthwhile to show on those huge flat-screen TVs, not the sh%t that's shown on regular TV.
70% of retail is marketing. If they marketed dvds as a desireable product, people would buy them. People pay $6 for bars of "exotic" soap and $4 for "premium" cups of coffee. |
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Yaya
Joined: 25 Feb 2003
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2006 5:23 pm Post subject: |
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| coffeeman wrote: |
It's too bad that even in Seoul there are no dvd specialty shops that just sell new dvds. C'mon, there are a lot of rich middle-aged business people that would buy them I think.
They have to have something worthwhile to show on those huge flat-screen TVs, not the sh%t that's shown on regular TV.
70% of retail is marketing. If they marketed dvds as a desireable product, people would buy them. People pay $6 for bars of "exotic" soap and $4 for "premium" cups of coffee. |
I buy mostly music DVDs, as shown in my recent purchases of live concerts by Kiss, James Brown in Berlin, America, Boz Scaggs and the Allman Brothers. The prices keep going down but perhaps not enough, as the imported DVDs are still around 25,000 won.
The sad thing is, rental DVDs are being made purposely inferior to spur sales. |
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