Sent: Sunday, June 30, 2002 10:33 AM
To: admin@erosentertainment.com
Subject: Devdas dvd


Hi

Since you have the rights to the dvd of
Devdas,
Please please I beg you not to cock up like you
people
always do. This is a big Indian film and don't
embarrass the name of Indians and dvds anymore. If
possible get proper dvd authorers and do some quality dvds. Rest assured you will get your money back if dvds are done properly. Please make sure this turns out well. Come
on guys enough screw ups. Thanks

Regards
Rakesh




Admin <admin@erosentertainment.com> wrote:
Dear Sir,

Thank you for your feedback. We appreciate it. We
agree that Devdas is going
to be one of the biggest blockbusters seen in recent
times. Rest assured
that we too are as interested in ensuring the
success of the film including
the DVD's. It will be our endeavour to promote and
distribute this movie in
the best manner possible. Thank you for getting in
touch with us.

With Regards
Customer Service



Hi

I was wondering if you understand what I meant in my last mail, I was not referring to the marketing strategies taken by Eros to make Devdas dvd more popularor for Eros to earn more money. I don't care how you distribute and market it. That has nothing to do with the customer's concern. Sigh...

I want to know what measures you are taking to raise the quality of the dvd. I am talking about the sound and video of the dvd if you still don't get it. Have you people ever realised thet you are possibly the worst dvd company in the world. I am sorry to sound blunt but no marketing gimmicks will work if your actual product is crappy which usually is. I am not going to go into the technical details of how the dvd should be made since I have wasted a lot of time explaining that to you all. And also probably you don't understand what is the difference between a dvd and a vcd anyway. Just pass this message to the guy who does the actual work.

Ok not too ask much but can you make the dvd of Devdas as good as Columbia Tristar's Lagaan. Haha dream on! That is probably what is going thru in your mind! Yeah you probably think,"we are here not to make quality dvds but how to market a dvd" the quality is a secondary issue. I did not make that up, your last mail implied that.

You just don't know how sad and pathetic we are, logging in to zulm's forum every evening just to see which film goes to Eros and how to prevent the film from becoming a frisbee. We have been writing mails to rival companies or to bigger players like CT to make a certain dvd. Just imagine how many great films you assh---s have already destroyed. You are one company that is single handedly destroying the Indian dvd business! People prefer to buy pirated dvds instead of Eros dvds. Did you know that? Do the market survey if you don't believe me.

For the last time please do not destroy Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Devdas. Please...

Regards,
Rakesh
Your very very dissapointed customer

congress your letter is to the point, Iwonder if they reply back. It should be intresting if they do, keep us informed.

I hope, wishful thing that SLB did not sell, DVD rights with theatric distribution to Lulla of EROS!!! :vangry:

I think EROS gets most DVD rights due to the fact that their marketing of "distribution" in the North American markets is good maybe.

They must be telling producers, we will release the movies but you have to sell your DVD rights to us too. Producer gets some false promises and there it is.

Congress,
Although I am wholeheartedly in agreement with the basic content of your letters to Eros, I think that it is not a good idea to be rude and outrightly be offensive to someone you are actually requesting somethign from. Basically my experience has shown that people/companies are more likely to take seriously those letters that are not rude. Basically what I am suggesting is that if/and when anyone writes to any DVD company, the person should be to the point but without being rude. I am in no way suggesting that one should tone down our contempt for the quality of their DVDs and/or hold back in our criticism, but just that one should be polite while doing so.

I am with you Sanjay ... you are totally true

This line just cracked me up! :happy:

Reading Eros response to your first email I'm beginning to think there’s a rational response in there. To ‘promote and distribute’ is the primary business of Eros and I think Eros have very little or no input on how the DVDs are made or at least they don’t understand the technical aspects that makes a good DVD. Which reminds of a email I got while back regarding the poll on the main site. This person (a Professor of University of Iowa) said 'Compared to the awful old grocery-shop VHS days, current Indian DVDs are bliss, but there’s still lots of room for improvement' – inc improvements to subtitles (essential to gain wider audience) and sources used to DVD transfers. This attitude of better than VHS days is not only of the distributors but people who sell them and buy them.

I’m sure the great Professor won’t mind me quoting him but he sums it pretty well;

"Distributors need to know that there is potentially a large market of American film students and fans who WILL take 'Bollywood' films seriously IF they can see them in the same high quality versions they expect for French, German, Japanese, Italian, Chinese, etc. etc. foreign films. Please abandon the attitude of thinking that second rate products are ‘good enough’ for the Indian film audience."

Ali

Hi sanjay & good badmas,

I know being rude is not a very nice thing to do and usually I don't do this kind of thing but I have written a lot of times to Eros before very politely and never got a reply.
But they have done worse things to me, they lied many times to their customers, purposely stating wrong info on their dvd covers.

It is a little like "Lathon ke bhoot kabhi bhaton se nahin mante". Also the dvd of Devdas is probably already made and is just waiting to be released so whatever I write will not matter. . If they had a conscious things would never be like this ... Anyway I don't care how they feel.

Here's the latest reply I just got from Eros this morning, I can't make head or tail of it...


Dear Sir,

Thank you for clarifying the issue. Let us assure you at the outset that having bought the rights of Devdas, we would be more than careful in maintaining the quality of our products since this would have a substantial commercial impact for us. Having been in this business for many years now,
the management of Eros is fully aware of the quality of products that it releases. All said and done, Eros is still the number one company in the business of international distribution of Indian films and this position has been achieved after years of painstaking hardwork. If Eros continues to get more and more films to its credit then it is solely because of its reputation and it is this reputation which has brought leading names to offer their movies to Eros for distribution. We are constantly updated with
market feedback and we know what it has to say. Eros know its business and knows it well. We do appreciate your taking the time to write us your concerns. We shall certainly take note of them.

With Regards
Customer Service

hey congress
good job at getting them to write you
why don't you send them one more e-mail and ask if they already know exactly of their product quality in the market (the worst dvd's being made) then why they continue to make such bad dvd's
may be b/c they know that most indians still don't care about the picture quality of indian film dvd's, but anyways why don't you write them this message
may be they will reply back, so we may know that they will never change their dvd quality until they really get hammered by the consumers

That says it all! Devdas DVD is going to same as previous Eros DVD. Agree with congress that this DVD is very likely already done or in the processing of getting done right now.

Ali

say guys, has anyone ever offered to EROS that you would be glad to beta check a DVD before it is finally authored and ready for production. That way they know in advance what some knowledgeable folks may have to say about what gets put out there in the market....maybe this approach may help....its a long shot.....if they are really serious they should treat DVDs just like any other s/w release and collect some beta inputs....my 2 cents.

They will first ask who’s beta is it and what filmi connections this beta has. Also how much is this beta going to cost them. Finally they'll ask what is a beta? h: After all that Eros will say their aunty has a bigger and better beta and they’ll use that but thanks for the offer anyway.

Ali :where: h: :bored:

My take on this is that the vast majority of Indian movie viewers don’t have any patience and don’t care about the picture quality of the movie. They just want to see the movie as soon as possible. When ever I go rent indian movies at my local store, I’ll see them ask for the DVD but if the store doesn’t have the dvd they’ll take the VHS, since it’s copied from the DVD (some don't even bother asking for the DVD). If they cared about the picture quality they wouldn’t rent the VHS they would wait for the DVD. It’s also cheaper to rent the VHS vs. the DVD. As long as the vast majority of viewers don’t give a rat’s ass about quality, why the hell should EROS care???


EROS will stay in business and make money because indian movie viewers will watch their DVDs no matter what the quality is like!!!!


Out!!!!!!!!!

U know, I still wont mind getting a rental only version with decent 5.1/even GOOD STEREO sound and no SHIT like sp features and Pseudo anamorphism!! for my IMPATIENT instincts and then follow up with SELL THROUGH version with DECENT QUALITY at reasonable time, even 6 months, But at least giving/assuring DECENT QUALITY product at that time?

Price for rental version could be a bit lower than SELL THROUGH version...If I like movie and they provide me WITH GOOD subsequent QUALITY, I'll BUY IT!! They got my BUISNESS!!

But let me tell u, these GUYS have dne that crappy strategy before, look at JOSH/HDJPK/CCCC etc, what EROS did in name of rental and later on!! That is CHEATING, din dhiade DADA GEERI!! I dont accept it!!

Any body has any comments on dat esp people on DAMN EROS side!!
How humble, how critical u can get! IMHO, these HINDI DVD B* will never get fixed!! Philosphy issue here..there DEEN MAZHAB is MULA!! Money COME EASY!! only! :vangry:

Don't piss off those eros guys. They are mafia. They will kill you for trying to ruin their business :0