The ability to predict the number of DVDs that will sell has been a problem for the studios. Many studios have been very conservative about taking chances on less popular titles in their back catalog because they do not want to be stuck with inventory that isn’t selling. However, Warner Bros. has found a solution with its launch of a new made-to-order DVD service.

With the new made-to-order DVD service, Warner Bros. allows customers to choose from all kinds of movies from the Warner Bros. catalogue. With the launch of the service, the company will start by offering 150 titles from which to choose. Once you select a title, you have the choice to download it over the Internet for $14.95 or to have a ‘made-to-order’ DVD sent to you for $19.95.

The new spin on the DVD format should help the company generate additional revenue from back catalog titles that are less popular, while at the same time provide access to these titles for viewers who want to own them on DVD. A number of the titles that are available in Warner’s initial selection process might have been available on VHS tape at one point, but were never released for DVD as the studio did not think there was enough demand for it.

Warner has a library of nearly 7,000 movies, and while the initial offering of 150 titles does not seem like much, the studio plans to add 20 new titles each month. New titles will range from all kinds of movies, as well as TV series offerings that the studio also produced.

Initially, some might question the pricing, as it does seem a bit steep; however, the fact that the DVDs are made-to-order does make the price a bit more palatable. Of course, the made-to-order DVDs will not include any special features, but might include a trailer in some cases.

If Warner is successful with the made-to-order concept, you can expect other studios to start similar offerings in the near future; but other studios will want to see how well it works for Warner before committing to taking the plunge themselves.