Steve's Airshow World - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Frequently Asked Questions - DVD Related

Q: How much do the DVDs cost? Are they expensive?

A: Normally, a single-disc DVD will cost $16.05, a two-disc set will cost $21.50, a three-disc set will cost $24, and a four-disc set will cost at least $31. There are exceptions to those prices, and DVDs that fall under the exceptions will have explanations why they will cost more or less, which usually entails the amount of video on the discs.

I would consider the prices to be reasonable, especially when compared to similarly-priced disc sets of movies and television shows. I have seen several DVDs being sold for $30 or more that were single-disc sets which featured under an hour of video. Take that into consideration if you think these are unreasonable...

By purchasing any DVD, you are contributing to the continued existence of Steve's Airshow World by keeping the website online and with various airshow-related trips and expenses, and I very much appreciate your ongoing and continuing support.

Q: Will you sell DVDs at airshows?

A: I won't. It's just another thing I'd have to carry.

Q: How much is shipping and handling?

A: The minimum is $6.10. The shipping and handling total will go up as the total of the purchase goes past a certain threshold. Keep in mind that shipping costs go up as the package becomes heavier and heavier - even by the ounce/gram. The shipping and handling costs take into account the cost to ship the order, the packaging, and transit time to the post office. Any increases of the shipping costs will be related to increases in how much the postal service charges to ship items.

Shipping to destinations outside of the U.S. will cost significantly more, as it usually does when I ship internationally. It is because of that reason why I recommend that if you want to order some titles, to make one larger order rather than several smaller orders, as you'll save a few dollars on the shipping. The same also applies if you live within the United States. Yes, the shipping rate will go up as the total goes up, but in the long run, you're going to save some money.

Q: What do you use to ship?

A: I ship USPS Priority Mail with Delivery Confirmation within the United States and USPS Air Mail for international customers. You will receive an e-mail (through the account I use PayPal with) stating that the order has been shipped (almost always after I return from the post office) and a Delivery Confirmation number included. This is usually sent after I get home from the post office. I cannot provide a Delivery Confirmation number for international customers because Delivery Confirmation is for within the contiguous United States, but rest assured I will send you an e-mail stating it's on it's way.

Should the USPS impose another increase in shipping in FY10, I may do away with Delivery Confirmation in order to keep my shipping rates the same.

Q: Why not UPS or FedEx?

A: It is very inconvenient for me to stop by a FedEx Kinkos or a UPS Store and it's also going to cost a bit more to use either company.

Q: How long will it take for you to ship an order once you receive it?

A: It boils down to timing. I could perhaps have it out the same day I received it, but there are also times where I can have it out the next day or two just because of my schedule. Any orders that are placed during times I am away for an extended period will be shipped out within three to five days of my return home, unless otherwise stated. If there is a reason that the order will be delayed for an extended period of time, I will send you an e-mail stating why it will be delayed and if possible, when I can get it to you.

Q: Where can you ship to? How long will it take to reach me?

A: Right now the only areas I cannot ship to (due to political reasons and the current world situation) are Cuba, Iran, Iraq, and North Korea.

Please keep in mind that if you are an international customer, you must add the additional shipping charges to your order, as international shipping costs considerably more than domestic shipping.

Domestically, your order, once I send it out, should take about 3-5 days. Canadian orders should take about 5-7 days. All other locations should take a minimum of five days to reach you.

The rule of thumb is that the further away you are from New Jersey, the longer it will take for the order to reach you.

Q: What format are the DVDs in?

A: The DVDs are formatted to play in DVD players formatted to Region 1, which covers North America. However, if you happen to own a multi-region DVD player, I cannot guarantee that they will play in multi-region DVD players. All of the video is in standard definition.

As an update, I have had several orders shipped out to customers in Australia, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, and all have reported no problems with playing the DVDs in their respective players.

The video, when viewed on a computer, is sized for 720x480. If you are into technical details, that will be of some help for you. Most of the video inserted onto the DVDs was in the .wmv format, with some MPEGs in some places.

Q: How much video is on each DVD?

A: It varies, depending on the DVD. Rest assured there will be enough video for you to enjoy.

Q: Is there any video on the DVDs that is not seen on Steve's Airshow World?

A: Yes. In fact, there is video on the DVDs that was once seen on Steve's Airshow World in the past, but is no longer available to watch online. Plans for several DVDs include special segments that will be seen only on the DVDs and not on Steve's Airshow World.

Q: For certain aircraft-only DVDs, do you have all footage of that particular aircraft on the DVD?

A: Originally, that answer was no. With the newer aircraft-only DVDs that have been released and those awaiting a release, I will include as much video as I see fit for those DVDs. Sometimes you're talking about three or more discs in those sets, and there are times where I have video that I'd like to include, but do not include because of bad audio or video tracking. Keep in mind there will be other aircraft in those DVDs, but the majority of the video on the DVD (at least 90%) will be that specific aircraft.

Q: Can I get the Flag Jump video from the Gathering of Mustangs and Legends on a DVD?

A: Because of legal reasons, I am forbidden from putting that on a DVD and receiving something for it.

Q: Are they in high definition? Blu-Ray?

A: No. All of the video was shot in standard definition, 4:3 wide, and the DVDs reflect that.

Q: How valuable are these DVDs?

A: I have not been able to determine that just yet. Keep in mind that several DVDs can and will feature aircraft or units that no longer exist, which gives them some sort of historical value.

Q: How about any sale prices?

A: Every once in a while I will run a sale price on at least one title to get rid of excess stock, which was created for an event but not all copies were sold at that time. Once that excess stock is sold, the sale will be over.

Q: Do any DVDs have any free gifts and such?

A: Every now and then I will throw in a free gift for some of the DVDs. The gifts are usually things I have picked up at airshows in decent quantities or items that were given to me, and I feel rather than throwing them out or recycling them, they should be included in some of the DVDs.

Q: How is the video on the DVD compared to what's on Steve's Airshow World?

A: MUCH HIGHER quality. Videos encoded for my YouTube account have been drastically reduced in audio/video quality as they are encoded to reduce download time as much as possible (though recent uploads are the exceptions). There is no pixilation on videos when they are recorded onto DVD.

Q: Is there a limit as to how many of one DVD I can purchase?

A: The PayPal shopping cart system I use has been designed so that you are allowed to update the quantity of each of the items in your cart. Keep in mind that if you order multiple copies of any DVD, it may take quite some time to actually make the discs. It's a one-person operation over here!

Q: How long does it take to make a DVD?

A: As long as I have all of the video ready to go, the time it takes to render, prepare, and burn a new DVD takes anywhere from ninety minutes to as long as ten hours.

Q: What is the music in the root menu on the DVD and where can I download it?

A: To avoid copyright issues with major recording labels and artists, I asked my brother if he could record an original mix that could be played in the background of the root menu. He came up with three different pieces, with the third being the final product and what he thinks should go on the DVDs. I have plans on using each of the pieces on the different DVDs since they all sound the same, except for different instruments being used at different parts. He was able to do this very easily and in such little time because of a small recording studio he had constructed in his home. It doesn't have a title, other than "MenuMix".

The newer DVDs (released on or after February 24, 2009) will feature new music that was rendered by Steven Serdikoff of THREEWIRE Media. He was able to do this because of programs in his studio that can recreate the pitch and tone of any instrument you can think of.

They are not available for download.

Q: Are there any airshow-specific DVDs?

A: Yes. Currently there are DVDs for the following show sites' airshows:

2007: Langley AFB, McGuire AFB, NAS Oceana

2008: Quebec, Langley AFB, Rhode Island, NAS Pensacola

2009: Langley AFB, MCAS Miramar, NAS Pensacola, New Garden/Ocean City NJ

2010: TBD

In addition, you can also get a DVD that includes video from Rotorfests in 2006, 2007, and 2008.

Q: Why not a DVD of every airshow?

A: Either the video doesn't look good, the weather sucked, or there wasn't enough video to justify putting together a DVD.

Q: Do your DVDs take away from the sales of other DVDs of the same shows?

A: Show sites of which I have DVDs available AND which you can buy DVDs from other well-respected videographers may seem to be in competition, but in reality, those other well-respected individuals or companies can and do get video from much different perspectives than I do. I would also buy their copies too, as their works are always top-notch. One of my goals with the airshow videos and the DVDs are to draw a larger crowd to the shows, so in effect, the videos benefit everyone.

Q: What about a DVD for the Gathering of Mustangs and Legends?

A: I was all set to put together a DVD for the Gathering of Mustangs and Legends and even announced on AirShowBuzz.com that I would do so, but was kindly asked by one of the founders of ASB that I should not go forward with selling such a DVD. The person, who I will not mention by name, has stated that the Stallion 51 Corporation has taken steps to make sure that they own the media rights and have the exclusive footage rights for any income that can be made off such a product. I am, however, allowed to freely upload video from the Gathering of Mustangs and Legends onto sites like YouTube, MetaCafe, ASB, etc. Stallion 51 Corporation's rights have the backing of several high profile lawyers who are willing to issue "cease and desist" letters if I decided to go against the ASB founder's wishes. Keep in mind that the unnamed founder is also a very good friend of mine.

I have also taken steps to make sure any performances and demonstrations from the Gathering of Mustangs and Legends does not appear on any other DVD.

Q: What format are the airshow-specific DVDs in?

A: The airshow DVDs are formatted so that you don't have to fast forward through certain parts of the show to get to a part you want to see more than any of the other acts. The root menu is designed so that you can view the show act by act, with up to eighteen acts on one DVD (space and time permitting). When one act finishes, the DVD should go to the next act in the list, ordered by how it was added to the DVD. Basically if you are looking for a specific act, the easiest way of finding it is on the root menu. If, during a show, one performer takes off and stages behind the crowd and then another performer takes to the stage, you will not see one long video of the takeoff, performer, then the other performer.

Do keep in mind that NOT ALL footage from that airshow is on the DVD, as I can only select at best one (maybe two) of each act to include in the set. Each airshow-specific DVD will contain at least four hours of video and sometimes even more. Any links that do not appear to be active in the airshow video pages could signify that the video you're trying to look for is on that DVD, or any other DVD that I offer. There may be an act or two that is not included because for legal reasons, I am not able to do so. If there was an accident at the show, no matter the outcome, it will not be featured on the DVD.

Q: Now that you mentioned airshow-specific DVDs, what about past airshows?

A: There are NO PLANS for DVDs of past airshows that I have covered. You will see footage from past shows on many of the DVDs, especially in the aircraft-specific DVDs.

Q: What qualifies an airshow to have its own DVD set?

A: For me to do an airshow DVD set, the weather must be great for the majority of the airshow weekend (windy days ruin video), there must be a lot of video available for me to use, I cannot be all over the place with the video, and have found a prime location to shoot from.

Q: How often are the DVDs in stock?

A: I do not keep stock of any DVDs (unless otherwise stated). There is no such thing as being out of stock because I would continuously have to keep stock of every DVD available, and I do not have the space to do so. The closest thing to being out of stock is if a particular title is no longer available.

Q: Why are there so few performers on Pulling Some Gs and Pulling More Gs?

A: There are several reasons:

1. I wanted to include a couple more performers on the DVDs but did not have footage of them that I thought was acceptable for the DVDs.

2. I was unable to get permission for a specific performer or two to appear on the DVDs. This was possibly due to the performer's sponsor's contract, which states that commercial usage of photographs and video for purposes of revenue is strictly forbidden.

3. There was no more room on the DVDs for the performer's routine on the DVDs.

Keep in mind that I had to get permission from each of the performers that are featured on Pulling Some Gs to make sure he/she is and would be completely aware that such a DVD is in existence. This was done to protect myself as well as the featured performer, as well as to make sure I would not be violating any copyrights and any such legal matter. Each performer gave me their personal approval for their appearance, whether it be in e-mail or by word of mouth. As a return for their kind gesture, each performer will receive a copy of Pulling Some Gs and Pulling More Gs for free as a thank you.

Q: Are you planning any documentaries or "specials"?

A: There are some ideas in the works and are very much possible, but nothing has been put forth just yet.

Q: Why does the 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009 video look "cleaner" than anything before 2006?

A: I bought a new video camera in January of 2006, which produces video in digital quality versus the analog video from 2000-2005. The video is still in excellent condition regardless of when it was taken. I also invested in a smaller video camera in 2008 that takes very good video, but is ineffective for airshows, especially in the cooler temperatures and when it's windy.

For the 2009 airshow season, I have a brand new video camera that goes above and beyond any camera I have ever used. I still plan on using the smaller video camera I purchased in 2008 and may even use the camera purchased in 2006 for some shows. Potentially, that means I can have upwards of three cameras being used at one airshow.

Q: I have an idea for a new DVD you could produce...

A: I want to hear about it! E-mail me with your idea and I will seriously consider it. Be specific with it, not just "oh you should do a DVD on quiet airplanes". Keep in mind that I cannot use video from the Gathering of Mustangs and Legends due to legal reasons. Also, keep your idea within any video from 2006 up to today, as it will be much easier to encode those years' videos.

Q: Do you have any prints for sale?

A: No. There were about 45 different prints that were available but because of low demand, they were discontinued.

Q: What if my question isn't on here?

A: E-mail me! You are also welcome to post questions on the wall of the Facebook Fan Page.