DARK SHADOWS FORUMS
General Discussions => Current Talk Archive => Current Talk '24 I => Current Talk '03 I => Topic started by: ksgemini on April 18, 2003, 04:26:38 PM
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Is there anyone else who has this set from MPI yet? I notice a brief pixellation and sound distortion on the last ep of disc 2 before the opening credits when Naomi and Joshua are talking. I am unsure whether this is a mastering flaw or a defective disc...the VHS tape does not appear to have this...
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Can I ask how were you able to receive this set already? It is my understanding they will not be available to the public until the end of May.
If others say there is a difficulty I guess I'll wait until MPI has fixed the problem before I purchase that set.
Thanks for the heads up.
Murph
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The general release date is 4/29th but MPI makes them available online about 3 weeks early...I have a feeling it is just my disc and it is a glitch of only about 2 or 3 seconds...
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Hi KS, if you contact MPI and send it back to them, they will send you a perfect replacement, if it is a glitch in your disc. I'm sure I had to do this with at least one of my videotapes years ago.
Gothick
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Could anyone help me with a technical difficulty?
Although I don't have a DVD player yet, I have purchased about half a dozen DVDs. Upon opening the box of a couple just to see what they look like (and anxiously anticipating that future day when I'll be able to actually play them), I'm unsure how to remove the disk from the plastic thing that holds them in the center hole.
This is actually the same type of thing with CDs ... and I've never been able to figure out an easy way of lifting these out without bending the disk and yanking!! Could I damage the CDs or DVD disks?
:o
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Hi Vlad,
I pulled out one of my Dark Shadows DVD's and tried it before I replied to this.
I find the easiest way to get the disc out is to press the "button" at the center of the disc. There is like a button there and when you press down on it on a solid surface the disc pops up easily. I do the same thing with my cd's.
I hope this helps,
Murph
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Is there anyone else who has this set from MPI yet? I notice a brief pixellation and sound distortion on the last ep of disc 2 before the opening credits when Naomi and Joshua are talking. I am unsure whether this is a mastering flaw or a defective disc...the VHS tape does not appear to have this...
I just got my DS set #5 and the same episode as you are talking about does have a glitch in it. This means it is not a defective disc but a defect in either the master copy of the original material or a defect created while producing this batch of DVD's. Since both of us have the same thing at the same place, this tell me no matter how many replacements you get they will all have the same defect.
Raholt
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I wish I knew before I sent it back..Thanks for posting ...I'll know enough to keep the replacement when it comes... Thats the oddest glitch I have ever seen that happened in mastering...eevry other disc like that with pixellation-even very brief- has been a defective...
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I hate to say it but MPI has a track record of falling asleep at the wheel when they've copied the master discs (or whatever) to make the DVD's. I've got several sets of DVDs and thus far there are 2 glitches that don't show up on the tapes. It appears to be something we have to accept since they don't seem to learn from their past experiences. But, having said all that, it is very convenient having the DVD's and not having to rewind anymore! One more thing, I wish they would have the very beginnings of the episodes showing the black board's with dates, etc. on them and the different people standing around in the fringes. One of my VHS's tapes of the collector's series has Joan Bennett waiting in the wings. It was great!
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One more thing, I wish they would have the very beginnings of the episodes showing the black board's with dates, etc. on them and the different people standing around in the fringes. One of my VHS's tapes of the collector's series has Joan Bennett waiting in the wings. It was great!
If I remember correctly the slates were only included in the Collector Series VHS tapes. I think they did include it one of the compilations as well because it showed a few of them in color. The Collector's series was made after the other episodes were released and there was great concern that they would not sell well, not having Barnabas in them so that is why they added that and interviews that they never included in the orginal sets.
Raholt
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I love the DVDs. It would be nice to have the slates though. I ordered my copy of DVD Collection 5 on Monday night from amazon.
I recently got a few of the Collectors Series VHS tapes, and since I haven't watched one of the videos in quite some time, I really noticed a great difference between the B&W episodes on DVD and the B&W episodes on VHS. Much much clearer.
Sorta OT: Has anyone tried the free shipping thing on Amazon? Last time I ordered it said it would take longer, yet it arrived 2 days after it shipped, which is much faster than if I paid for S&H. *shrug*
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Watching the DVD is like watching the show the first time it aired--and if you, like me, have compared some DVD episodes against the VHS tapes, you'll know what I mean. The picture on the DVD is far superior to VHS version.
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Sorta OT: Has anyone tried the free shipping thing on Amazon? Last time I ordered it said it would take longer, yet it arrived 2 days after it shipped, which is much faster than if I paid for S&H. *shrug*
yes. i pre-ordered set five and it came today free super saving shipping. for set four, MPI had not released things timely and that is why it seemed like forever to get here. but i have the patience to wait if needed only because i'm by nature cheap. hee hee.
i have the same problem too with episode 392. captured the offense and am e-mailing it to MPI dvd and see what they say. i'll report back to the group if i hear anything back.
luv ya.
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I wish I knew before I sent it back..Thanks for posting ...I'll know enough to keep the replacement when it comes... Thats the oddest glitch I have ever seen that happened in mastering...eevry other disc like that with pixellation-even very brief- has been a defective...
Thank you for mentioning this in the first place. Because of your post, the first thing I did was go there and look at that scene in that episode and then when I saw that glitch, I knew it was an error done in the copying and not a bad disc. If it had not been for you post, like you, I would have thought it was a bad disc.
Raholt
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[i have the same problem too with episode 392. captured the offense and am e-mailing it to MPI dvd and see what they say. i'll report back to the group if i hear anything back.
luv ya.
Yes, please do let us know what they say, if anything. I would be very interested to hear what they have to say about this matter and if they are planning on doing something about it.
Raholt
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Well I got my replacement set 5 Unfortunately it came with a loose disc 4 that was scratched beyond belief...sooo...another 6 dollars to send it back-again...Total cost thus far for set 5 -$78.00...BTW glich on ep 392 is on this one also so that is in the master as someone stated previously
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It is too bad that you could not have just kept the 3 good discs and had them replace the bad one. That way you would be less likely to have any further problems with them. Fewer discs in the mail to get damaged.
I think it is shameful that you have to pay to send them back. The one thing I liked about Columbia House, when I got tapes from them was if I had a problem, they sent me a return mail label and I didn't have to pay a thing for an error that was not my doing. As it stands now, you are having to pay in total $28.00 more than I paid for mine through Amazon.
Richard Holt
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We apologize for not being available to answer customer questions within this forum for the past few weeks. We've been working on several projects focused on rewarding loyal Dark Shadows fans with additional bonuses when they purchase MPI products.
Along these lines, we have tentatively planned a web chat with Lara Parker during the week of May 26th to announce several new offerings.
Thank you for making us aware of this technical issue regarding DVD Collection 5. We are looking into this issue as we speak & will provide feedback on what may have caused any glitches in the master transfer.
Thank you for your patience in the meantime.
MPI Marketing
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I am trying to have them just send me a disc 4...we'll see ..last time I was told this couldnt be done...at this point I am just starting to lose interest in these releases...
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I just purchased the 5th DVD set. My set also has the problem stated before, regarding the last episode on the second disc. The glitch was very noticible and startled me because I was watching it on my surround sound. My disc not only had a sound glitch but the picture became distorted and there were like "bubbles" on the screen.
Several episodes on at least the first two discs also have some picture quality distortion. It is on the far left side of the screen and is maybe a quarter inch thick and runs from the top of the screen to the bottom. It looks like when a video has been played so often and is worn out, that is what the far left side of the screen looks like in these episodes. It may also be on the third and fourth DVD's, I just haven't had time to look at them. Has anyone else noticed this problem on their DVD's? I know it's not my television because it's only a 35 inch.
I'm glad I kept my receipt.
Thanks,
Murph
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Murph,
If you are referring to the "lines" that are on the left hand side of your screen during the episodes on the first two discs, this is not the fault of MPI. This flaw is on the original master tapes and has always been a problem with the early 1795 episodes. That same type of "noise" play on the reruns that air on sci fi channel.
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doombuggy69,
Thanks for the clarification. That's exactly what it is. I don't have the tapes so I didn't realize that it was a problem with the Master tape.
Thanks again,
Murph :)
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But...the glitch with the brief pixellation and sound distortion at the beginning of ep 392 is not on my Video tape
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Just to add to the set 5 story...Mpi did say they were willing to replace just the defective disc so that was very cool of them....
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Recieved my DVD 5 today. For some reason these DVDs seem to have a clearer picture than the other ones. Maybe it's just me, or because the color had gotten better by that point. *Shrug* I like the new menus, though not as much as the ones on DVDs 1-3. I didn't like the menu on DVD 4 because it was harder to read werm.
I noticed on the back that while David Henesy appeared in none of the episodes on the disc, he is credited; meanwhile Thayer David, who was in many of the episodes, is not listed on the back. *shrug*
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Well, my tale of woe is a bit different. CDuniverse, which has been super fast to get my DS DVDs to me in the past has not even sent #5 to me yet. When I inquired I was told that they have not received a copy yet to send me. Hmmm, maybe if I wait long enough I will get a corrected set.
Bette
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Bette, it sounds like the person who was working at Amazon, who couldn't get set #2 to me, has gone to work for CD Universe. That was the same excuse that I got, even though other people had gotten shipments from Amazon at that time. Since that time one time, I have gotten my sets by the day of the release, which I never used to have happen at all. It was always a few days after the release date.
As for a corrected version, I wonder how long, if ever, that will happen. There were known gltiches with the VHS versions, one volume in particular and to my knowledge that was never corrected, or if it was, it never made it mass distribution.
Raholt
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Bette, it sounds like the person who was working at Amazon, who couldn't get set #2 to me, has gone to work for CD Universe. That was the same excuse that I got, even though other people had gotten shipments from Amazon at that time. Since that time one time, I have gotten my sets by the day of the release, which I never used to have happen at all. It was always a few days after the release date.
I remember that well, Raholt, because I also didn't receive #2 from Amazon even though I had pre-ordered. Then I cancelled my Amazon order and got a copy from CDuniverse right away. Guess I'll have to go back to Amazon now. I hear that MPI is considering a DS DVD club. Think maybe I'll join that if it happens.
Bette
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i read something on another board about mpi going bankrupt?
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I can assure all DS fans that MPI is definitely not going bankrupt.
On the contrary, we are in the process of expanding our line of product offerings in Dark Shadows as well as other programs.
Any rumors to the contrary have absolutely no basis in fact. If possible, please contact us at webmaster@mpimedia.com with where you heard this rumor, so we can set the course straight there as well.
Thanks,
MPI
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Regarding the fifth episode on the third disc, episode 397.
When Barnabas has gone upstairs to look for Angelique, Ben and the Reverend are at the foot of the stairs, the screen suddenly goes black with no sound. All of a sudden it switches back to Ben and the Reverend. A couple minutes later there is a scene of Barnabas and the Reverend talking and then suddenly the scene very abruptly just shows Barnabas and then just as abruptly goes back to Barnabas and the Reverend.
I don't know if what I described above is from the Master tape or a problem with the disc. Has anyone else noticed this? If so please advise.
Thanks,
Murph
In the same episode I described above there is a humorous scene at Jeremiah's grave where his Tombstone reads "Here "Lyes" Jeremiah Collins." I would have thought that someone in the technical department would have made sure that the spelling of something so prominent in the scene would be spelled correctly. ;)
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I have not gotten to the disc you are talking about. However, throughout most of the color episodes on VHS, there are times when the picture will cut to black for a moment and sometimes come back to a different point. It is also possible this was a camera goof and if so it remained in since they did not edit.
I have seen some of the black points in earlier episodes come across on DVD as just a momentary bit of interference, that on VHS go completely black.
As for the spelling of Lyes, while I know that is not the way we spell it today, it could have been the old English spelling or it could have been done to reflect that alot of gravestone and records have misspelling on them and in them in that period. People were not as literate as they are today in that era.
Raholt
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Yes, Richard, and a lot of people who should know better are BARELY literate today...
I'm waiting for the first tombstone inscribed "Hear lI's the dearly departed, dont w8." Ah, the wonders of our technical age!
Gothick
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if the spelling of lyes is disturbing to u. just wait till u see how they spell the word JAIL! GAOL!
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In reference to my post from last night regarding the fifth episode on disc 3, episode 397. I do not own the MPI videos but I did tape this episode when it last aired. This morning I viewed that tape and the problems I listed last night that are on my DVD are not on the tape. The scene with Ben and the Reverend does not go black at all. As stated in my previous post the screen goes black, on my DVD, in the middle of the scene while they're talking to each other, it's not at the end of the scene. The scene with Barnabas and the Reverend flows very well on the tape. I wonder why the difference between the DVD and video.
Maybe I just have a defective disc if no one else has noticed this on their DVD.
Thanks again,
Murph
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Regarding the fifth episode on the third disc, episode 397.
When Barnabas has gone upstairs to look for Angelique, Ben and the Reverend are at the foot of the stairs, the screen suddenly goes black with no sound. All of a sudden it switches back to Ben and the Reverend. A couple minutes later there is a scene of Barnabas and the Reverend talking and then suddenly the scene very abruptly just shows Barnabas and then just as abruptly goes back to Barnabas and the Reverend.
I don't know if what I described above is from the Master tape or a problem with the disc. Has anyone else noticed this? If so please advise.
The MPI tape has the scenes exactly as you described them.
In the same episode I described above there is a humorous scene at Jeremiah's grave where his Tombstone reads "Here "Lyes" Jeremiah Collins." I would have thought that someone in the technical department would have made sure that the spelling of something so prominent in the scene would be spelled correctly. ;)
That never bothered me because it's an archaic spelling of "lies", so it's not unusual to see "Here lyes... " on markers dating from the 1700s. The blunder on that tombstone, however, is that Jeremiah's name is spelled "Jerimiah". :-
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Hi Joe, gaol is the British spelling of jail. In the 1790s I believe Americans were still using the British spellings for most words. I forgot when the whole thing with adopting American spellings came about; it was a govt response to actual practice, obviously. Noah Webster (now when did he live?) was an advocate for it, I believe.
Just another bit of trivia on an otherwise very dreary rainy afternoon here in Boss-town (heh, heh).
Goth
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I can assure all DS fans that MPI is definitely not going bankrupt.
On the contrary, we are in the process of expanding our line of product offerings in Dark Shadows as well as other programs.
I hope this means you will be releasing Dark Shadows from Episode 1 to Episode 208 in addition to the 1991 revival on DVD. If so, you made me a happy woman today and my husband very unhappy!
luv, victoriawinters
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Murph,
The scene you described on the 5th episode of DS disc 5, with the Reverend and Ben, in which the scene breaks up and goes to black. That is actually not a flaw of the DVD transfer. This is one of the many damaged pieces of video footage that plagues many of the original episodes of DS. It is that way on the original master tape. You will see many of these "black" break ups in future episodes. The reason you don't see it on the syndicated episodes on sci fi, is because Worldvision went to great pains to remove those "flaws" from all the shows currently airing on sci fi. I described Worldvision's "tweaking" of the sci fi tapes in a past posting. This was done to make the show more broadcast quality. Over the years, these tapes have been damaged due to mishandling or poor storage conditions.
Wait until you see episode 479 on DVD. On the original master tape, there is an actual break in the tape in the scene where Barnabas is trying to stop Dr. Lang from cutting off Jeff's head. Missing in that scene is about 30 seconds of video. On the sci fi channel tape, Worldvision cleverly edited this scene so you don't see the break in the tape. I know this because I have an original 1968 audio tape of the episode, which contains the missing 40 seconds of video.
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thanks for all the info as i just ordered the first set for mother's day!my family asked what i wanted and then rolled their eyes LOL! i can see this as a discussion on sunday!Vlad i just got a DVD and love it ! What a difference! and murph has the right idea!(viewed GWTW last night cool
jennifer
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Just to add to the set 5 story...Mpi did say they were willing to replace just the defective disc so that was very cool of them....
Thats great Ksgemini!
I've been thinking of purchasing a dvd player myself and ordering the set for ds so I've been learning alot about what to expect from everyones responses here.
Deb
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I hope no one minds my posting a reply to this thread in order to bring it forward. Apparently, there are some people here who have bought or are considering buying the DS DVDs but who missed this thread about the defects in set 5. Hopefully, the MPI rep can update us on any possible moves by MPI to correct the defects.
SDP
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We have confirmed that the problem mentioned in this thread is on the original masters, so unfortunately we have no way to correct it if there is missing material. Our intention was to represet the content on DVD as it appears on the masters, so editing has not been undertaken. We have done our best to prepare the material for our DVD releases, but when dealing with sometimes spotty masters, there are only so many improvements that can feasably be made.
MPI
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I think I may be the one who started a thread about this way back...When I got the disc I was worried that the glitch was on just my disc...upon finding that it is in the master, I was satisfied. Honestly, I think, overall, MPI does a great job with the Dark Shadows tapes and DVD's...if only they would consider putting out the Revival series sooner than later. To me any of the glitches are brief and minor and don't take away from the show's impact.
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I think I may be the one who started a thread about this way back...When I got the disc I was worried that the glitch was on just my disc...upon finding that it is in the master, I was satisfied. Honestly, I think, overall, MPI does a great job with the Dark Shadows tapes and DVD's...if only they would consider putting out the Revival series sooner than later. To me any of the glitches are brief and minor and don't take away from the show's impact.
Dear ksgemini,
I hope I'm not a bother but could you (or anyone else who has Volume 5 of the DVDs) tell me the precise moment that the glitch occurs? I checked my own VHS volume of this episode (#392) and saw no hint of a glitch in the pre-opening credit conversation between Naomi and Joshua. If you could tell me the words spoken by the character just before the glitch occurs, it would help me to look closer and understand what we are talking about.
Dear MPI Marketing,
Are you suggesting that this particular glitch occured in the master tapes between the time the VHS tapes were produced and now, as the DVDs are being produced? If not, why don't I see this defect in my VHS copy? If so, I hope the best possible storage facilities/procedures are being utilized for the masters to prevent further such glitches in future DVD sets!
SDP
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The glitch in question does not represent missing material. That point should be made clear to the MPI representative.
The glitch in question is in the opening scene of the 10th episode on Disc # 2, which corresponds to the 5th episode of Volume 32 of the videos. It happens at some point before the opening credits role Now I have that video and have checked it just now. No glitch of any kind shows up in that scene on the video tape version. It is completely clear of defects, in both picture and sound.
Now another person has questioned if the glitch is not on the video copies then did it develope between the times of the Video releases and the DVD releases? This seems like an interesting and valid question under the circumstances. If it doesn't show up on the video releases and it does not, but does on the DVD release, then what is the explanation? Were the Video releases edited? My understanding was that they were not. If not, then what is the reason this glitch now appears on the DVD release of that episode but did not show up on the original video tape release of the same episode? That is the question I would like answered and I think others would as well.
Now I am grateful to MPI for releasing DS in both forms, but in this situation, something just doesn't seem to be making sense here. If the defect was on the master, it should show up on both the video and DVD's. Other defects in other episodes do show up on both and I have no doubt they are on the master copy, but in this case the evidence doesn't seem to support this being the case.
Richard Holt
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Different, earlier generation masters were used for the DVDs than for the VHS tapes. Perhaps in the interim, that eariler generation master has been damaged or has excessive tape wear.
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HI Selby,
Perhaps when MPI released 1795 on tape in 1990, they used different masters that didn't have that glitch between Naomi and Joshua. The quality of the episodes on DVD look so much clearer and sharper than the MPI tapes. Even more so than just the difference in quality of VHS and DVD. However I did look at that glitch you are talking about on my DVD, and it really looks like it could be a "compression" problem with the DVD format. It just doesn't appear to be something that would have happened to the original video master. Of course that is just my humble opinion. The MPI DVD's look and sound great and I eagerly await each volume.
If MPI is reading this. I have one major complaint about the DVD's. I find it very annoying that there are no chapter stops after each commercial break. Could someone at MPI please explain to me why that is?? Is it too much trouble to put chapter stops after every commercial break?? Instead of after each episode. Many times I like to find a certain spot in an episode and without chapter stops, I have to run it at fast speed to find the spot I need.
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Sorry.... I posted my response about the different masters, before reading Darren's reply above!! I had a feeling you would know Darren! :)
doombuggy
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Sorry.... I posted my response about the different masters, before reading Darren's reply above!!
No need to apologize, doombuggy99 - most of us have done something similar. :)
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So, since the older masters were used, are we to expect more glitches and missing pieces than were seen on the MPI DS tapes? I don't understand why MPI chose to use the older masters other than, perhaps they did this to avoid losing a generation of loss by using a copy of the older masters. Still, if they choose to do this, I think that they should at least compare the VHS masters to the original masters and use which ever one of them is the better, if there is any difference.
Like Raholt, I am very grateful to MPI for releasing the entire series of DS. I've shown my gratitude by purchasing the entire series on VHS. But, before I begin to purchase them on DVD, I want assurance that what I am buying is at least better in picture quality and continuity of quality than the VHS tapes. Isn't better quality the whole reason for DVD? (I won't get into the question of all the possible extras that could be included on the DVDs, like the opening slates and commentaries. Look what is done with other shows that have been released on DVD.)
SDP
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i ordered set 6 from amazon.com after they e-mailed me an offer to get it for $44.99. i usually dont send away for them and buy them from tower video but since i was still viewing set 5 i was in no hurry to get #6.i chose the free shipping. they e-mailed and said that my order would not be shipped till 6-29 yet it arrived on the 25th. just one day after it was released.
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I got mine on the 23rd, amazon ususally gives me my pre-order's a day before its street release.
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I tend to get my pre-order from Amazon on the date of street release. They will always claim it won't be shipped until the release date and will arrive 2 days later (I used 2 day shipping) but I usually get it sent out the day before street date and get it the next day.
Except for set 2 where I had a problem getting it, despite pre-ordering it, I have gotten it without a problem, but at that point I went from standard shipping to the 2 day shipping.
Raholt
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The older masters are of a higher quality as they are closer to the original masters. Since all these submasters were made in the analog days, going back as close as possible to the original master tapes saves signal loss and lowering picture quality due to generational loss.
There should be more care and comparisons happening between them in cases where there are possible errors, but since the schedule is being sped up I doubt that this is going to happen.
Chapter stops that match each commercial break just makes sense, and its something that should be adopted.
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Are the releases being sped up to monthly? It is a pain waiting 2 full months between releases...Here's hoping...
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There should be more care and comparisons happening between them in cases where there are possible errors, but since the schedule is being sped up I doubt that this is going to happen.
Then I doubt that some of my friends and I will be buying the DVDs. If I want to convert them to a digital form, I can do this from my VHS tapes on my DVD burner. I prefer complete, glitch-free episodes to a slightly improved picture quality.
It's a shame that MPI will be sacrificing quality for a sped up production schedule. In most cases, they should be praised. But something as significant as compression caused glitches should not be ignored (or conveniently dismissed as "missing material") . :(
SDP
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I think 2 months is a more than generous release schedule, considering there's 40 episodes on a set. Other sets of 26 or so TV series seasons are released once or twice a year.
I'd rather they spread them out and take more care.
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I guess I am just impatient...The thought of not having the entire run for 3 or 4 years bothers me...I feel the same way about shows like the X Files...Paramount with their Star Trek Next Gen and DS9 releases has been great-42-49 discs of a show's entire run in 10 months..that's how it should be done
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Yeah, but then you just end up having a nice shelf comprised of an entire TV series' run but don't have time to watch them!
They were originally broadcast at 5 eps a week. A bimonthly release schedule matches that. I can see, watching 5 eps a week but I'll tell you, when I was watching the series from beginning to the end, the first time around. (courtesy of sci-fi, thou I'd seen a large chunk back in the Ny WNYC days) the 10 episode a week schedule was brutal to keep up with. I ended up with like a year of episodes on tape that I had to get caught up with afterward! You had a busy week or finals or weren't in the mood a few days and the next thing you knew you had 20 episodes stockpiled...then 40...then 200.aaagh!
For me when it becomes a stressful thing to keep up with a show, it loses some of the fun.
I've got the DVDs released so far and love having them but it'll be quite some time before I start working my way through the series again...Though that may change once the entire 1795 arc is on disc...
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i have to agree with Darren. It is hard to keep with shows that you tape and commit yourself to it. I like to watch my favorite tv shows on my time. I have 39 tv box sets and I havent watch most of them. I take my time and decided to watch them at my own pace.
As for my Dark Shadows, I want to wait until i get a good chuck of them, and watch them in order at my own pace.!