DARK SHADOWS FORUMS
General Discussions => Current Talk Archive => Current Talk '24 I => Current Talk '02 I => Topic started by: JWGucciEnvy on April 10, 2002, 10:58:42 PM
-
I have been collecting the videos on tapes on and off since 1996. I choose not to have cable ( one less bill), and so I dont get the Sci-Fi. Recently, I came across the DVD Box set on Amazon. With spark my interest again in DS. Now I want to watch to buy the tapes but I know the DVD's are coming out. Most of my collection is before J. Frid and before the 1796 storyline. So I dont know what to do, Should I wait or buy them.
jon
?!?
-
Most of my collection is before J. Frid and before the 1796 storyline. So I dont know what to do, Should I wait or buy them.
jon
?!?
I would say wait for the DVDs. Video tapes deteriorate after a period of time. The money you invest will be lost.
-
yeah, but I cant wait. (Lol)
because I know I will buy the DVD either way.
jon
-
I would say wait for the DVDs. Video tapes deteriorate after a period of time. The money you invest will be lost.
I've got tapes from the late 80s that still work perfectly well. It all depends how you store them, quality of the video tape, and what speed they were recorded at.
In terms of storage, DVDs are going to be more practical, and yes, they will (or should be) a higher quality.
No matter what you do, some new technology will come along to make your investment obsolete, ;)
Luciaphil, who isn't buying a DVD player until they make 'em so you can record.
-
Well spoken, Luciaphil! I have a few friends who are absolutely ga-ga over DVDs. While I enjoy going over to their homes for DVD parties, I also have no intention of blowing the cash on yet another gizmo at this stage of the game.
Gambit, if you don't already have the MPI tapes, one thing that might make you want to hold out for DVDs (especially if you enjoy that format more than VHS) is that there are scheduled to be some "extras," at least with the first set of discs. Also, supposedly MPI has paid for new prints to be made for the DVDs--I'll believe it when/if I see it!!
Happy viewing,
Gothick
-
Well I feel like I am out of the loop, because you guys get to watch the shows and talk about them.... Its kinda of like I want to catch up.
Does anyone know if they are going to release the DVD's before J. Frid?
-
Well, Gambit (sorry, I love that name--ever watch The New Avengers from the 70s??),
There's the rub--it is hard to say how quickly MPI will release further DVD sets after the first one. One would think monthly, but it is unwise to assume anything about MPI's schedule.
I'm sure, however, that if they release the 1966/67 pre Barnabas episodes on DVD, it won't be until AFTER they have finished the rest of the series from Barnabas onward. When they first started issuing the series on VHS, it was not at all clear that they would do the whole thing; they were looking at sales figures, or so I have been told. They may wait to see what the figures are like for sales on the first DVD set before they make a decision about continuing.
Steve
-
No actually I never got into the Avengers.
However, my name is from a comic book character in the X-Men comics.....he is a character from Bayou.
-
According to Amazon.com, the second DVD set is scheduled for release on July 30th.
Of course, the Dark Shadows Memories DVD was scheduled for release back in February, and noone seems to know when it will finally appear.
-
I bought all of the MPI Dark Shadows videos 4 years ago. I store each tape in a plastic storage case. It protects the tape and its cover. I'm in no rush to buy a DVD player. As long as my VCRs still work, they're all I need for now. I also figure it will be a few years until the whole Dark Shadows series is put on DVD. As far as whatever "extras" are included, that's no big concern for me. I know there won't be an interview of Craig Slocum.
-
I love the little extras of info, they put on DVD's. That is my favorite part about watching a DVD.
-
Luciaphil, who isn't buying a DVD player until they make 'em so you can record.
I'm another holdout on the DVD thing. I have no trouble with my high-quality tapes and no desire to add one more machine to my already crowded shelves/entertainment center.
-
Honestly - the cheapest thing to do is go ahead and sign up for cable - most cable companies give you a free hookup for new service and possibly a free month at the beginning - then tape the eps yourself until you have the collection. Then you can cancel your cable subscription. ;D
-
Thats very true,
What about the editing, So does Sci-Fi show the whole show or some parts edit due to new commerical time.
-
Thats very true,
What about the editing, So does Sci-Fi show the whole show or some parts edit due to new commerical time.
There has been some speculation that the Sci Fi channel may have trimmed a few scenes here and there for extra commercial time, but this accusation has never been verified to my knowledge by someone with an MPI tape. It's more likely the editing was done during the original run, and poorly so as to make it more noticeable.
-
There has been some speculation that the Sci Fi channel may have trimmed a few scenes here and there for extra commercial time, but this accusation has never been verified to my knowledge by someone with an MPI tape. It's more likely the editing was done during the original run, and poorly so as to make it more noticeable.
It's more than speculation. SciFi does cut into many scenes (rather indiscriminately and often). Although I'm pleased they are still running the series, I can't bring myself to watch it on SciFi, as I usually end up using language unbecoming a mom...
Maybe I'm just too picky, but I prefer my DS unadulterated. The MPI tapes are worth the investment.
MrsJ.
-
Well that a bummer! I was really thinking about getting cable, but I guess it would be cheaper to do it that way. Then buy the DVD...
decisions!!
jon
-
That's a tough decission to make Jon.
I've been wanting to buy a DVD player but then again, I want to wait until they come out so you can record on them.
I want to buy the box sets with my income tax return.
I know they cut out parts of the series for commercials. For every 15 minutes of show they put in as many commercials it seems. ::)
I know if I buy a DVD player now and get the boxed sets I will glued to the televison every night. ;D
I guess I shouldn't complain too much, I do get to watch DS on TV ....but I wouldn't be able to here either if we didn't have AT&T Broadband. DS isn't on our basic or extended channels. What a scam that is !!!!!!! :o
-
Sci Fi cutting DS episodes isn't just speculation; I've read very well documented statements about this from fans who watch the Sci Fi channel broadcasts AND own the MPI videos. The most extreme case that comes to mind is an episode in the 1969 Leviathan storyline where Sci Fi cut out the entire teaser act, including the beginning voiceover.
There was another episode where I recall several complaints because they went to a commercial literally in the middle of a scene.
And then there is that ANNOYING logo they insist in putting in the corner!
So, while I'm glad they are running the show (since it helps people who have never seen it get to find out about it), for myself, I have to have my tapes! I'm so pleased because after years of having them stored in boxes, I got some new shelves and put all of them up in order! I positively glow with pride every time I go to the shelf to grab a tape.
Another crazed fan,
Steve
-
I have a VCR and a DVD. Right now I order VCR tapes because I figure that in a few years we'll be able to tape DVD's from the VCR's. Second of all...I have so much money in the tapes that I have, it mades me cringe to think of starting all over again
-
I finally bought a DVD player about a year ago and I am very impressed with the quality of the picture and sound on DVD. Even programs originally shot on videotape, such as Dan Curtis' DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE, look better on DVD than on VHS: no bleeding of colors (red and blue, in particular) and the picture is so much clearer. Of course, now that I'm in my 40s, the DVD format is the last video format I'll embrace. D-VHS won't be on my shopping list.
That said, I'll probably start replacing my DS MPI videos little by little. . .
Brian
-
I've been anxious to jump into this thread for awhile. Here's my pro-DVD rhetoric. I make my living as assistant editor for a DVD review book, so I'm naturally biased.
I've had a DVD player for over 4 years now and absolutely love it. It's the best thing I ever bought- worth every penny. Videotape can't come close for sharpness, clarity, color etc. - the resolution is literally twice that of VHS. Here's the best parts:
1- Terrific picture quality makes films more involving and closer to what the filmmakers intended.
2- No tracking problems common with VHS. (I've had more problems tracking old tapes on newer VCRs and even worse problems with the MPI tapes which frequently suffer from crackle and bad tracking as the tapes age.)
3- Extras- The versatility of the format allows anything from multiple versions of the film or TV show, and a plethora of extra capabilities- multiple language tracks, audio commentaries, etc. The standard videotape releases usually have none of this stuff. You may save 1/3 or 1/4 between the VHS and DVD, but you get a lower quality picture and zero extras.
4- Chapter stops- most discs have dozens of chapter stops so you can jump to your favorite scene instantly instead of fast forwarding or rewinding your tapes and in the process wearing them out.
5- Widescreen letterboxed movies are encoded in such a way that they will look 50% sharper when shown on a widescreen TV.
6- Price- DVD players are much cheaper than they were 5 years back. You can get a good quality player for $200. My only advice- don't buy it from a supermarket, and do a little online research. Sometimes it's better to pay a little more to get that extra feature. I opted for the 'zoom' feature on my player and it's one of my favorites. It lets you blow-up an area of the image so you can read that small newspaper headline or highlight a visible crewperson..
A few people have mentioned they want recordable DVD players, but TV resolution and weak broadcast signals- even in broadband, have never made it very appealing to me. Widescreen movies would look 75% worse if DVD recorded off of TV than they would on a pre-recorded disc. Plus if you were recorded DS or another of your favorite shows on DVD, you'd be saddled with commercials, unnannounced cuts, station logos and poor transmissions.
There are recordable DVD players, they just cost a ton.
D-VHS is interesting but who wants to record off broadcast TV? The tapes are expensive and will look just as lousy as a TV broadcast. It's an interim format until H-Def DVD comes out, but that won't be for 5-10 more years.
-
[shadow=red,left,300]Darren--I believe that digital tv is a much higher resolution. If captured with a TiVo and put on DVD-R, the quality is great. Commercials can than be edited out if desired. Do you have the exact details on this? [/shadow]
-
Just to avoid reader confusion: digital cable is NOT HDTV- that's a completely different system.
I don't have the specs for Tivo. But broadcast Tv is supposed to be 480 lines, but that's been slipping a lot lately. Digital doesn't improve on that, it's just supposed to be a clearer signal. I've got digital broadband and I really only notice a difference on premium channels like HBO.
DVD is 500 lines or resolution, HDTV is 1080. VHS is 250 (clunk!)
The 2-inch video master tapes that DS was recorded and broadcast on had 500 lines of resolution and should look near-perfect on DVD.
You can burn your own DVDs with the DVD-R computer system, but then of course you'd have to spend the money for that in addition to the player. Also, DVD-Rs don't play on a lot of machines, including mine! (need to upgrade)
HDTV recorded on a DVD-R should look terrific.
-
Yeah, I'd put my money on DVD any day... The quality improvement might not see a major leap to the unindoctrinated, but it really is something -- I've watched some discs taken from videotaped TV shows and it's just astounding the wya you get the whole ambience and clarity of the studio floor... impossible to explain in writing, so it's probably the best qualification for DVD I can manage... ;)
-
I've also found that DVDs are not as expensive as pre-recorded VHS tapes (overall, of course.) Join the right mail-order or online club, and you can find a lot of bargains.
BTW, thanks Darren, for the info on resolution.
Brian
-
A friend made a video for me of some of the episodes of the Judy Garland Show (from 1963) released on DVD. Even with the transfer in format, these episodes looked fantastic. It's exciting to think that the DS episodes could look this great!
That said, I still think that 60 bucks for 4 weeks of episodes is about 30 bucks too much (and I'm talking retail here!).
It would be interesting to see sales figures a few weeks into the DVD release, but I don't expect MPI to make them available. We'll know if the DVD series is a success if they keep issuing them. Staying on schedule would help.
Gothick