DVD Set 5 flaw on disc 2?

[Raholt]

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

[Darren Gross]

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.

[doombuggy69]

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.

   

[doombuggy69]

Sorry.... I posted my response about the different masters, before reading Darren's reply above!!  I had a feeling you would know Darren!   

doombuggy

[Mysterious Benefactor]

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.

[Selby_D._Pearson]

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

[joe integlia]

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.

[JWGucciEnvy]

I got mine on the 23rd, amazon ususally gives me my pre-order's a day before its street release.

[Raholt]

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

[Darren Gross]

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.

[ksgemini]

Are the releases being sped up to monthly? It is a pain waiting 2 full months between releases...Here's hoping...

[Selby_D._Pearson]

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

[Darren Gross]

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.

[ksgemini]

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

[Darren Gross]

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...