Dark Shadows: DVD or Video?

[VictoriaWintersFan]

I have bought Sets 5-11 so far and have enjoyed seeing these episodes for the first time. One thing I wonder is if the MPI Videos have the same glitches and lines at the left side of the screen as the DVD's do.

I personally think DVDs have better quality and will last longer, but does anyone else think the DVD's show less quality than the Video Cassette? I just hope that these DVD's are the best quality possible.

Shane

[Darren Gross]

I've answered this in your other similar thread...be sure to check it out!

[Jackie]

I do not have any episodes of DS on VHS, only DVD, and I like them.  I assume the lines you see on the DVDs and other imperfections are do to the master copy having that too and not the process of making DVDs.

I have NEVER seen the earlier episodes of DS, before the arrival of Barnabas, but I'm reading the Robservations.    I know the episodes are on VHS, 5 episodes per tape, but I am collecting the DVDs only.  I hope MPI decides to place the earlier episodes of DVDs!! [Does anyone know if this will happen?]

 

[scottd]

Others may know more about this, but I think I've heard that MPI will release the pre-Barnabas episodes on DVD after they finish the series. I would almost bet on it, since they must be making some money if they're up to set 12 already. I guess that would mean about 25-30 sets total to have the entire series. That's a lot of sets, but still so much better then having to buy the series of video--how many tapes is that? I'm amazed at how good the show looks on DVD and it seems to look better and better as the show progresses.

[Nelson Collins]

I guess that would mean about 25-30 sets total to have the entire series. That's a lot of sets, but still so much better then having to buy the series of video--how many tapes is that? I'm amazed at how good the show looks on DVD and it seems to look better and better as the show progresses.

31 dvd sets all told (yes, I had much better things to do one day, but still counted it all out!)  which to my minds does beat out approximately 250 videotapes! 

[Brian]

DVD is far superior to VHS. . .Darren Gross can gvie you the technical explanation .  . . but your eyes should show you how much better DVD is. . .

[Miss_Winthrop]

Speaking of the DVDs, the opening art is different on them beginning with vol. 11.  It's just okay but not as chilling IMO as the prior vols. I wonder if they'll ever have some of the behind the scenes stuff like they had in the pre-Barnabas VHS volumes in the new DVD format. The qualify is very good on the DVDs except for an occassional glitch. They've removed  many of the bloopers from the DVDs that was nice for the old time fans. They've cleaned it up so to speak so that the fastidious new fans won't be annoyed with such imperfections (oops, I mean distractions!

[Nelson Collins]

Speaking of the DVDs, the opening art is different on them beginning with vol. 11.  It's The qualify is very good on the DVDs except for an occassional glitch. They've removed  many of the bloopers from the DVDs that was nice for the old time fans. They've cleaned it up so to speak so that the fastidious new fans won't be annoyed with such imperfections (oops, I mean distractions!

Miss, Winthrop, would you mind clarifying what you said?  I would be very very annoyed to learn that something included with the VHS releases is not included or has been edited out of the dvd collections!   I do not relish at all the thought that I might need to purchase the VHS collections as well.

[Miss_Winthrop]

They talk about removing the bloopers from the DVDs around here all the time.  Right now I can say that they specifically removed a 'huge' blooper from the 1795 episode.  On my VHS tape, when Naomi comes down the stairs at the old house and sees Jeremiah in the embrace of a woman (we cannot tell from Naomi's angle who she is) in the drawing room, I can see a stage hand handing up what is apparently a mannequin's arm and hand with the symbol of the curse on it and Naomi grabs it and it appears that the whole arm comes off of the woman's body. That scene has definitely been cleaned up on the DVD.

But I don't understand why you would even get mad unless they are advertising that they are unedited. Would you prefer that the DVD's contain the bloopers as well? I definitely can't get rid of my VHS tapes because they are editing the DVDs.

[michael c]

f.y.i,i contacted mpi and they did tell me that the pre-barnabas eps. would be released on dvd when they finish releasing the rest of the run.i highly recomend them,some stories are a bit dull,but the laura collins story rocks!

[ProfStokes]

They talk about removing the bloopers from the DVDs around here all the time.  Right now I can say that they specifically removed a 'huge' blooper from the 1795 episode.  On my VHS tape, when Naomi comes down the stairs at the old house and sees Jeremiah in the embrace of a woman (we cannot tell from Naomi's angle who she is) in the drawing room, I can see a stage hand handing up what is apparently a mannequin's arm and hand with the symbol of the curse on it and Naomi grabs it and it appears that the whole arm comes off of the woman's body. That scene has definitely been cleaned up on the DVD.

Another biggie was deleting Bathia Mapes receiving her "Go to the house of the curse" prompt from offstage.  I understand that the directors' orders have been dubbed over by a music cue.  Other bloopers have been cut altogether. 

But I don't understand why you would even get mad unless they are advertising that they are unedited. Would you prefer that the DVD's contain the bloopers as well? I definitely can't get rid of my VHS tapes because they are editing the DVDs.

There has been much philisophical debate in recent months about whether the DVD editing is an improvement over the videos or not.  Many fans, myself included, feel that the original version of the episodes should appear on the DVDs just as they did on TV and on video.  The bloopers, savory or not, are a part of DS.  And FWIW, the DVDs are being advertised as complete and uncut.

ProfStokes

[Nelson Collins]

But I don't understand why you would even get mad unless they are advertising that they are unedited. Would you prefer that the DVD's contain the bloopers as well? I definitely can't get rid of my VHS tapes because they are editing the DVDs.

hmmm, perhaps silly of me, but I thought (hoped) that MPI would make the picture and sound quality of the episodes as good as possible, but leave everything else alone.  I like my DS "warts and all"  and for me anyway, it's part of the charm of the series.

One of my favorite moments when I was discovering DS for the first time when I was in high school (it was syndicated on a local station) was during the episodes leading up to the 1795 flashback.  It was around the time Tony Peterson first appeared. Julia was in his office and completely forgot everying about what she was supposed to say.  After floundering for a few seconds, I distintly heard the director say "cut!" and Grayson broke character and looked off screen.  The picture went black and stay that way for a long time then the picture came back and Grayson was talking with someone (the director perhaps or the script supervisor) looking at was must have been the script.  The picture went black again and when it came back.  They started the scene from the top.  Now I didn't realistically expect that they would leave that in on either the  vhs or dvd versions, but my point is that is one of the things I love about this kind of taped as live TV and if the blooper doesn't result in having to stop camera, I do expect that MPI ought to leave it alone.  And, I think there are a great many fans who would agree with me.

I guess I am just disappointed is all.

[Nelson Collins]

f.y.i,i contacted mpi and they did tell me that the pre-barnabas eps. would be released on dvd when they finish releasing the rest of the run.i highly recomend them,some stories are a bit dull,but the laura collins story rocks!

That's good to know.  And hopefully a boxset of the revival series too!

[Josette]

Nelson, try searching the forum (or perhaps someone else will jump in with the appropriate links).  There were a couple of threads on this subject.  Most people did want everything as it was and were quite upset when they discovered a few "fix ups."  MPI claimed that they weren't going to edit it, but several kept finding little instances like this.

[Nelson Collins]

Thanks very much, Josette.  I shall.

It's probably by now a situation of Too Little, Too Late, but I did email MPI and expressed my disappointment over this matter.  Will it do any good?  More than likely not, but at least I expressed my views.    Below is the text of my email, for anyone who may be interested:

Thank you for releasing Dark Shadows on DVD.  I have fond memories of the show from younger days when it first went into syndication, but had missed many episodes, even when they were aired on the SciFi Channel.

However, I am writing to express my disappointment over the content in the DVD boxsets.  I did not notice at first but I have come across several instances where the episodes have been edited to remove extraneous sounds (such as off camera cues) or hide an a special effect that is not entirely successful, despite claims that the episodes are unedited.

I would very much like to know why this was done.  As a fan of the show for many years, I like my Dark Shadows "warts and all"  and I am sure that you have received other complaints of this nature as well.

Frankly, I avoided purchasing any of the series on VHS, because at the time DVD was in its infancy and I knew you would probably re-release the series in DVD format eventually. I understand that the VHS editions have not been edited in this way, and I am extremely disappointed to learn that I am not only getting the DVD series in a different format but also with different content as well.

I hope you will consider for future releases simply making the picture and sound quality as high as possible and refrain from any further editing of the episodes that remain.