1991 Series To Be Released On DVD

this has me swamped.

just who is releasing the 1991 series on dvd?
sony?warners?mgm?mpi?i thought that mpi had the exclusive rights to distribute both series(66-71 and 91)but not either of the movies.

since the original series ran for so many episodes it seems like the profit potential there is almost limitless(think of what we've all bought)where as the 1991 version only aired 12 or so episodes.how much profitability do they actually think is going to come from that release?
die-hard fans already own this on video and even if they "upgrade" to the dvd format we realistically can't be talking about more than a few thousand(at best)shelling out big dollars for this release.

b.t.w. i have so much more of the original seies to get through the 1991 series isn't even on the horizon.

I've never bought any of the tapes, or DVDs, of either series, tho I do have the tape versions of both movies.  I think at this point I might as well just wait for the brain-implantable chip that contains every shred of DS related material ever created.  Think of the money I'll have saved....

just who is releasing the 1991 series on dvd?

MGM who was recently bought out by Sony.  MPI had the rights to distribute videos back in the 90s.  However, their license is expiring which is why the video tapes are going out of print.  When MPI released the videos back in the day, they distributed same with expanded episodes 1, 3 and 12.  MGM/Sony probably doesn't own the rights or doesn't have the expanded versions, so they aren't releasing it.

I don't feel too bad about not buying this release right away.  I just literally finished collecting the 1991 Series on video, showing it to the LA fan club and generally promoting it's strong points.  I may even go so far as to create a real epi guide for it on my web site since it's not too overdone in web land.

Ultimately, I've been hanging out with too many film majors (hubby and step-son) to settle for a clipped-up version.  If Netflix gets it in, I'll rent it.  I'll at least write to them and ask for it.  At this time, I'm not feeling I should promote it.  I don't like DVD companies treating we consumers like we are a bunch of idiots and wouldn't understand the difference.  This board had a fit over bloopers being clipped from the MPI releases.  We should have a collective fit on this one too.  Even if we buy it to support the franchise.

I don't feel too bad about not buying this release right away.  I just literally finished collecting the 1991 Series on video, showing it to the LA fan club and generally promoting it's strong points.

Since you just recently got the tapes I would assume that they all look pristine? Well, if I may make a suggestion (and this goes for anyone else who has the MPI tapes too) get these copied over to DVD-R discs ASAP. This way you'll be able to retain this level of quality forever, whereas your VHS tapes will definitely degrade over time. I know because my tapes, which I bought when they were first released, all have problems now. Everything from crackling in the Hi-Fi sound to all kinds of splotches, white spots, and lines sporadically going through the picture.  And although the quality of these DVD-Rs won't quite be the same as having real DVD transfers it'll definitely be the next best thing and will ensure that the quality will never degrade. And it'll also be much better than wasting money getting the MGM DVDs because the MPI versions are Expanded/Uncut/Complete in both content and picture frame. And it'd cost you virtually nothing for the DVD-R discs since you can buy these for 40 or 50 cents each. I only wish my tapes looked like they did when I bought them, cause I'd make myself some great DVD-Rs using my Panasonic DVD recorder and not give the MGM product a second thought.

I may even go so far as to create a real epi guide for it on my web site since it's not too overdone in web land.

What's your website's URL. I'd like to check it out.

Ultimately, I've been hanging out with too many film majors (hubby and step-son) to settle for a clipped-up version.  If Netflix gets it in, I'll rent it.  I'll at least write to them and ask for it.  At this time, I'm not feeling I should promote it.  I don't like DVD companies treating we consumers like we are a bunch of idiots and wouldn't understand the difference.  This board had a fit over bloopers being clipped from the MPI releases.  We should have a collective fit on this one too.  Even if we buy it to support the franchise.

Well said!

Dan

Why are the DVD producers such idiots?  What is the point of cutting off the top and bottom of the picture to make it look like a movie?  Why would anyone want that?

Darren, I'm shocked that you say the 1991 revival series will sell way better than the original series.  As far as I can tell, not that many people even know about the 1991 series.

In response to Hornet's post -  Gosh, now I need to find a region-free DVD player (not so easy to find, I've discovered) that also records ... Are the ones that record much more expensive than regular DVD players?  Maybe I can ask for this for Christmas ...

Also, is there any loss in quality when you record to DVD as there is when, for example, you record something from TV to VHS?  Or is the difference in quality you refer to the fact that the VHS quality is lower than the DVD quality to start with?

Why are the DVD producers such idiots?  What is the point of cutting off the top and bottom of the picture to make it look like a movie?  Why would anyone want that?

I'm quite certain that no one buying TV shows on DVD wants that, but the studios still do it. Warner Bros. used to do it with a lot of their TV show releases. They even claimed that some of them were actually originally framed for Widescreen and were being released that way for the first time ever. I'm refering to the 2 original "V" mini-series from  back in 1983 and 1984. Yeah, like anyone was thinking of framing a TV mini-series for Widescreen 20+ years ago.  I just had to watch the first few minutes to know that the top and bottom of the screen was trimmed off. I was so pissed that I immediately returned to the store where I bought the DVDs and got my money back. And when I bought my DVD recorder last year I transfered over my still mint quality tapes which Warner released in the correct Fullscreen format some years earlier, and what I now have is much better than watching the crappy fake widescreen prints and because I have them on DVD-R the quality will remain at this level forever (which isn't true for my VHS tapes). And luckily by the time Warner got around to releasing the regular TV series (19 episodes) which followed the 2 mini-series, they had realised how much these fake widescreen releases were a mistake, and released them in their original fullscreen format and I happily bought the set. They also screwed up another mini-series that I really love, the original 2 part "Bourne Identity" starring Richard Chamberlain. It's also fake-Widescreen and also not in my DVD collection.

Anyway, the likely reason that they're even doing these fake-Widescreen DVDs is because everything will eventually be in HD, but what they fail to realize is that the reason almost all movies are being released in Widescreen on DVD (whereas VHS movie releases used to be Pan & Scan/ Fullscreen) is that most people want to see the full picture. Well, the same thing is true with TV shows. We want the full picture. We want the ORIGINAL ASPECT RATIO. If something was shot widescreen, release it widescreen. If something was shot fullscreen, release it fullscreen. Simple as that.

In response to Hornet's post -  Gosh, now I need to find a region-free DVD player (not so easy to find, I've discovered) that also records ... Are the ones that record much more expensive than regular DVD players?  Maybe I can ask for this for Christmas ...

DVD recorders are quite a bit more expensive than regular DVD players, and I'm not sure if there are any that are region free.

Also, is there any loss in quality when you record to DVD as there is when, for example, you record something from TV to VHS?  Or is the difference in quality you refer to the fact that the VHS quality is lower than the DVD quality to start with?

Yeah, I was just refering to the fact that VHS quality isn't as good as DVD. But on the bright side there is virtually no quality loss when going from VHS to DVD. As a matter of fact I've found that the picture quality sometimes even appears to be better. I know this is not possible of course, but I'm always amazed at how good things look copied from VHS to DVD. And knowing that the picture will always look this way makes it all the better.

Dan

If something was shot widescreen, release it widescreen. If something was shot fullscreen, release it fullscreen. Simple as that.

I'm still using a piece of crap old console Zenith set that makes everything look green, but it was given to me by relatives, and nothing beats free. From what I've seen of the Sony HD sets that some of my relatives have, if you really feel the need to create a widescreen effect, you can adjust the picture so that the image fills the screen. My mother thought this was cool to do when my parents first got their set, but she finally got over it. 

Anyway, it seems rather silly to impose this artificial widescreen effect on people if it's something that viewers with widescreen sets could accomplish on their own if they chose to do so.

Well we are exactly one month away from the dvd's release and still no press statement from MGM/Sony Pictures. Can't MGM/Sony come up with at least one single idea how to promote this potentially embarrassing product? lol

I assume trade magazines are published like a month in advance so I guess MGM needs to soon get off its marketing promotion for this item- a marketing strategy I would love to see in light of the fact they do not much have to offer no thanks to themselves.

Apparently the marketing strategy is to promote the DVDs as a way to "be SEDUCED by the DARKNESS."    And possibly putting that catch phrase on the packaging is all they think they need to do...

Apparently the marketing strategy is to promote the DVDs as a way to "be SEDUCED by the DARKNESS."

It's actually a slick reference to the black bars that will appear at the top and bottom of your screen, covering up what should be the rest of the image. 

Apparently the marketing strategy is to promote the DVDs as a way to "be SEDUCED by the DARKNESS."

It's actually a slick reference to the black bars that will appear at the top and bottom of your screen, covering up what should be the rest of the image. 

Aaahhh - foolish me! It never dawned on me that butchering the frame wasn't an obstacle to the marketing campaign, it IS the marketing campaign. How brilliant of you to deduce that! 

 

It's actually a slick reference to the black bars that will appear at the top and bottom of your screen, covering up what should be the rest of the image. 

Aaahhh - foolish me! It never dawned on me that butchering the frame wasn't an obstacle to the marketing campaign, it IS the marketing campaign. How brilliant of you to deduce that!

Ok now everything is becoming crystal clear to me. So the black bars are the "extras" MGM will be promoting this release with even though it was stated that there would not be any extras. lol And we thought MGM was clueless.

lol Jimbo!

What's your website's URL. I'd like to check it out.

You may click the picture in the picture and it will take you right there.

FYI
MGM finally has added the DVD's release at its website.
http://www.MGM.com/title_title.do?title_star=DARKSHAD

Has any one seen a single promotion for this release from MGM/Sony in any magazine/publication? I just don't get it. If MGM is releasing this dvd series to make money, would it not be logical then to spend a little more than a penny to promote its release? BTW the dvd's release, this Tuesday, is not even in any circular that I read ex. Best Buy etc... It just seems MGM and Sony are almost embarrassed by this release.