1991 Series To Be Released On DVD

[Mysterious Benefactor]

These shows were shot for 1.33 and composed and released on TV in that format. This is way before our recent spate of HD widescreen shows. The only correct way to present them is 1.33. Any 'widescreen' release would butcher the framing, chopping off a significant chunk of the imagery from the top and bottom of the screen.

You know, I wondered about that when I read it because, as you say, the '91 series was produced before HD widescreen shows began popping up. (Not even the DVDs of recent shows like Buffy are in widescreen.) But then I remembered that you'd mentioned that the DVD transfers were being done from HD masters that were made a few years ago, so I thought that *maybe* it was possible. I suppose I should have realized that it wasn't.

I agree that it will be a total disaster if the framing is butchered (which is one reason why I can't imagine that will happen - one would think the outfit doing the transfers would question that's what Sony really wants). But on a slight upside for those of us who already own the series on VHS, if it turns out that the framing does get butchered, well, at least we won't feel as though our tapes are almost totally obsolete...

[jimbo]

Well, I've never read anything about how Our Fathers did for Showtime, but I've read a few articles that said CBS was disappointed with the way Saving Milly performed for them. And in certain corners of the entertainment industry, you're often perceived only as well as your latest projects have performed. So, read into that what you might... 

The only thing I could find on Our Fathers was that it received two Emmy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actor is a mini-series or movie: one for Christopher Plummer and the other for Brian Dennehy. I guess these nominations make Showtime and Dan Curtis a little happier.

[Miranda]

Well, those of you who have the tapes can maybe rent the DVDs from Netflix and save yourself the double expense...

[victoriawinters]

This is going to be a disaster.  Mis-information abounds.  Someone is sleeping at Sony.  Probably, the marketing suits.

Oh yea, we didn't even have DVD players in 1991.  No reason to even have filmed in 2.35:1 back then.  Well, now I am really super glad to have the videos.  They actually play quite well on the old home theatre system.  It's just a wee bit grainy compared to a remastered digital pic.

Quite true, Buffy is not widescreen.  However, Angel Season 3 onwards is.  They broadcast it in widescreen and stereo.  But, the DVD seems to be in 2.0.  Go figure.  Some of Angel was even in HD.

[Darren Gross]

Even for HD they wouldn't shoot in 2.35:1. HD is only 1.78:1 so it's not that wide but you're still eliminating almost 1/3 of the picture area from the top and bottom of the 1.33 broadcast frame...Jeepers, can you imagine chopping almost half of the framing out of the top and bottom of the picture to make a 2.35 image? Enough to give you the shudders...

It'd be like the old 'SuperScope' releases in the fities! But at least those were filmed with that eventuality in mind!

The Buffy/Angel widescreen HD vs 1.33 TV dvds is a big confusing situation between what Joss Whedon prefers and what the region 2 and region 1 releases decided to issue the dvds as vs what was originall broadcast, framing-wise. Waaaay too  complicated to go into here...

2.0 is stereo so no problems there...

You won't really find anything but stereo on standard TV broadcasts. About 80% of HD broadcast TV programs are 5.1...

[victoriawinters]

Yes, well I'm generally under the impression that other then CinemaScope and some of the other 50s movies in like 2.7.1 etc., I've been beaten senseless by the hubby man with the 2.35.1 modern size film noodle.  Thus, I think just about everything letter box should be that.  Now, I'm going to get to beat him with the 1.78.1 noodle.  I'm quite excited.

I've actually become quite spoiled by 5.1 with the rain and other noises coming from behind.

In case anyone is looking for a nice consolation prize to the 1991 disaster, check out the 25th Anniversary of Bruce Lee's, Enter the Dragon.  This gem comes in the correct aspect ratio 2.35.1 and 5.1 stereo.  Missing scenes were also restored and many special features are included.  Gone was the old TV chopped off heads.  The mirror fight scene was glorious.  Even, the dialog sync seemed really quite close.  I picked up this gem at Best Buy for $9.99.  A steal.

[Darren Gross]

Yeah, it's quite a nice disc. Any classic chop socky film is virtually unwatchable pan n'scan since almost every single one was shot in some kind of 'scope process...

[jimbo]

This website reflects that the 91 series DVD will be in the anomorphic 1.78 format or is this already known-sometimes its hard to follow the tech posts here. LOL

http://movieweb.com/dvd/dvd.php?027616124258

[Philippe Cordier]

I'm afraid all these ratios are making my head swim.  I started a list a while back, and I have such numerical figures as:

1.33:1 (This, I know, refers to the box shaped TV screen format)
1.66:1 (Referred to as semi-letterbox - for the semi-illiterate?)
4.3 letterbox
16:9 anamorphic transfer
1.78 anamorphic (Jimbo's post above)

Strange that some of these numbers have a decimal point, some have a colon, and some have both a decimal point and a colon.  Hard to understand what it all means.  I won't ask anyone here to try to explain any of this,

Other interesting DVD terms I've come across:

dual-layer disc (possibly good)
single-layer dual-sided disc (maybe even better!)
aliasing (not sure if that's good or bad)
artifacts (bad!)
compression (bad!)

Also something on the package of some of my DVDs say something or other "will trigger a slight pause" but it doesn't say when this pause will occur, whether it's disruptive, or if it's a feature you really want to have on your DVD.

And it would take hours to try to sort out who owns rights to what where DS is concerned ... talk about confusing!

I've read customer reviews of several movies released on DVD where the top and bottom were deliberately chopped off in order to fool the consumer into thinking they were getting the film as it appeared widescreen in theaters - that is absolutely unbelievable.

My biggest gripe with a lot of my DVDs is the low sound quality (although it's a tie with those that can't be removed from the case without bending the DVD, although that situation seems to be improving).  Even with the volume control at the highest level for: Volume, Wave, SWSynth, and CD Audio, the dialogue on about 40 percent of my movie DVDs is frequently inaudible.  It's always the dialogue, too - other sounds, music, etc., are plenty loud.  This problem has not been the case with any DVD I have of any TV show (DS, Forever Night, and I forget what else).  Also, I never ran into this problem with any VHS tape of any movie!  I see this complaint about the low audio quality cropping up ever more frequently in customer reviews, but apparently the industry is oblivious to the problem.  I've read a number of customer reviews where they say they've had to turn on the closed-captioning and READ the dialogue.

[Barnabas'sBride]

Even with the volume control at the highest level for: Volume, Wave, SWSynth, and CD Audio, the dialogue on about 40 percent of my movie DVDs is frequently inaudible.  It's always the dialogue, too - other sounds, music, etc., are plenty loud. 

I loathe that, it really drives me crazy. I'll sit there with the remote in my hand because I have to turn the volume up to hear what's being said, but when the music gets louder or there's an action scene it sounds so loud that I'm tempted to turn it back down. I have DVDs that are like that.

[victoriawinters]

I'm afraid all these ratios are making my head swim. I started a list a while back, and I have such numerical figures as:

1.33:1 (This, I know, refers to the box shaped TV screen format)
1.66:1 (Referred to as semi-letterbox - for the semi-illiterate?)
4.3 letterbox
16:9 anamorphic transfer
1.78 anamorphic (Jimbo's post above)

Wikipedia to the rescue here.   This explains that 4:3 is really 1.33.1 aspect ratio and a normal size TV and 16:9 is really 1.78.1 or a widescreen TV.  Digital TV is set for this 1.78.1.  Some eliminate the .1, as we have here on this post, off some of the ratios as an abbreviation.

Over here is the answer to anamorphic DVD or and what that means.   The bottom line here is you need a widescreen TV to play this in its intended capacity as it is enhanced for a 16:9 TV.  The trick here is to set your DVD player to the correct size of your TV.

The slight pause probably refers to typical DVDs that are in two layers.  When the second layer begins to play, there is a slight pause.  The flipper or two sided disc may not have the pause but sometimes each side has two layers and then several pauses.

Well, hope this is helpful to you Vlad and everyone.  Hopefully, this clarifies too the bad, bad, bad decsion by MGM to monkey with the ratios.

[jimbo]

Thanks Vlad , victoriawinters. Darren and others for helping me understand what all the technical terms mean. What happened to the simpler times when the only concern you had was if a VHS tape you were intending to buy was in stereo or mono?

[Darren Gross]

Those were dark, dark days...

[jimbo]

Those were dark, dark days...

Thanks Darren. I think. lol
One of the websites I visited states that "There are no extra features" for the 91 series dvd release as we feared. Boy MGM is so cheap, cheap and did I say cheap?

[Darren Gross]

MGM is so cheap, they were bought like a two-dollar whore on the street by Sony!