F.B.I. from WBA (1 Viewer)

[Dave Scarpa]

And the quality of Paramount is slipping Look at the Latest Bonanza release i think some of the newer timeless media releases look better.

 

[ChrisALM]

I have been hoping to see The FBI released. I am disappointed that it will be a WB archive title on DVD-R. If the price had stayed at 19.99, I would have been on board. Now, I am not so sure. WB - you need to get real with your pricing or have some sales.

 

[ToddR2]

I am concerned about this release for a couple of reasons. First, 704 minutes is way short of what 16 episodes should clock in at. Second, I am going to have to assume that these will be dual-layered DVD-Rs. The price isn't a big issue for me, though I can understand how it might be for others.

 

[Jeff Willis]

I've not bought any TV/DVD mod sets yet due to price points. We're aware that everyone has holy grail shows, That's everyone's choice to purchase at mod price points. There are also those that can't justify the mod price structures. I have bought a few movie DVD's from WB Archives but no shows. Unless their price structure lowers, I will wait on those TV/DVD purchases.

I'd like to get this release (FBI) but at that price for 1/2 season sets, I'll pass for now.

Regarding the Fugitive possibility of appearing as a mod release with music restored, when/if it happens, we'll all have to make that purchasing choice. Right now, I'm not sure if I'd buy that one in a mod release with present price structures. Good question though.

 

[Mr. Pacino]

I don´t know the series but I´d like to know why Warner doesn´t release this series officially?

Do they believe this series won´t sell well?

 

[Jack P]

Warner is the studio that has never done *anything* of note with its TV library. For series prior to the 80s we have only seen two "Wonder Woman" and "F-Troop" that were released to completion. Considering the high volume of not too insignificant movies that are being released in the MOD format, the logical question that was always being asked was "When will they release their TV catalog in this program?" Now that they've finally broken the ice with one of the most significant titles in their catalog, we're back to a tiresome rehasing of how bad the MOD program is, but then I imagine in some other thread we'll hear some of the same people complain about the lack of great vintage titles coming out this year. What this whole thread is demonstrating to me is that it seems there are too many in this realm who would rather look instinctively for the negative. If the episodes are uncut as I know they will be since Warner has shown uncut prints on the defunct AOL on-line thing before, that is all that matters and will more than justify the expenditure.

If people want to pass on this because it's a title that's not one to their instinctive liking, fine, but if the only thing on their mind right now is "Warner Archive sucks", then start another thread devoted to that, please.

 

[smithb]

Originally Posted by Jack P
If people want to pass on this because it's a title that's not one to their instinctive liking, fine, but if the only thing on their mind right now is "Warner Archive sucks", then start another thread devoted to that, please.

While I'm not a big fan of DVD-R's, for me it is really all about the price point and where it fits on my list of needed titles. For example, I'm still finding some nice to have's and blind buys (where this title currently fits for me) in the $20 range for the same or more content length (e.g. Car '54, Ellery Queen). As well as, items like full seasons of Twilight Zone on Blu-ray for a similar price as this. So those are going to continue to get my attention first.

That being said, I've purchased 300+ sets in the last three years. It use to be I could always find something on sale somewhere at any given time. However, that is beginning to be less and less the case. So my price points are changing (increasing) as time goes on to fill in the gaps. For example, I picked up Set 3 of Naked City as a blind buy a few months back. It soon became a must have and so it took three months monitoring Amazon marketplace to pick up all the remaining sets. In some cases, costing as much as $4 an episode since they are OOP.

So it's not that I'm here bashing WBA. In fact the Shout! Select titles are much different for me. FKB at $40 a season would have been a no a year ago, but now the last two seasons are on the list and I will probably get them before the year is out. So if the price came down on F.B.I. it would attract my interest, and if I find I have less competition for my money I may learn to stretch up to that price point. Time will tell.

 

[HenryDuBrow]

Jack's post (#20) hit the nail on the head, this price for a TV series is not overpriced in my opinion either so I'm looking forward to this release. Only thing that remains to be seen is how good the picture quality will be, as these shows (The Yellow Rose including) would seem to not have been remastered.

 

[borisfw]

Originally Posted by Steve...O
To be clear, I am happy for those who want this show and are finally able to get it. I have no desire to rain on their parade.

However I do stand behind my opinion that these are overpriced and are not as good a value as products purchased from other studios, including independents like E1 or Shout, much less majors like CBS/P. This is not a reflection on the quality of the show, but the way Warner chooses to offer it. In the end, this is unfortunate because this discourages blind buys which would increase exposure to those unfamiliar with the series.

As an aside, subtitles are great for late evening viewing when the family is in bed and you don't want to wake your spouse. In these busy times, the only time available to watch DVDs is later in the day.

Never thought of using subtitles at night when the wife is sleeping . She made sure when we bought our bedroom tv years ago it had headphone jacks . So when I'm watching tv at night and she is asleep,which is every night, i have to plug in the headphones . Not sure what I'm going to do if the tv goes .

 

[Jack P]

Well, consider me among those who would never utilize subtitles in a million years. If I can't hear the actual audio I'm wasting my time even trying to watch. To me it's about the most useless frill one can put into something that isn't a foreign language release.

 

[smithb]

Originally Posted by Jack P
Well, consider me among those who would never utilize subtitles in a million years. If I can't hear the actual audio I'm wasting my time even trying to watch. To me it's about the most useless frill one can put into something that isn't a foreign language release.

That's fine for you. It's not an option that would have concerned me either until I read a number of responses on Amazon regarding a number of releases without closed captioning or subtitles. The fact is that there are quite a few people out there with difficulty hearing that would like to enjoy these releases as much as you and I. To you a useless frill, but to them it's a no sale without it. Personally, I think it's a sad state that it's not a requirement for all releases.

 

[Jack P]

Let me add this. Anyone who is complaining about the price as too high for this set but who also bought the MGM MOD sets of "Flipper" S2 or "Highway Patrol" S1 had better start checking their arithmetic once again and see if they can really call this price a "ripoff" based on hours and price.

If someone told me that the most significant TV on DVD announcement from Warners in years would produce this endless chorus of complaining in the face of all the other thread complaints about the vanishing market for vintage TV on DVD from the studios, I would have been as dumbfounded as I am now. Why this particular release is becoming the occasion to bitch about a procedure from a studio that has not exactly been an open secret in terms of what their track record already indicates (try comparing the price/hour content for this with those Hanna-Barbera releases too while you're at it!) I have literally no idea.

 

[Professor Echo]

/forum/thread/309795/f-b-i-from-wba#post_3791727
Well, consider me among those who would never utilize subtitles in a million years. If I can't hear the actual audio I'm wasting my time even trying to watch. To me it's about the most useless frill one can put into something that isn't a foreign language release.

Let's not cast our stones too prematurely.

Being so abjectly insensitive to those who depend on subtitling and closed captioning as a necessity and hardly a "frill" may figure into some kind of defensive stance in justifying buying this series, but it's not warranted. If you wish to have respect for your point-of-view and adamant position on why this purchase is important to you, perhaps you should express an equal amount of respect for those whose priorities toward same may be different.

As for the old song about forgetting what things used to cost and how much better/worse we are now, this rarely accomplishes what it sets out to do. Bringing up past standards and principles in order to somehow reflect our good or bad fortune now is pretty futile; progress and or lack of same thereof is both fickle and indifferent. The choice remains the same now as it was then: You either pay the price it is or you don't. Looking backwards to somehow explain or excuse your purchase now may provide reassurance in your own mind, but it's not an applicable science by any means. Those who don't see the correlation should not be castigated as somehow being spoiled or forgetting the way things used to be.

 

[Jack P]

I was responding to posts in regards to the value of subtitles that had nothing to do with one being hearing impaired. Instead, I was hearing about the complaint of lack of subtitles for those who want to watch and not disturb their wives while sleeping which I think you will grant is not the same thing, and thus suggesting that a set is somehow failure for not providing that kind of feature that in the case of those individuals posting does amount to a "frill". That is what I was responding to and why in that context I was critical of using that as a reason to club Warner over the head in regard to this particular release.

And past standards alone, I recognize are not enough to justify my point about the cost. It's the fact that in comparison with so much *current* fare being released on DVD, this price is hardly in the realm of say, "Land Of The Giants", yet one might come away thinking that a not too out of the way price is somehow the most serious case of price gouging done by a studio, and I don't accept that premise at all in regard to this release.

 

[smithb]

Jack,

I appreciate your passion for the fact that F.B.I is finally being released. But I think you have a slight tendency to get overly defensive and over state people's reaction to the pricing. You throw out terms like "complaining" and "bitching", that people consider it a "ripoff" or "price gouging" which are all coming from your posts. Quite frankly I would have been a one and done as far as posting in this thread if not for your responses.

I can only speak for myself, but I am neither complaining or bitching about WBA. I neither think they are ripping people off or price gouging as you put it. It's all about supply an demand. There is nothing personal about it, just simple economics. Their price for this release is higher then my need. Simple as that. As someone else put it, I'm happy for those that have this title high on their "want" list. I'm sure there are one's on my list that you could care less about supporting. But I won't feel the need to attack anyone that feels otherwise about it.

 

[Jack P]

We all have our own personal preferences on what we feel justifies our money and I respect that for everyone. But does that really necessitate broadcasting the fact, "I won't be getting this!" in regards a title that *isn't* one they've been thinking about before? I'm not interested in spending money on "Yellow Rose", but I started that thread because I knew others likely would be glad to hear this was available and that it would be nice to stress the positive that Warner was finally coming through with some TV titles on DVD that should give fans of other shows hope that more will follow.

Others have said they're not trying to rain on the parade of those who are excited, but that disclaimer is for me ringing very hollow in this thread. What should be a thread to talk about how great it is that this is available and to note the strength of some memorable episodes from this show that represents Quinn Martin's longest-running show and one of two titles we've not been able to see on DVD up to now has turned into something else entirely and I'm not hesitant to admit that doesn't sit well with me. Other shows haven't gotten this kind of discussion when their announcement came up.

 

[Gary OS]

Jack, my friend, I agree with Brad in that you are doing more than your fair share to keep the debate going. You've already had some very seasoned and well respected, long time posters on this board nicely share some of their concerns with you. People like Steve O, Brad, Jeff, Walker and myself have tried to be gentle in our replies. It honestly does seem like you are taking things too personally and then overstating your points, which in turn just perturbs the rest of us. I hadn't planned to write anything more in this thread (just like Steve and Brad have said), but you keep bringing up all these points and are lengthening the debate all on your own.

Walker has written an excellent reply to you. Brad has done the same with his last post (one which I found myself nodding in agreement with). On top of that you keep saying things that aren't true. For instance, you brought up the MGM MOD program and the Highway Patrol and Flipper series that were released last year. I went back to Amazon and checked the prices I paid for those two sets. HP = $44.99. This was for the entire season set. Much lower than the price point for the upcoming F.B.I. release. How about Flipper? Flipper = $31.99. Again, well below the price point you are referring to.

All I'm saying is that these WBA releases are high in comparison to most other similar releases. And when the prices are as high as they are it's going to mean a lot less blind buyers, which is a shame because I imagine many people would get hooked on the show like you did. But until WBA can come down on these prices I don't think too many of these MOD releases will sell like gangbusters.

Finally, I do want to come back once more and say I think your comments about the closed captions was pretty rude. You may not have meant for it to come off that way, but it's how those comments came off. I have more than one friend who needs subtitles to enjoy their sets so I'm not so cavalier about brushing them off. Just saying...


Gary "thanks again to Steve, Brad, Jeff and Walker - all great posts" O.

 

[smithb]

Originally Posted by Jack P
We all have our own personal preferences on what we feel justifies our money and I respect that for everyone. But does that really necessitate broadcasting the fact, "I won't be getting this!" in regards a title that *isn't* one they've been thinking about before? I'm not interested in spending money on "Yellow Rose", but I started that thread because I knew others likely would be glad to hear this was available and that it would be nice to stress the positive that Warner was finally coming through with some TV titles on DVD that should give fans of other shows hope that more will follow.

Others have said they're not trying to rain on the parade of those who are excited, but that disclaimer is for me ringing very hollow in this thread. What should be a thread to talk about how great it is that this is available and to note the strength of some memorable episodes from this show that represents Quinn Martin's longest-running show and one of two titles we've not been able to see on DVD up to now has turned into something else entirely and I'm not hesitant to admit that doesn't sit well with me. Other shows haven't gotten this kind of discussion when their announcement came up.

I'll have to diagree with that last point. To my thinking references related to higher then average pricing are no different then poor video/audio quality, music replacements, syndicated cuts with edits, different formats, and the list goes on. It's rare to find a thread on any show that doesn't have some negative views stated as a reason for a person not purchasing.

For example, I recently saw a really good deal on "My Three Sons" season 1, volume 2 for around $10. I've read the threads and this title gets picked apart here and on Amazon quite a bit for it music replacements. Having seen it long ago I decided to take a chance on it, and guess what, after watching a few episodes I enjoyed it very much (forgive me all). The music replacements for the episodes I've seen so far have not taken any enjoyment away from my viewing of this show. As a result, I plan on purchasing the other three volumes. Now if I went back into those threads and made these same remarks I would get blasted for my ignorance of what this product should be. And how dare I support the studio for putting out this trash. I would be one of the few defenders of the release saying it's not all that bad. Fortunately, I see no reason to hash that back up again.

So I honestly don't see how this thread stands out as all that unusual from the discussion so far that hasn't been seen in many previous announcements of the past.

 

[smithb]

Originally Posted by Jack P
I just happen to like the show that much, in particular these early episodes in which the character of Lewis Erskine was less a cipher and more of a three-dimensional person. I enjoyed how the show could at times blend the Dragnet procedural approach with the Naked City character study approach.

I never saw the show until it was made available on that short-lived AOL on-line viewing thing and that was when I got hooked into those early seasons. It's been a Grail title of mine ever since, and I would note that for shows that started in the 1960s, this has been the longest running unreleased title up to now which is significant. No other title that started in the decade that ran as long or longer has gone without a DVD release (though few that started in the 60s ran as long as nine years or more).

I recognize the show is not to everyone's taste and isn't on everyone's grail list, but frankly I think I'd prefer this news be a time to give us who are excited to see this happen at last the center stage instead of another tiresome rehash on whether WA's approach sucks or not. In a day and age when we're already carping enough about the *lack* of vintage material becoming available, the least we can do is appreciate the fact that there are still ways to bring these titles to us at last.

Going back to something Gary asked earlier that led to this reply. I think this is the most informative tidbit in the whole thread so far. I say we just continue this part of the discussion going forward. I asked my father-in-law about F.B.I and interestingly (with no prodding by myself) he also mentioned the Dragnet approach. And I've recently become a fan of Naked City. So it will remain a title of potential interest in my queue.

 

[Jack P]

Originally Posted by Gary OS
For instance, you brought up the MGM MOD program and the Highway Patrol and Flipper series that were released last year. I went back to Amazon and checked the prices I paid for those two sets. HP = $44.99. This was for the entire season set. Much lower than the price point for the upcoming F.B.I. release. How about Flipper? Flipper = $31.99. Again, well below the price point you are referring to.

Gary, I'm sorry but this is not true. First off, you are talking about the price for two shows that are *half hour* shows and thus when we are talking about the price in relation to the amount of material that is in the FBI release as a one hour show, this one comes out less and thus by that yardstick a better buy or at worse the same general price range. Second, the list price on both "Highway Patrol" and "Flipper" has been a lot higher and is currently much higher than either of those figures you paid. "Highway Patrol" at present can only be had for $55 from Amazon and the base price is $60 which is also the same list price for "Flipper." I'm sure you took advantage of a discount that was up for a time, but that is not a fair comparison because I'm sure that given how Warner Archive has had many discounts that have enabled me to get boxed movie sets at a reduced price, such options will also be available at some point for "The FBI" for those who might want to wait a bit. My point was comparing the standard retail price and on that one, this release comes out smelling like a rose in contrast to "Highway Patrol" and "Flipper". Those two are priced in excess of $20 higher than "The FBI" release is for the same amount of material.

As for Brad's point in reference to "My Three Sons", I think what that overlooks is that discussion has to do with a released end-product that we're judging, whereas this is a release that has just been announced and there is no way to judge the video quality etc. which if it turns out to be sub-standard will *then* be an occasion for that kind of critical discussion that I have no qualms with seeing. But for now, I think this is the kind of news that should at the very least elicit more good feeling than perpetual cynicism.