MacGyver terrible quality (1 Viewer)

[Steve_Pannell]

Are there any more opinions about the PQ of this set? I'd really like to have these but if they are as bad as some of these posts claim then I don't know whether to risk it or not.

 

[Mark Talmadge]

I've been watching the Macgyver series on DVD and I haven't noticed any problems with the quality either.

 

[BobSchneider]

Well sadly Im not shock, MacGyver was one of first tv series to be shot completely in canada, and like the X-files was univerisal ignore by the emmys because they felt shows like Macgyver, x-files, highlander, etc... were basically union busters and were scorned by many mainstream hollywood types. That being said, MacGyver was shot on the cheap, was shot in canada because it could be shot cheaply and had a cut rate stunt budget and Richard Dean Anderson was injured serval times doing stunts that US produced TV show would have had professional stuntmen doing the work. The set/art design were very low rent , film /post production effect were also done on the cheap, so if I do pick up the MacGyver set I have fairly low expections for video and audio qauality. If I do pick up the MacGyver sets it will be for the crazy madcap stories, equally crazy escapes and RDA loveable non gun carrying secret agent who is cross between Bill Nye the science guy and more light heart canadian verison of John Drake. You buy a show like MacGyver for the stores and the characters. I might pick a season at my local used dvd joint , I cant image any set worse than Crime Story S1 and S2 though:frowning: Hope Im wrong. I'll get back in a week or so.

 

[LCD22]

Bob, "MacGyver" was not shot entirely in Canada, only Seasons 3-6 were. The rest were filmed in California. "The X-Files'" first five seasons were also shot in Canada, and of course "Fight the Future" and the rest of the series were in L.A. (However for the upcoming sequel, Chris Carter is bringing the production back to Vancouver.)

Steve, concerning the age of this, and the fact that CBS/Paramount put no effort into these season sets and the complete series set (which is the real disgrace), the audio and video isn't bad.

 

[Steve_Pannell]

Thanks for the replies.
One more question: Is the complete series set simply a re-packaging of the season sets or is it a different transfer? I know that buying the complete set is the only way at this time to get the 2 post-series movies but is that basically the only difference?

 

[LCD22]

Steve, check out this thread over on MacGyver Online. It will give you the breakdown of the complete series set.

MacGyver Online Forums -> Full Series set - rate it

 

[Mark Talmadge]

All complete series sets are just repackaged from the current DVD presses. The studios do NOT re-presh DVD's for complete series sets.

 

[HenryDuBrow]

It always looked more 'foggy' and less sharp than many other 80s shows, I just assumed it was the way it was shot, with a kinda 'dreamy' look.

 

[JeffO]

Not really on the topic of MacGyver quality, but on the show itself.

I just finished watching all seven seasons, and I think there is a missing episode. I remember an episode where MacGyver is trapped in a store room and he lines up a series of rice sacks really tight and wedges them against the door. He then adds water, the rice expands and the door is forced open. I couldn't find that episode in any of the seven seasons. He might have had a kid trapped in the room with him. Did I miss an episode, am I not remembering things correctly, or did they leave this out?

Thanks

 

[Greg_S_H]

Except for Miami Vice, which went from double-siders for the regular season to new single-sided discs for the complete set.

 

[Mark Talmadge]

Northern Exposure and Miami Vice are the only two shows that I know of which got a special re-pressing.

 

[Michael Rogers]

The 80's/90's shoot it on film, master it on video craze will make for many an unhappy customer when they revisit it on DVD and Hi-Def. Those shows are basically stuck in 80's/90's analog video realm. It takes a herculean and expensive effort (like was done on Seinfeld) to drag out the film elements, recut and re-transfer them. I'm willing to bet the film elements for many shows done this way do not even exist anymore.

There has been talk up trying to do Hi-Def versions of Star Trek: The Next Generation. When this is talked about they talk about trying to somehow "up-ressing" the live actions portions while completely redoing the effects. They talk as if the film elements no longer exist (but don't say it explicitly). Of course sometimes effects mix with live action on that (and most shows).

Doing anything but just throwing the analog master tapes on DVD is like rebuilding the show from scratch and some of the ingredients are no longer available.

At least in the 90's, the video systems improved upon what was available in the 1980's as evidenced by later seasons of The Next Generation and other later Trek series. They will never cut the mustard in hi-def but they look better what came before.

 

[MatthewA]

Hey, it's not like anyone ever accused Hollywood of shortsightedness!