The Lone Ranger - Collector's Edition Set (1 Viewer)

[DeWilson]

STILL no word these aree uncut episodes?

 

[Nebiroth]

Those that received scratched discs in other like sets, are they actually defective(lock up, does not play) or are they just light, surface scratches.

I own all Wagon Train, and The Virginian sets that are out. I have noticed some scuffs on a few discs, but they all play just fine(of the ones I have watched).

But Bryan, the problem is with this sort of packaging where the jam the discs tightly between what is in essence two sheets of raw cardboard is that the DVD's will get more and more scratched the more you take them out to use them. It's like shoving them in and out of a sandpaper sandwich repeatedly, sooner or later, those discs are going to end up unplayable.

It's a shame because I think the package itself actually looks quite nice, but mechanically they are just poor. What it really needs to to line the card sleeves with a soft material that doesn't scratch, such as Tyvek, which is a synthetic fibre woven into cloth. But that costs money!

Sadly lots of these fancy packages are designed only for looks and are either hopelessly impractical, or so fragile they fall to bits if you use them, or badly designed/utilise cheap materials that end up scratching the discs.

Classic examples are the I Dream of Jeannie "Magic Bottle" set - looks nice, but in reality the thing is so tall it won't fit into most shelving systems, is made of thing card and every time you try to take a disc out you end up scattering them all onto the floor. Or the Wild, Wild West set which was notorious for shipping out with loads of discs scratched because inside they are all jammed together into little holster (or saddlebag?) shaped carboard things that look like accordions and freely allow the discs to rub against the card and each other - all the seaons are stuffed in with each other and whilst the discs are colour coded for season you can only just see the edges peeking out from the card so you can't see what the colour is, let alone what the label says.

Here in the Uk the Complete Avengers 50th Anniversary set was designed a bit like this Lone Ranger one - the book style, with disc sleeves forimg the pages. But the discs are jamme din so incredibly tightly they are a nightmare to get out and inevitably get scuffed in the process....

And so on.

The ideal design are those we have had from Time-Life: the UNCLE set looks lovely, is a standard height for the attache case (which itself is very well built of heavy guage card), whilst inside the discs are packed in multi-disc Amaray cases. The same for the Six Million Dollar Man set, which just had standard cases inside the fancy outer package.

You only have to read the huge numbers of complaints on Amazon about these fancy sets to see how damaging and annoying they are. Even the later Simpsons sets just have the discs in raw card sleeves, which I think was justified by the makers wanting the packaing to be more "environmentally friendly"..but it;s not, when you consider how many DVD's get scratched into unplayability as they are packed up in the factory and end up in a landfill

 

[Adam Gregorich]

Here are some pictures of the release from DreamWorks Classics:

The Collector's Edition will feature all five complete seasons (221 episodes on 30 DVDs-over 92 hours) in a high-end box set that resembles a coffee table book. Bonus content will include two full length features, a complete episode guide containing a synopsis for all 221 episodes, the original radio broadcast from 1950, and a rare comic book and photo reprint, among other features. A limited quantity of this collection will be available, adding to its overall value and uniqueness.

 

[DeWilson]

Here are some pictures of the release from DreamWorks Classics:

Lone Ranger 01 (Medium).jpg

Lone Ranger 02 (Medium).jpg

The Collector's Edition will feature all five complete seasons (221 episodes on 30 DVDs-over 92 hours) in a high-end box set that resembles a coffee table book. Bonus content will include two full length features, a complete episode guide containing a synopsis for all 221 episodes, the original radio broadcast from 1950, and a rare comic book and photo reprint, among other features. A limited quantity of this collection will be available, adding to its overall value and uniqueness.

Am I the only one still concerned they have yet to said if the episodes are uncut or not - we've been stuck with cut episodes since the mid-1980's - Every official VHS, laser-disc and DVD release has been edited. You'd think they's state in the publicity material if the episodes are uncut.

 

[Gary OS]

Am I the only one still concerned they have yet to said if the episodes are uncut or not - we've been stuck with cut episodes since the mid-1980's - Every official VHS, laser-disc and DVD release has been edited. You'd think they's state in the publicity material if the episodes are uncut.

All valid points. What also concerns me with that announcement is the little bit at the end that this will be a "limited quantity" release. I know I'm not buying the set at anywhere near the price they are asking right now (uncut episodes or not), so if this is a ploy to get people to jump early rather than wait for a discounted price some time down the road then I'm out. No way I'm paying that inflated price - period.


Gary "on top of everything else, I've got the first 2 seasons and half of S5 - and I'm not even interested in the non-Clayton Moore S3 season" O.

 

[Professor Echo]

I don't remember watching this series much in reruns when I was a kid in the 60's, so it doesn't have any nostalgia value to me, which limits my interest as essentially it is a children's program and sometimes without built in nostalgia, children's series can be a tough sell to me as an adult. . I admit I have some trouble with such fare that didn't infiltrate my imagination when I was a kid. I have tried to embrace a bunch of these children oriented shows not of my time, but always with varying degrees of success (particularly difficult for me are Saturday cartoon series that came AFTER I was watching such stuff).

On the other hand, I have watched and enjoyed SGT. PRESTON, so maybe THE LONE RANGER will be along those lines. I did spring for the previous release at $20, but I haven't gotten around to watching any of it yet. The character of THE LONE RANGER and his trappings are somewhat timeless and I respect that, but I could never spend the asking price for this set only to find myself watching it sparingly. I look forward to reading reviews of it.

 

[Ron1973]

All valid points. What also concerns me with that announcement is the little bit at the end that this will be a "limited quantity" release. I know I'm not buying the set at anywhere near the price they are asking right now (uncut episodes or not), so if this is a ploy to get people to jump early rather than wait for a discounted price some time down the road then I'm out. No way I'm paying that inflated price - period.


Gary "on top of everything else, I've got the first 2 seasons and half of S5 - and I'm not even interested in the non-Clayton Moore S3 season" O.

I've honestly never watched Season 3. I've always wondered what it was like but I'm not springing for this set just to find out.

The color season/s were better and more "adult" than the early episodes. I watched some episodes last year on a religious channel we get on Directv. They were apparently the first episodes (DeForrest Kelley was on one as a matter of fact) and they were very "kiddified" to me. The one bright spot is they were unedited, running a full 25 or so minutes from what I could tell.

 

[JoeDoakes]

All valid points. What also concerns me with that announcement is the little bit at the end that this will be a "limited quantity" release. I know I'm not buying the set at anywhere near the price they are asking right now (uncut episodes or not), so if this is a ploy to get people to jump early rather than wait for a discounted price some time down the road then I'm out. No way I'm paying that inflated price - period.


Gary "on top of everything else, I've got the first 2 seasons and half of S5 - and I'm not even interested in the non-Clayton Moore S3 season" O.

Let's see what happens to the price around Christmastime.

 

[Gary OS]

Let's see what happens to the price around Christmastime.

That's been my plan from day one, Joe.


Gary "I'm just hoping that the set, since it's supposedly a limited edition, isn't sold out by then - but that's probably not a legitimate concern" O.

 

[Ron1973]

That's been my plan from day one, Joe.


Gary "I'm just hoping that the set, since it's supposedly a limited edition, isn't sold out by then - but that's probably not a legitimate concern" O.

Gary, years ago Mercury Nashville released "The Complete Hank Williams" which was supposed to be a limited edition. It's still available 15 years later brand new....lol

 

[John Sparks]

Watch, they'll be edited and the two movies will be the same non-anamorphic prints as was originally released years ago...and all for $149...such a deal. Costco has the set on sale now, not sure of the price.

 

[LouA]

As much as I love the Lone Ranger, I've decided to pass on this . I have the previous releases on Rhino and Classic Media, so I have two and a half sesaons plus the movies, already. But the main thing is that I don't want to deal with trying to pull the discs out of this packaging without damaging them. If they re-release it in standard packaging then I'll go for it .

 

[MattPeriolat]

This is tough, this is real tough for me. I have been procrastinating on getting The Lone Ranger before now just hoping for more seasons before I committed. This is a great opportunity to add a classic to my library but here are my sticking points:- Price. $150 is still quite a bit of change, even with some money I picked up recently.- Blind buy. I have listened to the Ranger on old radio broadcasts, but never seen an episode of the show. Feel a ton of egg on my face to drop money for a show I end up hating.- Time. Classic Media is turning the screws by saying "limited time". They want to move units to justify the cost of production, understandably, but I hate being pressured. I like time to think it over and try and wait for a price drop or deal. I may not have that option here, unfortunately.*sigh* We will see. I may wait a bit for some reviews.

 

[Steve...O]

Costco won't stock this until release date but it is featured in their latest monthly catalog to members. I'll ask customer service the anticipated price when I go over the weekend and post what they tell me. Costco tends to run "instant rebate" specials on these large sets from time to time and I can see this being available for $99 - $125 from them, but that is just speculation at this point.

Matt, I'm also waiting for reviews, but for another reason. I already know I love the show, but my concern is edited episodes. There is a reviewer ("J Chambers") at Amazon who says he has some advance discs and the episodes clock in at 22/23 minutes but doesn't definitively say if these are time sped are just edited (he surmises time sped). Below is an excerpt from his 5 star review.

When the producer of the Collector's Edition asked if I would be interested in reviewing the DVD set, I gladly accepted, and I received DVDs with episodes 1-20 of season 2. These episodes were filmed in 1950-1951. I also received some sample episodes from other seasons, including a few from the last season (1956-1957), which was the only season that was filmed in color. Clayton Moore played the Lone Ranger for most of the series, but due to a contract dispute, a replacement actor named John Hart played the role in episodes 79-130 (1952-1953).In my opinion, the video and sound quality are surprisingly good, considering the age of the original film and the quality of early TV recordings. The aspect ratio is 4:3, which was the format of the TV sets made in that era. The episodes have an average runtime of 22-23 minutes each, and I think that the run speed may have been increased slightly for these DVDs, since the typical runtime for a half-hour TV show in the 1950s was about 25-26 minutes, plus 4-5 minutes of commercials.

I would prefer to see a review from someone at HTF as I know we'll get better insight as to whether these are edited or time sped.

 

[MattPeriolat]

Costco won't stock this until release date but it is featured in their latest monthly catalog to members. I'll ask customer service the anticipated price when I go over the weekend and post what they tell me. Costco tends to run "instant rebate" specials on these large sets from time to time and I can see this being available for $99 - $125 from them, but that is just speculation at this point.Matt, I'm also waiting for reviews, but for another reason. I already know I love the show, but my concern is edited episodes. There is a reviewer ("J Chambers") at Amazon who says he has some advance discs and the episodes clock in at 22/23 minutes but doesn't definitively say if these are time sped are just edited (he surmises time sped). Below is an excerpt from his 5 star review.I would prefer to see a review from someone at HTF as I know we'll get better insight as to whether these are edited or time sped.

Lucky you for a local CostCo. I'd have to drive about an hour and change out to Louisville for the deal if they do cut it that far and given the cost of gas, it would probably a wash. There is Sam's Club, but I have ethical issues with them. But I digress.Yeah, the initial reviews will make or break the set. I too would prefer better packaging, especially for two discs to a page. They better get it right or a lot of people are going to complain about scratches.

 

[BobO'Link]

Costco won't stock this until release date but it is featured in their latest monthly catalog to members. I'll ask customer service the anticipated price when I go over the weekend and post what they tell me. Costco tends to run "instant rebate" specials on these large sets from time to time and I can see this being available for $99 - $125 from them, but that is just speculation at this point.

Matt, I'm also waiting for reviews, but for another reason. I already know I love the show, but my concern is edited episodes. There is a reviewer ("J Chambers") at Amazon who says he has some advance discs and the episodes clock in at 22/23 minutes but doesn't definitively say if these are time sped are just edited (he surmises time sped). Below is an excerpt from his 5 star review.


I would prefer to see a review from someone at HTF as I know we'll get better insight as to whether these are edited or time sped.

Same here. I would rather read a review I trust. For the review from Amazon, why didn't the guy just ask the producer about the run times? If he got the sample disks from the producer I'd like to think he has access to that person and would be able to ask just such questions. He also only got 20 episodes from season 2 which has already had a release (and from Classic Media) so why didn't he attempt to compare those with the set that was released a few years back. It's stuff like that which makes me question many "reviews" on Amazon.

 

[JoeDoakes]

Same here. I would rather read a review I trust. For the review from Amazon, why didn't the guy just ask the producer about the run times? If he got the sample disks from the producer I'd like to think he has access to that person and would be able to ask just such questions. He also only got 20 episodes from season 2 which has already had a release (and from Classic Media) so why didn't he attempt to compare those with the set that was released a few years back. It's stuff like that which makes me question many "reviews" on Amazon.

I think that the volume they deal with makes that kind of review impossible on Amazon. I'm content to wait for reviews from other sites.

 

[David Lambert]

Gord asked me to post that these episodes are ~23 mins each: http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/n/18516

 

[JeffT.]

My thanks to everyone who has made all (possible) information available on this.So what exactly does 23 minutes mean? These things should be running roughly 26 minutes.Edited or time-compressed, I don't like either option.I (still) wish that the two feature films (digitally remastered and fully restored in anamorphic widescreen) would be made available separatedly.Jeff T.

 

[Gary OS]

Well, this is a real shame to hear. I agree that whether it's a time-compression issue, or cut episodes, it's not what I was hoping for. I guess if I had to take my lumps I'd rather it be time-compressed than edited. But either way it kinda stinks.


Gary "I only needed the 4th and second half of the 5th season as it was, so this only makes me less inclined to purchase the set" O.