mattfire64
Stunt Coordinator
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2015
- Messages
- 134
- Real Name
- Matthew
Some people are fond of certain closing logos because they like the design of them, or perhaps because they were scared of them when they were younger and remind them of more innocent days. I find closing logos interesting because they serve as a marker as to how old a certain print of a show may be. I also run the Credits Archive page over on YouTube, where I've uploaded numerous credits sequences that I've found of interest.
Of course, shows that are remastered often carry either the original closing logo that was in use by the studio when the show was made, or they feature the current closing logo of said studio. However, for shows that are not remastered, the closing logo that is featured can tell you a number of different things. It is indeed hard to believe that in our current world of 60"+ flat-screen TVs and HD picture quality that prints struck over 35 years ago are still the norm for certain shows. Sometimes laziness of the studio is to blame, other times it is simply because the original prints are so damaged that restoration is impossible or improbable due to monetary restrictions.
What follows is a rough list of some un-remastered shows that I've come across, and my notes and such about said prints. For convenience, I'll be breaking up my observations into multiple posts to be easier on the eyes. If anyone has any further information or notes about shows from their own collections, feel free to add them to this thread:
Cannon: I'll start with what is considered to be perhaps the most troubled of all series when it comes to older prints. To put it bluntly, Cannon stands out as being the worst looking show that I currently own on DVD. Fans were disappointed when CBS DVD dropped the ball by not remastering the series, and they were disappointed again when VEI released the same ancient prints several years ago. The prints of Cannon are marred by being sourced from beat-up film prints which are rife with dirt, debris, and film jitter. These prints were transferred to tape (BetaSP according to the CBSTVD Syndication Bible), which add numerous other flaws to the already imperfect image.
I own the VEI set of Cannon, and VEI actually took the effort to remove the closing logo from EVERY single episode on the set. Chances are VEI did this as a way to cover their tracks to try and make the prints not look as old as they really are. However, I was lucky enough to see Cannon a few years back when MeTV was regularly airing the show which kept the closing logos intact. Most episodes from Season 3 and 4 featured the old Viacom "V of Doom" logo, which the company used from 1976 to 1986. Certain episodes featured more recent Viacom logos (from the 90s) and the earlier seasons featured the CBSTVD logo, which was a sign that CBS gave Me-TV their "DVD" prints of those earlier episodes. However, I personally believe that Viacom only transferred Cannon to tape once, and any other logo that appeared on Cannon was simply pasted over the V of Doom. Considering that BetaSP tape was introduced in 1982, and that the V of Doom was replaced in 1986, ultimately leads me to believe that these tape transfers of Cannon were struck between that four year period.
As a side note, I saw a review over on Amazon which might answer why Cannon has never been restored. The reviewer stated that he had a contact that had knowledge that the original 35mm master prints of Cannon had "turned red due to chemical decomposition". He then states that VEI used analog tape transfers made for TV Land back in the late 90s for their print source. According to Wikipedia, Cannon was aired on TV Land from 1996-2000. This may perhaps explain the several episodes that the 90s Viacom logo appeared on, but it still seems that most of the prints that CBS currently has are from the mid 80s tape transfer. It is however impossible to tell what prints VEI's DVD set came from, due to them covering their tracks.
Cannon credits with the Viacom "V of Doom"
Cannon credits with the 90s Viacom logo
Of course, shows that are remastered often carry either the original closing logo that was in use by the studio when the show was made, or they feature the current closing logo of said studio. However, for shows that are not remastered, the closing logo that is featured can tell you a number of different things. It is indeed hard to believe that in our current world of 60"+ flat-screen TVs and HD picture quality that prints struck over 35 years ago are still the norm for certain shows. Sometimes laziness of the studio is to blame, other times it is simply because the original prints are so damaged that restoration is impossible or improbable due to monetary restrictions.
What follows is a rough list of some un-remastered shows that I've come across, and my notes and such about said prints. For convenience, I'll be breaking up my observations into multiple posts to be easier on the eyes. If anyone has any further information or notes about shows from their own collections, feel free to add them to this thread:
Cannon: I'll start with what is considered to be perhaps the most troubled of all series when it comes to older prints. To put it bluntly, Cannon stands out as being the worst looking show that I currently own on DVD. Fans were disappointed when CBS DVD dropped the ball by not remastering the series, and they were disappointed again when VEI released the same ancient prints several years ago. The prints of Cannon are marred by being sourced from beat-up film prints which are rife with dirt, debris, and film jitter. These prints were transferred to tape (BetaSP according to the CBSTVD Syndication Bible), which add numerous other flaws to the already imperfect image.
I own the VEI set of Cannon, and VEI actually took the effort to remove the closing logo from EVERY single episode on the set. Chances are VEI did this as a way to cover their tracks to try and make the prints not look as old as they really are. However, I was lucky enough to see Cannon a few years back when MeTV was regularly airing the show which kept the closing logos intact. Most episodes from Season 3 and 4 featured the old Viacom "V of Doom" logo, which the company used from 1976 to 1986. Certain episodes featured more recent Viacom logos (from the 90s) and the earlier seasons featured the CBSTVD logo, which was a sign that CBS gave Me-TV their "DVD" prints of those earlier episodes. However, I personally believe that Viacom only transferred Cannon to tape once, and any other logo that appeared on Cannon was simply pasted over the V of Doom. Considering that BetaSP tape was introduced in 1982, and that the V of Doom was replaced in 1986, ultimately leads me to believe that these tape transfers of Cannon were struck between that four year period.
As a side note, I saw a review over on Amazon which might answer why Cannon has never been restored. The reviewer stated that he had a contact that had knowledge that the original 35mm master prints of Cannon had "turned red due to chemical decomposition". He then states that VEI used analog tape transfers made for TV Land back in the late 90s for their print source. According to Wikipedia, Cannon was aired on TV Land from 1996-2000. This may perhaps explain the several episodes that the 90s Viacom logo appeared on, but it still seems that most of the prints that CBS currently has are from the mid 80s tape transfer. It is however impossible to tell what prints VEI's DVD set came from, due to them covering their tracks.
Cannon credits with the Viacom "V of Doom"
Cannon credits with the 90s Viacom logo
