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Warner Archives in 2014? Take A Shot! (1 Viewer)

Neil Brock

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Maybe because technology has improved since the 80's, and so just maybe they could look a whole lot better now with a new remastering effort as they are played back on much larger displays wih higher resolution today. I think its great that they continue to try and improve the releases first, even if it takes longer to get them out. As long as the notion doesn't completely prevent the title from being released at all.
Yet another reason why I'm happy to be sticking with my 35 inch tube set. I don't need a TV that's going to amplify every tiny imperfection. No wonder there are so many complaints over 16mm transfers and releases that aren't gem mint quality. The question I ask myself, as I did when I purchased this TV years ago, is what set is going to give me the best viewing experience for the majority of my collection. Suck it, HD!!
 

Gary OS

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Neil Brock said:
Yet another reason why I'm happy to be sticking with my 35 inch tube set. I don't need a TV that's going to amplify every tiny imperfection. No wonder there are so many complaints over 16mm transfers and releases that aren't gem mint quality. The question I ask myself, as I did when I purchased this TV years ago, is what set is going to give me the best viewing experience for the majority of my collection. Suck it, HD!!
Ah, there's the old Neil we all know and ... Well, the Neil we all know.


Gary "happy for my larger TV" O.
 

JMas

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Neil Brock said:
Yet another reason why I'm happy to be sticking with my 35 inch tube set. I don't need a TV that's going to amplify every tiny imperfection. No wonder there are so many complaints over 16mm transfers and releases that aren't gem mint quality. The question I ask myself, as I did when I purchased this TV years ago, is what set is going to give me the best viewing experience for the majority of my collection. Suck it, HD!!
I'm still using a Toshiba 35" tube TV that I bought in 1996 and I am very happy with the picture. I dread the day when I have to replace it.

I'm wondering what other collectors of older TV shows recommend for watching their 4:3 SD DVDs. I'd like to hear any suggestions.
 

smithbrad

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Neil Brock said:
Yet another reason why I'm happy to be sticking with my 35 inch tube set. I don't need a TV that's going to amplify every tiny imperfection. No wonder there are so many complaints over 16mm transfers and releases that aren't gem mint quality. The question I ask myself, as I did when I purchased this TV years ago, is what set is going to give me the best viewing experience for the majority of my collection. Suck it, HD!!
That's just not the case Neil (at least not with me), but as long as you stick with your 35 inch (non-HD) tube TV you'll never know. From 1995 to 2001 I had a Mits 40" tube TV and enjoyed it very much. However, at that size I had to be at least 12' away or I could actually see the individual lines in the output. I don't call that the best viewing experience. Then I had a 36" HD-Ready tube TV from 2002 through 2010, it was better because it could at least fill in those lines.

In 2005 I built a home theater room with a projection system for the majority of my viewing. I sit back 14' from a 92" 16x9 screen with a 7.1 sound system and have the best experience of all. From that room I watch everything from the latest Blu-ray releases to remastered TV DVD series like Gunsmoke to M-Squad (yes, that's what I said, M-Squad) and I wouldn't trade that experience for any 35" tube TV. Having HD capabilities does not have to be a deterent from watching older source material. I rate things based on the quality of the content first and foremost. Of course I prefer better video and audio quality if available, but it isn't the defining factor. And 16mm is not low resolution by any means.

It isn't about the technology as much as what some become comfortable with and what they decide they can no longer go back to. So for you Neil, is it the content or the video quality that defines your choices. If it is content then you have nothing to fear from HD capabilities.
 

smithbrad

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JMas said:
I'm still using a Toshiba 35" tube TV that I bought in 1996 and I am very happy with the picture. I dread the day when I have to replace it.

I'm wondering what other collectors of older TV shows recommend for watching their 4:3 SD DVDs. I'd like to hear any suggestions.
I just posted mine. The only issue I have with some TV's of today is when they impose some sort of frame interpolation that can't be turned off. This is where you get the so called "soap opera" video effect. My projection system does not have this. I'm all for nostalgia when it comes to content but I'm not looking to duplicate the effect of watching from a 19" TV as in my youth. I feel that even my favorites, that I've seen many times years ago get new life watching in a mini theater like environment.
 

Guy Foulard

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smithbrad said:
I just posted mine. The only issue I have with some TV's of today is when they impose some sort of frame interpolation that can't be turned off. This is where you get the so called "soap opera" video effect.
I'm watching everything on a 2007 42" lcd flat screen, and I love the way vintage TV looks on it--even poor prints. But remastered shows originally shot on 35mm look beautiful, so watching something like The Fugitive or Hawaii Five-O is akin to watch it projected on the big screen in a theater--different from the original or "nostalgic" experience, but in my opinion it's superior, and gives these shows the setting they deserve.

Whenever I have to replace this TV I'm planning to be very careful to get one that won't impose the "soap opera effect". That would be horrible!
 

phenri

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I'm still waiting for Please Don't Eat the Daisies to be released by Warner Archive. I assume that music clearance issues are to blame, since the Righteous Brothers performed on an episode.
 

Jack P

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Neil Brock said:
I don't understand why they feel the MGM shows need remastering. They already were beautifully remastered by Ted Turner when he bought the library in the 80s. When Novak ran on TNT it looked gorgeous as did any of the other MGM shows that they ran. Besides, didn't Warner say when they started this program that they would use the available elements? If that's so, why not do so, especially on shows where the available transfers already look great?
I don't think its standard policy to use existing elements any longer, not even for TV shows with Warner Archive. Some work was done on later seasons of "The FBI" to restore "Ford Motor Company" intros that would have been missing on old masters and I think they believe that mid-80s transfers of the MGM series are no longer good enough for a DVD release.
 

Brian Himes

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I ordered the final seaons of Eight Is Enough. Intersting that they used a cast photo from the third season (78-79) for the cover. Then again, I don't believe that any of the season sets used the correct (meaning correct for the season) cast photos for the covers.
 

AndyMcKinney

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Neil Brock said:
Yet another reason why I'm happy to be sticking with my 35 inch tube set. I don't need a TV that's going to amplify every tiny imperfection. No wonder there are so many complaints over 16mm transfers and releases that aren't gem mint quality. The question I ask myself, as I did when I purchased this TV years ago, is what set is going to give me the best viewing experience for the majority of my collection. Suck it, HD!!

Before I bought my first HDTV, I certainly had concerns about how standard-def shows (such as BBC series produced on videotape and therefore, unable to be high-def) would look, but I made sure I bought a blu-ray player with a top-notch upscaler inside (an Oppo BDP-83), and took it--along with a handful of standard def DVDs--with me when I went TV shopping.

For 12 ft. viewing distance, a 60" TV fit the bill just fine and for 9 ft. living-room viewing distance, 52" was what I went with (I also looked at a 54" set, but began to see picture imperfections at that size).

There's no way I'd ever go back to my 32" tube now! Even when you take pillarboxing into account, I'm still watching a much larger picture than before, and I don't see a bunch of amplified imperfections. Heck, at 9ft away, even transfers of my old VHS tapes (200-something lines of resolution?) look fine.

To each his own, of course. Perhaps the key (at least for DVDs) is a really good upscaler.
 

Ron1973

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AndyMcKinney said:
Before I bought my first HDTV, I certainly had concerns about how standard-def shows (such as BBC series produced on videotape and therefore, unable to be high-def) would look, but I made sure I bought a blu-ray player with a top-notch upscaler inside (an Oppo BDP-83), and took it--along with a handful of standard def DVDs--with me when I went TV shopping.

For 12 ft. viewing, a 60" TV fit the bill just fine and for 9 ft. living-room viewing, 52" was what I went with (I also looked at a 54" set, but began to see picture imperfections at that size).

There's no way I'd ever go back to my 32" tube now! Even when you take pillarboxing into account, I'm still watching a much larger picture than before, and I don't see a bunch of amplified imperfections. Heck, at 9ft away, even transfers of my old VHS tapes (240 or something lines of resolution?) look fine.

To each his own, of course. Perhaps the key (at least for DVDs) is a really good upscaler.
I bought a 55" LED LG a couple of years ago and I love it. I haven't seen hardly anything that doesn't look good on it SD or HD. I have an el cheapo DVD/VHS combo that says it upscales to 1080p. I'm sure I'd get even better results with something higher end but the DVD's of The Beverly Hillbillies and Barnaby Jones absolutely blow me away watching them on this TV. I have a small HP computer with an HDMI output hooked to it for watching Netflix; even old shows like Emergency! and Quincy, M.E. look outstanding on there. I have two ancient video game systems hooked up to it, an Atari 2600 via the coax connection (no switch, I bought a RCA to coax adapter) and a SNES via audio/video input. Both look perfectly fine on the TV!
 

Cowboy

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What other 1970's detective shows does Warner own besidesBronk that may be a dvd release?
 

Jack P

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One of the new Warner Archive releases is the pilot movie for "The Delphi Bureau" which was one of three rotating series in 1972-73 under the umbrella title "The Men". Oddly, the three shows for that were produced by separate studios, with Warner doing "Delphi Bureau" starring Laurence Luckinbill, MGM doing "Assignment Vienna" with Robert Conrad and Universal doing "Jigsaw" with James Wainwright. Warner of course controls the first two series but not the third.
 

LeoA

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Is there a list out there of Warner tv programs (And programs that fall under their ownership due to mergers and acquisitions) that are potential candidates for a WA release?

I associate Warner with 1930's and 1940's movies and Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies cartoons, not tv shows. So I don't have a good idea in my mind of just what falls under their umbrella today. Just Dakari (The sole one I've bought any releases for, so far) and perhaps a half dozen other names that frequently get mentioned here.
Ron1973 said:
I have two ancient video game systems hooked up to it, an Atari 2600 via the coax connection (no switch, I bought a RCA to coax adapter) and a SNES via audio/video input. Both look perfectly fine on the TV!
I wonder how many around here even know what that stands for. :)

I used to use such an adapter on my 2600 (I believe it's called a "F type" adapter), but I had it modified to output S-Video a few years back so it hooks up directly to my Sony Trinitron now.

Despite your satisfaction, if you ever want to upgrade, I highly recommend it.
 

Ron1973

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LeoAmes said:
I used to use such an adapter on my 2600 (I believe it's called a "F type" adapter), but I had it modified to output S-Video a few years back so it hooks up directly to my Sony Trinitron now.

Despite your satisfaction, if you ever want to upgrade, I highly recommend it.
I've heard of that being done! I've considered doing it but I've never gotten around to it.
 

Randy Korstick

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They've stated on Facebook that Spencer for hire still has rights issues. They also just stated that Enos still has rights issues. So neither one of these titles is coming soon since they are not working on a release yet.
JamesSmith said:
My next best guess for the following week is one of the following?EnosSpencer for HireGrowing Pains season 4JthreeHey, this is the highlight of my lweek
 

Jack P

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The Facebook page now reveals that "Maya" has been cleared and is likely to appear this year. OTOH, "Then Came Bronson" and "Travels Of Jaimie McPheeters" are listed as still in the trying-to-clear process.
 

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