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MGM-cable HD-good sci-fi/horror...no SDs/BDs of same

#1
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8/7/09 at 4:17pm
  • Joined: September 2001
  • Post Count: 581
Just watched "Planet of Vampires" on MGM cable HD! Great to see it as it was meant to be seen, instead of that dreadful non-anamorphic SD.

Also, as an added treat plus many horror films, they showed "The Monster that Challenged the World" in 1.85:1!!! It was much brighter and was so much better looking than the SD. The HD had more picture info on the sides, but the SD has quite a bit more info on the top, but very little on the bottom. Since the SD was formatted to fit your 4x3 TV, I wonder if it was just open matte?

Anyway, too bad that we'll probably never to get these prints in our HD/SD collections. We'll be stuck with our crappy SDs. By the way, MGM-HD has commericals, so it's a waste to copy them, in my opinion.

I hope some of you got to see and enjoy them like I did!



  

...retired at last!!!

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#2
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8/11/09 at 2:21pm
  • Joined: February 2003
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It's true that MGM has dozens of new transfers of unreleased horror and science fiction classics ready to go, but their distributor Fox, is not interested in doing anything with them, and apparently, the studio is in hiding. I found this incredibly frustrating post on the Midnite Movies yahoo group. This is a quote from someone in the industry who was in the beginning stages of licensing the Midnite Movies series from Fox/MGM:

"I approached MGM who in turn passed me over to FOX with an offer from a smaller company to take over the Midnight Movie line. The offer was all new releases would be prepared by this other company, including bonus materials and then distributed by MGM/FOX. Having worked on numerous titles in the past I would aid in the gathering of bonus materials and even do audio commentaries.  We had hope of bring the line to the Blu-ray arena with 4 to 6 titles on one Blu-ray disc - many of the films part of the line and or attached as future releases to the line have been mastered for HD already. After setting up meeting with certain parties for a phone conference FOX decided to NOT to return calls and ignore emails. All I know is that a major curve at FOX must have been ordered when hiring. I have dealt with that company for over 20 years and have seen a general decline in intelligence - and the product shows it."

Pretty sad statement about the way this company is now being run. I am also reading that Fox's control of MGM's library will expire within a year or so, so hopefully the Shout! Factory might be able to license some of their cult titles.
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#3
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8/11/09 at 3:58pm
  • Joined: January 2005
  • Location: Dallas, TX
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Quote:
Originally Posted by John Sparks View Post

By the way, MGM-HD has commericals, so it's a waste to copy them, in my opinion.
  

John, I might have missed you on this one.  Are you talking about the breaks between the movie showings or within the movies themselves?  I have DirecTV and MGM HD doesn't have any ads within the movies, at least I've not seen them so far.

"Checkmate King Two Out"   Jeff Willis  "Combat! A Selmur Production"

I'm a 50's - mid-90's TV/DVD Collector. One DVD show since '96: Firefly 

The Fugitive/See Hollywood & Die: [Miles] "What, you think I'm crazy?!" [Kimble] "Next question."

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#4
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8/11/09 at 6:00pm
  • Joined: September 2003
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeff Willis View Post




John, I might have missed you on this one.  Are you talking about the breaks between the movie showings or within the movies themselves?  I have DirecTV and MGM HD doesn't have any ads within the movies, at least I've not seen them so far.

I can not verify whether or not it happens during every single film, but I have witnessed 30 and 60 second breaks, typically once per hour, during films I have watched on MGMHD. I DVD-R them anyway, since I have to edit the files when I enhance them for 16X9 viewing.

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#5
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8/12/09 at 7:37am
  • Joined: September 2001
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Hi Jeff,

As Mark said, I can't be sure of commerical breaks during every movie, but the ones I've watched have had them.

I'm not into that DVDR stuff, I just want the movie for my collection in the best possible form. Sometimes I'll even double dip, but it has to be a real improvement...like "Forbidden Planet!" I sure picked the wrong winner on that one.

According to another thread, our dreams of "NOT" having the classics in HD or SD is becoming a reality. 

...retired at last!!!

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#6
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8/12/09 at 7:24pm
  • Joined: September 2003
  • Post Count: 470


Quote:
Originally Posted by John Sparks View Post

I'm not into that DVDR stuff, I just want the movie for my collection in the best possible form.


I understand that completely. However, about 3 years ago I started to see releases from a major label which were the same masters as lasers and VHS releases of the past with a bit of digital tweaking. Prior to this nearly every release I purchased contained a new telecine. It was at this time I began storing all of my lasers and VHS tapes to DVDR, along with cable broadcasts; I had a feeling "everything" was not going to receive a stellar, new treatment on SDVD.
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