Best of Route 66 - Page 6

Gary OS · 10-21-2007, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by michael_ks

Gary, can you confirm that "Man on a Monkey Board" and/or "Play it Glissando" (ep. 14) was included in that earlier release?

Michael, "Play it Glissando" is indeed on the "BEST OF" set. But "Man on a Monkey Board" is not included. So there goes that theory (and it was a good, logical theory on your part).

Quote:

Originally Posted by michael_ks

I think you'll agree with me that when you view these you'll consider the bulk of the remaining episodes in the S1, vol. 1 set to be no better than "Daniel Boone" S1.

Well, that is truly a shame. I'm just returning from a little vacation and this is not the kind of news I was hoping to hear. I'm expecting my set to arrive early this week and am anxious to see these prints for myself. Since you are comparing them to DANIEL BOONE, S1 I'm definitely concerned. It's a bizarre thing about that series. All the color seasons have been beautifully restored. My family actually watched many of these episodes in our room during this week's vacation and I still couldn't get over how wonderful these episodes look. Yet that 1st season was clearly not restored and it can look pretty ragged in spots. Too bad, because I like the first season of that show more than any of the others. Oh well... sigh...

Quote:

Originally Posted by michael_ks

After the stellar print and sound quality witnessed in "The Fugitive", this is a major letdown. I'm still glad to have "Route 66" as I may never get a chance to see it outside of a DVD release, but how my viewing enjoyment has been negatively impacted with this. I would have gladly paid double for this set if the episodes had truly underwent a decent remastering process.

I really am saddened to hear this. The shine has definitely come off a little. No doubt about it. I just hope these aren't PD type quality. If they are, I'm really going to be disgusted. I can take most of the DANIEL BOONE, S1 episodes even though they are sub par. But I must admit that they stretch the boundaries of what is acceptable to me. And it sounds like ROUTE 66 may be pushing those same boundaries.

Overall, the tvondvd market really is a mixed bag. And it's getting more mixed as we go along, not less. We are seeing more music substitutions, more syndicated cuts, more of this hit and miss quality, and more legal/studio issues [i.e. now it looks like FKB is in possible peril]. It makes collecting tv shows on dvd both interesting and maddening at the same time. Unfortunately, it's more maddening than interesting at this point. I can go from euphoria to dysphoria in a hurry. Just today, as I turned on my computer and read my email I got great news about the Timeless dvds and I was ecstatic. Then I logged into TVShowsonDVD.com and read the semi-disconcerting news about FATHER KNOWS BEST and I evened out, emotionally. Then I logged on here and read the news about ROUTE 66 and I went into deep depression. Wow what a rollercoaster of emotions in just a few minutes. And such is the world of TVonDVD.

Gary "and I hate rollercoasters" O.

michael_ks · 10-21-2007, 07:56 PM

Quote:

I just hope these aren't PD type quality. If they are, I'm really going to be disgusted. I can take most of the DANIEL BOONE, S1 episodes even though they are sub par. But I must admit that they stretch the boundaries of what is acceptable to me. And it sounds like ROUTE 66 may be pushing those same boundaries.

Welcome back to the forum, Gary and I'm sorry to relay the bad news before you even had the chance to see R66 for yourself. Perhaps I'm being a bit to hard on this release but it's just that I've been so pleased and maybe even a bit spoiled with "Gomer Pyle", "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea", "The Fugitive", WWW, "Naked City" and other B&W sets that I really expected nothing less than a solid transfer along similar lines here.

Rest assured they are not PD quality but they awfully close to DB S1 for softness and contrast levels. Some of the low light scenes in a couple episodes I scanned through were quite terrible, to the extent that it looks as though the camera was filming through gauze. They are watchable, but boy, one would be hard pressed to win over newbies to the show in order to illustrate how this series is every bit as dramatically engaging as say, "The Twilight Zone". I showed these to my wife and she felt that she couldn't enjoy these because they look like neglected films from the 40s to her. (Old B&W is already a tough sell for her as it is unless we're talking 1/2 shows like GP and HGWT.)

I feel bad for the gang here--you, Chris, Bob, Doc and the others as I know everyone was greatly anticipating this suberb drama on DVD since we all started collecting vintage shows.

Chas_Michael · 10-21-2007, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by michael_ks

Welcome back to the forum, Gary and I'm sorry to relay the bad news before you even had the chance to see R66 for yourself. Perhaps I'm being a bit to hard on this release but it's just that I've been so pleased and maybe even a bit spoiled with "Gomer Pyle", "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea", "The Fugitive", WWW, "Naked ,City" and other B&W sets that I really expected nothing less than a solid transfer along similar lines here.

Rest assured they are not PD quality but they awfully close to DB S1 for softness and contrast levels. Some of the low light scenes in a couple episodes I scanned through were quite terrible, to the extent that it looks as though the camera was filming through gauze. They are watchable, but boy, one would be hard pressed to win over newbies to the show in order to illustrate how this series is every bit as dramatically engaging as say, "The Twilight Zone". I showed these to my wife and she felt that she couldn't enjoy these because they look like neglected films from the 40s to her. (Old B&W is already a tough sell for her as it is unless we're talking 1/2 shows like GP and HGWT.)

I feel bad for the gang here--you, Chris, Bob, Doc and the others as I know everyone was greatly anticipating this suberb drama on DVD since we all started collecting vintage shows.

Dude, is there any reason why your not answering my question if the ORIGINAL COMMERCIALS are included?

Barbara,G · 10-21-2007, 09:36 PM

My copy of Route 66 arrived a few days ago, I have watched the first disc.
It looks and sounds great to me.

There are no commercials in the shows, but they include "classic original commercials" in the extras.

Hank Dearborn · 10-21-2007, 09:55 PM

The word spoiled comes to mind. Let me ask you a question. Do you think they look better than VHS tapes recorded off the Nick at Nite run from 20 years ago? Because other than that, where else are you getting them? Its a 45 plus year old show which has had hardly any syndication in the last 40 years, save for the Nick run when most people didn't even have cable. I'm sure they probably sourced these from the 1-inch tapes made for the Nick run at the time. I mean c'mon, let's be a little more realistic here. Forget about how good the show is. How many copies is it going to sell? It's not as well known or well remembered as The Fugitive or The Untouchables. It's not a legendary classic like Naked City or The Defenders. And for those of us who didn't start collecting with DVDs, I'm sure we've all seen far worse.

Chas_Michael · 10-21-2007, 11:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barbara,G

There are no commercials in the shows, but they include "classic original commercials" in the extras.

too bad, I was hoping they would be included in the program.

thanks for the info.

DeWilson · 10-22-2007, 03:09 AM

- duplicated post -

DeWilson · 10-22-2007, 03:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hank Dearborn

The word spoiled comes to mind. Let me ask you a question. Do you think they look better than VHS tapes recorded off the Nick at Nite run from 20 years ago? Because other than that, where else are you getting them? Its a 45 plus year old show which has had hardly any syndication in the last 40 years, save for the Nick run when most people didn't even have cable. I'm sure they probably sourced these from the 1-inch tapes made for the Nick run at the time. I mean c'mon, let's be a little more realistic here. Forget about how good the show is. How many copies is it going to sell? It's not as well known or well remembered as The Fugitive or The Untouchables. It's not a legendary classic like Naked City or The Defenders. And for those of us who didn't start collecting with DVDs, I'm sure we've all seen far worse.

But how do the DVDs look compared to the COLUMBIA HOUSE tapes?

DeWilson · 10-22-2007, 03:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gary OS

... We are seeing more music substitutions, more syndicated cuts, more of this hit and miss quality, and more legal/studio issues [i.e. now it looks like FKB is in possible peril]...

Let's Hope FKB doesn't turn into another BATMAN Situation!

Tom.W · 10-22-2007, 03:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeWilson

But how do the DVDs look compared to the COLUMBIA HOUSE tapes?

I would be happy if this set is comparable to the Columbia House tapes, which were pristine, although it doesn't sound like this it the case. But for those fortunate enough to have off air or 1st generation tapes of the NICK at NITE run (I have some), the quality is consistently very good (and uncut). If indeed the quality of this set is inconsistent, it sounds like Roxbury did not use the same source tapes as NICK. If they did, then hopefully they did not use 2nd or less generation copies in transferring episodes outside of the BEST OF collection.

Bob Hug · 10-22-2007, 08:42 AM

According to Kirk Hallam, owner of the "Route 66" series, the next batch of episodes may be released just before Christmas. From "HollywoodToday.net" . . . . .

"“There are 116 episodes in all and we will be releasing them 15-20 episodes at a time.” Hallam said that the next 15 episodes will likely be released just before Christmas and if sales are good, Roxbury and its distributor Infinity Entertainment may compile a collector’s set sometime in the future but that idea has not come to pass just yet."

Full article here: http://www.hollywoodtoday.net/?p=2292