Land of the Giants - bare bones

Greg_M · 07-09-2008, 05:11 PM

Anyone know if FOX is releasing the "Land of the Giants" series in a bare bones package (at half the cost?)

My guess is many people haven't purchased the expensive wooden crate set. I've been waiting for a bare bones release of season one and two (maybe separately) but don't want all the extras that came with the original set.

Charles Thaxton · 07-09-2008, 05:13 PM

Ditto

FrankPitt · 07-09-2008, 06:17 PM

I haven't heard anything about a bare bones release, but I was able to get my set, wooden box and all, just after Christmas when Amazon had it on sale for half price (or close to it).

In fact, I just checked...they've got it on sale for $120.99, which is a pretty good deal.

I'd only seen a few episodes before taking the leap on the set. For me, it was worth it. I devoured the whole thing in a couple of months.

Harry-N · 07-09-2008, 06:17 PM

I have no quarrels with those waiting for a "bare bones" release. That's certainly everyone's right to do so.

But I have to point out a few facts about the full-series set that's out there. It has several times been put on sale by Amazon at what I'd consider very reasonable prices. It's currently sitting at a price point of $120.99 for the full set, both seasons plus all of the extras that came with it.

Now let's say that they released a bare-bones edition in half-season sets like all of the other Irwin Allen properties. They would be priced at around $30 per set. Multiply that by 4 and you get to $120!

I've seen (and ordered) the set from Amazon for $99, and considered that a great bargain. It worked out to $25 per half-season. The set is well-mastered, (looking way better than the prints over on hulu.com by the way), and the extras, while somewhat underwhelming for me, are still worth something. I could have done without the crate packaging, but it is "cute". It houses the individual discs in slim packs, so one could certainly do their own alternate packaging if they wanted.

So I'd recommend to watch for the sales and grab the set that's out there before IT disappears if you really want it.

Harry

redbird · 07-10-2008, 11:42 AM

I wouldn't mind getting this show except for an even worse problem than the cost-it's on those dreadful double sided discs! If they put it out on single sided discs (and lower the price) I'm picking it up in a hurry

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Harry-N · 07-10-2008, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redbird

I wouldn't mind getting this show except for an even worse problem than the cost-it's on those dreadful double sided discs! If they put it out on single sided discs (and lower the price) I'm picking it up in a hurry

For the record, I've not had a single problem with any of the Irwin Allen double-sided discs, including these. Unlike the OUTER LIMITS discs, where they crammed four episodes each on both sides, the Irwin Allen discs are done on a 4 and 2 basis, which seems to work better.

Harry

Gord Lacey · 07-10-2008, 12:12 PM

Harry, that's because the double-sided discs are different. Outer Limits uses DVD-18s, which is essentially two DVD-9s put together, which is why you're seeing 4 episodes on each side. Fox has never used DVD-18s, but uses DVD-14s on a number of their releases, like Land of the Giants. The DVD-14s have one DVD-9 (4 episodes), and one DVD-5 (2 episodes).

Universal had a TON of problems with their DVD-18s manufactured in Mexico, and consumers have painted the DVD-18s from Warner Bros, and the DVD-14s from Fox, with the same brush. I can understand people who want artwork on the discs, and just don't like double-sided discs, but these discs don't suffer from the same playback issues that plagued the DVD-18s coming out of Mexico. Sure, some people will have issues with a double-sided disc, but I don't think the rate is any higher than single-sided discs (with the exception of the Mexican DVD-18s).

Gord

Sam Favate · 07-10-2008, 12:29 PM

I've had problems with Warner's DVD-18s, Universal's DVD-18s, and, to a much lesser extent, Warner's DVD-14s. For me, double-sided signifies asking for trouble. I opened this thread in the hopes we were talking about single-sided discs for this release.

Harry-N · 07-10-2008, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gord Lacey

Harry, that's because the double-sided discs are different. Outer Limits uses DVD-18s, which is essentially two DVD-9s put together, which is why you're seeing 4 episodes on each side. Fox has never used DVD-18s, but uses DVD-14s on a number of their releases, like Land of the Giants. The DVD-14s have one DVD-9 (4 episodes), and one DVD-5 (2 episodes).

Universal had a TON of problems with their DVD-18s manufactured in Mexico, and consumers have painted the DVD-18s from Warner Bros, and the DVD-14s from Fox, with the same brush. I can understand people who want artwork on the discs, and just don't like double-sided discs, but these discs don't suffer from the same playback issues that plagued the DVD-18s coming out of Mexico. Sure, some people will have issues with a double-sided disc, but I don't think the rate is any higher than single-sided discs (with the exception of the Mexican DVD-18s).

Gord

Thanks Gord. I knew there was a label for these kind of discs, but not being one who's concentrated much on the naming conventions of different types of DVDs, I described them the best way I could without looking this stuff up.

By the way, I've yet to have a problem with the OUTER LIMITS sets, and I bought the first ones that caused such outrage.

Harry

Ockeghem · 07-10-2008, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redbird

I wouldn't mind getting this show except for an even worse problem than the cost-it's on those dreadful double sided discs! If they put it out on single sided discs (and lower the price) I'm picking it up in a hurry

I was going to purchase the set until I read this. That nixes it for me (at least in its current iteration).

Greg_M · 07-10-2008, 02:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Harry-N

I have no quarrels with those waiting for a "bare bones" release. That's certainly everyone's right to do so.

But I have to point out a few facts about the full-series set that's out there. It has several times been put on sale by Amazon at what I'd consider very reasonable prices. It's currently sitting at a price point of $120.99 for the full set, both seasons plus all of the extras that came with it.

Now let's say that they released a bare-bones edition in half-season sets like all of the other Irwin Allen properties. They would be priced at around $30 per set. Multiply that by 4 and you get to $120!

I've seen (and ordered) the set from Amazon for $99, and considered that a great bargain. It worked out to $25 per half-season. The set is well-mastered, (looking way better than the prints over on hulu.com by the way), and the extras, while somewhat underwhelming for me, are still worth something. I could have done without the crate packaging, but it is "cute". It houses the individual discs in slim packs, so one could certainly do their own alternate packaging if they wanted.

So I'd recommend to watch for the sales and grab the set that's out there before IT disappears if you really want it.

Harry

One of the reasons I was waiting for a bare bones edition was space - the wooden box is so big and bulky that I've no where to store it. I was hoping a smaller box like FOX uses with "That 70's Show" would come out - even if it's two sets - I could easily place them with my other dvds

Nebiroth · 07-11-2008, 06:45 AM

Not quite the case, Gord. There were complaints on Amazon's Customer Reviews for the first couple of sets with customers highlighting the same sort of problems with the DVD-14 type discs that people had with the DVD-18's made in Mexico. In particular, Disc Two, Side A of the very first set of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea seemed to be a particular bugbear,

However, it is certainly true that the problem was not as great as those experienced with the horrors of the Bela Lugosi or Hammer sets from Universal.

And I didn't hear anything about the Giants set so they may have switched manufacturer or ironed out a particular problem.

Personally, I never had a problem with any of these sets from Fox - oh, except the lack of a Voyage Season Four...