Awesome! Magnum P.I. Season One Coming This Summer - Page 3

I don't know if you have a Circuit City near you, but they've been $9 cheaper than Best Buy on these Universal sets. Check here for a thread called Weekly Roundup (probably will be posted on Sunday) before picking a store:

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...=69&daysprune=

Thanks Greg, I should have mentioned $47.99 Canadian.

Looking forward to this set and glad I was able to order it for $9.99 from Circuit City.

I'm guessing that's a typo, or else I'd be ALL over this one. I have to wait until I get my paycheck two weeks from now.

No typo. CircuitCity.com had major mispricing to the tune of 9.99 and 11.99 for the box sets coming out this week.

Sadly, I missed the deal.

Jeff

...and they seem to be honouring the mis-pricings.

i missed out too.
would have been nice to get a couple season sets for less than 1/2 the price of one alone.

DAMN IT!

In case you didn't read Gord's review, don't forget to use the Play All function to watch the first two episodes as one episode, as it originally aired.

I've read that too and I think it's setting a bad precedent - are the studios now thinking we're all too lazy to select each episode individually?

First there was an episode selection with a 'Play All' button in the corner, then there was a 'Play All' and an 'Episode Selection' button on the main page and now they're beginning to degrade the episode selection into a chapter selection.

I hope this doesn't catch on.

I like to select each episode individually as well, but this is a special case. I'm glad to be able to watch the episode as it originally aired. I'm not sure why they didn't just include it as one episode, but I guess this satisfies those who want the syndication version as well (though, I understand the second episode doesn't have any credit information at the start or a title sequence).

Pilot episode aside, the disc structure is apparently how Universal likes it, as it's just like the A-Team (and Quantum Leap, I believe): the main menu has Play All, Episode Index, Languages. When you select Episode Index, you get a list of all the episodes on that side of the disc. Select the episode you want, and you go to the typical Universal episode page, with a text summary of the episode, a Play button, a Scenes button, Languages, Episode Index.

I apologize if you knew all this. I'm not sure if that is the structure you are saying you don't like. The worst one I can think of is Smallville, where you are forced to use the chapter list to start the episode. I have to avert my eyes so I don't see what's going to happen.

Also, the trailers at the start of Magnum are fairly annoying. You can skip them with the Menu button and the disc even informs you of that, but I still wish it would just go to the main menu directly after the FBI warning. If they want to include trailers, put them in a sub-menu I can access when and if I want to see them. The "and if" part is what makes them put them up front, but it would look more professional and be less annoying my way.

I'm pretty sure the pilot episode(s) is still edited. Part 1 runs only 47 minutes and Part 2 runs only 46 minutes. All the other episodes run 50 minutes. This seems that footage has been cut. Footage would have been cut anyway to allow for the addition of extra credits and the re-cap for the 2-part version for syndication.

When played individually, Part 1 is missing its end credits, while Part 2 has no opening credits or re-cap, as they would have when broadcast (in syndication). Universal should have included the additional credit sequences when selecting them individually. As is, they play rather awkwardly.

The "Play All" feature represents the pilot close to its original network broadcast, but still runs only 93 minutes. That's much shorter than it should have been for a 1980 network broadcast. This version is still preferable to the 2-part version.

I'd guess that Universal utilized syndication prints for this episode, but managed to use the original opening title sequence from the pilot "movie", as this opening was replaced with the traditional title sequence for reruns. They may not have had the original, uncut pilot available in a usable format for the DVD, so a compromise was made.

I highly doubt that.

Magnum had those credits that keep running during the first few minutes of the episodes (Guest Stars, Writers and so on) - the syndication prints would have those credits at the beginning of episode two.

And while watching Quantum Leap and V - The Series recently I noticed that the running times of shows from the eighties were a lot more flexible than today. The episodes ran something between 46 and 48 minutes as opposed to newer shows which always have almost exactly the same running time.

If the pilot is in fact complete (via the "play all" option), why was there a need for the awkward 2-part version (with its missing credits)? The packaging and menu don't even explain the option for its "complete" presentation.

Why not just present the original pilot, like they did with "The A-Team"? ("The A-Team"'s packaging, however, mistakenly indicates the pilot as being presented in two parts).

It seems that the folks in Universal's DVD mastering and DVD packaging departments don't communicate. With "Magnum", it appears that someone may have caught on a little late in the production, but too late to make major changes to the presentation or packaging.

I popped in the first disc last night and watched "Don't Eat the Snow in Hawaii", and I think the disc looked great having watched the show on A&E, and now Hallmark.

Funny note, I popped in the "bonus" dvd and watched the first few minutes of "Echos of the Mind" with Sharon Stone. Never have I noticed before that the music at the beginning of that episode is the theme from Blade Runner.

Cant wait for season 2. Come on universal.

Matt

These transfers are definately much clearer than anything ive seen before. Ok case in point on the pilot episode goto the 1:08:37 mark. Without going into details i think it will be pretty obvious. Is it me or am i seeing what i am seeing ?

I watched all three episodes to complete the first side of disc 1 last night.

Gord review is dead on. The episdoes look great for their age but there is some grain in some scenes. But like Gord said it is due to age.

I think Uni did a good job.

Bring on S2!!

I don't know what's worse: The thought of Aryn with his remote control, pausing and zooming, back and forth, pausing and zooming, all the while giggling.

Or me, curious of Aryn's observation, getting out my copy of "Magnum" and remote control, searching to the specified time, pausing and zooming, back and forth, pausing and zooming, all the while giggling.

Seriously though, the actress appears to wearing underpants...albeit the "see-thru" type.

LOL ... well i don't have the zoom feature so i couldn't attempt that. I never noticed that before, my vhs copy the scene was never this clear infact it's kind of blurry. I was wondering if my eyes were playing tricks on me or not that's all

[running back to the TV, pausing and zooming, back and forth, pausing and zooming, all the while giggling...]

I think that she may be wearing very dark underwear.

But I may need to look some more...

Jimmy!

It may be an insult to ask this, but are you, Aryn, male or female? I've not encountered the name before, and honestly don't know. I assumed female for some reason--maybe because it's similar to Arwen. How is it pronounced? Like Aaron?

People ask about the name all the time because it's not a common spelling i guess. But since you asked the answer is male and you are correct in how it is pronounced aaron

Well, I checked out the time you indicated, and it sure looks like what you think it looks like. . . .

Personally I still can't believe that universal considers it acceptable to put double sided discs in these sets. Especially in those stupid plastic trays. It's just too much of a pain to get the discs out. In this set a couple of the discs I just didn't think I'd be able to get out, and the discs bend far more than I'm happy with trying to get them out. Add to that that you have to be exceptionally carefull, because you can't put your fingers on the top at all, and it's just a nightmare. Someone needs to come up with a better disc holder if they're going to do that, something like the snappers hub, which works real well (ok, yeah, the rest of the case on snappers suck but the hub was great).

I was just going to mention the same thing. I am having major trouble getting the discs out aswell. It takes me a few minutes to safely remove a disc. This reminds me of the battestar galactica set which also was like this.

My Magnum set arrived yesterday, appropriately on a Thursday since that was the night the show was on. I don't recall how much I saw of Season one when it originally aired. I may not have started watching until later. The picture quality on the first episode is excellent. This has to be the best it's ever looked. I saw most of the original airings on a 13" TV with rabbit ears, so it's definitely the best I've ever seen it. I was surprised that the first episode of the series had all the elements of the show that attracted me to it. Quite often it seems it takes a while for a series to hit its stride. Other than the lame theme music of the first episode, this one clicks from the get go.

Hawaii sure is pretty.

I just finished off the set. That was fabulous i just hope we see more seasons released in the future. As much as i liked season one i think the show only gets better.

Shows are to be savored like a fine wine, not gulped like the cheap stuff Higgins gives you! I haven't even flipped disc one yet.

Well if my local Best Buy is any indication it's selling well so far..only 2 copies left last night and they had quite a few the other day..

I definitely agree with you about savoring these shows over time. To each their own I guess.