all in the family seasons 7-9 (1 Viewer)

[JohnMor]

Originally Posted by The Obsolete Man
Season 8, January 11, 2011.

http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Family-Season-8/14518

The Mike and Gloria years will soon be complete.

Great news. I can't wait to complete this series.

 

[Robert13]

Has anyone else noticed the strange quality of Season 7. I tried watching it tonight and had to stop. It was very distracting. It almost looked artificial. It's the only way I can describe it. It didn't look like the serie normally does. I'm hoping they don't do the same for Season 8. Sony released the previous seasons on 3-disc sets and they didn't look like this. Wonder why this happened.

 

[Jack P]

You mean everyone seemed to move just a bit slower? Yeah, I noticed that too on the one episode I watched.

 

[JohnMor]

Uh oh. Authoring problems?

 

[Robert13]

I guess it's not bothering most people. Everyone seems to love the quality. I just can't watch it. It seems so artificial, not like the way the show was originally presented. It's like the screen changes when switching from Season 6 to Season 7 on dvd. Just doesn't seem like the same show. Changes the mood. I'm not usually picky about the video quality but this definitely is a dealbreaker for me. Unless this is fixed for Season 8, I'm not going to buy it.

 

Originally Posted by Robert13
Has anyone else noticed the strange quality of Season 7. I tried watching it tonight and had to stop. It was very distracting. It almost looked artificial. It's the only way I can describe it. It didn't look like the serie normally does. I'm hoping they don't do the same for Season 8. Sony released the previous seasons on 3-disc sets and they didn't look like this. Wonder why this happened.

I noticed the same thing; while the previous six seasons all had the same '70's (slightly washed out) videotaped look to them, it seems that Shout used a different remastering technique on these episodes (not sure what the technical name for it is, perhaps someone who has more knowledge could help). While there is now a big improvement to the picture (almost making it look like these were shot on film rather than tape), there is also a slight "slow motion" look to it as well. Not sure if I personally like the result, but am glad that Shout seems dedicated to completing the series...

 

[Jack P]

I don't call it an "improvement" when something shot on tape looks like it was on film. To me, that's pseudo-kinescoping of material and represents a downgrade from what the material is supposed to look like.

 

[The Obsolete Man]

According to the guys at Shout, this is what Sony gave Shout.

Something like this does sound more like a Sony thing to do.

 

[Robert13]

Originally Posted by Jack P
You mean everyone seemed to move just a bit slower? Yeah, I noticed that too on the one episode I watched.

THANK YOU JACK! YES! This is exactly what I was trying to say. If this is what Season 8 looks like, then I'm done. I'm also a little concerned that Season 5 of "Facts Of Life" is gonna have this problem since it's a Sony property. Ugh, why did they have to do this?

 

[MatthewA]

Yikes. Sony finds another way to screw fans over.

 

[Robert13]

Originally Posted by MatthewA
Yikes. Sony finds another way to screw fans over.

~ha,ha~ So true. Just when we thought it was out of their hands and into Shout's, they still manage to screw up the release. If only Shout had a way of checking this stuff beforehand. Who knows? I just wish they would re-issue the set. It's already gotten a bad rep online. Doesn't bode well for Season 8. I would think they would want to maintain the quality to keep sales successful. It just seems like such a mess now.

 

[HELLOLARRY]

Well season 8 has already been announced so I don't think that's an issue. It is strange though. I'm in both camps; I think the series looks great and it is a little jerky. Movements are as fluid at times. Kind of like those Chaplin MK2 / Warner releases with bad PAL to NTSC transferes or to stay on Chaplin, the 'stretch printing' utilized in the Kid and The Chaplin Review. It just looks a little odd at times. Some of my friends have told me that when older movies have been remastered for Blue-Ray, it can sometimes take away the film texture to the picture. I haven't seen anything like that so I can't comment but do any of you who are better versed in Blue-Ray see how the picture on this AITF may have been manipulated somehow?

I will defend Shout! on this and don't believe it is something they have anything to do with although I do understand they are looking into it. I don't know what you call it but I'd be interested in reading their findings. It won't impact future purchases for me, as long as they keep releasing them I'm going to buy them.

The missing scene in the first part of Archie's Brief Enounter is this:
(Right after credits in the diner)
Foley: Hey how do you like this Bunker eh? You know Whitey it's the third time this week he's dragged us over here to have lunch. He acts like he's got an interest in this joint.
Whitey: He has Foley man hey and here his interest comes now baby.
Denise: OK you're the BLT, Whitey you are the ham and cheese on onion roll. Where's Archie my super burger with everything and I do mean everything.
Whitey: Oh he's in the mens room making himself gorgeous just for you.
Foley: Hey Denise, what's Archie got that we ain't got eh?
Denise: What's Archie got that you ain't got eh? My Daddy's big blue eyes. (HEY NOW!*)

*this is just my comment, it wasn't in the episode
Cut to Archie in the bathroom...(THIS IS WHERE THE EPISODE BEGINS ON THE DVD)

In what I've seen so far I can see bits of dialog and scenes that have not been in syndication which is always cool and fun. Still a great release and I'm looking forward to season 8. This sucker should've been completed a long time ago!

I've mentioned this in a few other forums so I'll drop it in here too. I was always under the impression that Archie's Brief Encounter aired as a one hour special on CBS when first broadcast. The way it is 'split' here vs. the way it is split in syndication differs.

On the episode as it is presented on the DVD, the fade in the middle of the kiss is there in part one and then it fades back up and plays through Archie's dialog with Carlos to end the episode. Kind of a "tag" which is something that the series had abandoned by season 7. In the second part it says 'last on All in the Family' as the episode begins and shows a clip from the first episode and then the kiss and whole dialog scene with Carlos again. That then plays through and a title comes up 'and now All in the Family continues'. I wonder now that when it originally aired on the network if it wasn't a true one hour episode and they in fact aired two half hour episodes back to back as they'll sometimes do. Say the network ordered 25 episodes so if this aired as a one hour episode there would only be 24 scripts for the season, splitting it over two parts would give you the 25. Not sure...just a threory.

I know season 8 opens up with a one hour episode "Archie Gets the Business". This episode was released on the Columbia House tapes and is featured as a one hour episode. We'll see how it will be handled on DVD. There are also two other one hour eps in season 8; Edith's 50th Birthday and Edith's Crisis of Faith.

I always wonder why so many different prints and cuts of things (tv shows / movies ) are laying around. It's fun to talk about.

Thanks for letting me indulge a bit with an overly long post.

 

[MatthewA]

Originally Posted by Robert13
~ha,ha~ So true. Just when we thought it was out of their hands and into Shout's, they still manage to screw up the release. If only Shout had a way of checking this stuff beforehand. Who knows? I just wish they would re-issue the set. It's already gotten a bad rep online. Doesn't bode well for Season 8. I would think they would want to maintain the quality to keep sales successful. It just seems like such a mess now.

In all fairness there had been no problems reported with other Sony/Shout! sets. Hopefully this is just an aberration and not a change in policy.

I recall that two episodes on season 6 of The Jeffersons were reported as "looking odd." I have it but haven't watched it yet. Could that be the same thing.

 

[TV_Fan]

I've noticed this same effect on other Sony shows. I can't recall specifically which ones, but I think it was some of The Jeffersons sets and What's Happenning sets. I think this is an issue with some of Sony's masters and not an issue of how Shout released it. Although I do notice this effect slightly, I don't have a large screen TV and I think that is why.

 

[PopBodhi]

Thank you Shout Factory. I'm eagerly waiting for the remaining seasons of this classic show. Season 7 does have more of a film "look" and that's a distinct change from the previous releases. However, the quality, in my opinion, is superior to the earlier sets.

 

[MatthewA]

Originally Posted by TV_Fan
I've noticed this same effect on other Sony shows. I can't recall specifically which ones, but I think it was some of The Jeffersons sets and What's Happenning sets. I think this is an issue with some of Sony's masters and not an issue of how Shout released it. Although I do notice this effect slightly, I don't have a large screen TV and I think that is why.

I don't remember any issues with any of the sets of What's Happening or, for that matter, the first season of What's Happening Now either.

 

[Neil Brock]

This is another example of Shout screwing things up and proof yet again that you can never pre-order anything from them and you have to wait for the reviews to come in. Luckily I was able to cancel my order before it was shipped. As for the blame, Shout did this in the authoring after they were given the videotape transfers from Sony. It looks like they used a Divx program or some other cheap authoring and whoever the moron was who authored the discs tried to make a show shot in 30fps videotape look like 24fps film. All of the people I've spoken to say it renders the show unwatchable. Funny, how on their website they first tried to pass the blame as they always do and eventually they decided to "look into it". I still don't understand how they have no one there who does any kind of quality control and checks these abominations before they get released. With them, its always after the horse is out of the barn that they check the doors.

 

[Jack P]

The one episode of "The Jeffersons" S6 I've watched, which Sony released, shows the same problem. Too slow movement to render a more film look than the proper sharper videotape look. Regardless of who was responsible for this, Sony or Shout, it's terrible this happened and the people who think a "film" look is somehow automatically better for something that was done on videotape should have their heads examine (they're probably the kind of people who would prefer to watch a kinescope of something than the original videotape).

 

[JohnMor]

"Unwatchable"??? To me it's barely noticeable and in all respects the video quality is a huge improvement over the Sony sets. Huge improvement. Of course, I only have a 46" display, so maybe it's more noticeable on larger screens.

 

[TV_Fan]

I've almost finished my set and it's barely noticable to me as well. There was an instance on one of the first episodes on disc 3 where it was very noticable and just the second or two I saw of it almost gave me a headache. I'm not sure if that's what everyone else sees on their sets in all other instances. However, I have a smaller screen and an older, non hi def tv so perhaps that is what makes the difference.