Anyone feel a bit letdown by Shout! Select? (1 Viewer)

[Joe Tor1]

Originally Posted by Neil Brock




Yeah, you would. Madman had them out years ago, which is where I bought my seasons 3 & 4.

Sorry, I work within my region!

But, what the heck, Shout! Please try to complete Night Gallery and continue Alfred Hitchcock Presents!! Then, I'll have even more praise!

 

[smithb]

Originally Posted by Jack P
I haven't owned any MOD titles from Warner Archives, but I heard that the picture quality on them is superior than anything put out by Shout Select.

Video quality of a release is all about the source used and what compression or other digital manipulations are performed. It has nothing to do with being released on MOD or pressed disks (i.e, bits are bits). When people discuss quality differences between MOD and pressed it is usually in reference to factors such as the possibility of stability and longevity differences. I'm not trying to introduce the debate to this thread or state a view (it's been discussed in plenty of other threads), but just trying to clear up what looked like a misconception of what the debate is about and nothing more. Enough said.


Edit: Jeff beat me to it, I type to slow apparently

 

[Jeff Willis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by smithb
Video quality of a release is all about the source used and what compression or other digital manipulations are performed. It has nothing to do with being released on MOD or pressed disks (i.e, bits are bits). When people discuss quality differences between MOD and pressed it is usually in reference to factors such as the possibility of stability and longevity differences. I'm not trying to introduce the debate to this thread or state a view (it's been discussed in plenty of other threads), but just trying to clear up what looked like a misconception of what the debate is about and nothing more. Enough said.

Brad, good points and thanks for mentioning the technical points here (compression, etc).

 

[Gary OS]

Good stuff from many posters in this thread. The bottom line is that I think Shout should be commended for doing all they have with their Select program. And it's been pointed out before, but I think it's unfair to compare Shout to a big time studio like WB when it comes to print quality. Why? Because Warners has the ability to clean up whatever they deem worthwhile, while Shout (a much smaller outfit) is really at the mercy of the source material they are given from studios to work with. They simply don't have the funds and facilities to remaster things like WB can.



Gary "I'm just happy that Shout is still cranking classics out - most of the big boys have slowed down a lot" O.

 

[smithb]

As for the question presented.


I'm all for titles being released, period. So no letdown in the least for me. Now I do have preferences as to how I would like releases to be produced and distributed. And when they differ I may be a bit more selective on which one's I buy for various reasons. But there are too many stalled and unrealeased shows to quibble over the different release approaches used. My guess is that if we didn't have various strategies in play (e.g., largely distributed pressed, select titles, MOD) we'd have even fewer releases per year. The attempts at new approaches by a variety of players has probably given some titles new life and others opportunities for releases that may never have come before.

 

[Richard V]

I haven't really collected many Shout! DVD's but any company that is willing to put out the best product that they can in order to satisfy the fans of the old and not in high demand TV series, definitely rates high in my book.

 

[DaveHof]

I own a lot of Shout releases of classic TV shows, and outside of having to mute their annoying logo screen at the start of each disc, I've been very happy with the diversity of their products. It's great to have 'Father Knows Best,' 'That Girl,' 'The Patty Duke Show' and many other shows complete in my collection. I also appreciate their release of two 'Electric Company' compilation sets, though I think at least one more is needed as there are still many classic bits that should be on DVD.


My only complaint with them is their bailing out on 'Room 222.' An earlier poster mentioned how fans have to remember that companies are not public service outlets to maintain our individual preservation archives, and I understand I may be indulging in that now. But this is not just a good show - it is an important show. In the midst of turbulent times it had something of merit to say about America's schools, about race relations, about prejudice. It was created and written by some of the most respected people in series television. It deserves to be seen and to be made available both to its original fans and to those with a serious interest in quality television.


I don't like it when studios start shows and don't finish them. But it's their property and they can do as they please, and we still have the hope that somewhere down the line they might complete them, even if they do so with MOD. What many love about 'Shout' is they finish shows that other companies abandoned - yet with 'Room 222' they sought out the series and then treated it no better than Paramount treated 'Happy Days' (among others) or FOX treated 'The Bob Newhart Show.' And their anti-DVD-R stance sounds noble until one realizes that when the choice is DVD-R or nothing, there are many of us who would prefer to have the episodes. The first two seasons of 'Room 222' looked like crap anyway - not Shout's fault, but it's not like they are protecting a high A/V quality standard by not releasing the rest of the seasons this way. I don't know what sales goals they set for the series when they acquired it, but I have always believed that cream always rises, and at some point this show would sell enough sets to make their investment worthwhile, IF fans knew they were getting all of the seasons. But if they don't want to bother, I hope they will give someone else a chance.

 

[smithb]

Originally Posted by DaveHof

"...and outside of having to mute their annoying logo screen at the start of each disc,...

Now that is the one complaint I have.

 

[JoeDoakes]

I think we are very lucky for Shout! Select. It really shows a commitment to the material to keep with a show even if the potential for profit is small.

 

[cliff mac]

I'm suprised she didn't get a call back. I'd be mad too. Has she tried again?

PM me and I will make sure her info gets to the right person.

Originally Posted by Professor Echo

I used to be rather anti-Shout because of one reason: My gf is the buyer for a prestigious museum store and inquired at Shout about carrying some of their product. Despite numerous attempts to contact them, she never even got a courtesy call back. Every other studio and DVD manufacturer was happy that she wanted to market their products so that was kind of a turn off to me, but as she's gotten over it, I have too and in the meantime I have come to regard them as a very viable and, particularly now, necessary company for the continuation of the home entertainment hobby. I am happy to support them and buy their product.

We all have our favorites that we would like to see released or continued and I'm sorry that they can't appease all the fans all the time, but at some point we all have to remember that these companies are not public service outlets or government funded entities, they are a BUSINESS. I find this expectation that these companies need to create and maintain our individual preservation archives very unrealistic and, at times, very unappealing in what it says about us and the hobby. I yield to no one with my anti-establishment stance regarding big business, but even I have to respect the reality that a company, no matter how altruistic their intentions, can only lose so much money.

 

[Mr. Papagiorgio]

I wanted to see C.O.P.S., Jayce & the Wheeled Warriors, and Parker Lewis finished by Shout! Select and none of the three have been, so it has been a letdown for me.


It seems like a lot of Shout! shows still aren't getting finished with the Shout! Select program. Maybe, a MOD program would be a better way to go. I'd much rather see more tv show releases than all the Mystery Science re-releases that have been put on there lately.

 

[Professor Echo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cliff mac


I'm suprised she didn't get a call back. I'd be mad too. Has she tried again?

PM me and I will make sure her info gets to the right person.

Thank you for the offer and I will let my gf know, but the product she wanted was tied into a traveling exhibit that the museum had a few years back, so she no longer needs it. She has also had extensive dealings with Timeless, who she says are exceptionally nice and enthusiastic about their product, the same for Kino, both very professional.. As such, she was quite surprised by the non-response from Shout, but as I said, she got over it.


On the flip side, as coincidence would have it, I once found a lost credit card which turned out to belong to an employee of Shout (with the initials M.B.) and who was very friendly, even sending me a copy of the first season of ROOM 222 for my trouble. In my E mail thank you, I mentioned the troubles that my gf had with Shout and never received a response to that either!

 

[Neil Brock]

Over the last decade, I've had pleasant dealings with Timeless, Smore, MPI, VCI, Infinity, Universal and Paramount. Shout? Gave up long ago after never reaching a human voice.

 

[vnisanian2001]

Of all the shout select titles, I'm interested in completing Mr. Belvedere the most. I bought seasons 1-4, but nothing has come out of it ever since, and it seems it will be that way for an eternity.


I once had a video on YouTube encouraging fans to buy seasons 1-4, but I deleted it because 1) plenty of fans of the show viewed the video, but didn't do their part at all, and 2) someone was arrogantly spreading false rumors about season 5 being on the way this summer.

 

[The Obsolete Man]

Shout Select vs WB MOD?


I've seen two seasons each of Ironside, Father Knows Best, and Mister Ed released from Select. That's brought FKB to completion, Mister Ed within a season, and there have been rumors that more Ironside is on the way before the end of the year.


I've only seen one season of Night Court from WB MOD, And that was pulled from release and never resolicited.


As far as my DVD Buying habits go, it looks like Shout Select wins.

 

[Gary OS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Obsolete Man

Shout Select vs WB MOD?

It's a no-brainer for me too, Shane. Shout Select wins hands down if we are talking Classic TV on DVD, for the following reasons:


1) A lot more variety. As you stated, there are simply far more titles with Shout than WB. It's not even close.


2) You get more bang for your buck with Shout. The price point for Shout Select titles may not be as cheap as some would like, but if you average it out "per disc" it's an easy call. You get more for your dollar with Shout Select than you do with the still highly priced WBA sets. Until Warners can find a way to come down some on the couple of vintage shows they do offer I won't be buying much from them.


3) As Brad mentioned earlier, we are still talking pressed DVDs with Shout versus burned DVD-Rs with Warners. Some of us still prefer the pressed DVD for potential long term durability.



Yep, at the end of the day it really is a simple pick for me. Shout Select gets a lot more of my money than the Warner Archive program does.



Gary "until WBA increases their TV selections and lowers their prices at least a little, Shout is going to be the winner in my book by a large margin" O.

 

[Jack P]

I don't think it's a fair comparison at this point. If Warner does start to roll out more titles this year and meet the pledges of their Facebook spokesman by years end they will have more than earned the right to have complemented what Shout has done on the Select program. It's way too early to make a final judgment at this point when they're just getting their feet wet.


Warner I think if anything deserves to be compared directly to MGM which looks as if it didn't wait long to get out of the MOD program for TV shows altogether. You can probably forget about seeing the rest of "Highway Patrol" or the final season of "Flipper" or other shows they control and didn't release.

 

[Gary OS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jack P

I don't think it's a fair comparison at this point. If Warner does start to roll out more titles this year and meet the pledges of their Facebook spokesman by years end they will have more than earned the right to have complemented what Shout has done on the Select program. It's way too early to make a final judgment at this point when they're just getting their feet wet.


Warner I think if anything deserves to be compared directly to MGM which looks as if it didn't wait long to get out of the MOD program for TV shows altogether. You can probably forget about seeing the rest of "Highway Patrol" or the final season of "Flipper" or other shows they control and didn't release.

I'll have to disagree with you on this one, Jack. Firstly, it was the original poster who brought up the comparisons so I'm just responding to that. Secondly, when one considers that Shout still makes a larger commitment with their Select program because they are pressing DVDs and not just burning on demand I have to give them the nod. Warner isn't gambling very much when they literally are burning discs only as they are ordered. And thirdly, Warners has actually been in the MOD game a good bit longer than the Shout Select program has. In terms of TV shows Shout Select only began a year and a half ago, and Warners released their first TV show, via the Archives, in the fall of last year. So it's not like Shout had some huge lead coming out of the gate.

Where we do agree is that I'm willing to give Warners a little more time to get their TV selection going. They've been moving at a snail's pace thus far. Maybe now that they've figured out dual-layered burning they'll start releasing more. I'd like to see that happen but until it does I'm not giving them the benefit of the doubt. Heck, they've been talking about releasing TV shows via the Archives for some time now.


Gary "I hope both programs flourish - but if I'm forced to pick right now (which is what the OP asked for) I have to go with Shout's program" O.

 

[Robert13]

I used to buy quite a few Shout dvds but lately, to be honest, they haven't released much of anything. It's been a really slow year for them. Chaulk it up to a sign of the times or whatever... but I was hoping for more "Facts Of Life", "Marcus Welby" and their new acquisition of "Hazel" which seems to have also fallen by the wayside. Is classic tv on dvd a thing of the past?

 

[Gary OS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robert13

Is classic tv on dvd a thing of the past?

Depends on who you ask, Robert. I think we've been on a decline for a while now, but some people think otherwise. I just look at the upcoming releases schedule and it's an easy call for me to make.



Gary "I don't think Hazel has fallen by the wayside so don't give up just yet" O.