CBS Status Report (1 Viewer)

[BobO'Link]

DVDs are manufactured a bit differently than CDs and can withstand more abuse, at least on the label side. On a CD the reflective layer is protected on the top only by a thin epoxy coating over which is the silk screened label. It's *very* easy to scratch the top and ruin the reflective layer (both pressed *and* burnt) of a CD. DVDs have the reflective layers sandwiched between layers of polycarbonate. The label side of a SS disc is tough (it's as thick as the bottom) and can be scratched without affecting the playback layer (bottom). Writing on, putting labels on, even using mild solvents on the label side of a DVD will not damage the playback layer as you have to get through that polycarbonate layer first.

Here's how DVDs are constructed (this mentions recordable specifically but pressed are not much different - mainly lacking the dye layer):

A single-sided (SS) disc is composed of a recording side and a dummy side while a double-sided (DS) disc consists of two recording sides. The recording side of a DVD-R and DVD+R disc is a sandwich of a number of layers. First comes a polycarbonate plastic substrate, then an organic dye recording layer followed by a metal reflective layer. The dummy side of a single-sided disc consists of an additional flat polycarbonate plastic substrate (sometimes with an additional metal layer to obscure the bonding layer from view for aesthetic purposes). An adhesive then bonds the two sides together for the final disc. Some single-sided discs are also topped on the dummy side with additional layers that provide surfaces suitable for labeling by inkjet, thermal transfer or re-transfer printers.

So... you want to be more careful with the *playback* side of a DVD as scratches can affect playback, although they *can* be buffed out if not too deep. You can ruin a CD (or CD-R/RW) by scratching the label side but a scratch on the playback side can be buffed out.

 

[DisneySwan1990]

I want CBS/Paramount to countinue releasing Moesha, Nash Bridges, and Sister, Sister to DVD.

 

[Ron1973]

I want CBS/Paramount to countinue releasing Moesha, Nash Bridges, and Sister, Sister to DVD.

I'm not the world's biggest fan of Nash Bridges but it's a pretty good show. One I hadn't thought of in a while.....thanks for the reminder!

 

[GMBurns]

I wish CBS would start a MOD/Archive system going full force.

I'd settle for a tepid MOD program from CBS if they'd just release the final two seasons of Cannon and some more Barnaby Jones.

 

[kingfish]

still hoping for the stacy keach mike hammer tv series.

 

[Bryan^H]

It's just that DVD-Rs don't hold up for very long. A couple of years, on average.

A couple of years, YIKES! That's darn near disposable software. I've got hundreds of DVD-R recordings from tv in 2004 that still play flawlessly so I guess I beat the odds.

 

[FanCollector]

Updated to reflect the announcement of the end of Rawhide.Continuing: Becker (1 season) Dynasty (1 season; 2 releases)Petticoat Junction (4 seasons)The Beverly Hillbillies (5 seasons)Happy Days (6 seasons)Bonanza (8 seasons; 16 releases) Gunsmoke (11 seasons; 22 releases) Stalled: Mork and Mindy (1 season) Dave's World (1 season)Cannon (2 seasons)Caroline in the City (2 seasons) One Step Beyond (2 seasons) Matt Houston (2 seasons) Early Edition (2 seasons) The Phil Silvers Show (3 seasons) Nash Bridges (3 seasons) Evening Shade (3 seasons) Jake and the Fatman (3 seasons; 6 releases) Hotel (4 seasons) Sister, Sister (4 seasons)Love, American Style (4 seasons; 8 releases) Moesha (5 seasons) Barnaby Jones (7 seasons; 14 releases) The Love Boat (7 seasons; 14 releases) My Three Sons (10 seasons; 20 releases) Licensed:Webster (2 seasons)

 

[Tooncy]

Actually, The Beverly Hillbillies has 6 seasons to go, since there wasn't an official release of Season One.

 

[FanCollector]

Updated to reflect the announcement of the continuation of Gunsmoke. The Phil Silvers Show has been licensed for release in Region 2. I have left it on the list, but it will be coming out in the fall in the UK and there are rumors that it will be coming out in the US, via a licensee, soon also.Continuing: Becker (1 season) Dynasty (1 season; 2 releases)Petticoat Junction (4 seasons)The Beverly Hillbillies (5 seasons)Happy Days (6 seasons)Bonanza (8 seasons; 16 releases) Gunsmoke (10 seasons; 20 releases) Stalled: Mork and Mindy (1 season) Dave's World (1 season)Cannon (2 seasons)Caroline in the City (2 seasons) One Step Beyond (2 seasons) Matt Houston (2 seasons) Early Edition (2 seasons) The Phil Silvers Show (3 seasons)*Nash Bridges (3 seasons) Evening Shade (3 seasons) Jake and the Fatman (3 seasons; 6 releases) Hotel (4 seasons) Sister, Sister (4 seasons)Love, American Style (4 seasons; 8 releases) Moesha (5 seasons) Barnaby Jones (7 seasons; 14 releases) The Love Boat (7 seasons; 14 releases) My Three Sons (10 seasons; 20 releases) Licensed:Webster (2 seasons)

 

[Randy Korstick]

No Surprise on Gunsmoke. I expect to see a Bonanza Season 7 announcement soon. Hopefully we will see Gunsmoke Season 11 before the end of the year.

 

[HenryDuBrow]

Will it take another decade to finish this show, I wonder.

 

[Randy Korstick]

With a little luck maybe 4 years.

Will it take another decade to finish this show, I wonder.

 

[Frank Soyke]

As I've said before, with regard to shows pre 80's, I wouldn't expect a lot from CBS from here on out. They currently only have 5 continuing series from that era (Hillbillies, Petticoat, Happy Days, Gunsmoke, and Bonanza). Although Gunsmoke Season 10 has just been announced and apparantly the next season of Bonanza is forthcoming, according to the syndication bible the only season remastered of the other three is seson six of Happy Days. Since season five is being released this month, I would expect a lengthy wait for another season, same with Gunsmoke and the Bonanza release after the next one announced. Also there is no indication as of yet that they are committed to more seasons of BH and PJ. That being said, other than one more season of Bonanza, I don't think any more vintage TV releases are dead locks at this point.
On the upside, they have been open to licensing Bilko and Mod Squad so maybe they might do the same with stuff like My Three Sons, Love Boat, and Barnaby Jones.
I will reiterate that I feel CBS has done a great job overall of bringing us a lot of classic shows. My only gripe with them at this point was that they never finished Cannon and unfortunately I don't think any other distributor would put in the cash to license a show that already has three oout of five seasons released.

 

[benbess]

I imagine this was discussed a lot years ago, but is there any chance CBS will rethink their policy of releasing a season as two separate volumes? I know it was an attempt to double their profits, but I wonder if it's really worked for them. And the idea of having, if they do it all, 39 "volumes" for Gunsmoke seems close to crazy to me.

Perhaps this is a subject for a different thread, but aren't the blu-ray releases of Lucy and TAGS a sign that old shows aren't dead for physical media home video releases?

Another thing that interests me is how many shows from the 1970s, 80s, and 90s, seem stalled, while at least a few shows from the 50s and esp. 60s seem to be going forward. Perhaps the earlier shows just are better shows ( a case could be made)? And perhaps the generation that grew up with them are more into physical media and less into downloads than people born later....?

 

[FanCollector]

Although they have maintained the volume model for certain series, they have stopped releasing them on separate dates. It's a good compromise, as they still get whatever economic benefits they decided the volume system bestows, but we don't have to wait 4-12 months between one half of a season and the next.

 

[HenryDuBrow]

Cannon could still continue as a MOD title, it's been a while now but I don't think the title necessarily is dead in the water.

 

[ljgranberry]

I recently bought GUNSMOKE Season 1, but am now wondering if I should hold off on buying any more, seeing as how they might release the series on blu-ray. Any thoughts/suggestions?

 

[benbess]

I recently bought GUNSMOKE Season 1, but am now wondering if I should hold off on buying any more, seeing as how they might release the series on blu-ray. Any thoughts/suggestions?

I haven't yet bought the first season, but I'm wondering about this myself.

Since the DVDs came out, as you know, CBS has been rescanning and remastering seemingly most of the show for high definition. It seems like they might eventually redo the whole show. This must be costing them at least a few million dollars given the 20 years and 600+ episodes, and they must have a plan to make money off of HD Gunsmoke somehow.

My guess, however, is that like with CBS's HD masters of the original Hawaii 5-0 that they are just going to just release them for streaming, at places like Amazon Prime and Netflix. But I could be wrong about that.

Maybe they think they can sell all the seasons of Gunsmoke again to fans on blu-ray? Some fans here, however, have already said that the DVDs are good enough for them, and that they won't double-dip.

The bottom line for me is that I'm holding off for now to see what happens, especially since I have plenty of other programs to watch.

Also, I wonder if I'm one of those people who has a favorite Western, and who just can't get into the other Westerns as much. I think Gunsmoke fans look down on Bonanza, and Bonanza fans in general probably don't care that much for Gunsmoke. And neither group has many people who are really big on The Virginian.

I think I've probably been spoiled, maybe impossibly spoiled, by The Virginian. It's so "deluxe" that—I know this is maybe kind of shallow—most of the other Westerns seem kind of "cheap" to me. Since I haven't seen Gunsmoke I don't know if that's how I'll react to it, but I'm guessing that's probably how I'll feel at first.

But maybe a Gunsmoke fan can talk me out of that attitude, and say briefly what makes the show the best Western for them....

 

[smithbrad]

I haven't yet bought the first season, but I'm wondering about this myself.

Since the DVDs came out, as you know, CBS has been rescanning and remastering seemingly most of the show for high definition. It seems like they might eventually redo the whole show. This must be costing them at least a few million dollars given the 20 years and 600+ episodes, and they must have a plan to make money off of HD Gunsmoke somehow.
Also, I wonder if I'm one of those people who has a favorite Western, and who just can't get into the other Westerns as much. I think Gunsmoke fans look down on Bonanza, and Bonanza fans in general probably don't care that much for Gunsmoke. And neither group has many people who are really big on The Virginian.

I don't think that is the case about rescanning and remastering after the DVD releases. According to the CBS Syndication bible the bulk of the shows were scanned and remastered for HD before the DVD releases, which is why the DVD's look so good, since they are just down conversions from the HD masters. This is also why many won't see as much improvement from the newer Blu-ray releases from CBS, in comparison to a show released on DVD from older video prints then rescanned and remastered from the film elements for a Blu-ray release.

This also brings into question the high pricing by CBS for the Blu-ray release since the bulk of the cost and work has already been done to support a Blu-ray release.

As far as westerns go, I must be fortunate since I can have many favorites for different reasons. I probably know more of Bonanza than the others due to the Lost Episodes being syndicated in the 90's. However, that has taken nothing away from my introduction to Gunsmoke, Rawhide, HGWT, or any of the others I have watched since. I like them all.

 

[ljgranberry]

I haven't yet bought the first season, but I'm wondering about this myself.

Since the DVDs came out, as you know, CBS has been rescanning and remastering seemingly most of the show for high definition. It seems like they might eventually redo the whole show. This must be costing them at least a few million dollars given the 20 years and 600+ episodes, and they must have a plan to make money off of HD Gunsmoke somehow.

My guess, however, is that like with CBS's HD masters of the original Hawaii 5-0 that they are just going to just release them for streaming, at places like Amazon Prime and Netflix. But I could be wrong about that.

Maybe they think they can sell all the seasons of Gunsmoke again to fans on blu-ray? Some fans here, however, have already said that the DVDs are good enough for them, and that they won't double-dip.

The bottom line for me is that I'm holding off for now to see what happens, especially since I have plenty of other programs to watch.

Also, I wonder if I'm one of those people who has a favorite Western, and who just can't get into the other Westerns as much. I think Gunsmoke fans look down on Bonanza, and Bonanza fans in general probably don't care that much for Gunsmoke. And neither group has many people who are really big on The Virginian.

I think I've probably been spoiled, maybe impossibly spoiled, by The Virginian. It's so "deluxe" that—I know this is maybe kind of shallow—most of the other Westerns seem kind of "cheap" to me. Since I haven't seen Gunsmoke I don't know if that's how I'll react to it, but I'm guessing that's probably how I'll feel at first.

But maybe a Gunsmoke fan can talk me out of that attitude, and say briefly what makes the show the best Western for them....

Thanks for the update. BTW, the TV GUNSMOKE is great, but the radio version with William Conrad is even better.