Emergency! Coming To DVD Tuesday- Whos Buying? (1 Viewer)

[David Von Pein]

OK. Very good. Thanks Greg.
I hadn't known Universal did that too. (I've yet to acquire any Univ. TV DVDs.)

Hey, Greg -- Re. your "In rotation cataloging" of DVDs -- Have you ever tried attaching a Post-It Note on the outside of each jewel case, labelling each TV show for easy IDing? Just a thought. And Post-Its are so easy to remove without leaving behind sticky crappola in their wake.*

* = The "Post-It Jewel Case Labelling System" is fully endorsed by Good Housekeeping of America, and by the "June Cleaver Council For Proper Digital Versatile Disc Organization And Labelling, Inc." (Member FDIC. -- That stands for "For Discs In Circulation".)

 

[Greg_S_H]

I never thought of that, but I may try it. Otherwise, I have to take the discs out and look for the color when side 2 is facing out.

 

[David Von Pein]

A quick packaging note regarding both the Adam-12 and Emergency! DVD sets --- These sets are packaged with two FULL-SIZED Amaray-style Keepcases, not the "ThinPak" slim cases. This surprised me, because I thought Univ. was using only slim cases for their sets now.

Are the Columbo, McCloud, and McMillan & Wife sets packed in full-sized Amarays too?

(My first tip-off that "Emergency!" wasn't using 2 slims is that the spine is way too thick for just 2 thin-paks. But actually I kind of like the practice of using the wider cases when it's just a two-disc set; it makes the spine wider and more visible; and "Emergency's" looks nice too; great cover. The spine would have been reduced to half this size if slims had been utilized.) ....

 

[ElijahS]

That may be why it's done for this set, but one of Universal's inconsistencies lies in its packaging, especially this year.

For the examples, all sides are in reference to where it is when looking at the front of the cover:

- Some sets use slim cases that come out on the right (Law & Order)
- Some sets use slim cases that come out on the left (Monk)
- Some sets use Amaray cases that come out on the right (Murder, She Wrote (I believe))
- Some sets use Amaray cases that come out on the left (Kojak)
- Some sets come in strange packaging (The Munsters S2)

*All references are from releases made this year.

Some of the configurations make some amount of sense (like Emergency), and some don't. It's just part of Universal's problem in making TV DVD sets.

 

[MattHR]

I think part of the reason for using standard size Amarays for each disc is to make the set "larger", and thus help justify the $40 retail price in the eyes of the consumer. If they used a single double-disc Amaray, or two ThinPaks, the set would be half the size, likely causing consumers to think "$40 for this?" The whole set could actually have been released in just one quarter of its current size by using one double-disc ThinPak, but can you imagine the complaints then. Personally, I like the packages to be as streamlined as possible, preferably without the use of DVD-18s. But I understand the marketing problems this may cause, including higher theft rates.

Never underestimate a company's underestimation of their customer.

 

[Greg_S_H]

They reserve the thinpaks for seasons that require more than two discs. Magnum and A-Team seasons 2 come in thinpaks, while Emergency, A-Team, and Airwolf do not. I agree that it's not necessary to use keepcases, as they could follow the example of Paramount with Brady Bunch. Those releases contain thinpaks that hold a couple of discs apiece, and it all adds up to the thickness of a single keepcase.

 

[MattHR]

I think Paramount switched to ThinPaks with "MacGyver" Season 1. It had six discs in 6 ThinPaks, then Season 2 was released with 6 discs in 3 double-ThinPaks. The size of the set was reduced in half...quite a space saver. This is my current favorite configuration for season sets. I need all the space I can get...or need to stop buying so many DVDs! (Yeah right. Like that's ever going to happen!)

 

[Steve Tannehill]

I wish the packaging was standardized to the thinpacks at this point. Shelf space is at a premium in my library. Yes, Emergency is in two Amaray-sized keep cases (although I can not make out the actual brand--it's not Amaray).

As for disc labeling, I noticed that the tiny labels indicated Side A and that Side B was blank, but I still have doubts when I see something like a movie on one side and supplements on the other. As long as the movie is always on Side A, and the label on that side, I guess it's fine.

Although I prefer single-sided discs with artwork on one side, that will undoubtedly increase the price of these multi-disc TV show sets. Would you be interested in Emergency if it retailed for $80 instead of $40? Probably not. (Yes, I know that's not the only concern on DVD-18... )

Ah well, enjoy the show if you can.

- Steve

 

[ElijahS]

Not necessarily. Kojak and Murder, She Wrote are both in Amaray cases, and both have three discs.

 

[Jeff Ulmer]

They can't do that when replicating as the center is thicker so the discs will stack, and ink on that part would cause all the discs to stick together.

Emergency! is a great series. I don't think I've ever seen the pilot before either.

 

[Jesse Skeen]

Interesting- sounds like a good enough reason, but all of the DualDiscs I've seen (with audio CD on one side and DVD on the other) have printing on the entire center, and the public-domain movie sets from Treeline Films have the titles printed on the center also, though the printing stops where the hub starts and they still have to abbreviate some titles.

 

[JeffWld]

Dragging this thread over to the content side of things, Emergency purists may notice that Universal subbed the opening credit sequence soundtrack with the closing theme music and removed the original opening credit soundtrack.

 

[MattHR]

Was this done on every episode? If so, I wonder why. Was the theme music the same for all seasons?

 

[Steve Tannehill]

The music is different in the later episodes. I'll bet there was no subbing, just a different theme in later shows.

- Steve

 

[JeffWld]

There was subbing. The first season opening credit sequence soundtrack was simply a background bass line with a series of radio calls overlayed on top. It was changed for the DVD.

 

[Jim Saunders]

Jeff, not to be rude at all, but how do you know this? I mean this is a 30 year old show, and season 1 is older then that. I live in the LA area and it hasnt been on syndication here in years. How can you be sure it's wrong?

Again, not to be rude or arguementitive, but how do you know this?

 

[Steve Tannehill]

I can just report on what's on the DVD. I have not seen a syndicated episode since the 1970's.

On the DVD, the pilot has the theme song. It is extended slightly beyond the same theme song, which appears on the next four shows on the DVD ("The Mascot" through "Brush Fire"). There is different theme music for the remaining shows ("Dealer's Wild" and later).

Maybe Nelson Riddle is conspiring to get DVD royalties.

- Steve

 

[JeffWld]

Quite simple. I'm a television history buff and have been collecting TV on film and tape for over 30 years. I have some copies of 16mm distribution prints from Universal as well as off-air syndicated versions from the late 1970's.

My original intent was to offer a minor FYI about the release. However it is beginning to appear as if that decision was ill-advised.

 

[Jeff Ulmer]

Your decision was a good one, but you need to understand that with so many shows being accused of being edited, many of us are sceptical, and just want to make sure that whoever is making a claim has something concrete to back it up with, and not just a hazy recollection of a show they haven't seen in 30 years. I don't think anyone meant any offense by questioning your source of this information. Thank you for bringing this up, and I hope you will be forthcoming with similar information in the future for other shows.

 

[Steve Tannehill]

Thanks Jeff (both of you), especially JeffWld. I couldn't say it better than Jeff Ulmer, but should have.

I'd be curious to find when the music got inserted, and why two different versions of the theme song were inserted for the first season. The show has remained in syndication for most of the last 30 years (as late as February of this year in the Dallas area, I've read).

One thing I did notice was that the 1997-ish Universal banner was inserted in front of every show on the DVD. Even then, I would not say that was put in place explicitly for the DVD release--it may have been added to the syndication package sometime in the past 8 years.

Anyway, JeffWld thanks for the info.

- Steve