HTF REVIEW Golden Girls (Season Two) (1 Viewer)

[MatthewA]

It's Sony, thus a different "They," and I bet you dollars to donuts "They" won't pay to use "Georgia On My Mind" on the DVDs. "They" will also not remaster the episodes, as it was shot on film with post-production done on tape, and they will probably look horrible. And don't think they won't sneak syndication-cut copies on some of them.

But back to GG,

—NBC's tapes were stereo
—Prime Network's tapes were stereo
—Local syndication tapes were stereo
—Lifetime's tapes are stereo
—Some of the episodes available for viewing uncut at the Museum of TV and Radio are stereo

But the DVDs are mono. I just don't know what to say.

 

[Andrew Budgell]

I took Robert's advice and just filled out the form at the Disney DVD Techincal Support regarding the lack of Stereo on these episodes. I hope you will all do the same or call in with your complaints.

Andy

 

[RobertSiegel]

Boy, I am angry today. Finally I got through to the guy in Customer service at Buena Vista Home Video, whom I made a report with after the first set was released. The response to him from the marketing/tech department is this:

"The Golden Girls were not in stereo. The reason they are on Lifetime is that Lifetime probably altered the mono track to become stereo for the broadcasts.' CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT ONE? This is TRUE stereo on Lifetime, 5 times a day. Horns in the right, audience in the surrounds. I reminded him of the 5th episode on disc 3 on the first set, that switches to full stereo surround for 2 minutes.

To everyone who cares, PLEASE keep sending in complaints. He gave me this address for a letter:

Buena Vista Home Entertainment
PO box 3100
Neenah, WI 54957-3100

also go to:

http://video.movies.go.com/support/home.html

and click on "report a problem." I plan on not buying any more of these sets until they are stereo. It's sad that Buena Vista takes us for fools with this type of response.

 

[JeffWld]

Of course what BV didn't count on was the C-band satellite tapers who used to get the master tape feed of this show with production slates that included the STEREO left-right channel subcarrier frequencies notated.

One possibility is that BV forced a deliberate mono mix in the interest of encoding to reduce consumed disc space so they could tweak the bit rate to an acceptable video level while still squeezing a specific number of episodes per disc for the set.

 

[DaViD Boulet]

Encoding a 2.0 DD signal at 192 kbps wouldn't have hurt play-time...my guess is that it was simply a mistake and for some reason the folks in charge are being protected from getting the info on correcting the issue and marketing is trying to do damage control.

My rep should be back from his trip so I can now get in touch and I'll let you know what I can find out.

 

[RobertSiegel]

David, thanks for doing extra work on this and talking to your rep. I have been to every Golden Girls website, spent the last 2 days emailing the webmasters in hopes they will post this story, and also gave them the place to contact with complaints. I have also found all YAHOO, MSN and other sites that have clubs and groups, some have over 1,000 members each, and posted there too, so hopefully they will be getting alot of complaints on this issue, which can only help. I am worried we will be stuck with dvd releases of all 7 seasons in mono. What's sad is that episode 5 on disc 3 of the first set switches to stereo for 2 minutes (or so), so their answer to me that they were never stereo is really idiotic. They sound AWESOME on Lifetime! In addition, through the website SAVEDISNEY.COM, I was even to obtain several members of the Disney Board of Directers emails, and I even wrote them (doesn't hurt). I am on a crusade because I don't think this is right and want to save the next 5 sets from mono.

Again I ask all fans to make a complaint, I posted the web site previously-look up about 4 posts.

 

[Malcolm R]

Why would BVHE have a customer service office in Wisconsin?

Did he give you a fake address just to get you off the phone?

 

[RobertSiegel]

Malcolm, no, Wisconsin is where Buena Vista's tech support and customer service is...because I have seen it on web sites and also it's on Disney's site when you click on tech support. The person I talked to has been very friendly and helpful. I think they located there probably because it was a very inexpensive place to be. Also I emailed Disney once and they said to contact their tech support for dvd's, which is in Wisconsin. Gee, I am only a few hours away, maybe I'll go and do some screaming lol

 

[Shawn_Sm]

Anyway, thank you Buena Vista for releasing them at all.

 

[RobertSiegel]

David, I found one of the main sound men on Golden Girls. He said he will send me a letter stating that he actually recorded and mixed many of the shows, including most from seasons 1-4, and they were all in stereo, and all of the music was full stereo and that the audience track was mixed to surround stereo. Now what will Buena Vista have to say, that he was never on the credits?

Some of you may think I am carrying this too far, but this is my favorite comedy of all time. I waited years to have uncut episodes in stereo. For me as an audio nut, the sound is actually more important than the picture (unless the picture really stinks). When I feel I am being ripped off, I fight back! And I won't let up on Buena Vista. I am sure some people could care less, but when I consider spending 40.00 for a dvd, it better sound as good or better than a cable tv channel. The show sounds AWESOME on Lifetime. I really thought the first season was stereo that's why I bought it, as even the box says so. Too bad the only stereo there is the 5th episode on disc 3, 7 minutes into the episode, it switches to stereo for 45 seconds.

 

[Alan_H]

Not at all. The Golden Girls is one of my 10 favorite shows of all-time. I want to experience it on DVD in the best quality possible - both picture and sound. I think what you're doing is great. Thank you Robert!

 

[Steve JD]

No Robert, you are not "going too far".
Buena Vista is doing a lousy job on this, and they need to shape up! Golden Girls is one of the best sitcoms in TV history, and it deserves the best DVD presentation possible.

When something is recorded in stereo and it ends up on DVD in mono for no reason, I feel like screaming bloody murder!
I can understand the stereo tracks of an early 50s motion picture getting lost/misplaced, but a 20-year-old sitcom that still plays in stereo on TV every day?? GIVE ME A BREAK!! The original tracks are obviously not burried in a damp vault, or lying at the bottom of the Pacific!

Season 2 is my favorite, and I was really looking forward to the stereo sound, especially after being cheated out of it on Season 1.

 

[DaViD Boulet]

Robert,

You're not carrying this too far. Every cause needs a champion...and it's great that you're pioneering the effort to get this problem resolved. A DVD-set like the Golden Girls should be as good as it can be...and providing the original stereo sound is a bare-minimum requirement!