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Universal re-releasing some of the DVD's previously released on DVD-18s? (1 Viewer)

Charles Smith

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Originally Posted by jimdc58
I'd still like some other people's input as to whether they have seen these discs "go bad" after no issues on the first play.
I also hate to give Universal yet more of my money. Seems they should be replacing the DVD-18's free of charge.

I think that's happened to me, with Legacy sets and the Hammer Horror set.
And I agree that those coasters should be replaced for free or for very minimal handling cost. They're a black mark on the history of name brand DVDs.
 

Nebiroth

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Darby67 said:
As much as it is a long shot, I would love to see Universal re-release all of the Monsters Legacy sets and the Kolchak: The Night Stalker complete series on single-sided discs. Darby
Thankfully the UK release of Kolchak is single-sided discs, as DVD-18's are virtually unknown here. So I just bought that.
 

Dave B Ferris

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JoHud said:
I have the new 10-film "Classic Westerns" set from universal and can confirm that these too are single-sided DVD9s. Three previously MOD-only films are included: Tomahawk, Comanche Territory, and Texas Rangers Ride Again.
Is this set available at any brick-and-mortar retailers? (Tomahawk is the title that has sparked my interest.)
 

Ruz-El

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I had no idea about that classic western set. Buying it now from Amazon.ca for $10. Nice!

More on topic, I've had DVD-18s stop working, stuttering during the layer change that always seems placed in the middle of a scene. Uni needs to do bluray upgrades of the monster legacy sets and Kolchak at a cheap sell point.
 

borisfw

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Russell G said:
I had no idea about that classic western set. Buying it now from Amazon.ca for $10. Nice!

More on topic, I've had DVD-18s stop working, stuttering during the layer change that always seems placed in the middle of a scene. Uni needs to do bluray upgrades of the monster legacy sets and Kolchak at a cheap sell point.
That would solve the problem for me . Upgrade to blu and get rid of those DVD-18s . Sounds good all around . Now if Universal will cooperate .
 

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The thinking-intent behind DVD-18s was to utilize what was considered to be an advanced video technology in more efficiently storing content by fully utilzing the holding capacity of each individual DVD. Unfortunately it was left in the hands of (likely) cheap, unskilled Mexican labour with no quality control standards to speak of and (at least in the case of Universal Pictures Home Entertainment) the results were (predictably) disastrous.

The Hammer Films Horror Collection is most definitely an apt candidate for a quality rerelease considering that 8 feature films were pressed on a mere 2 double-sided discs.

Another reissue should be the ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS - SEASON ONE which I (and a good many others) could never get to entirely play correctly and immediately returned it for a full refund.

Universal is really wasting everyone's time (and taxing our patience) when it issues yet another FRANCIS THE TALKING MULE set with the selfsame 4 films not even bothering to at least complete this series with the (still) outstanding 3.

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has also jumped on the MOD (Manufactured on Demand) bandwagon which currently seems to be very much in vogue. Naturally we are requesting-suggesting that these past film and television releases be made available on the standard DVD (or even blu-ray) format.

Is Universal listening?!

Jeff T.

:rolleyes:
 

Professor Echo

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JoHud said:
I have the new 10-film "Classic Westerns" set from universal and can confirm that these too are single-sided DVD9s. Three previously MOD-only films are included: Tomahawk, Comanche Territory, and Texas Rangers Ride Again.
A big thanks for this post! I also had no idea this was released. Even though it duplicates a title or two from my collection, there are enough new ones to justify getting it. I found it at Sam's Club for $9.99. Imagine buying those three MODs for $20 each and then finding them collected here for a dollar apiece. !!!
 

Jesse Skeen

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VERY disappointed to see Universal giving up on DVD-18s, but NOT giving up on Technicolor's Mexico manufacturing as THAT was the cause of problems, not the format! I have the Francis and both Ma and Pa Kettle DVD-18 discs, which were made by different manufacturers (one was Deluxe, not sure of the others except that they were made in Taiwan) and they play great. In the early days of DVD, DVD-18 was considered the pinnacle of the format's capabilities, but the epidemic of defective discs which were mostly from Technicolor gave it an unfair bad reputation. (I have gotten a few defective 1-sided DVDs that were made by Technicolor in Mexico as well.) The only thing I didn't like about Universal's 2-sided discs were that they had printing ONLY on side 1.

I'm sure many will disagree with me, but likely they just never liked 2-sided discs in the first place, and/or were unable to properly handle them.
 

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Picked up ABBOTT AND COSTELLO, VOL. 1 and THE BOB HOPE AND BING CROSBY ROAD TO COMEDY COLLECTION at Walmart tonight. Both are single-sided discs, four in the A&C set and two in the Hope-Crosby set.

I've never had any problem with the DVD-18s I own, but so many people have had trouble with them, that I've always been a little nervous about them.
 

Joe Karlosi

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I don't know if many are aware, but (for what it's worth) the Universal MOD Series has re-issued some of the BELA LUGOSI COLLECTION DVD-18 films: Murders In The Rue Morgue, Black Friday, The Black Cat, The Raven, and The Invisible Ray. They're also offering The Monster And The Girl.

Of course, these are only dvd-r's, and not any more respectable than DVD-18s. But I'm still hoping that Universal will eventually re-issue ALL of their 'Classic Horrors" on Blu-rays or upgraded DVDs. I think they did pretty well with their CLASSIC MONSTERS COLLECTION that's just come out on a nice Blu-ray Set. My hope is that they one day offer a big box set of all the sequels and others, sort of like what they did with the Abbott & Costello Box.
 

JeffT.

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Thank you for the notification Joe!Why should the Bela Lugosi films be made available on DVD-R while the selfsame FRANCIS THE TALKING MULE COLLECTION, VOLUME ONE is released on standard DVD?This was my concern and if THE HAMMER HORROR CLASSICS are indeed made available again it will hopefully be in a standard DVD release.I didn't realize THE ABBOTT AND COSTELLO COLLECTION multi-volume sets were being released on standard DVD.Jeff T.
 

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Nebiroth said:
Luckily I'm not interested in the many other sets afflicted, like Columbo or the Hitchcock ones, to name but two.
Actually, when they did the complete series release, Universal re-pressed all the Columbo seasons on single sided discs. In fact, they've done that with the complete series sets of most of the TV shows originally released in single season sets on DVD-18s... The Munsters, A-Team, Columbo, Law and Order... those are just ones I know have gotten "upgraded" since the original releases.
 

Joe Karlosi

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JeffT. said:
Thank you for the notification Joe!Why should the Bela Lugosi films be made available on DVD-R while the selfsame FRANCIS THE TALKING MULE COLLECTION, VOLUME ONE is released on standard DVD?Jeff T.
Good question. And I know I'm hoping for much here, but maybe they're saving those Lugosi films for a Blu-ray set down the line. I can't imagine that the TALKING MULE films are deemed more marketable and worth re-issuing officially than the Lugosi Horrors.
 

jimdc58

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battlebeast said:
I'd love to see Skippy on MOD. And several of the Deanna Durbins, including His Butler's Sister and 100 men and a girl.
I would be happy if they just re-released the Deanna Durbin Sweetheart Pack on single sided DVDs! One of my favorite movies (Lady on a Train) is on that set, and I'd really hate to find that it's gone bad!
 

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Seanhtf said:
Picked up ABBOTT AND COSTELLO, VOL. 1 and THE BOB HOPE AND BING CROSBY ROAD TO COMEDY COLLECTION at Walmart tonight. Both are single-sided discs, four in the A&C set and two in the Hope-Crosby set.

I've never had any problem with the DVD-18s I own, but so many people have had trouble with them, that I've always been a little nervous about them.
Hi Sean!

With all due respect, other than price constraints, I cannot understand why anyone would prefer ANY kind of double-sided DVD format. I'm one of those who had problems with some of the original Abbott & Costello Volumes (Volumes 1 and 3, in my case!), when I purchased these from Wal-Mart in the spring of 2005. As far as I'm concerned, stacking 4 layers of data on a single disc is just asking for problems!

U.S. Amazon is currently offering the 2008 "Abbott & Costello: The Complete Universal Pictures Collection," containing all 28 Features for $57.49:
http://www.amazon.com/Abbott-Costello-Complete-Universal-Collection/dp/B001EXE2Y2/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1417309086&sr=1-1&keywords=abbott+and+costello

Believe it or not, Canadian Amazon is offering the recently reissued version of the above set, with more compact casing at the even lower price of $52.99 (In CDN. Dollars!)! Now, that's a first!:
http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00IMH6B60?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

CHEERS! :)

Tony

P.S. I've just ordered "Abbott & Costello: The Complete Universal Pictures Collection," as this is the first time that I've ever seen it priced well below $100 on our Canadian Amazon website!
 

Tony Bensley

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Another marvelous aspect of the ABBOTT & COSTELLO: THE COMPLETE UNIVERSAL PICTURES COLLECTION, is the commentary tracks that are featured in a number of the Films. The one I look most forward to is for BUCK PRIVATES, which features commentary from fellow HTF Member, Bob Furmanek, along with Ron Palumbo!

If only Universal took Bob's advice regarding the final two A&C Universal Titles having been released in Widescreen Format, rather than the 1.37:1 Academy Matte Format (From which it was cropped, either physically, or else by use of a special Projector Lense Frame!), which was commonly shown on television from the 1960's to the 1980's! Oh well, we can't win 'em all!

CHEERS! :)
 

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