Warner Archive Streaming Service has The Detective Shows! (1 Viewer)

[Ron1973]

One question: What's a Roku?

I don't exactly know all about it but it's some sort of streaming device that lets you stream "channels" from the Internet. I'm going to check into to it as the only thing I keep my satellite for is Hee Haw as I watch Netflix or YouTube anymore. If I can find a way to stream RFD-TV AND record the episodes, I'm going to ditch the satellite.

 

[Ethan Riley]

Wish I didn't even click on it--they've got a lot of hi def movies that I want, that aren't yet on blu ray!!

 

[Garysb]

Wish I didn't even click on it--they've got a lot of hi def movies that I want, that aren't yet on blu ray!!

The "Americanization of Emily" looked great. " The Mask Of Fu Manchu " looks surprisingly good for a film released in 1932. A big difference between Fu and "Red Headed Woman" which was released the same year. More grain in Woman.

 

[Ed Lachmann]

They've got a lot of hi def movies that will probably never be on blu-ray. Many of my favorites and most desired, in fact, the kind of stuff old timers like me fantasize about being able to buy. But you REALLY want to see some great hi def movies that will never be on blu-ray take a gander at the EpixHD site. That's the one that Paramount, MGM and Lionsgate started up. Things I've only dreamed of are available there, for streaming ONLY, of course. Too bad there's not a "path to ownership" involved in all this, but then, that's the world we live in these days. The same Roku boxes are advised for Epix, as well.

 

[mark-edk]

Hawaiian Eye has found its way to the Roku now.

 

[mark-edk]

Different episodes have different music by different artists,writers and publishers, it's as simple as that.

As I go thru the Sunset Strip episodes I noticed one song was used in one way or another in three or four different episodes. So I looked it up and it turns out to have been written for an old Warner Bros musical. I checked a number of other songs whose titles I recognized and I was able to trace all but one as originating in a WB movie...and the one that didn't was used previously in several WB films. I suspect the episodes that have been 'cleared' use primarily or entirely songs that belong to WB and so do not need clearing. Just a speculation on my part but I imagine they would've preferred to use songs they own to keep costs down on filming 77 where possible, rather than needlessly pay to use somebody else's. Unrelated but I noticed in one of the episodes with a musical number by the Frankie Ortega trio that the bass player on screen was different from the other episodes. It sure looked to me like a youngish John Larch standing in and pretending to play.

 

[Neil Brock]

So, still trying to understand this system. Can I play it on my television? Because I have no interest in sitting in my chair and watching shows on my computer screen.

 

[Michael Elliott]

If you're talking about Roku then yes, it hooks up directly to your television. Just plug it up (takes about 2 minutes) and then you can stream from Amazon, Hulu, Netflix and about a hundred other sites. I think there are about four different models but the two highest are the ones you'll want to get. The higher of the two has built in WiFi as well as a wired connector, which some people might need.

 

[Ron1973]

So, still trying to understand this system. Can I play it on my television? Because I have no interest in sitting in my chair and watching shows on my computer screen.

Neil, most TV's now have it where you can hook in the monitor output. For me, I have a Dell mini-duo with an HDMI out on it to the TV which is a 55" LG LED. My personal computer is hooked up via the regular monitor output to a 32" Toshiba TV. I don't know how practical it would be for you to hook up your computer to the TV but it can be done.

If you're talking about Roku then yes, it hooks up directly to your television. Just plug it up (takes about 2 minutes) and then you can stream from Amazon, Hulu, Netflix and about a hundred other sites. I think there are about four different models but the two highest are the ones you'll want to get. The higher of the two has built in WiFi as well as a wired connector, which some people might need.

Is there a video output of some sort for DVD recording? I don't have an interest in recording most streaming programs as they will probably continue to be shown. On the other hand, if I'm streaming a satellite channel that may not show a particular program again, is there any way of doing it? For instance, RFD-TV shows Hee-Haw on Sunday night. They show the same show again when they do another run through of the particular season but once that is done, they don't show it again. I want to be able to archive it to DVD like I do with satellite on the DVR. I'd particularly love to get out from under this ridiculous satellite bill I pay every month and rarely watch it!

 

[mark-edk]

Yes you can record from a Roku. The model I have, in addition to the HDMI connection, has a standard composite video output along with L and R phono jacks for stereo audio. While I've never recorded anything from the Warner Archive stream, I've read elsewhere that with some pay services the stream is copy protected, and DVD recorders will refuse to record it unless the copy protection is somehow neutralized.

 

[Ron1973]

Yes you can record from a Roku. The model I have, in addition to the HDMI connection, has a standard composite video output along with L and R phono jacks for stereo audio. While I've never recorded anything from the Warner Archive stream, I've read elsewhere that with some pay services the stream is copy protected, and DVD recorders will refuse to record it unless the copy protection is somehow neutralized.

As long as it's composite out I would be fine. Obviously Hee Haw isn't hi-def and I don't see anyone investing the kind of money it would take to transfer 23 years of videotaped episodes to HD! It appears RFD-TV allows online streaming for a subscription but absolutely no clue if they carry Hee Haw or if it's copy protected, though.

 

[aftabafta]

As long as it's composite out I would be fine. Obviously Hee Haw isn't hi-def and I don't see anyone investing the kind of money it would take to transfer 23 years of videotaped episodes to HD! It appears RFD-TV allows online streaming for a subscription but absolutely no clue if they carry Hee Haw or if it's copy protected, though.

Typical misinformed person that screws stuff for everyone you are, the videotape used until the late 90's was SD only 480i max resolution, so ANY conversion to HD would be unconverted messes

 

[Ron1973]

Typical misinformed person that screws stuff for everyone you are, the videotape used until the late 90's was SD only 480i max resolution, so ANY conversion to HD would be unconverted messes

Wow, such a nice person YOU are, huh? Not! Inform me since you know so much!

 

[Ed Lachmann]

I don't know about these recent 1080 boxes I see on the Roku site. There are two, the low end Roku XD that has only an HDMI out and the "deluxe" Roku 2 XS, which also has an ethernet and a USB port. I'd imagine that there is a copy protection restriction from both WB and EPIX going in to these, but am not sure how that works or if it can be circumvented. As much as I am NOT a "streaming kind of guy", I could imagine that these devices might someday be able to process a once only download that one pays WB or EPIX for. This option would certainly give a flicker of hope that some of these incredible titles might be purchased and subsequently burned on a home BDR device for personal archive and use, originating from a once only download from the source for some amount of money. It would be the ONLY way I personally might behind this whole thing. Perhaps a "path to ownership" might be a viable addition to the whole rigamorole. Damn it, I want to own THE VIKINGS, SOLOMON AND SHEBA, FELLINI SATYRICON and ROMA, FREAKS and AUNTIE MAME in BD!

 

[mark-edk]

From their Facebook page: Attn: Warner Archive Instant registration for invites is now closed. The final batch of invites will go out later today, so check your in boxes. Anyone registering at bit.ly/WAIBetaReg from now on will be entered on a list to be informed when the site officially launches. Thanks for your interest and stay tuned!

 

[Neil Brock]

Yes you can record from a Roku. The model I have, in addition to the HDMI connection, has a standard composite video output along with L and R phono jacks for stereo audio. While I've never recorded anything from the Warner Archive stream, I've read elsewhere that with some pay services the stream is copy protected, and DVD recorders will refuse to record it unless the copy protection is somehow neutralized.

I ordered a ROKU today and I'll post my findings as to if it can be recorded or not when I get the thing. I seriously doubt that they would go to the trouble of copyguarding 50+ year old TV programs but you never know. Anyway, for every copy guard ever invented, someone invents a copy guard buster, so I'm not too worried.

 

[JoeDoakes]

     Quote: I agree completely with that line of thinking, Richard.  And knowing just a tad about the in-workings of some of the studios (thanks in large part to many insider friends) your hypothetical is exactly the way these things often go down.  It really can be a no win situation for those of us that prefer physical media.  I hope it doesn't go down that way, but I certainly wouldn't be shocked if it did. Gary "not a streaming fan if that's the only option - as a secondary option for rental it's great, but I don't want it becoming the standard and thereby kill physical media" O.

Since Warner Archive is largely a MOD service, I see no reason why they wouldn't offer it MOD if they could. Once they have the streaming master, it's easy enough to put it on a disk. The real issue with these shows seems to be the clearance issue. There may be some episodes with content they don't own and they proabably fear a backlash if they issued a MOD of 77 Sunset Strip: Most of Season One.

 

[mark-edk]

I wonder if they really have that much music to clear. The show was extremely low-budget; they had Efrem Zimbalist walk along side a slanted bannister and gradually scrunch down just so they wouldn't have to build an actual staircase on the set. So, while they probably did use some songs that require clearance, I'd think that would be the exception rather than the rule. Why pay to use a tune when they had a full library of songs at their disposal? I found this on a site dedicated to the show:

Knowledgeable viewers will note that the Warner music catalogue was used extensively in the background of 77. Anyone familiar with the works of the Gershwins, Cole Porter and Rodgers and Hart will not only recognize their songs (controlled by Warner Records) in every episode, but if one knows the lyrics, they will note that the tunes chosen invariably make musical comments on the scenes in which they are played.

There a lot more interesting stuff about the show at this site, including several fascinating interviews with Zimbalist and others, but you'll have to poke all over the place to find them. The linkage isn't very intuitive and some of them don't work as they should. I saw that a few Season 6 episodes showed up online so I watched a few minutes of one of them to remind me what they were like. I'm not surprised that audiences didn't take to such a radical reinvention. Instead of being at a fictional address on Sunset Strip, Bailey's office was now in the historic Bradbury Building on an upper floor, and he worked alone. Ironically this is closer to Roy Huggins's original conception, but it was too great an (unexplained) alteration from the previous five seasons. I have most of season five to finish before I start in on the Webb productions. I still want to see the five-part story that opened the season however (it's not yet listed online); I can still remember a few scenes from it. It might be considered the forerunner of the miniseries.

 

[Professor Echo]

I've had a Roku for over a year and enjoy it as a supplement to my physical media collection. It works better hard wired and with a fast speed, but occasionally glitches out and reboots itself. I hate that it has no power button and needs to be unplugged for manual rebooting. I haven't tried to record from it yet, but Netflix definitely uses a blocker so I'm sure the WB stream will too. From what I heard a couple of years ago many titles at Amazon are not blocked. In any case, not sure about the legalities of it all, so will leave the discussion to others. As for me, streaming the old WB detective shows will probably be good enough as my sampling of them a few years ago did not yield much enthusiasm. For those who love them, I do hope they get released soon.

 

[Richard V]

I wonder if they really have that much music to clear. There a lot more interesting stuff about the show at this site, including several fascinating interviews with Zimbalist and others, but you'll have to poke all over the place to find them. The linkage isn't very intuitive and some of them don't work as they should. quote] Interesting article, in the body of the article it states that WB, loathe to spending money, used all of their own catalog music. If that is the case, then why do they claim they have music issues to clear? According to the article, about the only other music they used was from the Frankie Ortega Trio. Surely they could have cleared this hurdle easily, right?