Doctor Who: Series 1-7 Limited Edition Blu-ray Giftset Available for Preorder (1 Viewer)

I guess the really big question is, will this release contain any of the extras that were missed on previous releases (for example, the collection of deleted scenes that were supposedly "lost" before the Series One DVDs came out, and was supposedly "found" on a hard drive after it was too late to include them.

One thing to keep in mind: when The Next Doctor was upscaled for "The Specials", a line of dialogue went missing. There is the potential for more mistakes this time around as it's four years worth of episodes this time.

If it's just going to be straight upscales of what's already been released, then no-thank-you as far as I'm concerned. My Oppo does a fine job with upscaling on its own. I'm sure the UK market would also appreciate "The Specials" to be included in 50i on the (yet unsolicited) Region B version, since they got saddled with the same 60i conversion the US got because the BBC cheaped-out.

I suspect, though, "The Specials" and "Series 5-7" will be clones of the existing discs. I also suspect that 1080p is a misprint and it will be 1080i as with most other BBC Blu-rays.

AndyMcKinney said:

I guess the really big question is, will this release contain any of the extras that were missed on previous releases (for example, the collection of deleted scenes that were supposedly "lost" before the Series One DVDs came out, and was supposedly "found" on a hard drive after it was too late to include them.

One thing to keep in mind: when The Next Doctor was upscaled for "The Specials", a line of dialogue went missing. There is the potential for more mistakes this time around as it's four years worth of episodes this time.

If it's just going to be straight upscales of what's already been released, then no-thank-you as far as I'm concerned. My Oppo does a fine job with upscaling on its own. I'm sure the UK market would also appreciate "The Specials" to be included in 50i on the (yet unsolicited) Region B version, since they got saddled with the same 60i conversion the US got because the BBC cheaped-out.

I suspect, though, "The Specials" and "Series 5-7" will be clones of the existing discs. I also suspect that 1080p is a misprint and it will be 1080i as with most other BBC Blu-rays.

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TSoD reports that yes, seasons 1-4 and The Next Doctor are just upscaled versions.

http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Doctor-Series-1-through-7-Blu/18719

Send it back thru the Retardis.

The Obsolete Man said:

TSoD reports that yes, seasons 1-4 and The Next Doctor are just upscaled versions.

http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Doctor-Series-1-through-7-Blu/18719

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That they're upscales is a given. What isn't known for sure, though, is whether the bonus features will be exactly the same, or some stuff will be added (or changed) from DVD releases.

What also isn't known is if these are going to be 1080i/60 (as per "The Next Doctor"), or 4% slowed-down to 1080p/24 (and also whether the UK is getting it at all, and if so, are they going to once again be stuck with a standards conversion, or a proper 1080i/50 version).

Would be nice if they could include the full Confidental episodes this time by I doubt it.

Lord Dalek said:

Would be nice if they could include the full Confidental episodes this time by I doubt it.

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I think music licencing costs (mostly) will prevent that from happening.

Interesting. When I talked to the team in charge of mastering the classic episodes for dvd at a con, they were confident that seasons 1-4 would NEVER be available on blu-ray. Not only were these standard definition, but the 24 frame format degraded it even further. The res on these was below videotape! DVD was more resolution than these episodes needed.

Sadly, I still want these just for the thin cases.

Jonathan_Clarke said:

Interesting. When I talked to the team in charge of mastering the classic episodes for dvd at a con, they were confident that seasons 1-4 would NEVER be available on blu-ray. Not only were these standard definition, but the 24 frame format degraded it even further. The res on these was below videotape! DVD was more resolution than these episodes needed.

Sadly, I still want these just for the thin cases.

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If you can play Region 2/PAL, the Complete Series 1-4 DVD boxset will give you much thinner cases than the individual DVD releases...

AndyMcKinney said:

One thing to keep in mind: when The Next Doctor was upscaled for "The Specials", a line of dialogue went missing. There is the potential for more mistakes this time around as it's four years worth of episodes this time.

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Which line of dialogue? Was the picture missing also, or just audio?

Jonathan_Clarke said:

Interesting. When I talked to the team in charge of mastering the classic episodes for dvd at a con, they were confident that seasons 1-4 would NEVER be available on blu-ray. Not only were these standard definition, but the 24 frame format degraded it even further. The res on these was below videotape! DVD was more resolution than these episodes needed.

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The only Doctor Who story (aside from the Peter Cushing movies) to be shot 24 frames per second was the 1996 Eighth Doctor TV movie that was a co-production between Fox and the BBC. The classic episodes were shot either 50i or 25p. From Planet of the Dead onwards, the new episodes have been shot 1080p25. Series 1-4 and The Next Doctor were shot 50i that was then "filmised" to 25p for broadcast.

Because PAL is 576i50 and the Region 1 DVDs were 480i60, there might be a modest boost in resolution for North American buyers with the upscaled Blu-Rays. But it's still going to look like crap compared to the legitimately high definition episodes. Instead of upscaling, I'd rather they just carry over the standard definition transfers and fit a lot more episodes onto each Blu-Ray disc.

Bryan Tuck said:

Which line of dialogue? Was the picture missing also, or just audio?

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I don't know from first-hand experience, but It was noted by Stephen James Walker in his book 'End of Ten'. The errors in the blu-ray upscale of "The Next Doctor" are:1. a missing line of Doctor's dialogue;2. another line of dialogue is a different take from the transmitted (& DVD) version;3. some different incidental music;4. a missing electronic effect in the Miss Hartigan scenes immediately following

Since that time, Stephen has reportedly told someone it's been awhile since he wrote that and doesn't remember the exact details anymore.

AndyMcKinney said:

I don't know from first-hand experience, but It was noted by Stephen James Walker in his book 'End of Ten'. The errors in the blu-ray upscale of "The Next Doctor" are:1. a missing line of Doctor's dialogue;2. another line of dialogue is a different take from the transmitted (& DVD) version;3. some different incidental music;4. a missing electronic effect in the Miss Hartigan scenes immediately following

Spoiler

her conversion into the CyberKing Controller.

Since that time, Stephen has reportedly told someone it's been awhile since he wrote that and doesn't remember the exact details anymore.

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If those are all audio issues, then it's nothing to do with the upscale, but with the 5.1 remix. Could be creative revisions, could be an accident. Thanks for bringing it up, though; weird.

Bryan Tuck said:

If those are all audio issues, then it's nothing to do with the upscale, but with the 5.1 remix. Could be creative revisions, could be an accident. Thanks for bringing it up, though; weird.

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I assumed on point 4, about a missing "electronic" effect, it might have meant a video FX shot, but perhaps it was sound FX. I guess there's really no way to know without sitting down and watching both versions, and I know that I am certainly not up for that task!

New York – September 4, 2013 – The only thing better than watching Doctor Who is watching it in high definition, which is why BBC Home Entertainment is celebrating Doctor Who’s 50th anniversary with the release of Doctor Who: The Complete Series 1-7 Limited Edition Blu-ray Gift Set on November 5, 2013. The set includes the complete adventures of the Ninth Doctor (Christopher Eccleston, Thor: The Dark World) and Tenth Doctor (David Tennant, Broadchurch, Fright Night), available in newly remastered Blu-ray versions at full 1080p resolution for the first time ever, sitting alongside those of the Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith) in this high definition collection. The Home Entertainment team has gone above and beyond to bring fans the best possible experience, and have also fully remastered the complete Tenth Doctor Specials as well as The Complete Fifth and Sixth Series (previously available on Blu-ray), to full 1080p resolution as well. Throw in the new Doctor Who: The Complete Seventh Series Blu-ray set along with hours and hours of bonus features from the past collections PLUS 120 minutes of bonus material that has never previously been available on disc, as well as more goodies than you can shake a sonic screwdriver at, and this is one blue box that just might actually be bigger on the inside.
And speaking of sonic screwdrivers…
“Who looks at a screwdriver and thinks, ‘Ooh, this could be a little more sonic.’?”
- Captain Jack Harkness
Any fan of Doctor Who will be glad to tell you that all screwdrivers could stand to be a bit more sonic. And that’s why we’ve included the original Doctor Who Universal Remote Control Sonic Screwdriver, a gesture-based remote control replica of the Eleventh Doctor’s trusty tool, in the Doctor Who: The Complete Series 1-7 Limited Edition Blu-ray Gift Set. Crafted from real metals and featuring sound effects from the show, you can impress your friends when you turn on your television with a wave of your hand and feel like a Time Lord yourself.
With 29 blu-ray discs of episodes, specials and bonus features, plus the Universal Remote Control Sonic Screwdriver, 3 exclusive art cards and an exclusive comic book, this limited edition gift set will keep on giving for years to come.

Doctor Who: The Complete Series 1-7 Limited Edition Blu-ray Gift Set includes:
New to Blu-ray/ 1080p Resolution:
Doctor Who: The Complete First Series, starring Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper
Doctor Who: The Complete Second Series, starring David Tennant and Billie Piper
Doctor Who: The Complete Third Series, starring David Tennant and Freema Agyeman
Doctor Who: The Complete Fourth Series, starring David Tennant and Catherine Tate
Also included in1080p Resolution:
Doctor Who: The Complete Specials, starring David Tennant
Doctor Who: The Complete Fifth Series, starring Matt Smith and Karen Gillan
Doctor Who: The Complete Sixth Series, starring Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill
Doctor Who: The Complete Seventh Series, starring Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, Arthur Darvill, and Jenna-Louise Coleman

Bonus Blu-ray disc includes:
· “The Doctor Who Ultimate List of Lists” from BBC AMERICA’s The Brit List - BBC AMERICA’s pop culture correspondent, Asha Leo (@ashaleo), is joined by special guest John Barrowman (“Torchwood,” “Doctor Who”) to announce the rankings of the “Top Five Companions,” “Top Five Scariest Moments,” “Top Five Best Monsters,” “Top Five Guest Stars” and “Top Five Things You’ll Only See on Doctor Who.” Rankings are based on votes from readers of BBCAMERICA.com’s Anglophenia blog.
· Doctor Who at the Proms 2010 - Doctor Who’s own Karen Gillen and Arthur Darvill host a spectacular evening of music from the series played live by the London Philharmonic Orchestra at London’s historic Royal Albert Hall. Includes video projections, appearances by the monsters and a special guest appearance from 11th Doctor Matt Smith. For the first time, the collection will include the full 90-minute concert and has been remastered in 5.1 Surround Sound.
· Doctor Who: The Best of the Christmas Specials - This previously unreleased special from December 2011 takes an inside look at the very best moments from the incredible Doctor Who Christmas specials that have captivated audiences around the world. A collection of fans from the celebrity, comedy, sci-fi and digital worlds discuss their favorite moments from both David Tennant and Matt Smith era Christmas episodes.
Other additional items include:
· The Doctor Who Universal Remote Control Sonic Screwdriver
· 3 exclusive original art cards
· An exclusive Doctor Who comic book
About BBC Worldwide Americas:
BBC Worldwide is the main commercial arm and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). BBC Worldwide Americas brings together all of BBC Worldwide businesses across North and South America. The company exists to maximize the value of the BBC’s assets for the benefit of the UK license payer, and invests in public service programming in return for rights. The company has five core businesses: Channels, Content & Production, Sales & Distribution, Consumer Products and Digital. Under these businesses fall two key brands in the U.S. – digital cable channel BBC AMERICA and BBC Worldwide Productions, the production arm responsible for the smash hit Dancing with the Stars.

Has anyone gotten this? I've been reading on other forums that on at least Seasons 1-4, the episodes have actually been slowed down to 24p as part of the remastering process.

Does anyone know if this is true? It certainly seems to be the case on the new Day of the Doctor Blu-ray.

Bryan Tuck said:

Has anyone gotten this? I've been reading on other forums that on at least Seasons 1-4, the episodes have actually been slowed down to 24p as part of the remastering process.

Does anyone know if this is true? It certainly seems to be the case on the new Day of the Doctor Blu-ray.

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For Region A/US, I think everything has been slowed down to 24p (unless The Specials are 1080i/60 like the previous release), but also pitch-corrected so the audio doesn't sound too slow. Since the masters for the show were 580i/50hz (for the SD episodes) and 1080i/50 for the HD ones (both of which aren't 100% compatible with USA blu-ray specs), they had two choices in presenting this material to the US audience: either slowed-down to 24p (allowing it to be progressive), or converting it to 1080i/60 (meaning it'd be interlaced). Given that the first option actually means slowing down the footage, I don't personally think it's the best way to go (Acorn did this with Life on Mars for their upscaled Blu-ray version, but didn't use pitch correction, a really bad move). Is it really worth slowing down/pitch correction just for it to be progressive?

Day of the Doctor is in its original 1080i/50hz format for its UK/Region B release (the same as the UK Series 5, Series 6 and Series 7 blu-rays), but you have to have a compatible player and/or TV to be able to handle 1080i/50 in the US (since that frame rate was "conveniently" left out of the US blu-ray specs).

Wonder if it's better and less expensive to just buy the UK dvd (series 1-4 + 2008-2010 specials) and bluray (series 5+) versions, than the American versions of the same titles. (Assuming one can play and watch region 2 dvds and region B blurays).

I recently got into Doctor Who and picked up the UK DVD versions of series 1-4 and UK Blu-ray versions of the 2008-2010 specials for just under $70 US shipped (Amazon UK). I picked up the US Blu-ray versions of the complete series 5 and 6 for just under $20 a piece (BestBuy and Amazon). I assume the US Blu-ray of the complete series 7 will be that price eventually.

I've had no issues watching the US Blu-rays for series 5 and 6. While I'm fine going region 2 for DVD's, I prefer region free or region A with Blu-ray's even though I can support alternate regions on Blu-rays. The variations in price across regions plays a big role.

The Amazon UK price for the earlier series has gone up a bit but I'm sure it will go down again (I got it last month). I believe BestBuy currently has series 5 and 6 US Blu-rays for $17 right now.

My main issue has less to do with price, and more to do with differences between pal and ntsc, and more recently the differences between how hd resolution tv shows are filmed in the UK and US (ie. 25 frames per second vs. 24 frames per second respectively).

Over the years I've picked up some dvds of UK tv shows, converted specifically for the US market. It turned out some US dvd versions were like complete hack jobs, especially when it comes to interlacing issues. In contrast, UK tv shows on region 2 dvd discs didn't have these conversion issues.