Blu-ray Review A Few Words About A few words about...™ - Columbo The 1970s-- in Blu-ray (2 Viewers)

[Tony Bensley]

FTR the very first Colombo anything (Enough Rope from 1960) isn't on here.

WOW! What a revelation! I never even knew this existed!!

This Episode was actually streamed on YouTube a few months back by special permission from UCLA:


ENJOY!!!

 

[Dan McW]

WOW! What a revelation! I never even knew this existed!!

This Episode was actually streamed on YouTube a few months back by special permission from UCLA:


ENJOY!!!

Thank you for posting this. I highly enjoyed it, as you predicted! I've been a fan of Columbo since watching some of the original Mystery Movie segments as a kid. This is as the intro said the Prescription: Murder story several years before Peter Falk debuted as Columbo in the same story. This hourlong version seems to hit all the high spots of the Falk version, which was twice as long as this one.

 

[Reed Grele]

Already own the Japanese box set (which includes ALL the episodes up to the 2000's). Wondering if the transfers are really that much better than what I already have?

 

[Jack P]

Okay, I think the time has come to point out that in at least two Season 1 episodes, "Dead Weight" and "Blueprint For Murder" there is clearly some serious problems with the sound mixing. In multiple scenes I noticed that the backround noise is practically drowning out the dialogue and it just about required me to use the subtitles. This is evident in the scene where Eddie Albert takes Columbo out on his boat where you can hardly hear anything above the engine noise but it's also clear in scenes like when Columbo is first interviewing Suzanne Pleshette at her home and the background music is way too loud (and the background F/X at the animal park where Albert sees Pleshette are also much too loud).

Proof that there's been a screwup became clear in "Blueprint For Murder" at 51 minutes there's a scene where Columbo is talking to a foreman on a noisy construction site. You can hardly make out what they're saying. After this I pulled out the old DVD, and on that the sound mix is different. The dialogue is clearer and distinct and isn't overwhelmed by the background noise.

Unfortunately my plans to give away my old DVDs to a friend just went out the window. I think this needs to be studied more carefully because these episodes, while they look better do not sound better to my ears. And on top of the debacle surrounding the thing I won't mention any longer, this is only further underscoring what a tremendous letdown this release has turned out to be for me as a Columbo fan.

 

[Robert Harris]

Okay, I think the time has come to point out that in at least two Season 1 episodes, "Dead Weight" and "Blueprint For Murder" there is clearly some serious problems with the sound mixing. In multiple scenes I noticed that the backround noise is practically drowning out the dialogue and it just about required me to use the subtitles. This is evident in the scene where Eddie Albert takes Columbo out on his boat where you can hardly hear anything above the engine noise but it's also clear in scenes like when Columbo is first interviewing Suzanne Pleshette at her home and the background music is way too loud (and the background F/X at the animal park where Albert sees Pleshette are also much too loud).

Proof that there's been a screwup became clear in "Blueprint For Murder" at 51 minutes there's a scene where Columbo is talking to a foreman on a noisy construction site. You can hardly make out what they're saying. After this I pulled out the old DVD, and on that the sound mix is different. The dialogue is clearer and distinct and isn't overwhelmed by the background noise.

Unfortunately my plans to give away my old DVDs to a friend just went out the window. I think this needs to be studied more carefully because these episodes, while they look better do not sound better to my ears. And on top of the debacle surrounding the thing I won't mention any longer, this is only further underscoring what a tremendous letdown this release has turned out to be for me as a Columbo fan.

I’m just guessing here, but TV series during this era were budgeted quite low, and any savings by not adding a level of ADR was dearly to be wished. I don’t have the answer as to why the tracks on the DVDs may be different, but in a general sense, all of these tracks were generally meant to be heard via a single cheap six inch speaker.

 

[Nelson Au]

I wonder if the optional music and FX track is engaging in the scenes that Jack refers to? In the Star Trek TOS blu ray set, there are a couple of episodes where the new sound effects mix bleeds into the original mono audio track during playback. But I can see that RAH’s explanation makes sense. I’ve seen outdoors scenes on shows of the era where the dialogue is hard to hear.

 

[Jack P]

The idea that maybe the Music/FX track is sort of "doubling up" in those episodes also occurred to me, though not being an expert I'm not sure how that could happen. After finishing Season 1, I jumped ahead to my favorite post-Season 1 episode, "Forgotten Lady" and that had no problems.

"Columbo" was a show that frequently resorted to studio looping, especially in Season 1 when Falk misbehaved a number of times (in "Dead Weight" he walked off in the middle of the shoot of the last scene. Pay close attention to when Columbo and Pleshette are walking out at the end. That's Falk's stand-in)

 

[mskaye]

The idea that maybe the Music/FX track is sort of "doubling up" in those episodes also occurred to me, though not being an expert I'm not sure how that could happen. After finishing Season 1, I jumped ahead to my favorite post-Season 1 episode, "Forgotten Lady" and that had no problems.

"Columbo" was a show that frequently resorted to studio looping, especially in Season 1 when Falk misbehaved a number of times (in "Dead Weight" he walked off in the middle of the shoot of the last scene. Pay close attention to when Columbo and Pleshette are walking out at the end. That's Falk's stand-in)

Having nothing to do w the blu ray concerns, just wanted to link this podcast which I find enjoyable.

 

[Douglas R]

A ‘reviewer’ on Amazon complains that the picture doesn’t completely fill his TV screen. A pity Amazon can’t stop people from posting ignorant comments.

 

[mskaye]

A ‘reviewer’ on Amazon complains that the picture doesn’t completely fill his TV screen. A pity Amazon can’t stop people from posting ignorant comments.

have you people seen this ?
https://amblin.com/tv/columbo-murder-by-the-book/

 

[Reed Grele]

Okay, I think the time has come to point out that in at least two Season 1 episodes, "Dead Weight" and "Blueprint For Murder" there is clearly some serious problems with the sound mixing. In multiple scenes I noticed that the backround noise is practically drowning out the dialogue and it just about required me to use the subtitles. This is evident in the scene where Eddie Albert takes Columbo out on his boat where you can hardly hear anything above the engine noise but it's also clear in scenes like when Columbo is first interviewing Suzanne Pleshette at her home and the background music is way too loud (and the background F/X at the animal park where Albert sees Pleshette are also much too loud).

Proof that there's been a screwup became clear in "Blueprint For Murder" at 51 minutes there's a scene where Columbo is talking to a foreman on a noisy construction site. You can hardly make out what they're saying. After this I pulled out the old DVD, and on that the sound mix is different. The dialogue is clearer and distinct and isn't overwhelmed by the background noise.

Unfortunately my plans to give away my old DVDs to a friend just went out the window. I think this needs to be studied more carefully because these episodes, while they look better do not sound better to my ears. And on top of the debacle surrounding the thing I won't mention any longer, this is only further underscoring what a tremendous letdown this release has turned out to be for me as a Columbo fan.

I'll check my Japanese Columbo box set and report back whether I notice anything like you described.

 

[ahollis]

I watched 3 episodes of Colombo on steaming. They really pulled me in. My set is on the way.

 

[Wayne Klein]

I have to wonder if the lawsuit that the estate of the creators filed had a hand in losing the extras.

 

[Wayne Klein]

I’d love if Kino (since they paid for it) would put out the commentary tracks as podcasts or downloads,

 

[Jack P]

The audio problem I mentioned on the Season 1 episodes hasn't come up again on any later season ones.

 

[Wayne Klein]

The audio problem I mentioned on the Season 1 episodes hasn't come up again on any later season ones.

Good to hear. It missed my Xmas list so I’ll be getting this shortly for my bday.

 

[Wayne Klein]

A ‘reviewer’ on Amazon complains that the picture doesn’t completely fill his TV screen. A pity Amazon can’t stop people from posting ignorant comments.

Those idiots crack me up. The same person also did a review of Babylon 5 and said the same thing.

 

[Tony Bensley]

Those idiots crack me up. The same person also did a review of Babylon 5 and said the same thing.

They've obviously never owned a flat screen!

CHEERS!

 

[Anthonydasher]

Did anyone get 2 disc 1’s and no disc 2 for season 1? I’ve been trying to deal with Kino for a replacement disc for weeks but had no luck. I finally gave up and returned the set for a refund. the situation has left me extremely disappointed with Kino. I’m not replacing it. Just wondering if anyone else had issues with the discs themselves.

 

[madfloyd]

While I remember Columbo being on TV and I'm sure I've watched some of it (more like it was on in the background) I don't think I've ever watched an episode. Last night, as a warmup to watching something else I was planning to watch, I chose the episode from the 2nd season with Leonard Nimoy. I was totally sucked in and quite surprised that it was 97 minutes long. I guess the TV 'episodes' were actually 2 hour movies.

So I quite enjoyed it but don't know how often I'll choose to watch the series knowing it would be my evening's fill.

As already reported, very good picture quality.