A Few Words About A few words about...™ The Twilight Zone: The Complete Series -- in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[timk1041]

The version on the Blu-ray looks significantly better than any broadcast, VHS or DVD copy of it that I’ve ever seen. I didn’t think it could look as good as it does.

Yes, but the packaging is about the worst I have ever seen. Discs on top of discs and trying to take them out is tough. The packaging for the DVDs was much better. I might have bought each season separately if I had known, even though buying them that way would cost more.

 

[Tony Bensley]

A pity that "Night of the Meek" was taped rather than filmed.

The version on the Blu-ray looks significantly better than any broadcast, VHS or DVD copy of it that I’ve ever seen. I didn’t think it could look as good as it does.

Most reruns of Meek until recently were sourced from a NOB Kiniscope.

Is this also the case regarding the other 5 videotaped TWILIGHT ZONE episodes? Were they ALL sourced from Night of Broadcast Kinescopes prior to the Blu-ray releases?

I'm thinking of posting some screenshots from all 6 Season 2 videotape sourced episodes from the Blu-ray set. If anyone still has any of the previous DVD editions, please feel free to post screenshots, if you have the time/capability to do so!

CHEERS!

 

[Lord Dalek]

Is this also the case regarding the other 5 videotaped TWILIGHT ZONE episodes? Were they ALL sourced from Night of Broadcast Kinescopes prior to the Blu-ray releases?

On home video the videotape shows have always been sourced from the 2" Quadruplex tapes (even Night of the Meek). Now in the late 60s-early 70s all episodes (save for Season 4 and the four withdrawn Season 5 episodes) were syndicated to local markets on uncut 16mm film copies including the six videotape shows on kinescope. In 1984, Viacom did a new run off the negs for their pre-edited 1" videotape masters (which had the side effect of much of season 1 being replaced by edited rerun versions from Summer 1961). This included the original quads for all but Night of the Meek for some reason. I've speculated that reason being that that particular episode was actually censored to remove Rod wishing the audience a Merry Christmas for its summer 1962 rerun. If you watch the blu-ray you'll notice the audio quality takes a quite audible drop in quality at that point because it was spliced back in from the kine.

Honestly the master tapes for the video shows aren't in the best shape (Static infamously suffers from heavy drop outs and scratching) but considering the state of most shot on video television of the period, it could be worse.

 

[TravisR]

I'm still of the (unpopular) opinion that the "fan favorite" Season 3 is actually far worse than Season 4.

I think the first two seasons are nearly flawless but the cracks start showing in S3. I saw S1-3 and 5 a million times on TV as a kid so maybe I'm just not into the fourth season episodes because I didn't see them until those individual DVDs got released.

 

[Nelson Au]

I’ve recently started to appreciate The Lateness of the Hour that was also a video taped episode. I did wonder if filming it would have improved it. It’s limited to very few sets.

And Long Distance Call is a real winner of an episode! It still gives me the willies. Goes to show a well written and acted show can still deliver the story on lower resolution tape then film.

 

[BobO'Link]

I’ve recently started to appreciate The Lateness of the Hour that was also a video taped episode. I did wonder if filming it would have improved it. It’s limited to very few sets.

And Long Distance Call is a real winner of an episode! It still gives me the willies. Goes to show a well written and acted show can still deliver the story on lower resolution tape then film.

IMHO, filming would have improved *all* of the TZ taped episodes simply because they used standard studio multi-camera production techniques that in those days produced a "stage bound" type atmosphere - very "stagy" in presentation. Basically what you'd get if you videotaped a stage play. It didn't help that tape editing in those years was quite rudimentary and rarely done due to the complexity:

http://cdn.eyesofageneration.com/Content/Viewseum/quadediting.mp4?_=1

The experiment only saved CBS ~$30,000 over the 6 episodes - less than the cost of a single episode (with a budget of $60,000) so was cancelled.

 

[Lord Dalek]

I think the first two seasons are nearly flawless but the cracks start showing in S3. I saw S1-3 and 5 a million times on TV as a kid so maybe I'm just not into the fourth season episodes because I didn't see them until those individual DVDs got released.

At worst Season 4 is just kinda boring and overwritten (especially when its a Rod script). Season 3 on the other hand has honest to god garbage like Once Upon a Time and The Gift.

 

[TravisR]

At worst Season 4 is just kinda boring and overwritten (especially when its a Rod script). Season 3 on the other hand has honest to god garbage like Once Upon a Time and The Gift.

The Gift is arguably the worst episode of the series but at least, it's only half as long as other bad episodes like No Time Like The Past or The Parallel.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

One man’s trash, etc - I like all three of those episodes.

 

[TravisR]

One man’s trash, etc - I like all three of those episodes.

I think those S4 episodes could have been good at thirty minutes.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I think those S4 episodes could have been good at thirty minutes.

Completely agree. I like a lot of them but I’m not sure I truly love any of them. It really is the length - it works against the show’s best quantities.

 

[TravisR]

Completely agree. I like a lot of them but I’m not sure I truly love any of them. It really is the length - it works against the show’s best quantities.

On Thursday We Leave For Home is good at an hour (and the best episode of that season) but after that, it's tough to think of another episode that wouldn't likely be better at 30 minutes.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Even that one, 3/4s of its current length would do fine for me

 

[Lord Dalek]

On Thursday We Leave For Home is good at an hour (and the best episode of that season) but after that, it's tough to think of another episode that wouldn't likely be better at 30 minutes.

Death Ship probably wouldn't work at 30 minutes.

 

[TravisR]

Death Ship probably wouldn't work at 30 minutes.

Embarrassed to say that I forgot about Death Ship but yes, that's another S4 episode that works for me at an hour and is a legitimately good episode.

 

[Tony Bensley]

Is this also the case regarding the other 5 videotaped TWILIGHT ZONE episodes? Were they ALL sourced from Night of Broadcast Kinescopes prior to the Blu-ray releases?

I'm thinking of posting some screenshots from all 6 Season 2 videotape sourced episodes from the Blu-ray set. If anyone still has any of the previous DVD editions, please feel free to post screenshots, if you have the time/capability to do so!

CHEERS!

Sadly, I find myself unable to produce proper screenshots for the TZ Blu-rays.

For some unknown reason, my Leawo Blu-ray software consistently crashes immediately past the 7 second copyright warning!

The only consolation is my Cyberlink PowerDVD software DOES play the Season 2 Blu-ray disc (Likely because the 2010ish authorization by IMAGE Entertainment hasn't been updated, is my best guess!) that includes the "Night of the Meek" episode. However, there is no snapshot feature for that software, and any attempt to Print Screen merely produces a black screen!

Ah, well!

CHEERS!

 

[David_B_K]

Sadly, I find myself unable to produce proper screenshots for the TZ Blu-rays.

For some unknown reason, my Leawo Blu-ray software consistently crashes immediately past the 7 second copyright warning!

The only consolation is my Cyberlink PowerDVD software DOES play the Season 2 Blu-ray disc (Likely because the 2010ish authorization by IMAGE Entertainment hasn't been updated, is my best guess!) that includes the "Night of the Meek" episode. However, there is no snapshot feature for that software, and any attempt to Print Screen merely produces a black screen!

Ah, well!

CHEERS!

I take Blu-ray screenshots with the free VLC media player.

 

[Tony Bensley]

Sadly, I find myself unable to produce proper screenshots for the TZ Blu-rays.

For some unknown reason, my Leawo Blu-ray software consistently crashes immediately past the 7 second copyright warning!

The only consolation is my Cyberlink PowerDVD software DOES play the Season 2 Blu-ray disc (Likely because the 2010ish authorization by IMAGE Entertainment hasn't been updated, is my best guess!) that includes the "Night of the Meek" episode. However, there is no snapshot feature for that software, and any attempt to Print Screen merely produces a black screen!

Ah, well!

CHEERS!

I take Blu-ray screenshots with the free VLC media player.

I can never seem to get past the passcode issue with VLC. I literally just tried it with the Twilight Zone Blu-ray, but nope!

This is what I get, instead:

CHEERS!

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Embarrassed to say that I forgot about Death Ship but yes, that's another S4 episode that works for me at an hour and is a legitimately good episode.

Death Ship is my favorite from S4, but - I think it could benefit from being shorter. The problem for me with every hour long episode is that the extended running time allowed me to get ahead of the storytelling and figure out each reveal or twist instead of being surprised by them, so it’s more a matter of watching and waiting for the inevitable to happen. For the half hour episodes, I love that experience of feeling like the rug was being pulled out from under me at the closing moments of each show. That shouldn’t matter as much rewatching things for the millionth time but I think that memory of the first time kinda sticks in the back of my mind so even if I’m no longer surprised by, to pick one at random, To Serve Man, I remember being surprised each time I revisit it so it’s still a similar experience.

 

[Tony Bensley]

Death Ship is my favorite from S4, but - I think it could benefit from being shorter. The problem for me with every hour long episode is that the extended running time allowed me to get ahead of the storytelling and figure out each reveal or twist instead of being surprised by them, so it’s more a matter of watching and waiting for the inevitable to happen. For the half hour episodes, I love that experience of feeling like the rug was being pulled out from under me at the closing moments of each show. That shouldn’t matter as much rewatching things for the millionth time but I think that memory of the first time kinda sticks in the back of my mind so even if I’m no longer surprised by, to pick one at random, To Serve Man, I remember being surprised each time I revisit it so it’s still a similar experience.

The "To Serve Man" twist ending is absolutely chilling, especially the first time seen, or if you haven't seen it in awhile and forget the ending!

I think you've hit the nail on the head in regards to why the hour long format for TZ is generally far less effective than the half hour episodes with little to no time for getting ahead of the story!

CHEERS!