Alias possibly coming to DVD in September '03!!! (1 Viewer)

[Mark_Wilson]

It is simulcast in 16X9 so I can't imagine why it wouldn't be.

CSI is simulcast in 16:9 too but the season 1 dvds are 4:3.

 

[Dave F]

The same thing happened to The Shield.

the question of intent and framing for widescreen is a tricky one

Agreed. When there are 2 OAR's, what's a guy to do? (I'm biased towards 16x9 though. )
-Dave

 

[John Simon]

I'd be pretty surprised if these DVDs were not presented in widescreen. The show has really tried to demonstrate a cinematic feel, and I'd guess the widescreen version fits better with that intention.

Just my $0.02...

 

[Mark_Wilson]

The same thing happened to The Shield.

The Shield was shown on FX in 4:3. I'd never heard of it being shown in widescreen anywhere but only 'protected' for 16:9.

 

[Robert Ringwald]

I have episode 2.12 to see, and I'm caught up. A bit ironic that I'll have finally caught up, and then the episode is sort of a new "pilot" lol.

I'll die if it doesn't last a season 3 at least. It's such a great show. But considering the 9 million average ratings, perhaps it'd fair better on FOX or something that appreciates numbers like that more. ABC has a history of cancelling fan shows in hopes of something with better ratings. I hope this doesn't happen with ALIAS. It's truly a great show.

Can't wait for the DVD, and hopefully it'll be in WIDESCREEN.

 

[LennyP]

The Shield is perfect in its 4:3 ratio, it has more of a documentary hand-held kind of feeling and doesn't need widescreen.
Hope Alias is in WS though.

 

[John Simon]

WOOHOO!!! The following comes from TV Guide's second part of their Alias coverage, which can be seen here:

Well, there's one thing Alias fans can count on come fall: The show's first season will be released on DVD. "There are going to be a lot of great special features," he says of the mult-disc set, which is slated to arrive in stores on Sept. 2. "When I filmed the pilot, a good friend of mine shot like eight or nine hours of behind-the-scenes footage and did interviews with most of the cast. So, in addition to a number of other really cool features, we're going to edit together a behind-the-scenes piece on the making of the pilot."

Looks pretty certain! Still no word on whether or not it'll be widescreen, but at least it gives a date! Also, if you're a fan of the show you may want to check out the link for some info on a possible big-screen version of Alias...

 

[Scott Kimball]

It's been reported (don't have the source handy) that Alias will be de-serializing, to an extent, making episodes a bit more self-contained.

I'm not sure I like the idea of toying with the format, but at the same time, I can understand why viewers won't come in mid-stream.

Having only gotten into Buffy the Vampire Slayer with the release of s1 on DVD (and s2 and s3), and with the twice nightly showings on FX, I'd thought I'd give Angel a try and tune in to the show... I can't get into it. There's a couple of season's worth of history I'm missing since the characers left Buffy. I don't know if the DVD sets are worth a buy either...

 

[Jeff Kleist]

The Angel DVD sets are absolutely worth a buy

Yes, you are suffering from missing 3.5 years of backstory

 

[Kent Keltner]

From the Mediaweek Neilsen Ratings listing:

In what ABC hopes will jump-start the critically acclaimed but low-rated series, an 11 p.m. Super Bowl lead-out edition of Alias averaged a 13.3/23. Last year, Malcolm in the Middle in the post Super Bowl time period delivered a similar 14.1/24.

So that's a good sign. I'm just pissed as I set my DirecTivo to record it with a nice little buffer on both sides and went out for a bit to a friends, came home to find out it recorded the post-superbowl stuff and the local news covering the rioting fans in Oakland but no actual episode of Alias. ah well. It'll be good to see the DVD's. (I've been checking the R2 sites for months now. I already have the Futurama dvd's from the UK, signed no less. (when I went to get them signed at the Paley festival last year, everyone thought they were bootlegs at first. Had to explain to them about using the xbox for pal -> ntsc conversion with the aspect ratio intact.)

 

[Matthew_Millheiser]

I've recently started tuning in to Alias, but I gotta admit, it's a tough nut to crack for a newbie. It took a few episodes (and a bit of web research) to get the flow of the show. I think the average TeeVee meathead would try it and pass, feeling that the train has already left the station.

But I do like cake.

 

[John Simon]

Looks like this release is going to have some important to ABC. In a GREAT development, ABC has renewed Alias for a third season. I'm guessing they're hoping they'll get the same kind of boost that 24 received this past season.

 

[Dave F]

Well, Buena Vista saved me $69.95 today. According to DVDFile.com the release will be 4:3. I'll stick with my 16:9 recordings. Thanks fer nuthin', BV.
-Dave

 

[Jason Seaver]

Well, has J.J. Abrahms stated a preference?

 

[Rob T]

It sucks that it won't be in 16x9, but I'll probably still get it since I've only ever watched it in 4:3.

 

[Adam_ME]

According to DVDFile.com the release will be 4:3.

This is becoming an alarming trend with DVD releases of recent TV series. CSI, Dark Angel(R2 notwithstanding), and now Alias are all shows that are filmed in 16:9 and by all accounts look great in that format(unlike Buffy Season 4). So why release them in 4:3? Is this yet another instance of studios attempting to appease J6P who wants his TV screen filled? At this rate, I'd be very concerned about Angel Season 2 being released in 4:3 come September. As for Alias, I was dead set on getting the DVD, but now I'm not certain.

 

[Rob T]

This is becoming an alarming trend with DVD releases of recent TV series. CSI, Dark Angel(R2 notwithstanding), and now Alias are all shows that are filmed in 16:9 and by all accounts look great in that format(unlike Buffy Season 4). So why release them in 4:3? Is this yet another instance of studios attempting to appease J6P who wants his TV screen filled? At this rate, I'd be very concerned about Angel Season 2 being released in 4:3 come September. As for Alias, I was dead set on getting the DVD, but now I'm not certain.

Warner Bros. is pretty much the only one with the guts to put out a show on DVD in 1.78:1. :frowning:

 

[Jeff Kleist]

That's hardly true, Fox does it where it's OAR.

Malcom in the Middle would have been 16:9, except they didn't want it to be, and even included a documentary on WHY!

24, X-Files 5,6,7 are all 16:9

Early BVHE info is NOTORIOUSLY buggy, so don't take anything as gospel

 

[Rob T]

yeah I couldn't remember if FOX did it as well, but the studios that do are few and far between.

 

[Jeff Kleist]

What other studios have released titles/seasons with widescreen masters?

Paramount with CSI is the only one I can count

Stargate Sg-1 from MGM, Andromeda is widescreen from ADV is another one I came up with, as well as ShowTime's Queer As Folk, Band of Brothers, Sopranos from HBO

So I'd say widescreen is the RULE where appropriate