HBO re-releases From the Earth to the Moon"... in WS (1 Viewer)

[PaulP]

This was posted at the Bits today:



Excuse my French, but what the fuck? A 1998 TV miniseries and it's being re-released in widescreen and DTS? I don't see anything wrong with the original set, since 1.33:1 would be the OAR - correct me if I'm wrong, but I highly doubt this was composed for 16:9.

 

[TravisR]

I was curious about the aspect ratio too but I think there is a chance that the mini-series was shot 16:9. The fifth season of The X-Files (also from 1997-98) was shot 16:9.

 

[Michael Harris]

I hope the price of the original release goes down as a result since my current copy's discs 1 and 3 are unplayable.

 

[KyleC]

Well Micheal you can buy mine. I'm a sucker for new transfers and DTS.

 

[ZackR]

I was looking at buying the original release in the next month or 2. It originally aired in 1.33:1, right? Was it filmed for widescreen though or what? I don't care how nice it looks in anamorphic widescreen. If it was shot for 1.78, then the new release not the true original aspect ratio. Does anyone have any more info on the actually intended AR?

 

[Brad Nilsson]

I have hundreds of DVDs and this set is my most played. The box is falling to pieces. Anyone who does not already have this set cannot go wrong with this purchase. The writing, the acting, the production, a well as the true history it represents simply can't be beat!

 

[PaulP]

It's quite clearly composed for a 1.33:1 ratio. That and it's the OAR, regardless of that fact.

 

[pitchman]

The last time I went to play this, I noticed something very funky with the video, too. It almosts looks like laser rot. I wonder if HBO replaces defective product. BTW, from I read, the new set also has a list price of $100.

 

[Julian Reville]

They didn't want to replace mine (Disc 4 is bad). As much as I like this miniseries, I will not buy it (again) until HBO starts gauranteeing the discs won't die.

 

[ZackR]

That is what I figured. I will be picking up the old set when the time comes...not the new one. I want it in its OAR. I am VERY worried that with the growing number of widescreen TVs out there companies will start modifying a lot of their products to fit. I don't want my 2:35 material modified to 1:78. I don't want to watch The Wizard of Oz in widescreen...ARGH.

 

[MichaelColvin]

I try to be as pure as possible about these things, but my major concern is if it detracts from the story. If it does, then ABSOLUTELY NO PURCHASE. If it doesn't, if it is either the same, or perhaps better (as I suspect this title might be) or if it was intended to be purchased as 16:9, then I don't have a problem.

I also feel that the producer is giving his stamp of 'okay' to the product when it is released. If that producer/director is giving the seal of approval, then I trust their judgement. Case in point: Joss Whedon didn't want Buffy seasons 4-7 to be 16:9 so he kept then 4:3 even though they were shot for 16:9. Another example, "Wonderfalls" was shown in 4:3 but the producers made the (correct) decision to use the 16:9 transfers for the DVD release.

I am going to see what the fan reaction is and then purchase on this title.

cheers, Michael

 

[Jeff Ulmer]

It is. This set is one of the ones that are affected by rot. I had to replace a couple of the discs as they went bad. If there is speckling on the playing side, it has gone bad.

We should be demanding that all studios replace product that has been affected by this phenomenon, since those of us with hundreds to thousands of discs who bought into DVD as an archival format are finding that in a few years our discs are becoming unplayable. This is a situation that will only get worse as companies try to increase the data density on HD formats.

 

[KyleC]

I wonder if Bill Hunt could comment in this thread to help shed some light on the AR.

 

[Michael Harris]

It's not "laser rot" but a manufacturing defect. A bunch of titles from the Warners empire had the same problem. I tried to contact HBO and they never responded. It was one of the first boxed sets I purchased.

 

[PaulP]

TVShowsonDVD posted these details:




http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/newsitem.cfm?NewsID=3538
http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/newsitem.cfm?NewsID=3547

And there's a heated debate going on over the intended aspect ratio at DVDTalk: http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=426814

 

[KyleC]

I do like the new case.

 

[Yee-Ming]

I can't remember off-hand, but the extras seem to be the same as the existing set too.

Count me as one that wants to know if the series was shot 16:9 and broadcast pan-and-scanned, or if this is a tilt-and-scan crop to 16:9 from a 4:3 OAR. If the latter, no sale for me. Unless my existing set has died... I haven't watched this in a while, and it doesn't help living in a super-humid country which literally corrodes discs, whether CDs or DVDs -- I recently pulled out my Phantom Menace Ultimate Edn soundtrack, and its unplayable :frowning:

Let's see if comments on this thread betray what strikes me as a double-standard regarding pan-and-scan v. tilt-and-scan -- everyone rails about widescreen movies being cropped to fit 4:3 TV screens, yet for some reason many are more forgiving of cropping a 4:3 TV show to fit our nice new 16:9 TVs -- case in point the argument over Babylon 5. Even though JMS claimed it was always shot "protected" for 16:9, that is patently not the case for at least the first season.

 

[Chet_F]

I bought my set used and found out a few months ago that 2 episodes on 1 disc will not play. I've tried contacting HBO about trading the disc on or buying just that 1 disc but no go. It definately puts a very sour experience to the whole DVD format as well as HBO for not backing up their product like a good company would do. Especially considering it's an obvious manufacturing issue and also that the disc cost a $1.00 to them. A big for HBO films.

If anyone has any other ideas I'd be willing to try?

Trying to stay legal with obtaining another disc but I am tempted by the darkside.

 

[BrandonJF]

Still waiting for V and V: The Final Battle to be released in 4:3, although I'm sure it will never happen. I know Kenneth Johnson says they shot for an international theatrical release on the first mini-series, but it just doesn't look right to me. Plus, I still have a hard time thinking their primary concern was a theater or two overseas as opposed to the millions of U.S. tv viewers.... I've heard no excuse for The Final Battle. I guess I should be grateful WB didn't turn the series widescreen.

I'll be avoiding From the Earth to the Moon - I can't imagine HBO wouldn't have aired it widescreen on at least one of their hundreds of airings of that show if it had been shot that way.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

I'll be keeping my current copy. The film looks properly composed at 4x3 to me. My original packaging fell apart, but I downloaded a new cover and bought a multi-disc keep case to replace the crappy packaging. Between the defective discs and poor quality cases, HBO's quality control on this offering was pretty bad -- especially considering the price they charged.