Dave Scarpa
Senior HTF Member
- Joined
- Apr 8, 1999
- Messages
- 5,765
- Real Name
- David Scarpa
Just picked up the 3 season box set does anyone know why they released this with season one as widescreen? and the rest in OAR?
Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
Just a guess on my part but season one was released on DVD in the early days of TV on DVD around 2002 I think, which was also the time many people were getting widescreen tv's so it was probably an experiment for the fill my screen crowd. And after negative feedback they discontinued it.Just picked up the 3 season box set does anyone know why they released this with season one as widescreen? and the rest in OAR?
You are correct Sir. I think there was at least one other show to suffer from this around that time.Just a guess on my part but season one was released on DVD in the early days of TV on DVD around 2002 I think, which was also the time many people were getting widescreen tv's so it was probably an experiment for the fill my screen crowd. And after negative feedback they discontinued it.
Route 66 comes to mind.You are correct Sir. I think there was at least one other show to suffer from this around that time.
Good post. When the Kung Fu DVD sets started coming out about in the 200X's, I was extremely disappointed that S1 was presented in the incorrect aspect ratio - i.e., they incorrectly converted a show that was initially presented in the 4:3 (full-screen) format to widescreen, which resulted in the top & bottom of the picture being cropped. This obviously & unnecessarily butchered the picture. Whoever thought this looked better was an idiot. They corrected this in S2 & S3, but that still left S1 in the incorrect & truncated format.
That was intentional and a later release. The original release DVDs presented it in OAR (4:3). Currently you can get the OAR for LIS by purchasing the BR set, unlike Kung Fu which has *no* correct, all seasons in OAR, release. The original Battlestar Galactica also got a WS conversion with the latest release but *one* of the BR releases includes the OAR along with that WS version. The X-Files got a proper 4:3 release on DVD but the BR release is WS only.The same thing that was done on Fox HE's all-in-one of the original 1965-68 CBS Lost In Space, I take it?
no they will release this on blu ray because I finally bought the dvdOnce you can snatch the pebbles from my hand, they will release this on Blu ray
MASH is another MEtv has switched over the HD WS versionsRoute 66 comes to mind.
I think the last channel to show these were get tv and I don't remember if they were in 4x3 or notGood post. When the Kung Fu DVD sets started coming out about in the 200X's, I was extremely disappointed that S1 was presented in the incorrect aspect ratio - i.e., they incorrectly converted a show that was initially presented in the 4:3 (full-screen) format to widescreen, which resulted in the top & bottom of the picture being cropped. This obviously & unnecessarily butchered the picture. Whoever thought this looked better was an idiot. They corrected this in S2 & S3, but that still left S1 in the incorrect & truncated format.
As a kid back in the mid-'80's, I remember watching re-runs of this show on the weekends. This is definitely one of my all-time favorite shows, and was an excellent & unusual combination of the American Western & Eastern mysticism. The late David Carradine did a great job as the stoic Caine, and it was interesting to see how he would deal with the various aggressors who would come after him in each episode. Also really enjoyed the flashbacks to his younger years. These not only had a lesson/moral, but were relevant to the current storyline in the given episode.
It would be great if they would re-release the series to Blu (or even re-release it to regular DVD) in the correct 4:3 format for all three seasons. However, who knows if that will ever happen. And, despite the deficiencies of the S01 DVD's - I do believe that the current DVD sets are the best way to watch the show.
I have that set they don't look terrible, but the HD 4x3 versions I bought off Apple TV look betterThe same thing that was done on Fox HE's all-in-one of the original 1965-68 CBS Lost In Space, I take it?
I bought the complete series collection and season 1 is not flippers so it appears they rectified this, I don't think anyone remasters flippers any more did they fix this with voyage to the Bottom of the sea I have the flippers with those and some disks don't work, or even better is there a other region blu ray ?In addition to the issue re: the WS release of the S01 Kung Fu DVD set, S01-S03 of these DVD's are in the awful flipper-disk format. I've always hated these, given that they were produced in this way to save money - to the detriment of the disks/presentation. I.e., flipper-disks are much more liable to scratch than non-flipper disks due to having to be turned around on both sides for viewing, etc. Plus, there is no artwork on either side - so the presentation is "bland".
There are two "complete series" releases for Kung Fu.I bought the complete series collection and season 1 is not flippers so it appears they rectified this, I don't think anyone remasters flippers any more did they fix this with voyage to the Bottom of the sea I have the flippers with those and some disks don't work, or even better is there a other region blu ray ?
Good to know. I got the Kung Fu S01-S03 DVD set for a decent price about 3-4 years ago, and it was the inferior flipper-disk set. I had no idea they came out with another Single-sided disk set.