Preparing MacGyver for HD (2 Viewers)

[Nick*Z]

Overall impressed with image quality. But was there no way to stabilize the chroma and edge effects on the main titles? The close up of Anderson with his title credit as he leans over the wing of a plane just looks as though it was sourced from tape, not a recombining of the actual film stock elements with the post-production tape credits added later. It's a little faux pas and a minor quibble, I suppose, but honestly - Paramount went this far to remaster MacGyver for Blu. How much more effort, time and money would this shot, and a few others intermittently scattered throughout the main titles have taken?

 

[bmasters9]

Another thing: do you think that upon completion of these Blus of O-R ABC MacGyver (I certainly hope that all 7 seasons' worth get on Blu), there will be a Blu all-in-one issued (as has been done w/O-R 60s NBC Star Trek, and Star Trek: TNG, among others)?

 

[ClassicTVMan1981X]

Another thing: do you think that upon completion of these Blus of O-R ABC MacGyver (I certainly hope that all 7 seasons' worth get on Blu), there will be a Blu all-in-one issued (as has been done w/O-R 60s NBC Star Trek, and Star Trek: TNG, among others)?

Will Mission: Impossible (O-R, 1966-73) ever be done on Blu-Ray, too?

~Ben

 

[bmasters9]

Will Mission: Impossible (O-R, 1966-73) ever be done on Blu-Ray, too?

~Ben

I'd like for it to be!

 

[holtge]

Like the rest of you, I have enjoyed seeing MacGyver in HD. Anybody hear any rumblings about any of the other seasons being released on Blu-ray? Or is it still too early?

 

[LCD22]

I think it's still early. Thank you for listening and releasing Season 1!

 

[LCD22]

TVShowsOnDVD replied the following on their Facebook page:

Also, S1 of classic MacGyver sold VERY poorly on Blu, according to our retail industry contacts. I honestly doubt that Paramount continues with more of them.

 

[holtge]

Not entirely surprising, but definitely disappointing.

 

[The Obsolete Man]

Not entirely surprising, but definitely disappointing.

Did we expect anything different?

It's CBS.

 

[jcroy]

That's too bad, though not surprising at all nowadays.

IIRC according to the cbs syndication bible, all 7 seasons of the original MacGyver were redone in HD.

The track record is rather poor for procedural type of shows on bluray, such as:

- CSI seasons 1 and 9
- NCIS season 12
- NCIS Los Angeles season 1
- Scorpion season 1
- etc ...

 

[GlennC]

A shame. I guess the best we can hope for is Amazon streaming video getting the HD version.

 

[Nick*Z]

I think Paramount should just farm out what they have to third-party distributors or do a MOD archive like Warner, which continues to have great success releasing classic and contemporary seasons of TV shows on Blu-ray. Just an opinion. Theirs will likely differ, I'm sure.

 

[jcroy]

I think Paramount should just farm out what they have to third-party distributors or do a MOD archive like Warner, which continues to have great success releasing classic and contemporary seasons of TV shows on Blu-ray. Just an opinion. Theirs will likely differ, I'm sure.

I never quite understood why CBS/Paramount never did this for their top tier shows.

It seems like CBS only really does outsourcing for their flops and/or really old shows they don't seem to care about.

 

[The Obsolete Man]

I've never seen why CBS doesn't release complete packages first, then nickel and dime people later. Especially with their track record. They'd probably make as much in reduced, full price sales as they do selling absurdly low priced complete sets after the fact.

I mean, you know a big reason these first season sets likely don't sell is because we know they're going to be abandoned eventually. But a complete set might sell more because people aren't afraid of a one and done.

Maybe the merger will help things, because Paramount did things right. They released all 11 seasons of South Park in short order, so no one had to wonder if they'd still have a gap between seasons 2 and 12 when it was all said and done.

 

[Nick*Z]

Their outsourcing makes no sense. Case in point. They've endlessly repackaged Dynasty on home video, but farmed out Dynasty II: The Colbys to Shout! even though Seasons 5-6 of Dynasty make absolutely no sense at all unless you watch their corresponding tie-in episodes on The Colbys. We're also still waiting for Paramount to get off their lumps and release the horrendous - but necessary evil - Dynasty: The Reunion, which at least attempted to tie up some of the loose ends left by the unfinished season cliff hanger and impromptu cancellation.

E! The True Hollywood Network did a masterful 2 hr. documentary on the show, as did the BBC - each, with insightful history and backstory. None of this materialized on any of the Dynasty repackaged reincarnations from CBS Paramount. Dynasty is one of those shows that ought to come to Blu-ray. Great costumes and sets and lush colors.

Now, if we could only convince Paramount to farm the whole shabang out to Shout! or Mill Creek or whoever - wow! - what a nirvana on Blu-ray that would make!!! But just like MacGyver - the time has passed for releasing Season only releases on Blu of vintage TV. Nobody wants those anymore. It's an all or nothing mentality. Paramount needs to get up to speed on this. So, MacGyver - complete Blu-ray or forget it.

 

[jcroy]

I have long given up on trying to make any sense of how movie companies release stuff.

Besides maximizing cash flow, I've come to the conclusion there is no way to understand anything they do on a rational level.

It is completely irrational / illogical.

 

[jcroy]

I've never seen why CBS doesn't release complete packages first, then nickel and dime people later. Especially with their track record. They'd probably make as much in reduced, full price sales as they do selling absurdly low priced complete sets after the fact.

I suspect complete series set proposals of this type, are immediately vetoed by the final decisions makers. Basically if there's one too many complete series sets which end up flopping on the market, the home video division executives/bosses will be fired for it.

Basically suit-and-tie executives with MBAs who are not willing to put their asses on the line, for only 100 people to buy such complete series sets.

 

[MatthewA]

Some of us are tired of investing in first seasons only to see them stall afterwards.

 

[Bryan^H]

Some of us are tired of investing in first seasons only to see them stall afterwards.

I'd agree with you except singular releases of classic TV on Blu-Ray should not be released to begin with. Sales will not justify completion. Look what happened with Little House on the Prairie. The later seasons barely made it to BD. this isn't the goldrush of classic TV on DVD like the early 2000's. That ship has sailed years ago.

 

[MatthewA]

The keyword is "rush." A lot of stuff came out cut or from old and dirty transfers because it was cheaper than remastering. The mastering costs of Blu-ray are inevitably higher, and IIRC this show's DVDs had some really bad analog artifacts. Some of these might sell better if they cost half as much as they did.

Maybe now that CBS and Paramount are reunited again, things will change. I don't expect that to happen overnight.