TV on DVD news roundup (1 Viewer)

[JamesSmith]

Come Back VEI. Please Come Back.

--james

 

[Mike Frezon]

FWIW, I have all the UK releases of Downton Abbey and think they look/sound great.

 

[jcroy]

FWIW, I have all the UK releases of Downton Abbey and think they look/sound great.

If I had watched Downton Abbey in its first-run on PBS, most likely I would have purchased the UK versions as they were being released. I would have guessed the uk blurays were done as 1080i50 to handle the original 25 progressive frames-per-second.

 

[Mike Frezon]

If I had watched Downton Abbey in its first-run on PBS, most likely I would have purchased the UK versions as they were being released. I would have guessed the uk blurays were done as 1080i50 to handle the original 25 progressive frames-per-second.

Yeah. All that techno-speak is lost on me. I just stuck the discs in my player and they looked really pretty on my plasma.

 

[Harry-N]

Yeah, I've been confused about DOWNTON ABBEY versions and technical differences almost from the start.

We missed seasons one and two on television, totally. Back before season three was about to begin here in the US, I recall it was in December that an interview with cast members appeared on a morning show, probably TODAY. Both the excitement for the new seaon and some clips from the past got me intrigued in the show. I looked on Amazon and found a two-season Blu-ray set. There was just enough time between the arrival of the Blu-ray set and the start of S3 on PBS for us to catch up.

We were delighted with the series - it's become a favorite in many repeat viewings - and from that point kept up with the arrival of Blu-ray sets and the starts of each season. It seemed that each new season on PBS would start on a January Sunday, and about 3 weeks in, the Blu-ray set for that full season would be available. Thus we were able to watch the remaining episodes before they aired on PBS.

Now as to versions and technical stuff. I recall reading that DOWNTON ABBEY had both a UK and US version of episodes. I would have to assume that the US versions are what appeared on PBS MASTERPIECE each week, and yet the Blu-ray sets we have all have the PBS logo on them, and also state "Original UK Edition". So that's totally confusing. All of the episodes start with the MASTERPIECE opening and most even have the sponsors names and a commercial from Viking Cruises. But the case states original UK editions. ?????

Then there's all of the technical mumbo-jumbo about the first season or two in the conversion from the UK standards to the US standards. Was it just one season that was in error? Was it two? Is my S1+S2 set somehow compromised? It appears just fine on my players and TVs. Was the situation corrected on the S1+S2 set which had to be issued after S2 aired?

Since acquiring all of the Blu-rayts, we've mostly watched the episodes on our Amazon Prime streaming service. All seems OK there too.

Perhaps some kind soul who understands all of this stuff will chime in and try to explain things in layman's terms. I'm not totally ignorant about technical stuff - I know of the different electrical standards over in the UK and have a basic understanding of PAL vs. NTSC, but reading stuff like 3:3:5:7:2:1:5 pulldowns are approaching Greek to me.

 

[jcroy]

October 9, 2020 tvshowsondvd news.

 

[jcroy]

Hypothetically, I think a show like PBS "Islands of Wonder" would probably look spectacular on 4Kbluray. The PBS broadcasts already looked really good even in conventional hd.

But alas, it is only getting a dvd-only release.

 

[MatthewA]

WB is really committed to getting the H-B library to Blu-ray. I wish Disney had that level of commitment and care.

 

[jcroy]

October 16, 2020 tvshowsondvd news.

 

[The Obsolete Man]

The Rifleman, S5V2 on November , completing the series in that format.

The Rifleman Value Edition Season 5 Vol 2 (episodes 156 – 168)

The Rifleman - Season 5, Volume 2VALUE EDITION™ ® © 2018 Levy-Gardner-Laven Productions, Inc. Value Edition DVD set of The Rifleman containing Volume 2: Episodes (156-168) of Season Five in the order of their original television broadcast. Digitally re-mastered with Special Features, this...

www.therifleman.net

 

[BobO'Link]

It's about time! I've been checking the Rifleman website every couple of weeks just itching for S5V2 to show up for pre-order.

 

[jcroy]

Oct 23, 2020 tvshowsondvd news.

 

[jcroy]

Hmmmm ... No bluray for final season of Blindspot.

If there was a (hypothetical) complete series bluray set for Blindspot, I would have picked it up.


Also somewhat interesting that there is no dvd release for The Expanse season 4. Just a bluray-only release. Perhaps Universal is now handling The Expanse season set releases, similar to how they handled the first versions of 12 Monkeys seasons 3 and 4 (ie. bluray-only, no dvd).

 

[David Weicker]

Hmmmm ... No bluray for final season of Blindspot.

If there was a (hypothetical) complete series bluray set for Blindspot, I would have picked it up.

its possible that Blindspot is being released on DVD for general Retail Release, and will appear on Blu via a MOD program. Other shows have gone this route.

(this is just speculation)

 

[ScottRE]

Man, I really wish these Legacy Doctor Who releases were less expensive.

 

[jcroy]

its possible that Blindspot is being released on DVD for general Retail Release, and will appear on Blu via a MOD program. Other shows have gone this route.

(this is just speculation)

Oddly enough in some jurisdictions, some Warner Archive releases are actually done directly through Warner proper. For example in canada, some american Warner Archive releases were released as general wide releases through Warner proper's Canada home video division.

American Warner Archive releases such as:

- Blindspot season 3 bluray
- Prodigal Son season 1 (dvd and bluray)

were releasesd through Warner Canada as general wide releases. (ie. They appeared at Walmart, etc ...).

(Possible other american Warner Archive releases).

 

[jcroy]

October 30, 2020 tvshowsondvd news.

 

[jcroy]

November 6, 2020 tvshowsondvd news.

 

[jcroy]

November 13, 2020 tvshowsondvd news.

 

[jcroy]

November 20, 2020 tvshowsondvd news.