Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
Welcome to In The Balcony. We hope you enjoy your visit.

You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free. Plus, you'll be eligible for the monthly $1 million prize. (Not really.)

Join our community!

If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features:

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
Rating the DVD Releases of Sound Serials; Best picture and sound quality available on DVD
Topic Started: Jun 16 2014, 07:30 AM (21,451 Views)
Laughing Gravy
Member Avatar
Look for In The Balcony on Facebook!
[ *  *  * ]
I've had the AC Shadow and the new Mill Creek is worth the upgrade.

"I'm glad that this question came up, because there are so many ways to answer it that one of them is bound to be right." - Robert Benchley
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
JazzGuyy
Member Avatar
Balcony Gang, Foist Class
[ *  *  * ]
The best Republic transfers from the gray market are probably taken from the LaserDiscs and not from the VHS tapes. Cheezy Flicks seem to have used the LDs for at least some of their releases.
TANSTAAFL!
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Laughing Gravy
Member Avatar
Look for In The Balcony on Facebook!
[ *  *  * ]
This is true. And I'd just like to say at this pernt, I know money isn't growing on trees... but I always believed that we buy a grey market serial or film until such time it becomes "really" available, and then we buy THAT if we're going to upgrade or to support the genuine release of these things. Now that The Shadow is out from Mill Creek, please don't buy any other version.
"I'm glad that this question came up, because there are so many ways to answer it that one of them is bound to be right." - Robert Benchley
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Pa Stark
Charter Member
[ *  *  * ]
Williejg, I am delighted to see you post again, hope to see you here as a regular.
Honest and Lovable Pa Stark
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
The Batman
Member Avatar
Charter Member
[ *  *  * ]

'Cat, I gotta agree with the others, the Millcreek Shadow release is a definite upgrade from the bootleg copy I have.

Always be yourself! Unless you can be Batman...then always be Batman!
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Pa Stark
Charter Member
[ *  *  * ]
The Squadron's WOLF DOG is miles ahead of what we have seen before. I give it a solid 8+. Their MYSTERY TROOPER is from a good print, but was not pristine. Grood's print source didn't have credits, so he redid them, which isn't a biggie. For some reason he didn't redo the next week cards, just kept them at "see the next chapter." I give it a 7.
Honest and Lovable Pa Stark
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
The Batman
Member Avatar
Charter Member
[ *  *  * ]

Thanks, Pa, I need to do some updating on this list. Appreciate the feedback from all.

Always be yourself! Unless you can be Batman...then always be Batman!
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
williejg
Member Avatar
Balcony Gang, Foist Class
[ *  *  * ]
Hi fellas,

Thanks for the input. Finally, a definitive statement that the Mill Creek version of The Shadow is better than the AC release. I wonder how they did it?

As far as the Republics, I completely forgot about the RHV Laser disks. But how's one to know who has done their releases from the Laser disks before purchasing?

I believe that Grapevine only uses film for their transfers, so I think they'd have to be very lucky to find a pristine print of Son of Zorro. I've been pleased with many purchases from them, but every now and then I've been greatly disappointed. Recently they released feature versions of the 3 Flash Gordon serials and the quality is pretty bad. But, they did turn up decent prints of Jungle Menace and Burn 'em Up Barnes, so I run hot and cold with them.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
williejg
Member Avatar
Balcony Gang, Foist Class
[ *  *  * ]
Forgot one thing. Thanks for the kind thoughts Pa!

I agree with you completely about the SS Wolf Dog. I loved it! But I haven't watched Mystery Trooper yet. I only took a quick look, so can't comment on it yet.

willie
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
The Batman
Member Avatar
Charter Member
[ *  *  * ]

Apparently the Mill Creek release of THE SHADOW was an Amazon exclusive, they couldn't even sell it on their own site, so perhaps they received a 35mm original from the copyright holders?

Always be yourself! Unless you can be Batman...then always be Batman!
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
williejg
Member Avatar
Balcony Gang, Foist Class
[ *  *  * ]
Well Bats, I guess we'll never know. But I'm going to pick it up and give it a look. I wish somebody could strike a deal with Columbia and release more serials from their vaults.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
riddlerider
Member Avatar
Balcony Gang, Foist Class
[ *  *  * ]
williejg
Sep 25 2016, 01:53 PM
And while I'm plugging AC Comics, they also released Columbia's Shadow serial. It's very nice, and probably another dub from the tapes Columbia released. So, unless someone can verify that the new version of The Shadow exclusively on Amazon is not just another dub of the Columbia tapes, I'm going to stick with the AC version and save a few bucks.

If you're referring to Mill Creek's DVD of The Shadow, it's definitely not "just another dub of the Columbia tapes." It's by far superior to anything else out there. Aside from some minor timing problems in the 35mm print (struck from the original negative in 1994) that was transferred, it's surprisingly good, especially since all 15 chapters have been compressed to fit on one side of one disc! I loaded it into my Blu-ray player and watched it on an HD set, with both image and sound registering quite nicely in the up-conversion.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
JazzGuyy
Member Avatar
Balcony Gang, Foist Class
[ *  *  * ]
RR, there may not be as much compression as you think. A double-layer DVD can easily contain 3 hours of program without severe compression quite easily. For a black & white film with a mono soundtrack you can do a little better than that so the quality of a full serial can mostly be accommodated on a single DVD without serious quality compromises.
TANSTAAFL!
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
riddlerider
Member Avatar
Balcony Gang, Foist Class
[ *  *  * ]
williejg
Sep 27 2016, 09:54 AM
Finally, a definitive statement that the Mill Creek version of The Shadow is better than the AC release. I wonder how they did it?

Sorry I replied to your earlier post before seeing the later ones.

How did they do it? I don't think it's any big mystery. It's obvious that when Sony mastered the serial for VHS release they did so at the highest resolution available at that time, and the DVD was authored from their original master tapes. Since it looks so good up-converted to an HD set I'm guessing they did a 2K transfer. And it's gotta be from that VHS-era master; an outfit like Mill Creek wouldn't have gone to the trouble of re-mastering the serial in high definition from original 35mm elements. That's an extremely costly proposition that anticipated profits from something as marginal as The Shadow wouldn't justify.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
riddlerider
Member Avatar
Balcony Gang, Foist Class
[ *  *  * ]
JazzGuyy
Sep 27 2016, 12:11 PM
RR, there may not be as much compression as you think. A double-layer DVD can easily contain 3 hours of program without severe compression quite easily. For a black & white film with a mono soundtrack you can do a little better than that so the quality of a full serial can mostly be accommodated on a single DVD without serious quality compromises.

I don't doubt you, Jazzy; I'm still amazed whenever I look at one of the Hoppy Westerns from the Platinum box set. Those come five to a disc and look great on my BD player and HD set. That's another case in which the copyright owner was smart enough to master the best 35mm elements he could find with the highest resolution then available.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
ZetaBoards - Free Forum Hosting
Fully Featured & Customizable Free Forums
Learn More · Sign-up Now
Go to Next Page
« Previous Topic · Continued Next Week · Next Topic »
Add Reply