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Rating the DVD Releases of Sound Serials; Best picture and sound quality available on DVD
Topic Started: Jun 16 2014, 07:30 AM (21,474 Views)
The Batman
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moodyhound
Jun 18 2014, 01:03 PM
I have often wondered about transferring vhs to dvd. I know nothing about nor what equipment is needed. When you do transfer a serial, how do you fix up a chapter menu? Would that require other equipment besides a DVD recorder. Bats?

Thanks for your faith in my abilities, Moody, but I've never done the VHS-to-DVD thing. Luckily we have fellows like Don Diego and Jazzy, around here, to show us both how it all works.


Always be yourself! Unless you can be Batman...then always be Batman!
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The Batman
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Laughing Gravy
Jun 18 2014, 01:08 PM
I find some of these ratings to be all over the place.


I agree.

I am trying to go with a consensus, but am getting little feedback as to rating each release. One or two people chime in, which is appreciated, but that's a small sample size.

Any ideas as to a way to harmonize the ratings would be appreciated.

But, though the ratings may be arbitrary, at least this list will hopefully establish the best current DVD releases of each sound serial.



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Laughing Gravy
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Well, here are a few more from me. I don't recall what I said earlier, but I decided to go with:

1-5: Too rotten to watch.
6: Nothing to write home about, but won't make you go blind. But squint.
7: Average.
8: Very good.
9: VERY good.
10: High Definition.

The Monster and the Ape, Cheezy Flicks, 2 discs (real DVDs, not -Rs), includes trailers for Zombies of the Stratosphere and G-Men vs. the Black Dragon, plus clips from King of the Rocket Men and trailers for other Cheezy offerings, including Convoy. Oh, and snack bar ads. I guess if I'm tough, I'd give it a 6 under my new system, the night scenes are too dark.

White Eagle: A 9 from VCI. Two DVDs, includes trailers for The Oregon Trail, Riders of Death Valley, and Adventures of Red Ryder.

Scouts to the Rescue: A 7, one disc from VCI, nice contrast and stuff but a fairly worn print. Includes a photo gallery, trailers for this serial plus Cap'n Marvel, Tim Tyler, and Lost City of the Jungle. Oh, and bios... Just let me mention, I wrote a bio of Jackie Cooper, which they used (and forgot to credit me). Somebody else wrote bios of the director and another actor, and they're not good, so don't blame me. Somebody ELSE added a filmography for Jackie Cooper, and it's FILLED with mistakes, and I swear, I had nothing to do with it.
"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
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rodney
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I'm biased because he is a friend but Martin Grams did good work on the Green Hornet serial for VCI. Plus he (literally) wrote the (800 page) book on the subject.
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panzer the great & terrible
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There are three companies I know about who actually try to find decent prints of serials and do what restoration they can: VCI, trev, and eric. These people do a lot of hard work and deserve respect. Unfortunately eric sometimes adds his own creative contributions to his efforts, which ruin them for me, and his business practices are insane, so I don't buy from him.

In any case people who copy and sell these restorations are crooks and I don't do business with them either.

Then there are the folks who copy old laserdiscs and videotapes of stuff that you can't get elsewhere. I don't see anything wrong with that, but you have to realize that some of these folks have better technology and better skills than others. Caveat emptor.

I hope this clears things up a little.
Edited by panzer the great & terrible, Jun 18 2014, 06:43 PM.
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Laughing Gravy
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AC Comics and my pal Bruce at Restored Serials have also worked hard to make a quality product.
"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
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panzer the great & terrible
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No argument.
Edited by panzer the great & terrible, Jun 18 2014, 06:54 PM.
Life is just a bowl of cherries, it's too mysterious, don't take it serious...
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panzer the great & terrible
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Though as often before you are ignoring what I actually wrote.
Edited by panzer the great & terrible, Jun 18 2014, 06:56 PM.
Life is just a bowl of cherries, it's too mysterious, don't take it serious...
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rodney
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Restored Serials has a very solid Green Archer from what I recall, and their Secret Code is pretty solid as well. I need to review them to come up with a number, but as I recall his stuff is good. Generally cleaned up 1/2" VHS tapes, from Fred Shay.
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Laughing Gravy
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When I saw their Secret Code, it was shorn of its code translating codas, all of which were grouped together as a bonus feature.
"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
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rodney
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My Restored Serials copy of Secret Code has everything where it's supposed to be.
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Barcroft
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Bats,
I have to agree with Rodney about "Monster and the Ape" Fred Shay had the best copy available and I bought this thing from him back in the early 90's and later transferred it to a DVD-R. Great print but the serial is so so at best a 5.
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The Batman
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Laughing Gravy
Jun 19 2014, 04:42 AM
When I saw their Secret Code, it was shorn of its code translating codas, all of which were grouped together as a bonus feature.

I believe you are referring to the AC Comics release of THE SECRET CODE, which has all the code translations group together as a bonus feature. I have that set.



Always be yourself! Unless you can be Batman...then always be Batman!
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The Batman
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rodney
Jun 19 2014, 04:16 AM
Restored Serials has a very solid Green Archer from what I recall, and their Secret Code is pretty solid as well. I need to review them to come up with a number, but as I recall his stuff is good. Generally cleaned up 1/2" VHS tapes, from Fred Shay.

Thanks, Rodney. I actually have a great copy of THE GREEN ARCHER, from a PD company of all places. I can't recall the company right now, it's the only release I've ever seen from them, but the print is beautiful. However, I will post the Restored Serials version, since it's probably been cleaned up and is more readily available.

For now, would you say a 7 is a reasonable rating for both TGA and TSC, from Restored Serials?


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Laughing Gravy
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I'd bump Cap'n Video up a point. They even restored the color sequences! And the DVD came with (and still does, so far as I know) a big colorful booklet on 1950s TV sci-fi, written by me. It's one of my favorite things I've done. Just sayin'.

Oh, and the Cheezy Flicks menu for King of the Rocket Men screws up the chapter titles and misspells Dr. Vulcan's name! Since we're whining about Grood's credits we should mention that, maybe.

And thanks, Bats, you're probably right (I gave it away and can't check).

"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
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