TV shows requirements to go Blu

[-Sandro-]

Hello, since old and recent tv shows are definitely the most anticipated releases for me (and other members of the site as I read) I'd like to make a list and discuss which tv shows have at least a slight opportunity to go Blu (even in 1,33).

- shot in 16mm or 35mm or digital HD
- A LOT OF MONEY from the studios and potential real buyers
- still possessing the original negatives
- still possessing the project's editing and effects

Considering those things it comes to my mind that a lot of shows would never go Blu, especially for the cost! We all know the Buffy story, we know that the first 2 season were produced in 4x3, the same for a lot others...BUT how can we really know what the studios have? How can we know if they could scan all the negatives (even shot in 16x9... we don't know since there's no official information out there) and re-do all the editing and effects? Maybe is possible for everything shot on film but they could have trashed away something. It doesn't apply to movies cause printed on film already!
Charmed the tv show, never saw a frame in 16x9, it's not that old I can't believe it was shot in 4x3, it would awesome to see the effects in 1080p though, a cost they would never think of I guess, what do you think?
Dawson's Creek (I know ...but I grew up with it ) was shot and intended for widescreen on 16mm film but the DVDs are 4x3. A lot of scenes at least for the first seasons are incredibly grainy and overall not with the best focus (due to 16mm) and i don't know how it would look like in 1080p and that's another thing that stops the release. Again, I don't think a studio would spent millions for a lot of shows that maybe nobody would buy unfortunately or not enough. Do you think I'm wrong thinking that for some shows their "definition era" ends in SD?

[Clark Kent]

You are correct that many popular shows will likely never look better than the existing dvds. I worry that by the time Blu-ray has become a big enough selling format to support many television show releases that venues like Hulu will take over. I already know people that skip dvd sets of shows because the episodes are available to watch on the Internet.

Popular shows that have the necessary materials will still make Blu-ray of course.

[andyman1970]

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Season 1 come to BD in May... I think you're right that some shows just will not make it to BD because unfortunately DVD will be the best it can get. They're just aren't that many shows that networks and production companies will be willing to put the time and effort it would require in order to bring them to HD. They are not to many Disney's out there.

[-Sandro-]

That's sad. I was thinking...didn't they make in the first place the same effort and pay the costs when they had to do it for the DVD?

[jibucha]

Hello

Regarding Charmed l I know of at least one season, if not more, that was entirely broadcast in the 16:9 aspect ratio. My best recollection would be the third from the last season. I remember distinctly, as it was the only HDTV Television Show to revert during the closing seasons to 4:3 after making the transition to 16:9, which was extremely disappointing at the time.

So, while it did originate and conclude broadcast of most seasons in 4:3, it did at least broadcast one entire season in 16:9, if not more.

This is still disturbing, as it was an extremely popular program and one of the more outstanding in high definition.

I am reflecting whether it was just one season or more. I will follow up on this.

Thank You

Originally Posted by -Sandro-

Charmed the tv show, never saw a frame in 16x9, it's not that old I can't believe it was shot in 4x3, it would awesome to see the effects in 1080p though, a cost they would never think of I guess, what do you think?
?

[-Sandro-]

Hi, are in the USA? You're saying it was in real HD? Or was it 16x9 upscaled SD?

[jibucha]

Hello Again

It was in real High Definition, broadcast in 1080i, so 1080p on Blu-ray would be quite simple actually.

Additionally, while it was in 4:3 as I recall for the final two or three seasons, they too were in 1080i, to the best of my knowledge and memory of it.

Angel too, was in 16:9 1080i for several seasons as well. Difficult to recall at this time the exact number of seasons, but I think that the last seasons , but I think it was the last three at the moment.

I will have to think about this further to recall in more precise detail, but already, I do believe that this information is accurate.

Regardless, for many seasons, both of these shows were in High Definition and not Standard Definition. If I am wrong; it would be a very serious disruption of my memory and experience.

Either way, both shows were simply outstanding in picture quality, at the time being among the best representation of what HDTV Picture Quality could be; really set the standards.

Well, I hope that this is helpful, and wonder what your experience was as well.

As I am in the United States; what is your location? Chicago Illinois is the precise location, where HDTV Broadcast have been available for about a decade already as I best recollect.

Thank You

Originally Posted by -Sandro-

Hi, are in the USA? You're saying it was in real HD? Or was it 16x9 upscaled SD?

[-Sandro-]

Wow I can't even imagine how Charmed would look like in HD! I'm not actually a real fan but the effects always captured me and the opening credits...well I fell in love with them! Simply fantastic and unique. Hope they will released on Blu-Ray, for sure for the seasons you mentioned!

Don't bother my location, Italy, we're so behind in TV technology that MAYBE we'll see terrestrial HD for free in 2012..maybe! So my Video/Audio experience has always been revolved around the US releases and products and always will be I guess

Does anybody know what Amazon Blu-Ray items mean? They have a A LOT of items like Buffy, Gilmore Girls ( ) and Friends definitely not produced for HD listed for release notification. I don't understand, does it mean that the studios announced the releases (even if in years and nobody knows when)? Otherwise I doesn't make sense they're listed!

[Clark Kent]

Originally Posted by -Sandro-

Does anybody know what Amazon Blu-Ray items mean? They have a A LOT of items like Buffy, Gilmore Girls ( ) and Friends definitely not produced for HD listed for release notification. I don't understand, does it mean that the studios announced the releases (even if in years and nobody knows when)? Otherwise I doesn't make sense they're listed!

It does not necessarily mean Blu-rays of those shows are coming. Amazon likes to list placeholders for popular shows and movies that have not come out on Blu-ray yet.

[Daredevil666]

Huge problem for Star Trek TNG too, as the editing and all sfx were done on beta (ie SD) tapes. Unless they re-conform the original footage, and redo the SFX, there's no way it's going to be issued on Blu-Ray.

[P@t_Mtl]

While some TV shows will not have any true benefits to be release on BD, I am sure in the future we will see them. After a while it won't make much sense to keep 2 format around of studios. I am sure they will just stop releasing stuff on DVD and just put it on BD even if it cannot truly be set in HD.

[dadkins]

Originally Posted by P@t_Mtl

While some TV shows will not have any true benefits to be release on BD, I am sure in the future we will see them. After a while it won't make much sense to keep 2 format around of studios. I am sure they will just stop releasing stuff on DVD and just put it on BD even if it cannot truly be set in HD.

Imagine how many shows in SD that could be crammed on a single BD25 or BD50.

[P@t_Mtl]

Originally Posted by dadkins

Imagine how many shows in SD that could be crammed on a single BD25 or BD50.

probably do a full season on 1 disc

[Daredevil666]

OK, but we will not be able to upscale from the BR using a PS3, in that case, original NTSC DVDs will become more valuable. Unless an update on the PS3 finally make SD content upscalable.

[Afrobean]

Originally Posted by P@t_Mtl

probably do a full season on 1 disc

"Probably"?

I've got at least one show with a whole season in 1080p on a single disc. Now, it's only 13 episodes (Venture Bros. season 3), but still. At 480p, many shows could do a whole series on a single disc. As it is, I don't think any of my Blu-ray TV show season sets have more than 3 discs.

Originally Posted by dvdvision

Huge problem for Star Trek TNG too, as the editing and all sfx were done on beta (ie SD) tapes. Unless they re-conform the original footage, and redo the SFX, there's no way it's going to be issued on Blu-Ray.

Well, I'm pretty sure they redid the special effects for the Original Series, so why would that stop them from doing TNG?

I believe I read somewhere that the problem with doing TNG was that the film source would need to be recut "manually" because while normally there should be logs detailing the edit information, for some reason, there isn't for TNG (perhaps due to the special effects being mastered on tape?).

[dv8pdx]

Originally Posted by dvdvision

Huge problem for Star Trek TNG too, as the editing and all sfx were done on beta (ie SD) tapes. Unless they re-conform the original footage, and redo the SFX, there's no way it's going to be issued on Blu-Ray.

I think Star Trek TNG could be possible... it was filmed on 35mm, but scanned directly to video. Not VHS, (250 lines of resolution) but ED Beta. The ED Beta video it was transferred to on had 500 lines of resolution (better than DVD), but pulling the 35mm film archives I think is possible, the sfx were done in video. With the release of the new Trek movie and the popularity of TNG, I could see the sfx parts get redone like the original series as cgi technology gets cheaper. I'm sure it will remain 4x3 like the original series as well. Do I see this happening soon? No, but as Blu-ray becomes more standard and popular, I think it will. It took 5 years for the TNG box sets to hit DVD, so maybe in 2011 or 2012 when Star Trek XII comes out on Blu, plus they've brought far worse shows over for quick bucks. Anything is possible if the studio sees a possible cash cow! Syndication would pick it up to air it in its new HD format, as well as great blu sales Im sure. The original dvd box sets were like $120 each season at release, the New blu of TOS is under $80, not bad drop in price to have it on blu-ray. CBS/Paramount, make it so! (sorry, my brief geek moment). I would buy... it would be like watching TNG for the first time again. We'll just have to see how the original series sells on blu I guess.

[P@t_Mtl]

But what about this, what's left to be release on DVD for TV shows that could be profitable for studios? I know that for example a first season release for Fantasy Island was done but I believe it never sold and none of the other seasons came out. Same for the 1970's show SWAT and Superboy from the 80's. How many older shows would actualy sell well now? The big ones are pretty much release (MASH, All In The Family, I love Lucy...) What would be left?

[Jeff Kleist]

Well, I'm pretty sure they redid the special effects for the Original Series, so why would that stop them from doing TNG?

Very different animal

TOS had hard cuts where they were replacing exterior SFX wholesale, or embellishing existing footage. TNG requires total retransfer and working from scratch, where many things like phaser and transporters in TOS remain intact as they were done on 35mm and part of the broadcast negative to begin with

[-Sandro-]

Originally Posted by P@t_Mtl

Same for the 1970's show SWAT and Superboy from the 80's. How many older shows would actualy sell well now?What would be left?

Maybe because they could advertise the 1080p quality!

[Spankman101]

Shows that I really want to see restored are 80's shows like MacGyver, Magnum P.I etc. Seeing as the dvds were taken from the old tapes and look absolutely terrible, instead of having a complete make-over done from the original negatives (if they even bothered to preserve them, that is) I don't see much hope for the future. All the episodes would have to be re-edited and I guess that's just too much money for the studios to put up. I think it's a shame that the only copies of such great shows are crappy ntsc tapes from the 80's. Makes me sad.

First post by the way! WOHO!