Highway To Heaven - The Complete Series (1984-1989) - March 2023 from VEI

[ElectricPeterTork]

Highway to Heaven: The Complete Series Blu-ray

Now, that's unexpected.

https://www.visualentertainment.tv/c...40519118454889

The date comes from an e-mail sent out by VEI, which is where I saw the link and the news. So if it changes, well, don't shoot the messenger. It is VEI.

[garyd97]

Happy to see it.

[OceanBlue]

I wasn't expecting VEI to do a release of Highway to Heaven. In recent times, they have had a pattern of releasing some Stephen J. Cannell TV series with the odd Canadian and miscellaneous TV shows inbetween. They're one of those boutique labels which these days don't post any hints about future titles (I remember them doing that once, when they posted a list of TV shows they'd licensed from CBS, which they eventually released all of). Nowadays, their announcements come out of the blue.

While this is an interesting announcement, I'd like to know how the transfers look and if the episodes are uncut (were there any feature-length episodes?). There have been DVD releases of Highway to Heaven in a few countries, with inconsistencies in terms of episodes being uncut or syndicated versions.

To sum up, I'm being cautious about this announcement.

[ElectricPeterTork]

Originally Posted by OceanBlue

I wasn't expecting VEI to do a release of Highway to Heaven. In recent times, they have had a pattern of releasing some Stephen J. Cannell TV series with the odd Canadian and miscellaneous TV shows inbetween. They're one of those boutique labels which these days don't post any hints about future titles (I remember them doing that once, when they posted a list of TV shows they'd licensed from CBS, which they eventually released all of). Nowadays, their announcements come out of the blue.

While this is an interesting announcement, I'd like to know how the transfers look and if the episodes are uncut (were there any feature-length episodes?). There have been DVD releases of Highway to Heaven in a few countries, with inconsistencies in terms of episodes being uncut or syndicated versions.

To sum up, I'm being cautious about this announcement.

Well, a quick look at what the Roku Channel has, the episodes look to be about Rockford quality. I use Rockford as a reference point because it's the last show of roughly that era I saw remastered on Blu, and I didn't see any issues with that. They've definitely gotten new transfers at some point. Not necessarily cleaned up pristine, but they hold up in HD.

Roku, though, has 'em cropped and chopped, so the Blu-rays will be one up on them by using the 4:3 versions.

Episode lengths... between 47 and 50 minutes for the majority. Some are down to 46 and change, a few at 45. IIRC, there were teasers at the beginning of the show originally, and those have disappeared. So that probably takes care of about a minute or so of runtime.

But I do not blame you for waiting for confirmation on anything. It is VEI. However, they'll probably be better than the Mill Creek all in one DVDs if the runtimes are comparable.

[Torgon]

Nice and out of the blue. I’ll pick this up at some point. If Rockford Files is a gauge, that’s fine. Very watchable. Thanks for the heads up.

[silver01]

just announced


https://www.visualentertainment.tv/c...40519118454889

[kevin87]

Probably would better to post this in the actual BD section about releases, not in the TV section about just TV in general.

I don't trust VEI personally, it'll probably be a weird case with a square hole with the discs in sleeves.

[LexInHD]

I'm hesitant to buy any BD from VEI. They are happy to use SD upscales and faux-surround mixes from whatever old materials are laying around, to create their HD offerings.

[Starchild]

Any word on what the “bonus” consists of?

[The Edge]

Originally Posted by ElectricPeterTork

Now, that's unexpected.

https://www.visualentertainment.tv/c...40519118454889

The date comes from an e-mail sent out by VEI, which is where I saw the link and the news. So if it changes, well, don't shoot the messenger. It is VEI.

Yet they won’t release “Baywatch: Hawaii” for those of us who have their “Baywatch: Remastered” set to finish the series.

[stardragon9]

I really hope this means more of the 80s tv shows can show up on blu ray (even though a couple I want are owned by Fox/Disney). This is excellent news!

[PileOfFudge]

I would love to see VEI release a Matt Houston Complete Series Blu-ray set.

[do.wayne.ClassicFilm]

I'm only expecting this to be a marginal improvement over standard DVD picture quality, unless VEI pulls an SD to HD upscale Blu-ray on us. They don't have a very good track record going back 6-7 years ago on some of their Blu-ray releases… but this is 2023. I like to see these boutique labels succeed and put out a respectable quality Blu-ray release by today's standards, so I am hoping for the best. Highway to Heaven was/is a good television series and deserves a quality Blu-ray release.

I cannot wait for the reviews. ?

[drush9999]

Originally Posted by do.wayne.ClassicFilm

I'm only expecting this to be a marginal improvement over standard DVD picture quality, unless VEI pulls an SD to HD upscale Blu-ray on us. They don't have a very good track record going back 6-7 years ago on some of their Blu-ray releases… but this is 2023. I like to see these boutique labels succeed and put out a respectable quality Blu-ray release by today's standards, so I am hoping for the best. Highway to Heaven was/is a good television series and deserves a quality Blu-ray release.

I cannot wait for the reviews. ?

Isn't Highway to Heaven shot and edited on film though? Should look good in theory, but with this company who knows.

[do.wayne.ClassicFilm]

Originally Posted by drush9999

Isn't Highway to Heaven shot and edited on film though? Should look good in theory, but with this company who knows.

Shot on film, yes.

Some of the Blu-ray.com VEI Blu-ray reviews dating back several years are not good unfortunately. And by the looks of some of those video screen grabs posted here on the website, it's difficult to argue with the negative reviews.
https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/movies.php?studioid=1262

But I'm being optimistic and hoping for the best. The Mill Creek and A&E DVD releases range from videotape to DVD quality respectively but unfortunately, A&E, the better of the two labels only released the first 3 seasons of Highway to Heaven, then stopped. My hope is that the VEI Blu-ray release will be better than the A&E DVD releases. Anything on Blu-ray should look better than Mill Creek's DVD releases of Highway to Heaven. They're that bad.

[MONTYC]

Highway To Heaven has recently been upgraded to High Definition on Freevee in the UK. The prints are 16:9 widescreen but I guess they also have the original ratio ready to be used for the blu ray release.

[do.wayne.ClassicFilm]

I hope VEI paid for the high definition prints.

[garyd97]

I am curious to hear some thoughts on this release soon. It releases tomorrow.

[DavidRoylance]

I hope this does turn out to be real HD for the benefit of the show's fans, but VEI has plenty of what we call "previous" in the UK when it comes to upscaling SD as HD.

[goodjay]

In ireland here trying to order but looks like only dhips us and Canada