The New Scooby-Doo Movies: The (Almost) Complete Collection - June 4, 2019

[DawnShadow]

The Haunted Showboat has been replaced on iTunes with a new HD version that is in sync and includes the original intro. This means WB is completely aware of this issue.

WB think they can get away with charging fans $60 for a defective disc. Email whv@wb.com and demand a replacement!

I also recommending leaving a review on Amazon mentioning this. Do not include WB's email though or Amazon will automatically reject the review. It is proven by what happened with Tom & Jerry that these reviews do make a difference, and seeing as the release has already happened, we have nothing to lose this time around.

[raybestos]

Definitely not purchasing due to this:

Six episodes are each missing about 90 seconds of footage from the original tv broadcast. This footage was cut sometime back in the 80's when the series went into syndication. The affected episodes are:
The Dynamic Scooby-Doo Affair
A Good Medium Is Rare
Sandy Duncan's Jekyll and Hyde
The Secret of Shark Island
The Haunted Horseman of Hagglethorn Hall
The Phantom of the Country Music Hall

Why do we only get "syndicated" episodes? The whole point of releasing these to home video is to *eliminate* all the problems that broadcasting these on TV originally produced! We're paying good money for the content, please give all of it to us! This is also an imcomplete set, missing episodes (Addams family, etc).

But, also, nearly equally, due to the terribly bitstarved encode. People say it looks "great" with a 12 mbps average bitrate because they don't have the proper version encoded at ~25-30 mbps per episode. They're going on incomplete information, and a company who's trying to get away with releasing a poor product. Apologist reviewers go out of their way to "justify" WBs encodes rather than demanding a less bitstarved encode in the first place.

I'd perhaps give WB a bone and pay $10 for the set as it stands now, but if a complete Scooby-Doo boxset ever surfaces, let's hope these are re-encoded to *at least* 20 mbps minimum, and hopefully over 25 mbps == 4 discs for this set vs the measly two it received in this "cheap" release..

C'mon WB, it's not 2007 or 2008 any more. Bandwidth is cheap, and so are BD-50s! What's an extra buck or two per set, it will pay great dividends in pleasing your more discriminating fans.

[captainsolo]

So if I’m understanding correctly-the download versions have higher bitrates and the original opening titles-and the particular episode in question is in correct sync??

I was already going to write in over the sync issue but if the above is indeed true then it’s going to be a very long letter. Especially if the iTunes versions are better which I had presumed would come to disc at some point and look better as WB has quietly finally been putting all the Scooby shows right but only for download sales.

I’ve been marathoning this alongside Jonny Quest and despite the movies set looking pretty good in hd compared to the old dvd set-the difference in quality of release is night and day between the two bds.
This one is infuriatingly overpriced, flawed and barebones whereas the other is pretty much arguably the disc of the year.

[Diditagain]

Originally Posted by captainsolo

So if I’m understanding correctly-the download versions have higher bitrates and the original opening titles-and the particular episode in question is in correct sync??

Regarding the bitrate, the Blu-ray episodes have a higher bitrate -- the HD iTunes file sizes are 1.3-1.4 GB per episode, while the Blu-ray file sizes are 3.6-3.8 GB per episode.

[raybestos]

^ Yes, that makes sense, of course. Streaming versions are awful in comparison to even these poorly encoded episodes. It would be better and proper, if each were 6 to 7 GB per episode, for each episode is in full 1080p and is 43 or 44 minutes of content.

One quick question: Do these SD episodes all have laugh tracks, or (hopefully) have they been mastered with original audio without the extra noise?

If they are laugh-track free, that's definitely a plus.

[captainsolo]

I did comparisons against the old DVD set and these are the same source elements right down to the frame wobbling at the start of the Johnathan Winters episode. (When he is introduced at the gas station) However the quality improvement in color reproduction, fine detail and overall stability IS a marked visual improvement over the old DVDs so I passed that old set onto my sister who has been a longtime Scooby fan but had never gotten the Movie set in any incarnation.

The encodes are not so good but decent enough to be still an improvement over the SD rendition. Plus we now have full 192 kbps 2.0 DD instead of the tinny sounding DVD track which was DD 1.0 and sounds much lesser in direct comparison so I do believe they did touch up the audio tracks some.

[DawnShadow]

It is great that these episodes are finally out there. For the price charged they could have at least put some more care into it. Especially the quality control aspect.

[DawnShadow]

Out of interest, has anyone actually received any response whatsover from whv@wb.com regarding replacement discs?

[e_d]

I got an automatic response saying they were out of office, so no.

[DawnShadow]

Interesting, I didn't even get that.

I did however get this response when enquiring about it in a conversation that was otherwise about Batman: The Original Series:

For Scooby-Doo, that is in the works of being fixed.

[GeoffOliver]

I'm pretty sure they would only fix the sync error in The Haunted Showboat, and not restore the missing bits from those six episodes, but nonetheless, it's encouraging.

[DawnShadow]

Originally Posted by GeoffOliver

I'm pretty sure they would only fix the sync error in The Haunted Showboat, and not restore the missing bits from those six episodes, but nonetheless, it's encouraging.

I wasn't expecting them to (obviously I wish they would) but all I mentioned in that enquiry was the sync issue. I have mentioned the missing content in other emails that I never got a response to though.

[scampbylt]

Originally Posted by raybestos

Definitely not purchasing due to this:

Six episodes are each missing about 90 seconds of footage from the original tv broadcast. This footage was cut sometime back in the 80's when the series went into syndication. The affected episodes are:
The Dynamic Scooby-Doo Affair
A Good Medium Is Rare
Sandy Duncan's Jekyll and Hyde
The Secret of Shark Island
The Haunted Horseman of Hagglethorn Hall
The Phantom of the Country Music Hall...

Can anyone explain what happens in any of this missing footage?

[darkdetective]

Does this set come with a digital copy?

[InuYashaCrusade]

Originally Posted by darkdetective

Does this set come with a digital copy?

No it doesn't

[SilverStone96]

Even though I own the set and really love Scooby Doo. Can someone explain Six episodes are each missing about 90 seconds of footage from the original tv broadcast. This footage was cut sometime back in the 80's when the series went into syndication. The affected episodes are:
The Dynamic Scooby-Doo Affair
A Good Medium Is Rare
Sandy Duncan's Jekyll and Hyde
The Secret of Shark Island
The Haunted Horseman of Hagglethorn Hall
The Phantom of the Country Music Hall.

I know the back of the box say 986 mins. 23 times 43 min episodes is 989 so I’m curious

[SilverStone96]

The reason I’m curious is cause I can understand the possible 3 mins being for the edited intro and ending. The 6 episodes if it’s true would be about 8 to 9 mins missing

[jackinbox]

iTunes version is now on sale for $19.99.

[e_d]

Still no disc replacement for the sync?

[DawnShadow]

Seems not. I shouldn't have trusted Mandy!