The Six Million Dollar Man - The Complete Series

[TheHutt]

The Six Million Dollar Man: The Complete Series Blu-ray

Shopping links:
- Amazon
- Rakete-Shop

The cult series of the 70s is coming out on BluRay (in proper FullHD) from Turbine.


Release Date: Nov 30th 2018
Contents: 12x BluRay

Including:
- All 106 episodes of the series
- The pilot movie (both as movie and as two-episode versions)
- The three reunion TV movies
- Bonus material
- 48-page Episode Guide (in German)

Specs:
Picture: 1.33:1 FullHD 1080p24
Audio: English & German DTS-HDMA 2.0
Subtitles: German (for bonus material)
Region: free

Artwork:

[Show spoiler]

[Simon Lewis]

I'd really like The Six Million Dollar Man in HD, but 106 episodes on 12 discs is going to be badly over compressed.

[Torgon]

I bought the U.S. version on DVD a few years ago from TIME Life. Great set with lots of extras. It would be interesting to see if this gets a U.S. Blu-ray release.

[Dunemoon]

Not on Amazon de yet?

[TheHutt]

It just got announced today. I guess an amazon listing will come up later.

[turbine]

Originally Posted by Simon Lewis

I'd really like The Six Million Dollar Man in HD, but 106 episodes on 12 discs is going to be badly over compressed.

So you have already seen one of our evaluation discs?

Honestly, it's ok to argue over something that you've experienced first hand. But in this case we've done quite some tests to find out about compression. Don't forget the show is 4x3 (unused black picture information left and right which can be heavily compressed) plus it's a 1970s show, with relatively few edits in scenes, hence not that much data rate needed to save changes in the picture unless it's an action sequence. And even these are mostly slomo, to support the bionic effect.

So, I'd recommend waiting for reviews. We're also happy to send samples to the usual suspects.

Our plan was to make an affordable set, so 12 discs it is. Atm.

[TheHutt]

Amazon link added.

[Torgon]

Originally Posted by turbine

So you have already seen one of our evaluation discs?

Honestly, it's ok to argue over something that you've experienced first hand. But in this case we've done quite some tests to find out about compression. Don't forget the show is 4x3 (unused black picture information left and right which can be heavily compressed) plus it's a 1970s show, with relatively few edits in scenes, hence not that much data rate needed to save changes in the picture unless it's an action sequence. And even these are mostly slomo, to support the bionic effect.

So, I'd recommend waiting for reviews. We're also happy to send samples to the usual suspects.

Our plan was to make an affordable set, so 12 discs it is. Atm.

Are your disc region-free? Asking for a friend

[JR Ewing]

Originally Posted by turbine

So you have already seen one of our evaluation discs?

Honestly, it's ok to argue over something that you've experienced first hand. But in this case we've done quite some tests to find out about compression. Don't forget the show is 4x3 (unused black picture information left and right which can be heavily compressed) plus it's a 1970s show, with relatively few edits in scenes, hence not that much data rate needed to save changes in the picture unless it's an action sequence. And even these are mostly slomo, to support the bionic effect.

So, I'd recommend waiting for reviews. We're also happy to send samples to the usual suspects.

Our plan was to make an affordable set, so 12 discs it is. Atm.

Can't wait. Will this have forced subs?

[TheHutt]

Originally Posted by JR Ewing

Can't wait. Will this have forced subs?

Nope.

[Dunemoon]

Pre-ordered!

[jimdigriz.]

Looks to have a lot of if not all the bonus features from the dvd's.
I agree that 12 discs is pushing it a bit. Even Mill Creek only put 6 episodes of Quantum Leap on one disc so 8 or 9 seems a step too far.
Only 92 Euros on Amazon so a good deal but if the quality isn't excellent it might as well be a tenner.

Turbine - I have some other Universal series on disc from Germany and they have the German episodes title instead of the English one. Can we be assured these will be English friendly with opening credits , onscreen titles etc all in English?
If that can be confirmed count me in

[TheHutt]

IIRC the source material comes directly from Universal USA and the titles, opticals etc. are in English.

[Simon Lewis]

Originally Posted by turbine

So you have already seen one of our evaluation discs?

Honestly, it's ok to argue over something that you've experienced first hand. But in this case we've done quite some tests to find out about compression. Don't forget the show is 4x3 (unused black picture information left and right which can be heavily compressed) plus it's a 1970s show, with relatively few edits in scenes, hence not that much data rate needed to save changes in the picture unless it's an action sequence. And even these are mostly slomo, to support the bionic effect.

So, I'd recommend waiting for reviews. We're also happy to send samples to the usual suspects.

Our plan was to make an affordable set, so 12 discs it is. Atm.

Thanks for your reply and it was interesting to read what you said about compression. That alleviated my concerns a bit and I admit I had forgotten this was 4:3. 9 episodes a disc still seems too much to me, but hopefully I will be proved wrong. I will definitely be getting this if the reviews are good.

[jimdigriz.]

Originally Posted by Simon Lewis

Thanks for your reply and it was interesting to read what you said about compression. That alleviated my concerns a bit and I admit I had forgotten this was 4:3. 9 episodes a disc still seems too much to me, but hopefully I will be proved wrong. I will definitely be getting this if the reviews are good.

That's where the problem lies. I don't know of any other Bluray release that has any more than 6 x 45 minute episodes on them and that was from the kings of cut price cock ups Mill Creek (although 6 on some of the Quantum Leap discs didn't seem to cause any problems) but 50% more ......

[Alex7000]

Some important things I gleaned from the ALiVE news report (https://alive-ag.de/index.php?page=a...ikelNr=9485803) is that this is the "German TV broadcasting." I would be interested to learn what source material was used for the transfers. I'm happy that they are retaining the TV aspect ratio, but I agree 12 discs for 106 episodes seems pushing it — but I'm willing to let the discs speak for themselves. Lastly, 106 episodes seem off by 2 — there were 99 original episodes, plus 3 pilot movies and 3 reunion films. If you add the three Bionic Woman crossovers, you get 108. I wonder if the original German broadcast combined a two-parter.

BTW — No official Turbine media outlet has — as yet — announced any of this.

Paul K. Bisson
Bionicfans.net
CyborgsPodcast.com

[TheHutt]

Here is a German episode list:
https://www.fernsehserien.de/der-6-m.../episodenguide

According to German wikipedia, some episodes were shifted around from Six Million Dollar Man to the Bionic Woman and vice versa.

[JR Ewing]

Originally Posted by jimdigriz.

That's where the problem lies. I don't know of any other Bluray release that has any more than 6 x 45 minute episodes on them and that was from the kings of cut price cock ups Mill Creek (although 6 on some of the Quantum Leap discs didn't seem to cause any problems) but 50% more ......

Fabulous Films UK release of Incredible Hulk has all 7 eps of season 5 on one disc. Looks pretty decent in motion but if you pause a scene you can see some compression artefacts.

[jimdigriz.]

Originally Posted by TheHutt

Here is a German episode list:
https://www.fernsehserien.de/der-6-m.../episodenguide

According to German wikipedia, some episodes were shifted around from Six Million Dollar Man to the Bionic Woman and vice versa.

I've not checked the German list but that was actually what happened to both shows in all territories once they entered syndication.
The 3 parter Kill Oscar for example was originaly BW for Parts 1 and 3 with Part 2 being SMDM but after it's network screening the story was sold entirely as a Bionic Woman story.
There were some 2 parters where one episode was with each series so in syndication the story became solely one or the other.

The long believed myth that Welcome Home Jaime Part 1 was actually shown as a Six Million Dollar Man episode was squashed when the research was being done for the SMDM dvd's. No evidence that it ever went out that way was found so it's assumed it may have been the original intention but for whatever reason it never happened

[TheHutt]

Artwork added (FSK on J-Card).