Baywatch on dvd question.

[WBMakeVMarsMovieNOW]

Originally Posted by BigDaddyV

Oh really? Thanks for the info! Just so I understand the Australian ones have all the original music eg intro, end credits, montage musics all intact besides season 1 intro? How do I know they are Austrialian does it say it somewhere or is there a cover design I need to look for? Thanks again for help

I haven't gone over them all, but from the few bits I compared here and there they seemed to have different music from the blu-rays and same as the German SD versions included on the blu-rays. Unlike the German SD (and HD) versions though, they also have the original U.S. titles (which are replaced with CGI and stuff and Germanized on the German files during the intros). Some claim the German SD also cut a few tiny bits here and there compared to Australian (at least for parts of season 1). I really haven't had time to look into that so I can't say myself and can't say which matches the U.S. versions (but I'd guess the Australian, but who knows). Apparently the pilot on the Australian is edited compared to the German HD and SD but it's not really edited so much as the German ones have some extra stuff never show in the U.S. premiere as it was seen on TV here (and the HD German also changes some stuff) so it's actually the Australian that would be the original version (surprisingly the German one has nudity and stuff in the premiere episode, all that stuff was never in U.S. version).

My educated guess is that the Australian ones will end up being identical to U.S. broadcasts barring season 1 opening song, but I could be wrong. I've only checked a few things here and there. What few things I did check here and there have had the original music in spots where the blu-rays have changed it.

[WBMakeVMarsMovieNOW]

For Australia S2 though you'll have to see if maybe ebay can get you a working copy or maybe wait a few months and see if Amazon clears out the last few copies of current stock and gets in some workings ones or not. I tried 3 copies from Amazon itself and one from third party seller selling through Amazon directly and all had mostly bad discs.

Also you can tell they are an Australian version if they have a big blue box with an M for mature on the cover. The new red colored box ones seem fine other than for S2. For whatever reason S4 is only available in the older non red box version it seems, but it seems to be same story although slightly different disc sizes than the other red box ones were. Have to check which had larger file sizes, maybe the red box ones? Amazon has them all for the best price anywhere now. Way better than it used to be and way better than ebay. Anyway, all but S4 look like this: https://www.amazon.com/Baywatch-Seas...=UTF8&qid=&sr=

[Swissangel4616]

Originally Posted by Filmfan73

The only, and I mean only tv series that was a success from altering the OAR from 4:3 to widescreen, and I'm not even sure how they did such an amazing job with literally no information being lost and much more gained was The X-Files.

That said Baywatch HD widescreen is the opposite. Horrible, and for a show that prides itself on babes, and bikinis, there is a lot of video cut where you absolutely don't want it to be.

I'll stick with the complete region free series on DVD.

don't have the german blurays now both versions 4:3 and 16:9 ?

[Gieferg]

If you don't mind me asking are all German DVD's the same as some are boxsets and some sold per season.

No idea.
I have only SD versions from Blu-ray sets of season 1 & 3, and I've read somewhere they're identical to regular german DVDs.

Some claim the German SD also cut a few tiny bits here and there compared to Australian (at least for parts of season 1).

Just check that episode:
https://www.schnittberichte.com/schn....php?ID=836208

Scene which is missing from german DVD is present on the australian DVD and german Blu-ray.

[BigDaddyV]

Originally Posted by WBMakeVMarsMovieNOW

I haven't gone over them all, but from the few bits I compared here and there they seemed to have different music from the blu-rays and same as the German SD versions included on the blu-rays. Unlike the German SD (and HD) versions though, they also have the original U.S. titles (which are replaced with CGI and stuff and Germanized on the German files during the intros). Some claim the German SD also cut a few tiny bits here and there compared to Australian (at least for parts of season 1). I really haven't had time to look into that so I can't say myself and can't say which matches the U.S. versions (but I'd guess the Australian, but who knows). Apparently the pilot on the Australian is edited compared to the German HD and SD but it's not really edited so much as the German ones have some extra stuff never show in the U.S. premiere as it was seen on TV here (and the HD German also changes some stuff) so it's actually the Australian that would be the original version (surprisingly the German one has nudity and stuff in the premiere episode, all that stuff was never in U.S. version).

My educated guess is that the Australian ones will end up being identical to U.S. broadcasts barring season 1 opening song, but I could be wrong. I've only checked a few things here and there. What few things I did check here and there have had the original music in spots where the blu-rays have changed it.

Thank you for your detailed help. I really appreciate it. I will look deeper into it. Getting the German Dvd is easier for me as I'm in the UK but Australian dvds sound like everything besides season 1 theme song is there. Big decision to make haha. Thanks mate!

[WBMakeVMarsMovieNOW]

Originally Posted by BigDaddyV

Thank you for your detailed help. I really appreciate it. I will look deeper into it. Getting the German Dvd is easier for me as I'm in the UK but Australian dvds sound like everything besides season 1 theme song is there. Big decision to make haha. Thanks mate!

I tried a different Australian version of Season 2 since I was having trouble getting a working Season 2 from Amazon from the second Australian release and I found some things out (since I did get a few discs working from the second release and then compared to the original release) and it explains perhaps why when asks whether the Australian version has this or that that you get contradictory answers all over the net:

1. the original and the re-release in Australia are totally different masters!

2. the original Australian release by Force/Freemantle shown here of this box type below has somewhat inferior picture quality AND, at the least, the title music is replaced with random music, and I suspect that means that probably it has a lot more music replacements, etc.:
https://www.amazon.com/Baywatch-Seas...2394423&sr=8-6

So the ones to try to get are the Australian red cover re-release versions by Shock/Freemantle. The discs sizes and each episode are larger in file size and don't have some the hints of aliasing and the red cover ones use the original U.S. title music (and likely all other original music, but only checked a little) other than for S1 where they use the original Australian title music instead of the original U.S. title music. The boxes and discs are much cheaper looking for these ones than for the original release but who cares considering that the image quality is better and they don't replace original title music or more. So it's these ones you want:
https://www.amazon.com/Baywatch-Seas...2393987&sr=8-1

(only problem is all copies on Amazon right now of the superior red box re-releases for Australia appear to have most discs defective for S2, however, all the other seasons of the red cover on Amazon right now appear to be perfectly fine, so only avoid S2 there, maybe you can get a working one on ebay??)

[WBMakeVMarsMovieNOW]

Originally Posted by BigDaddyV

Thank you for your detailed help. I really appreciate it. I will look deeper into it. Getting the German Dvd is easier for me as I'm in the UK but Australian dvds sound like everything besides season 1 theme song is there. Big decision to make haha. Thanks mate!

OK now I also compared to the same episode (S2E1P1) to the German SD version included on the German blu-ray and here is what I can say:

The German SD is missing the pre-title intro to the episode, it's some sort of lead in maybe from S1 spoiler ending or something? The German one is missing it and just goes straight to the title.

The German SD redoes the text for the title and adds a bunch of extra German title stuff after some U.S. title stuff and it ends up being transparency overlaid over a big chunk of the start of the title sequence, semi-obscuring a lot of it so it kind of messes up the title sequences and then for the episode title at the end they do a weird CGI replacement in German.

Anyway the intros are missing on the German and the title sequence with the changed to German titles and extra German stuff added muddles up the whole title sequence on the German versions.

The German video takes up full screen height like the original Australian release and unlike the Australian re-release which has, for whatever reason, very tiny black bars at the top and bottom of the screen. It seems to look a bit darker than the Australian ones with maybe a bit more contrast but also a bit less saturation. Possibly it has a touch more crispness at times than the Australian and a trace less aliasing. It's hard to recall but the saturation and grading and colors of the Australian I feel look a bit more like what I remember NTSC broadcast color and grading looked like in the U.S. The German one maybe comes from a PAL broadcast so a bit different colors and grading and maybe a touch more resolution (but it is hard to say sometimes maybe it doesn't have quite as much apparent, depends, will have to get some exact screen caps to compare).

[WBMakeVMarsMovieNOW]

Originally Posted by BigDaddyV

Thank you for your detailed help. I really appreciate it. I will look deeper into it. Getting the German Dvd is easier for me as I'm in the UK but Australian dvds sound like everything besides season 1 theme song is there. Big decision to make haha. Thanks mate!

one other thing is that it seems they barely made any of the original version of Season 4 Australia re-release. I can't find it. Amazon has one used for like $800! And none on ebay. So for S4 you'll have to go with the German. And for S2, it depends, can you get a set that works or not. Otherwise red covers can for the moment be had at a low price and working for the other seasons.

[WBMakeVMarsMovieNOW]

FInally got a working Aussie 2nd release Season 2. First copy had maybe 2 working discs, next couple copies only had 1 working disc each, this copy, gave it one more chance, to much surprise actually had all the discs working.

[Gieferg]

Originally Posted by WBMakeVMarsMovieNOW

and the red cover ones use the original U.S. title music

Not in season 1. I have the red version and there's Kim Carnes' song in the opening.

[Cruel Angel]

Did any release keep "Save Me" for season 1? I don't recall any that did.

[WBMakeVMarsMovieNOW]

Originally Posted by Gieferg

Not in season 1. I have the red version and there's Kim Carnes' song in the opening.

"and the red cover ones use the original U.S. title music (and likely all other original music, but only checked a little) other than for S1 where they use the original Australian title music instead of the original U.S. title music. "