Will DVD coincide with Blu-Ray and other HD formats in the future?

[JSmith]

I have noticed with some tv series from the past that had been basically filmed and edited using standard definition tape. (Highlander, X-Files etc) the transfer to Blu-Ray would be a waste of time for obvious reasons.

Would this fact alone mean that DVD will continue to exist and coincide with Blu-Ray?

Or will the distributors come up with some way of just putting more standard definition episodes on each BD disc to make it more convenient for the consumer than packaging several DVDs in a box set?

[electricloseyland]

Yes, the vast majority of catalog TV shows will in all likelihood continue to be released on DVD, if at all, for exactly those reasons. Although you are right, they could theoretically put a whole season of an SD show on a single Blu Ray disc, I've never seen any example of this happening. (Primarily because they can charge more money with more discs.)

Ironically, shows from the 50s and 60s are more likely than 80s and 90s shows to get a Blu Ray release, because many of them were shot on film. The original Star Trek, The Prisoner and Twilight Zone all got pretty outstanding Blu Ray releases, for example.

Star Trek: Next Generation is a very unique case. It was shot on film, but edited on video. Paramount went to great lengths to dust off and scan all the old, raw footage and effects and actually re-edit each episode to match the original broadcast cuts. I haven't seen the preview disc that sampled four episodes, but they are apparently gorgeous.

I think studios may do something similar for other famous shows in the future, if ST:TNG is a success and they feel they can sell enough copies. X Files may have a chance, since I think it was shot on film and edited on video (like TNG).

[JSmith]

Yes, the vast majority of catalog TV shows will in all likelihood continue to be released on DVD, if at all, for exactly those reasons. Although you are right, they could theoretically put a whole season of an SD show on a single Blu Ray disc, I've never seen any example of this happening. (Primarily because they can charge more money with more discs.)

Ironically, shows from the 50s and 60s are more likely than 80s and 90s shows to get a Blu Ray release, because many of them were shot on film. The original Star Trek, The Prisoner and Twilight Zone all got pretty outstanding Blu Ray releases, for example.

Star Trek: Next Generation is a very unique case. It was shot on film, but edited on video. Paramount went to great lengths to dust off and scan all the old, raw footage and effects and actually re-edit each episode to match the original broadcast cuts. I haven't seen the preview disc that sampled four episodes, but they are apparently gorgeous.

I think studios may do something similar for other famous shows in the future, if ST:TNG is a success and they feel they can sell enough copies. X Files may have a chance, since I think it was shot on film and edited on video (like TNG).

I had heard different stories about the X-Files. With the exception to the two X-Files movies, some say they were shot on digital tape and the effects were created in SD. It would be a shame if that is true as it is an excellent series, at least the first 4 seasons were.

I cant imagine it would be that costly these days to reproduce the same special effects in HD and add to a rescanned 1080p remaster.

There were many series in the 90s that were shot on film and scanned and edited on tape. Sitcoms like 'Friends' was edited that way. I just wonder how long the consumer will have to wait before the studios cough up the money to have these series (which were incredibly popular back in the 90s and still have a cult following) a full remaster on Blu-Ray.

[Kosty]

I just wonder how long the consumer will have to wait before the studios cough up the money to have these series (which were incredibly popular back in the 90s and still have a cult following) a full remaster on Blu-Ray.

It may not ever happen as sitcoms do not benefit a lot from HD anyway and because they are mostly static sets and closeups of actors recent MPEG2 DVD conversions actually have more bits allocated to the central action that for theatrical action movies that need to cover the ever changing action filled screen image.

Netflix and Hulu Plus and Amazon have really killed off the potential sales of older TV titles that are not SF, historical or really high production value productions like HBO series.

Selected high quality TV series that both benefit from HD and have a potential Blu-ray genre friendly audience will continue to come out on Blu-ray but sitcoms and comedies have less on a chance in a subscription video on demand (SVOD) all you can eat Netflix streaming world.

[Super-VHS]

I had heard different stories about the X-Files. With the exception to the two X-Files movies, some say they were shot on digital tape and the effects were created in SD. It would be a shame if that is true as it is an excellent series, at least the first 4 seasons were.

This is incorrect. "The X-Files", like "Star Trek: The Next Generation", was shot on 35mm film and then edited and post-produced in SD on video. Seasons 1-4 were shot/post-produced in 4:3, seasons 5-9 where done in 16:9 widescreen. But from beginning to end, the series was shot on film and edited on tape.

It may not ever happen as sitcoms do not benefit a lot from HD anyway and because they are mostly static sets and closeups of actors recent MPEG2 DVD conversions actually have more bits allocated to the central action that for theatrical action movies that need to cover the ever changing action filled screen image.

Netflix and Hulu Plus and Amazon have really killed off the potential sales of older TV titles that are not SF, historical or really high production value productions like HBO series.

Selected high quality TV series that both benefit from HD and have a potential Blu-ray genre friendly audience will continue to come out on Blu-ray but sitcoms and comedies have less on a chance in a subscription video on demand (SVOD) all you can eat Netflix streaming world.

I'm going to counter this a bit with one note: sitcoms with high syndication value will get/have gotten remastered.

They need to be redone in HD to be kept in syndication, because the networks push for HD (TBS and Nickelodeon have promoted the hell out of certain sitcoms being in HD now), or want to pay considerably less for the old SD versions. Fortunately, the studios are willing to spend the money on the big names because they provide a sizable source of income (eventually, pure profit). And that's why Seinfeld, Friends, Everybody Loves Raymond and many other notable sitcoms produced in the era of "shot on 35mm, edited on tape" have already had their remastering work done and are in HD syndication right now.

[Kosty]

This is incorrect. "The X-Files", like "Star Trek: The Next Generation", was shot on 35mm film and then edited and post-produced in SD on video. Seasons 1-4 were shot/post-produced in 4:3, seasons 5-9 where done in 16:9 widescreen. But from beginning to end, the series was shot on film and edited on tape.



I'm going to counter this a bit with one note: sitcoms with high syndication value will get/have gotten remastered.

They need to be redone in HD to be kept in syndication, because the networks push for HD (TBS and Nickelodeon have promoted the hell out of certain sitcoms being in HD now), or want to pay considerably less for the old SD versions. Fortunately, the studios are willing to spend the money on the big names because they provide a sizable source of income (eventually, pure profit). And that's why Seinfeld, Friends, Everybody Loves Raymond and many other notable sitcoms produced in the era of "shot on 35mm, edited on tape" have already had their remastering work done and are in HD syndication right now.

.

That makes sense that they will be remastered in HD. I'm just not sure the chance they will get a Blu-ray release.

I hope you are right though and it certainly increases the chances that a property that has been remastered in HD for 16:9 syndication would be more likely to be ported over to Blu-ray than one left in 4:3 SD.

[Jables]

Would this fact alone mean that DVD will continue to exist and coincide with Blu-Ray?

They could be put on BD at 480p resolution. You could fit an entire season on one disc at exceptional quality. Even SD video would benefit from the new codecs over the ancient MPEG2. You could get, essentially, the maximum quality SD would allow.

But maybe I'm wrong because BD = HD, so consumers would be expect an HD presentation and be quite angry when they found to the contrary.

[JSmith]

They could be put on BD at 480p resolution. You could fit an entire season on one disc at exceptional quality. Even SD video would benefit from the new codecs over the ancient MPEG2. You could get, essentially, the maximum quality SD would allow.

But maybe I'm wrong because BD = HD, so consumers would be expect an HD presentation and be quite angry when they found to the contrary.

That was what I was thinking. BD has been promoted so highly as having "perfect" picture and sound quality. Companies so far havent minded putting extras in SD format on BD, but the main presentation would have always been HD. Unless they put a clear message on the box stating that the episodes are not recorded in high definition, that may work.

[chris gerhard]

I would have no problem with Blu-ray releases of non HD friendly TV shows at 480p, only requirement would be a new Blu-ray SD logo and very clear product labels so there could be no question. An entire series on a few disc box set at a budget price would make sense for me. I don't know if there is any market for any old TV show on disc right now which means I don't think it will happen.

[JSmith]

I would have no problem with Blu-ray releases of non HD friendly TV shows at 480p, only requirement would be a new Blu-ray SD logo and very clear product labels so there could be no question. An entire series on a few disc box set at a budget price would make sense for me. I don't know if there is any market for any old TV show on disc right now which means I don't think it will happen.

Well the series would have to have a very large following of fans, it would have to be a series that was recorded entirely on analogue/digital video tape and it would have to be one that has a large number of episodes.

That really does narrow it down, I agree, it doesnt seem likely.

The X-Files is the only series I know of that fits all those criteria.