The ORIGINAL original G1 series on DVD
brund...@hotmail.com
since companies like Sony BMG and Metrodome are more likely to listen
(due to the added buzz from the 2007 live-action TF movie, and the fact
that the Rhino sets are out of print).
Logically, if Sony gets into the game first and does a good job with a
re-release, it would probably trickle down to Metrodome in the UK and
elsewhere around the world, as the Rhino versions did.
The live-action movie is already generating hype, and a new and better
release of the old series makes sense.
The releases we've gotten in the US (particularly) and the UK have had
big problems, and we really do need a good preservation of the REAL
series, not some version patched together from incomplete animation and
bad computer fixes with "enchanced" sound.
So, with demand building, I'd say that by the time the live-action film
is released, there will be new DVD releases of the series from Sony, at
the very least. Question is, will they merely reuse the Rhino masters,
or will they listen to all the complaining we've been doing for years
and years, and fix the situation?
When Rhino got the license and started releasing episodes in a
piecemeal fashion on video (based on the 1" broadcast masters) in the
late 90s, I thought it was a good thing. Many of these episodes I
hadn't even seen during the original run.
But, even then, there were problems.
1. Some episodes had the wrong opening titles, and were missing the
white-lettered episode titles/writer credits/end titles.
2. There were numerous little errors on the packaging, like the
statwement that Unicron forms a team called "the Unicrons" in the
Movie.
3. At first, in Region 1, we got the international version of The
Transformers: The Movie on video, with the opening credits replaced by
Star Wars-style scrolling text narrated by Victor Caroli, and
additional narration at the end of the film. It wasn't until after the
Rhino TFTM DVD came out that the uncut US version was released on VHS.
4. The "Heroes" disc (which was originally supposed to contain "The
Rebirth") was initially mispressed, and contained the "Villains" disc's
content ("The Ultimate Doom") instead.
But even with these gaffes, I was very, very excited to hear that the
series would be coming out on DVD. I eagerly bought the Rhino season 1
set, and sat down to enjoy. I remember that night well.
As "More Than Meets the Eye, Part 1" started, my heart sank. I couldn't
be hearing what I thought I was hearing, could I? There was a whole
bundle of obtrusive sound effects that had been added to the episode!
And then I noticed that the first scene bumper in the episode moved and
flipped too fast (as opposed to the more staccato motion of the bumpers
from MTMTE). It was as if they'd taken the flipping Autobot/Decepticon
symbol and replaced it with one of the faster-moving variations from a
later episode! And then I began to notice other such errors and
"Rhino-fixes", one after another after another.
I was somewhat relieved when I toggled my "audio" button and could hear
the original soundtrack, though. But as I made my way through the DVD
set, I noticed that some episodes had the new sound mix on both 5.1 and
2.0 audio tracks. And then I saw the abomination that was "Heavy Metal
War"-by-way-of-Rhino. Bleeeeccchhhh! On eof my favorite
episodes---utterly ruined and unwatchable!
After finishing with the episodes, I then delved into the extras and
the insert booklet, which were confusing, useless, and full of factual
and spelling errors in many cases.
UGH.
And it proceeded from there. The purchase of each season set for both
Transformers and G.I. JOE was not "Oh, boy! I can't wait to see all
these classic episodes again, and on DVD, to boot!", it was "Ohhhh,
boy. I just can't wait to see what horrors Rhino has given us this
time!"
I've posted several threads at the influential Home Theater Forum
website (The one-stop place for such discussions, since the studios
keep an eye on the fourms--and participate in discussions, too!)
regarding both TF and G.I. JOE (Which Rhino never even finished
releasing before they lost the license!).
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htf/showthread.php?t=216647
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htf/showthread.php?t=235653
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htf/showthread.php?t=164121
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htf/showthread.php?t=235650
And here's a great site that reviews the Rhino DVDs (with screencaps of
a mere handful of those horrid errors and "fixes"):
Please feel free to register and voice your concerns! I hope Sony BMG
in the US and Metrodome in the UK can get it together and put those
shoddy Rhino versions to shame!
It just drives me nuts that these crappy Rhino versions with all sorts
of "new" errors and added sounds and such are slowly supplanting the
"real" versions.
It's almost along the same lines as the controversy over the Star Wars
Special Editions, except here the changes aren't being made by the
original filmmakers.
The original versions must be preserved for the sake of historical
accuracy! And SOON!
For my part, I'd love to see:
The original series released in full season sets (none of this "Part
1", "Part 2" stuff).
1. The episodes in the proper chronological order, DVD versions based
on the uncut 1" broadcast masters (with original mono sound mixes), the
PROPER main/end titles and recaps/historical trailers for all episodes
(Check out Rhino's version of "Five Faces of Darkness"! Some parts have
the FFOD intro, others have the main season 3 intro! UGH!), and the
original commerical bumpers, as in the Rhino versions (but with a
"watch without bumpers" seamless branching option for everyone who
complains about the bumpers).
2. Text or audio commentary. And none of the stereotypical gushing "fan
commentaries", either! I'm talking about detailed, fact-laden
commentaries (that give original airdates, trivia, things to watch for,
etc.) by fans in the know, like me, Chris McFeely, Zobovor, etc.
3. G1-themed menus that use imagery from the series and background
music from the series (none of the CGI-crap from the Rhino sets). There
could also be a section where one can listen to the G1 background music
cues, season by season (similar to the Red Dwarf DVDs).
4. G1-themed packaging and extras based on each season (For example,
season 1 would have season 1-themed extras and packaging).
5. GOOD, G1-themed extras, like a documentary on the history of season
1 and the 1984 toys (for the season 1 set, with each succesive set
focusing on the episodes/toys from that year), the origins of the TF
franchise, voice actor/writer/producer interviews (and not having
interviews with people from other series--like RID's Neil Kaplan--on a
G1 DVD set!), season-by-season character model
sheets/storyboards/scripts (full scripts with stage directions and
such, not just dialogue), and season by season toy commercials (for
example, 1984 commercials on the season 1 DVD set).
And please, no more
Transformers-convention-documentaries-pretending-to-be-worth
-while-extras!
Fidelity to the original broadcast versions is vital.
That would be a start.
I've looked for non-US releases that would be better than the Rhino
versions, but the results have not been encouraging. Most use the Rhino
versions (or even taped-from-tv bootleg versions) as their basis.
So please, make yourselves heard at Home Theater Forum, as well as
here. If we coordinate a combined Region 1-2 effort and petition Sony
and Metrodome at the same time, everyone may very well be pleased by
the results!
And check out the Metrodome's Region 2 Transformers DVD forum for more
discussion!
http://forum.transformersdvd.com/
- Gregatron
Chad Rushing
all the new, added sound effects. They drove me batty when watching
the Season 1 set. There were new animation errors (which I'm sure are
documented by some devout fan) throughout many of the episodes as Rhino
tried (their best, I suppose) to fix errors/damage from the source
material.
I'm very grateful to Rhino for releasing the original sets, but I would
definitely go for some updated ones. Also, someone needs to release
Robots in Disguise, the rest of Armada, and the entire Energon and
Cybertron series for goodness' sake. Much poorer, recent animated
series have been completely released, so I cannot imagine that there
isn't a market out there for complete TF TV series, especially once the
movie is released in 2007.
- Chad
Optim_1
i would love a new release.
I would be be happy if they would be close-captioned or have sub-titles.
Thunder 06
> i would love a new release.
>
Ditto! I missed them the first time around...
t.k.