Cheap UFO DVDs put into perspective

Hi all,

This discussion about being able to buy the complete UFO
series on DVD for only $21 brings to mind the outrageous
prices we once had to pay to watch UFO. I can recall in
the 1980's paying $75 to buy 2 episodes of UFO on VHS tape
(from Today Home Entertainment). And of course, in the
early 1990's there were the Japanese laserdiscs, which
I think I cost about $500 for half the episodes, $1000
for both sets (I still even have these!).

I wonder what the Blu-Ray versions will cost? Thunderbirds
on Blu-Ray in the UK was pretty expensive, and I see
that the new Fanderson magazine reports that this has
already been "discontinued at retailers" (I assume
this must mean it is still available online, and
I also assume that it must be selling poorly)

Marc

> Thunderbirds on Blu-Ray in the UK was pretty expensive,
> and I see that the new Fanderson magazine reports that
> this has already been "discontinued at retailers"

Oops, I've been corrected that this article said
"discounted", not "discontinued" (big difference!)

Also, I see that Fanderson's next issue of FAB magazine
will feature the first part of a series of articles on
UFO. There was virtually no UFO content in the latest
issue, but there was a LOT of stuff on JOURNEY TO THE
FAR SIDE OF THE SUN.

Marc

I think you done good with the laserdiscs for 1000... I paid 1600 for both sets *blush*
and the quality can't be compared to DVD's...
:(
With all that bad press about the incorrect aspect ratio, it is not a miracle that people are not willing to part with 100 GBP, Wonder how will that affect UFO Blu-ray edition?

All the best,
Branko
To: [hidden email]
From: [hidden email]
Date: Thu, 4 Dec 2008 10:41:09 -0800
Subject: [SHADO] Cheap UFO DVDs put into perspective




















Hi all,



This discussion about being able to buy the complete UFO

series on DVD for only $21 brings to mind the outrageous

prices we once had to pay to watch UFO. I can recall in

the 1980's paying $75 to buy 2 episodes of UFO on VHS tape

(from Today Home Entertainment). And of course, in the

early 1990's there were the Japanese laserdiscs, which

I think I cost about $500 for half the episodes, $1000

for both sets (I still even have these!).



I wonder what the Blu-Ray versions will cost? Thunderbirds

on Blu-Ray in the UK was pretty expensive, and I see

that the new Fanderson magazine reports that this has

already been "discontinued at retailers" (I assume

this must mean it is still available online, and

I also assume that it must be selling poorly)



Marc

















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> With all that bad press about the incorrect aspect ratio, it is not a
> miracle that people are not willing to part with 100 GBP, Wonder how will
> that affect UFO Blu-ray edition?

Hopefully it will affect it by forcing a HDTV remastering of UFO in
full frame, but I somehow doubt this will happen anytime soon. Besides,
I'm sure there is some market for UFO in 16:9... these transfers
are certainly watchable, and may be preferred by those
who want their 16:9 screens filled -- and also by modelers who
can take advantage of the zoomed-in image to get better
reference images. :-)

Marc

Oh my! I remember buying bootleg video tapes at Conventions! back in the
'80's. I think there were two legitimate tape releases back then, and finding
those was more luck then anything else. How did we survive before Amazon and
Ebay?

Wendy


In a message dated 12/4/2008 1:42:42 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
[hidden email] writes:




Hi all,

This discussion about being able to buy the complete UFO
series on DVD for only $21 brings to mind the outrageous
prices we once had to pay to watch UFO. I can recall in
the 1980's paying $75 to buy 2 episodes of UFO on VHS tape
(from Today Home Entertainment)(from Today Home Entertainm
early 1990's there were the Japanese laserdiscs, which
I think I cost about $500 for half the episodes, $1000
for both sets (I still even have these!).

I wonder what the Blu-Ray versions will cost? Thunderbirds
on Blu-Ray in the UK was pretty expensive, and I see
that the new Fanderson magazine reports that this has
already been "discontinued at retailers" (I assume
this must mean it is still available online, and
I also assume that it must be selling poorly)

Marc



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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

> Oh my! I remember buying bootleg video tapes at Conventions! back in the
> '80's.

Yes, I remember buying a complete set of UFO bootleg tapes in the 1980's.
I think it was $20 per tape (2 episodes per tape), and these were poor
quality 2nd/3rd generation copies from a PBS broadcast.

How far we've come... :-)

Marc

On Thu, 04 Dec 2008 13:20:42 -0800
"Marc Martin" <[hidden email]> wrote:

> > Oh my! I remember buying bootleg video tapes at Conventions! back in the
> > '80's.
>
> Yes, I remember buying a complete set of UFO bootleg tapes in the 1980's.
> I think it was $20 per tape (2 episodes per tape), and these were poor
> quality 2nd/3rd generation copies from a PBS broadcast.
>
> How far we've come... :-)
>

About ten years ago I can remember our erstwhile contributor Suzanne
proposing a petition to have UFO released on DVD, and thinking "nah .. that
won't happen" :D

James

Marc wrote:

I can recall in
the 1980's paying $75 to buy 2 episodes of UFO on VHS tape
(from Today Home Entertainment) . And of course, in the
early 1990's there were the Japanese laserdiscs, which
I think I cost about $500 for half the episodes, $1000
for both sets (I still even have these!).

I didn't know there was 2 set laser disc version, I still have the 4 set Japanese version. The cost was $1000 total in the 90s for the set.




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

> I didn't know there was 2 set laser disc version, I still have the 4 set
> Japanese version. The cost was $1000 total in the 90s for the set.

Yes, the two set version was the original release. There was a Straker
box and a Foster box. I have a review and photos on my website. For
example, here are the boxes:

http://ufoseries.com/videos/LD1.jpg

I don't have the four set versions, although I'm sure they probably
sell for much less than they used to! :-)

Marc

Marc,
I remember you coming to my house to pick up one of the sets in the
early nineties...! I had ordered from a couple of places to be sure I
got a set, as they were selling out very quickly in Japan.
I loved those sets back in the day, and thought they were worth every
cent! They are still cool for the art and graphics, that is about it!


Best,
Ken


-----Original Message-----
From: Marc Martin <[hidden email]>
To: [hidden email]
Sent: Sat, 6 Dec 2008 10:40 am
Subject: Re: [SHADO] Cheap UFO DVDs put into perspective























> I didn't know there was 2 set laser disc version, I still
have the 4 set

> Japanese version. The cost was $1000 total in the 90s for the set.



Yes, the two set version was the original release. There was a Straker

box and a Foster box. I have a review and photos on my website. For

example, here are the boxes:



http://ufoseries.com/videos/LD1.jpg



I don't have the four set versions, although I'm sure they probably

sell for much less than they used to! :-)



Marc





   

> I remember you coming to my house to pick up one of the sets in the
> early nineties...!

What? I don't remember that... I think you mailed me your set#1,
as you lived a LONG way away from me!

Although I how I found you (in the pre-Internet days) is something
of a mystery... (I think it may have been through the person who
published the laserdisc newsletter "Pond Scum", or perhaps via
a classified ad you placed in "The Laserdisc Newsletter"???)

I was convinced at the time that this was as good as it was ever
going to get in terms of picture quality for UFO, but then
was proven wrong when the DVDs were released, and now the HDTV
versions are even better (well, in terms of resolution, at least).

Marc

Marc,
I could swear you were in Chicago....
senior moment? already?

KK


-----Original Message-----
From: Marc Martin <[hidden email]>
To: [hidden email]
Sent: Sat, 6 Dec 2008 11:21 am
Subject: Re: [SHADO] Cheap UFO DVDs put into perspective























> I remember you coming to my house to pick up one of the
sets in the

> early nineties...!



What? I don't remember that... I think you mailed me your set#1,

as you lived a LONG way away from me!



Although I how I found you (in the pre-Internet days) is something

of a mystery... (I think it may have been through the person who

published the laserdisc newsletter "Pond Scum", or perhaps via

a classified ad you placed in "The Laserdisc Newsletter"???)



I was convinced at the time that this was as good as it was ever

going to get in terms of picture quality for UFO, but then

was proven wrong when the DVDs were released, and now the HDTV

versions are even better (well, in terms of resolution, at least).



Marc





   
0A

I can pre date laser discs, DVD's and even VHS
tape.....back in the early days (early 1970's) I
filmed the opening credits of UFO on Super 8 cine
film, and recorded the music onto a reel to reel tape
recorder. After waiting for two weeks for Kodak to
process the film and send it back to me I was then
able to run the film in time to the music. Cutting
edge eh!!!

> I can pre date laser discs, DVD's and even VHS
> tape.....back in the early days (early 1970's) I
> filmed the opening credits of UFO on Super 8 cine
> film, and recorded the music onto a reel to reel tape
> recorder.

Heh, heh... well, I think several of us (including me)
recording the audio onto reel-to-reel tape in the 1970s,
although you had to use your imagination for the picture.
As for the image, I took a couple of polaroid photos
of the TV screen back in the 1970s, but that was it... :-)

Marc

Yes, my sister and I did that with Star Trek. We managed
to get four episodes on a one-hour tape with our Dad's
stereo reel-to-reel (record left channel with right muted;
rewind; record right channel with left muted; flip tape over;
record on second side as with first). I learned so much about
reel-to-reel, and then cassettes appeared. I prefer cassettes
to CDs.

Evelyn Duncan
[hidden email]

Bob: These equations are very precise. And if you walk through them,
I will start belting show tunes from the sixteenth century."



In a message dated 12/6/2008 3:07:46 P.M. Central Standard Time,
[hidden email] writes:

Heh, heh... well, I think several of us (including me)
recording the audio onto reel-to-reel tape in the 1970s,
although you had to use your imagination for the picture.



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