Update on Network UFO Blu-ray set

Hi all,

Network has posted a video update for the upcoming UFO Blu-ray set:

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUvK4WlLu8w

While I'm sure that this will be the best UFO Blu-ray set yet, I'm personally disappointed that this is no longer advertised as an all-new HD restoration, as it was originally.  Now it's just a fixup job on the existing HD video masters.  :-(

Marc

Thanks for the heads-up, Marc!  These won't be compatible with North American Blu-ray players, right?



Jeff
--------------------------------------------
On Fri, 6/3/16, Marc Martin [via SHADO] <[hidden email]> wrote:

 Subject: [SHADO] Update on Network UFO Blu-ray set
 To: "SHADO" <[hidden email]>
 Date: Friday, June 3, 2016, 2:55 PM
 
 
 
     Hi all,
 
 
 Network has posted a video update for the upcoming UFO
 Blu-ray set:
 
 
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUvK4WlLu8w
 
 While I'm sure that this will be the best UFO Blu-ray
 set yet, I'm personally disappointed that this is no
 longer advertised as an all-new HD restoration, as it was
 originally.  Now it's just a fixup job on the
 existing HD video masters.  :-(
 
 
 Marc
 
 
 
 
     
 
     
 
     
     
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> Thanks for the heads-up, Marc!  These won't be compatible with North American Blu-ray players, right?

Too soon to tell, as there have been no real details announced as of yet, and things like North American Blu-ray compatibility probably won't be known for certain until after it's been released.

Marc

Fair enough.  Thanks for the fast reply.  Can't wait to find out.  :)


Jeff
--------------------------------------------
On Fri, 6/3/16, Marc Martin [via SHADO] <[hidden email]> wrote:

 Subject: [SHADO] Re: Update on Network UFO Blu-ray set
 To: "SHADO" <[hidden email]>
 Date: Friday, June 3, 2016, 11:15 PM
 
 > Thanks for the
 heads-up, Marc!  These won't be compatible with North
 American Blu-ray players, right?
 
 
 Too soon to tell, as there
 have been no real details announced as of yet, and things
 like North American Blu-ray compatibility probably won't
 be known for certain until after it's been released.
 
 
 Marc
 
 
 
 
 
 
     
 
     
 
     
     
         If you reply to this
 email, your message will be added to the discussion
 below:
         http://shado-forum.com/Update-on-Network-UFO-Blu-ray-set-tp4023241p4023243.html
     
     
         To start a new topic under SHADO, email
 [hidden email]
 
         To unsubscribe from SHADO, click
 here.
 

Hi all,

Network has posted a video update for the upcoming UFO Blu-ray set:

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUvK4WlLu8w

While I'm sure that this will be the best UFO Blu-ray set yet, I'm personally disappointed that this is no longer advertised as an all-new HD restoration, as it was originally.  Now it's just a fixup job on the existing HD video masters.  :-(

Marc

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Hello Marc

Looking around the Net, and on this site, I know that you are a long time UFO fan and I can hear the disappointment in your post.

But as you know, HD restorations are painstaking, laborious, time-consuming and expensive and if Network were to rebuild from the ground up, as it were, they would never be able to meet their 2016 deadline. Also, it makes more financial sense for them to just improve on the work that somebody else has already done.

They don't have the financial clout of someone like Paramount who could afford to spend big money on the generally superb "Trek" HD restorations. Plus, and I know you probably won't like to admit this (!), UFO is still a niche programme and there isn't necessarily the audience out there who will make spending too much time and money on this project financially viable.

Besides, the Japanese/German Blu-Rays have generally had good reviews despite the errors you've pointed out. The only real problem has been cost to purchase. Network have done sterling work on the "The Professionals" and "Space: 1999" Blu-Rays I believe, so if they can meet that standard then everyone will be happy, especially at an affordable price!

I've been catching up again with my US Megaset and even though they've been "Digitally Remastered", the picture still looks soft and grainy with evident dirt and scratches on some episodes, and the sound is merely functional at best. All I ask for is that the picture is sharp and clear and the sound remixed for 5.1, it doesn't need to be a reference standard image or anything.

And anyway, some things just won't be improved upon no matter what you do. I had the misfortune to sit through 50 minutes of "The Sound Of Silence" recently, and apart from an epic battle between a UFO hovering over a lake and some SHADO Mobiles, absolutely nothing else happened! Mind you, there were two things in the episode that would be good to see again in HD:

1. The dog was quite cute.
2. For some inexplicable but rather enjoyable reason, Susan Jameson's character turned up at SHADO HQ wearing what can only be described as red leather fetish wear!

Also, I think that many men of a certain age (i.e. old, like me) would be more than happy to see Gabby and Wanda in HD! And the girls can have Mike with his top off!

Please keep us updated with any news and don't be too disappointed, I'm sure you'll be pleasantly surprised in the end.

Best Wishes
Derek

Yes, what you say is true, it's just that Network originally announced this as a new HD restoration, which I took to mean that they were starting over from scratch.  So I was hoping for something of the quality approaching Space 1999 Year One, which it doesn't sound like we're going to be getting now.

It's true that some of the episodes look perfectly fine as-is, at least in my opinion.  And that what's wrong can be digitally fixed in many cases (dirt/scratches on film, day-for-night scenes looking like day, stock footage replacement, missing sepia tinting).  I just know that they can't really fix some things unless they seek out better film elements and scan them.  Which, for all I know, they may be doing?  I don't know...

Also, unless the right people are working on the new restoration, the end result could conceivably be worse than the current transfers.  After all, the recent "Filmed in Supermarionation" Blu-rays from Network had some pretty bad HD transfers (too dark, not properly color corrected, etc.)

 Marc

Oh, you are just fearing the worst because you love this so much and you want it to receive the best possible treatment!

I understand this but, as you know, it's mostly about economics. If the finance was in place, then Network would undoubtedly spend it and focus on quality above all else.

Personally, I don't tend to use such a "critical eye" (no offence intended) because I am old enough to still remember going from B&W to colour, from a 14" portable to a "huge" 21" screen, from VHS to DVD and Blu-Rays, generally speaking, are a vast improvement on all of them.

If Network meet their 2016 deadline then that's a start. We just won't know the quality until it's out there, so best to assume it will all be okay for now.

Oh, you are just fearing the worst because you love this so much and you want it to receive the best possible treatment!

I understand this but, as you know, it's mostly about economics. If the finance was in place, then Network would undoubtedly spend it and focus on quality above all else.

Personally, I don't tend to use such a "critical eye" (no offence intended) because I am old enough to still remember going from B&W to colour, from a 14" portable to a "huge" 21" screen, from VHS to DVD and Blu-Rays, generally speaking, are a vast improvement on all of them.

If Network meet their 2016 deadline then that's a start. We just won't know the quality until it's out there, so best to assume it will all be okay.

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And don't forget, Thunderbirds has been remastered to HD on two separate occasions.  Although in some parts, Thunderbirds is more popular than UFO.  :-)    

I still have to wonder if I'm misinterpreting what little information Network has provided so far.  I wonder if it's possible that ITV still has the original film scans, possibly uncompressed and 10-bit color, and Network are starting with that for their restoration?  If so, then this release will look completely different than the German/Japan set.  Oh well, we'll just have to wait until we hear more...

Here is an update from Network, posted on their Facebook and Twitter pages:

"Just a little update on UFO...

We have made every effort to ensure these new versions are substantially improved on anything you’ve seen before and will supersede any previous versions in circulation. We have assessed all the materials available to us and invested what is necessary to bring them up to a standard that is on a par with our other restorations given the state of the materials. The previous transfers were perfectly useable but we have re-treated every scene in every episode from scratch.

Packaging for this set is still being designed, and will be revealed at a later date: we can promise you it will be something very special!"

Woo hoo, sounds promising!

Marc wrote:

> While I'm sure that this will be the best UFO
>  Blu-ray set yet, I'm personally disappointed
>  that this is no longer advertised as an
> all-new HD restoration, as it was originally.
> Now it's just a fixup job on the existing HD
> video masters.  :-(

If there is a silver lining to your cloud of disappointment, it is that sharpening the image quality of a Gerry Anderson production often serves to diminish the quality of the model work; it was much harder to see the wires back in the days of lower-resolution NTSC transmissions.  

In a sense, revealing those same wires seems a tad disrespectful, as it diminishes the "Meddings Magic" that is one of the cornerstones to a UFO viewing experience.  But even so, I am still looking forward to purchasing this Blu-ray set.

JEK

Good point - though you can still clearly see the wires on Skydiver after it's just launched and the wobble on the UFO's, and that's on a PAL DVD.

To be honest, I don't care. I like the fact that they're real, physical objects and not CGI.

I just hope that Network can meet their 2016 deadline as they've only got six months left to do it!

It's true that the increased quality can ruin the illusion of reality.  I recall when I first saw the HD version of COMPUTER AFFAIR, and it was the first time that the mountains the background obviously looked like a painting.  

However, I think the good outweighs the bad.  After all, we've all become spoiled by high definition broadcasts of more recent television shows and movies.  And some of the UFO episodes on the previous Blu-ray releases looked obviously better than the old DVDs.  Now with this upcoming release, we should be able to have all 26 episodes looking better.  :-)

Also, as for the concern about getting this released in 2016, I think the original speculation for this was that this would be coming out in the September/October timeframe, based on Network's usual scheduling for these sorts of things.  So it appears they are on track for that, as from the latest announcement the restoration is now underway.

As I recall, the restoration for the Carlton UFO DVD only took about a month, and that involved scanning the film elements and recording the magnetic audio tapes, which are tasks that probably don't need redoing this time around.

Was just thinking today whether this release might reignite interest in the series beyond its fanbase?

Wouldn't it be great if it were shown on terrestrial TV again, preferably the BBC as no stupid adverts to ruin programme flow. Mind you, they started then they stopped, then they started then they stopped "The Rockford Files" last year, so anyone who's prepared to just give it a consistent run would be good.

A tidbit about the Network UFO Bluray, from a post by Andrew Pixley seen elsewhere, dated this morning:

"So ... yes ... viewing notes. All delivered and being edited by the amazing Steve Rogers and being laid out with some clever and thoughtful design by the equally amazing Martin Cater. Got some sample pages yesterday and these made me very happy that they're in the hands of people who care about and understand the show ..."

This is, of course, great news.  I have known Andrew since the late 1980s and apart from being a thoroughly nice chap I know that there is no-one more qualified to be writing the UFO viewing notes book.  I am sure the design will, indeed, be something special.  The recent Network release of 'Timeslip' included a book (again by AP) in the style of the 1970 Pan/Piccolo paperback novelisation.  This is a nice touch and just makes such items that little bit more special.  I have no doubt that the whole project is in the hands of those who really understand the series and, more importantly, really care.  Can't wait!