The Blu-ray Awakens

[thomasaevans]

Amazon and Zavvi have listings for THOSE Series 1-5 blu-rays down as being released in February 26th 2018.

Is this actually now happening for the 30th?

[GlenTokyo]

Intriguing…

Doug said the quality wasn’t there a few months ago so it got canned, bluffing?

Here’s the info page from blu-ray dot com

http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Red-Dwarf-Series-1-Blu-ray/157922/#Overview

I’d happily buy them on blu-ray, they have value to me if they have the model footage scanned in full HD, a re-edit would be nice to include them but that’s an ask, and if they have everything on one disc.

Any updated “tour of the ship” menus and any new material is a bonus (Rob and Doug commentaries for some episodes? Rob, Ed and Doug?)

Cautiously excited, just because it’s the 30th.

[JamesTC]

They’ve been down as that date for a while now so don’t put too much stock in it being that date.

That being said the Blu-Ray releases are back on. Doug tweeted in a reply on the 12th of November: “They’re increased the budget and are trying to convince me the uprezing will look much better this time. They’re also throwing in a colour grade something they wouldn’t agree to first time around.”

[Ben Saunders]

>a colour grade
awooga. awooga.

[bloodteller]

is that a bad thing?

[Ben Saunders]

It depends, really – it could be fantastic or it could be dreadful. A generic colour grade pasted all over the show could give you Star Wars Special Edition/Red Dwarf Remastered tier issues, but one with any decent amount of effort put into it could end up working well.

But I do think a grade should be avoided and the programs should be presented as made, just upscaled, because I’m a purist like that. Perhaps there will be room for graded and non-graded versions. I’m aware that even just upscaling might be considered artifice, but that’s as far as I think they should go. I don’t want a Remastered 2.

[GlenTokyo]

The grade was one of the better things about remastered to me. If they just did that and didn’t change the aspect to 14:9 and filmise it, visually it would have been worth it I think.

It was never intended to look shit, anything to remedy that is in fact making it more definitive in my opinion, as it will be closer to resembling the vision of the people that made it and how it actually looked live.

Good to know it’s back on though. I expect a couple will release in February and then every few months from there or something.

[Ben Saunders]

>It was never intended to look shit, anything to remedy that is in fact making it more definitive in my opinion, as it will be closer to resembling the vision of the people that made it and how it actually looked live.
Interesting opinion, as I believe the actual, final product, is the “definitive”, and that intent doesn’t really factor in as much. Tommy Wiseau -intended- to make a masterpiece. He didn’t.

But I also view things as historical documents as well as shows or whatever. Also when going down the road of bringing things closer to original visions, you run the risk of Lucasing your creation.

[GlenTokyo]

By vision I only mean how it looked when performed, overcoming the limitations of the format is not even a remaster really, it’s the same thing but clearer. Like a lossless audio format, or a rescan for Blu-ray of an old film. They’re not adding or removing anything content wise, they’re just allowing you to see it more clearly.

It would have been graded if such things existed at the time, as one inch tape was wank.

The videos were replaced by something with better picture quality and were gratefully accepted

[GlenTokyo]

It’ll still have all the same issues, like the comet tails or whatever they’re called, it’ll just be less grey, and if you like it grey, DVD and VHS have you covered.

[Moonlight]

The color grade will either make it look basically fine, or absolutely horrific. Unfortunately the latter is the standard nowadays.

[Warbodog]

Hopefully Doug will give it a blue rinse to match the blue look of XI & XII that wasn’t possible with the technology in 1988. Like how Blade Runner is blue now, for some reason.

[Moonlight]

I think they should hire Chris Veale to recreate Series I in CGI.

[flanl3]

I think they should hire Series I to recreate Chris Veale in CGI.

[thomasaevans]

Adding to the suggestion that this really may be happening…

http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Doctor-Tom-Baker-1st-Season-Blu/23925

[si]

Adding to the suggestion that this really may be happening…
http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Doctor-Tom-Baker-1st-Season-Blu/23925

*follows link*

We looked at the BBC Shop online store to try to confirm, and have continued to look back there many times since, and have never yet seen a listing for such a title…

Well, they wouldn’t, would they?

[International Debris]

That page’s use of quotation marks made me feel ill.

[Moonlight]

I would actually consider buying Red Dwarf on Blu-Ray, but only because I’ve managed to lose disc 1 for Series I and V.

If they crop it into 16:9, I’m going to set myself on fire outside GNP.

[Ben Paddon]

If they crop it into 16:9, I’m going to set myself on fire outside GNP.

I can’t imagine they will – “Shada” and “Spearhead From Space” didn’t get cropped.

[GlenTokyo]

I can’t imagine they will – “Shada” and “Spearhead From Space” didn’t get cropped.

Doug saying it was for the Japanese audience again on Twitter has made me think it’s going to get cropped to 14:9 like Remastered.

[bloodteller]

are the japanese really into 14:9 or something?

[Mr-Stabby]

The Tom Baker Doctor Who Bluray would actually have *some* benefit, as with the ‘Shada’ release, they have clearly rescanned the film elements of the show, and although the 16mm stock at the time wasn’t great, it still is a noticeable quality difference. So if they did that, then sure! Though I seem to remember, Tom’s first episode was a rare all-VT episode.

I’m going to buy Series 1 Red Dwarf Bluray anyway, because i’m a nerd and i like to compare things. But hell if they rescanned all the model shots, i’d buy them all. But i doubt they’ll do that, if they even still exist at all.

[GlenTokyo]

are the japanese really into 14:9 or something?

I think maybe they like full screen content, which is why 14:9 was chosen for remastered, halfway between 4:3 and 16:9.

Dunno though, I’m not an expert in Japanese TV viewing habits, maybe they don’t care now the novelty of widescreen has worn off.

[Dax101]

It doesn’t seem like the BBC (including worldwide) even put that much money into the DVDs anymore

[Jawscvmcdia]

Does Chris Veale even do CGI anymore?

[GlenTokyo]

Does Chris Veale even do CGI anymore?

I wondered the same recently, had a look on his IMDB and searched for him on Google. The last thing I could see Dwarf wise was a graphic design credit, he doesn’t seem to have a portfolio site or anything which is odd for someone in his line of work, and he obviously had talent considering the limitations and what he produced so it’d be strange if he didn’t do it anymore.

[Lily]

He does have a website but … well. http://cvcg.co.uk/

[GlenTokyo]

He does have a website but … well. http://cvcg.co.uk/

Oof. That robot policeman.

I assume that he just no longer works for himself, I’ll have to keep an eye on the crew credits for some films and TV with British FX houses.

[thomasaevans]

Aussi…

[JamesTC]

The Blu-Ray now looks like it is going full speed ahead but with a slight difference. Now rather than individual releases it is all 8 series. Currently listed as 16 discs and out October according to Amazon and Zoom.

Get your pre-order in with Zoom now as it is currently listed as £40 (and you can use SIGNUP10 to get 10% off) and that seems like a misprice. They might not honour it but I think they have honoured misprices in the past.

[Flap Jack]

Well this is certainly not something I expected to ever happen…

Will there be any new special features, I wonder? (Or features imported from Bodysnatcher?) I’m assuming it won’t be a “Just The Shows”-style release, given that it’s 16 discs.

Maybe some new, less lengthy menu transitions?

Will Series I-III controversially be the Remastered versions? (“Well, they’re already film-look, so they’re obviously more suited to HD!” – Ed Bye or somebody.)

If nothing else, this is great news for people who were disappointed they couldn’t marathon Series 8 without disc swapping. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Unless this doesn’t actually happen, which is still likely.

[Dave]

It’s certainly looking more like a realistic prospect now, especially after those comments from Doug about a new colour grading.

I’ll put an order in with Zoom for the time being – £36 is about right I think, depending on what extras/improvements it offers over the existing sets.

[Dax101]

If there were new extras id think the price would go up, but 8 series (16 discs) for £40 seems fairly cheap

[(deleted)]

If they are true restorations, presented 50i and replicate all previous bonus material, then I’m in. But that’s a lot of ifs.

Particularly like the idea of a copy of VI that’s not completely screwed up by having massive blanking lines all over it, tracking faults and audio dropouts galore.

[Dax101]

To much to hope for a rob grant, Ed bye and Doug Naylor commentary for every episode to go with it? Probably :(

[Flap Jack]

Nowadays, just one new commentary by Doug alone would be quite the treat. Even if it was for Krytie TV.

[GlenTokyo]

I’m in. Any improvement to some of the DVDs very poor picture quality is worth it, seems that there’ll still be a “bonus features” disc for each and a series and it’s extras won’t all be on the one disc which is a shame for lazy people like me but still, can’t complain.

The updated placeholder cover art looks standard for current Dwarf production which means they’ll have sent it over to online stores which suggests they’re right behind it, so that bodes well. Hopefully we’ll get a few new extras, even if it’s just a picture in picture track where excerpts from the documentaries play as you reach specific moments of the show.

A few Doug comms would be nice though, and any rescanned model footage.

[Dax101]

I am interested to see how the image quality comes through with Blu-ray.

I know with the remastered people felt i looked abit too clean but honestly i think for Blu-ray it would be worth a slight clean up.

Just none of that other remastered crap

[Ben Saunders]

Rob commentaries but only on episodes he didn’t write

[Dax101]

Rob Commentary for Krytie TV

Possibly drunken.

[GlenTokyo]

I always think that the two things about remastered that were worth doing are the grade and the audio (not the shite sound effects and library music mind).

People say “but it’s not how it looked when broadcast” but I say “it’s what it looked like when it was filmed” because it wasn’t meant to be washed out, it’s just a limitation of the format and a consequence of how they used it.

[Dave]

and any rescanned model footage

This is probably the thing I am most hopeful for.

[Ben Saunders]

As long as the original is available in high quality they can do whatever they like for a remastered version, in my opinion. All the Doctor Who DVDs with updated CGI effects for example always carry the unedited versions as well, and I choose to watch them unedited, at least for my first viewing, to enjoy the program as it was when it aired. The updated versions are a curiosity for me, but the definitive versions for others, and that’s fine.

[Flap Jack]

If there are any new special features at all, then they’ll likely just be some token additions rather than substantial ones (a featurette marking the 30th anniversary, perhaps?), BUT if we’re talking wish lists…

– All of the special features from The Bodysnatcher Collection (excluding Re-Dwarf and the Remastered episodes themselves).
– Full versions of both American pilots.
– All of the links and other unreleased original content from Red Dwarf Night (Universe Challenge being the main thing here).
– New Writer/Director commentaries on as many episodes as humanly possible.
– Smeg Ups/Smeg Outs in their originally edited form (all Kryten links preserved).
– Weblink.
– Unabridged audiobook of ‘The Log: A Dwarfer’s Guide to Everything’, read by Stephen Fry.
– Holly digitally recast with Hattie Hayridge in Series 1 and 2 (and Hilly recast with Rebecca Blackstone).

[Ben Paddon]

I’ll be happy with the retrospectives for each series, the smeg-ups and the deleted scenes. Maybe the model shots as well if they can get HD scans. If I want anything else I’ve got the DVDs, though, so no great loss if they don’t get included.

I have doubts as to whether or not the old features will find their way into this release – special features have somewhat fallen out of vogue, alas – but it might not be expensive to bung ’em on in SD. Torchwood series 1-3 included Torchwood Declassified in SD, and the Doctor Who series 2 and 4 Bluray sets include those Children in Need mini-episodes in SD too, so the Bluray Consortium seems to be more forgiving of SD content if it’s not the main feature.

[GlenTokyo]

I think at the very least they’ll have the majority of the DVD features. Maybe not the pop song montage features due to licensing but that’s no real loss.

An upscale would probably work a little better on the docs too, since it’s a bit of a cleaner source, might also be able to crop out some blue screen problems if they’re upscaling it.

[International Debris]

To much to hope for a rob grant, Ed bye and Doug Naylor commentary for every episode to go with it?

I’d actually buy a BluRay player for this.

[Mr-Stabby]

The preorder price for Series 1 Bluray is now £16.66 on my Amazon order history.

[NoFro]

I think I’ll wait for reviews in this case… or for TOS to provide some nice comparison images.

Does anyone have a good example of an SD show looking notably better on Blu?

[JamesTC]

I was impressed with the studio sections of Shada look superb on the recent Blu-Ray release. Stand well alongside the HD location footage and animation.

It all depends if they do it right. Get the frame rate correct and do some colour correction and grading and then it will be the best Red Dwarf will ever look and a well worth purchase for us fans who watch these episodes so much. The frame rate is where I am anticipating the major fuck up. Doctor Who Series 1-4 came out 4% slower because of the frame rate issue. That was initially made for America though so hopefully this initially being for the UK market will mean it doesn’t happen here.

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