This is topic Warner Brothers Archive service question in forum The Afterlife at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.


To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://ft-forum.com/ft/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=12;t=000785
Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 11-10-2009, 01:15 PM:
 
Warner Brothers has been offering specially pressed DVD-R movies at a new online. division of theirs called the Werner Brother Archive for almost a year now and I have a few questions about the discs they are selling. I have heard people are very pleased with the quality of the DVD-R discs discs from Warner's Archive service but how stable is the image storage of commercially produced DVD-Rs like the ones Warners is selling compared to regular DVDs? Is it of comparable quality or less? Good or bad, how long can one expect the discs to last?

The movies offered so far from Warner Brothers at their Archive site is very impressive but very expensive at about $20.00 each plus shipping. I understand the WB Archive movies are ones that were selected for online sale because they are 'In Demand' movies by limited amount of fans but might not sell well if commercially pressed on DVD and sold in stores.

If any of you had bought movies from Warner Archive, how was the quality of the movies on the disc and their service?

-Claude
 
Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 11-10-2009, 01:53 PM:
 
$20.00 sounds extremely cheap for something which sells in quantities too small to have even the smallest quantity of proper pressed DVDs made. They've got to pay the cost of the discs themselves, the packaging, the preparation and encoding of the content in a format suitable for DVD, the duplication and the distribution, with those costs spread over a very small sales volume, before you even start to pay anything for the actual content. If anything similar was available here at anything like that price I'd certainly be interested in using it.

Interestingly, these discs can't have CSS content protection on them, because it cannot be used on DVD-R discs of either the General or the Authoring type. One of the reasons I was told a few years ago that such a service could not be offered here for some of the material in the BFI archives was that such protection could not be used. Maybe attitudes are changing.
 
Posted by Joe Tommassello (Member # 4632) on 11-10-2009, 02:02 PM:
 
I have one of their "archive" discs. The quality is comparable to a regular DVD release. Of course the source material will vary but from a mastering standpoint they are fine. It is 16x9 enhanced.

The packaging is nice. A standard Amaray-style case with a laser-printed sleeve has the same design and information that you would get with a mass-produced title.

Being "burned" discs you will want to take a few extra precautions - primarily keeping them out of direct sunlight or extreme heat and not pausing on them for long periods of time.
 
Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 11-10-2009, 06:41 PM:
 
How long is long when you say "not pausing for a long time", Joe? If there is a movie I like and a scene I would like to pause often, will doing it repeatedly damage the disc over a period of time?

-Claude
 
Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 11-10-2009, 06:50 PM:
 
I never heard of pausing an optical disk for long periods causing any damage...what happens? And how long is a "long period?"
 
Posted by Bill Gabel (Member # 1105) on 11-10-2009, 08:26 PM:
 
I have 8 discs from Archive Collection. The quality is very good on picture depending on the era and good on sound. (No Remastering)Some of the titles comes with a trailer. I'm was happy getting a few of these titles. And they run deals and sales too.
 
Posted by Joe Tommassello (Member # 4632) on 11-11-2009, 10:38 AM:
 
quote: Mike Blakesley
I never heard of pausing an optical disk for long periods causing any damage...what happens? And how long is a "long period?"
Do burned discs technically qualify as optical discs?

Burned discs are just that...the laser that "burns" the data is in fact melting a heat-sensitive layer in the disc. This laser has a higher temperature than it's playback-only counterpart in a typical DVD player. The theory is that if you leave such a disc on pause for too long - possibly even in a standard DVD playback unit - there is a chance you can develop enough heat to cause damage on that piece of data. I don't know if it's true but it's not an unreasonable concept. I know of one DVD review site that wouldn't pause a Warner Archive disc even long enough to take screen caps for the online review.

There was a time back in the days of LP records when we were told that playing the same side of the record twice in a row - or worse a 45 since it was so short - caused additional wear on the grooves than if you waited a while as the vinyl was still warm from the previous play and as a result more susceptible to wear. The concept of damaging burned CDs and DVDs is similar.

What would be a long period of time? I really don't know but I would think that varies depending on the laser. I can state that I have had burned discs (not WB) deteriorate over time so as a precaution I just don't pause those discs.
 
Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 11-18-2009, 07:56 PM:
 
I just received a shipment of all of the Gordon Scott Tarzan movies from Warner Archives. Among them are two that are considered the best Tarzan movie ever made with three and four star critic ratings. They are TARZAN'S GREATEST ADVENTURE and TARZAN THE MAGNIFICENT. TARZAN"s GREATEST ADVENTURE was not only good but it included in it's cast Anthony Quayle who went on to play a part in LAWRENCE OF ARABIA and other films and a very young Sean Connery. Connery promised to make more Tarzan films but he got another offer to play a government agent with a license to kill a few years later that made him a super star. Alfred Hitchcock had planned to use Vera Miles in VERTIGO but her marriage to Gordon Scott after starring with him in TARZAN'S HIDDEN JUNGLE did not pan out because she became pregnant with their child.

After watching these Tarzan movies on television all these years, it is refreshing to see them on DVD-R discs the way they looked in theatres when I first saw them. I spot checked all the discs and the picture quality is excellent and the color does not look too bad on some of them. The ones Scott made in B&W are gorgeous and very film like.

I checked all of the other available titles WArner Archives is offering and it is very difficult to decide what to buy from them because there are so many great movies I want.

-Claude
 
Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 11-19-2009, 07:50 AM:
 
Yes there is a stability question about all DVD-R media. Heat is a big buggaboo. Ever see what happens to a receipt that is printed on heat-sensitive paper after a year or two? Not this this is exactly the same, but the concept is there. The BEST thing about these discs is that the are not saddled with the pesky CSS copy protection. Do like they used to tell you to do with software on floppy disks -- make a protection copy before you do anything else.

The first time you watch it, simultaniously make a protection copy and put it away in a dark, cool place. Should the rumors about the questionable stability of the recordable discs be true, once you see defects in the playback of your original, you are still good to go, only then back up the back up.
 
Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 11-19-2009, 01:50 PM:
 
Frank,

My TARZAN movies from Warner Archive came in nice sturdy black Amway cases so that should protect the discs when they not being played. As far as heat is concerned, I have found a part in my house where it is always nice and cool so that is where I will store my WB archive discs. I was very impressed with the quality of the first set of discs I received from WBA and plan to buy more. If I have problems with any of my discs in the future, I am sure WB has a free replacement policy as long as the discs do not look like they have been abused.

-Claude
 
Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 11-19-2009, 05:15 PM:
 
quote: Claude S. Ayakawa
I am sure WB has a free replacement policy as long as the discs do not look like they have been abused.
Claude, Claude, Claude....I so admire your optimism in human beings. And I wish I had some of yours, but allow my Brooklyn cynicism to mention Laserdisc ROT! I have LOTS of very expensive Laserdiscs which now are very expensive and very BIG coasters or frisbees or whatever else you can think to do with them, except of course play them. Lots of those rotted pieces of plastic are WB titles. And I can attest that the House Of Bugs replaced not a single one of them even, though they are in pristine condition. They just turned to kaka on their own thru no fault of mine -- I had to buy all of them again, and then again on DVD, and now again on Blu-Ray. I'm thinking I practically own that title by now!
 
Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 11-19-2009, 07:15 PM:
 
Frank,

I am not sure about Warner Home Video but Criterion recently replaced a DVD copy of A NIGHT TO REMEMBER I had for years. It played fine when I bought it and when I decided watch the movie again a couple of years later, it would not play. I contacted their customer service department by email when I realized I had a defective disc and they promptly replied with an apology and asked me to send only the disc to them and they promised to send me a replacement free of charge immediately. They did and that is the reason I am expecting to be treated the same way by Warner Archive especially when it is a known fact that DVD-R might not be as reliable as pressed DVD when it comes to long term storage.

Yes, I too had my share of laser rotted laserdiscs and Tower Video at the time was good about replacing them free of charge. It is unfortunate you were not treated right but I have never been at a loss when it came time to get defective products replaced because I have always established a good relationship with the stores I shop at because they know I am a valuable customer and want to keep me happy and a loyal customer.

-Claude
 
Posted by Bill Gabel (Member # 1105) on 02-11-2010, 12:07 PM:
 
Over the weekend I was on Imdb looking at the info on "Blue Collar". The Universal film was once availible from Anchor Bay on dvd. Someone made a comment saying it was availible from Amazon. I looked and found afew more Universal titles listed as Amazon exclusive under their Vault Series. And MGM (through Fox Home Video) has few titles also. The order came in today, they look like DVD-R discs. Like the Warner titles with cover artwork, Anamorphic transfers. The MGM title "Trapeze", the cover artwork looks alittle cheaper.

I got "The List of Adrian Messenger", "Blue Collar" and "40 Pounds of Trouble" under the Unversal Vault Series and "Trapeze" from MGM.
 
Posted by Wayne Keyser (Member # 2420) on 02-14-2010, 01:14 AM:
 
If you're moved to, back up your burned disk.
 
Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 02-15-2010, 12:32 PM:
 
Bill,

I always wanted to have THE LIST OF ADRIAN MESSENGER on DVD. It was a very good movie and I thought it was very cool the way all the major cast members came on screen after the end of the movie and removed their heavy makeup revealing who they were. Beside George C. Scott, I can only remember Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis in the movie but there were many other major stars in the film. I will have to get this movie and thanks for the 'heads up'.

-Claude
 
Posted by Bill Gabel (Member # 1105) on 02-15-2010, 04:15 PM:
 
Hi Claude,

The print looks good, we watched it on Saturday with "40 Pounds of Trouble".
 
Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 02-15-2010, 08:52 PM:
 
Hello Bill,

I just remembered another actor in THE LIST OF ADRIEN MESSENGER. It was Kirk Douglas. How could I ever forget him because the the movie evolved around him and what he did. Great film and I must get it as soon as possible. Another film I would like to get is MERRY CHRISTMAS, MR LAWRENCE, a 1993 Japanese prisoner of war drama directed my Nagisa Oshima and starring David Bowie, Tom Conti and Ryuchi Sakamoto

-Claude
 
Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 02-15-2010, 10:45 PM:
 
Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence = [sleep]
 
Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 02-15-2010, 11:44 PM:
 
You did not like MERRY CHRISTMAS, MR, LAWRENCE John? [Frown] I loved it , especially when it was the first picture shown at the beautifully refurbished Waikiki #3 Theatre. [Smile] When I think about that movie, I feel pretty bad because the Waikiki #3 and it's twin sister theatres, the Waikiki #1 & #2 does not exist anymore. I remember enjoying the movie very much as well as the cinematography and fantastic sound (Dolby A).

-Claude
 
Posted by Bill Gabel (Member # 1105) on 02-16-2010, 08:39 AM:
 
I remember seeing that movie at the GCC Avco in Westwood. I liked it, but I remember about 3/4 into the movie everyone shifted in their seats at the same time.

I watched "Stick" with Burt Reynolds from the Universal Vault Series, it looked good with a tiny bit of wear.
 
Posted by Frank Bruno (Member # 1871) on 02-17-2010, 11:16 PM:
 
Bill- Amazon lists that Universal Vault Series Blue Collar as having the paul Schrader commentary the Anchor Bay edition had. Is that so, and is it inclusive of other extras? I'd assumed these "vault" titles were going to be bare bones affairs, but I've been eyeballing a few myself.

I've not seen Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence myself. I'm curious about it; I've read rumor Criterion has the US rights on that, but has no date (or other release info) set.
 
Posted by Bill Gabel (Member # 1105) on 02-19-2010, 11:33 AM:
 
Frank, I put the "Blue Collar" disc in this morning and it is a bare bones edition.
 
Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 02-21-2010, 03:19 PM:
 
I have noticed how Warner Brothers has pretty much stopped releasing their old classics on regular DVDs since their Archive division has taken root with the exception of the super classics such as GONE WITH THE WIND, THE WIZARD OF OZ, CASABLANCA, and a few others. The same is true with Universal Studios now that they have their Vault series through Amazon. I have the entire Gordon Scott Tarzan movies from Warner Archive and although the picture and sound quality is great, I wish they were on regular DVDs instead of DVD-R. I have been hearing conflicting reports about this disc format here at Film Tech and elsewhere. Some say I have nothing to worry about because DVD-R are just as stable as regular DVDs. Others say they are very sensitive to heat and do not put a picture in the pause mode too long because the laser will damage the disc at that particular point. When I buy DVDs and Blu Ray discs, I would like to have and enjoy them for a very long time and I have had no problem with them until now except for a few discs that the stores or the studios replaced at no charge. Some of the titles I would like to buy from Warner Archive include GREEN MANSIONS, INTERRUPTED MELODY, A MAJORITY OF ONE and YES, GEORGIO. I have not yet checked what is available at the Universal Vault except THE LIST OF ADRIAN MESSANGER , Bill had told me was available from them and he bought a copy . Another movie I would like to get whenever it became available is the 1944 film THE UNINVITED, an old ghost story starring Ray Milland, Ruth Hussey and Donald Crisp. The movie was originally released by Paramoun but I understand Universal now has the distribution right. It is a great movie and really gives you a chill without reverting to blood and gore that modern horror film does.

-Claude
 




Powered by Infopop Corporation
UBB.classicTM 6.3.1.2