The Avengers DVD Set 4 (Series 5) from Optimum

rdc180368 · Post by **rdc180368** » Sun Oct 31, 2010 4:01 pm

I'm sure you're capable of picking and fighting your own battles. Maybe I misinterpreted then... I'm sure I read something on one of the boards that inspired me to write what I did but perhaps it wasn't this particular thread?

One thing I will stick to though... nothing ever gets sorted simply by people moaning and complaining on an internet forum without addressing the points you want to someone who can sort it out. I'm not belittling the dissatisfaction that some people obviously have with this product (which is a shame given the time and effort and impressive picture quality) but ultimately it's up to them to do something to bring matters to a conclusion. I didn't think that was too contentious a point if I'm honest...

kim · Post by **kim** » Sun Oct 31, 2010 4:34 pm

rdc180368 wrote:I'm sure you're capable of picking and fighting your own battles. Maybe I misinterpreted then... I'm sure I read something on one of the boards that inspired me to write what I did but perhaps it wasn't this particular thread?

One thing I will stick to though... nothing ever gets sorted simply by people moaning and complaining on an internet forum without addressing the points you want to someone who can sort it out. I'm not belittling the dissatisfaction that some people obviously have with this product (which is a shame given the time and effort and impressive picture quality) but ultimately it's up to them to do something to bring matters to a conclusion. I didn't think that was too contentious a point if I'm honest...

I know it may sound like a lot of complaining and no action with all the problems that seemed to have cropped up, however, in my opinion, what better way to alert people than through this forum, of the various problems? We are very fortunate to have Jaz and Alan here so that they could contact the right people to have these problems resolved. Had people gone through ordinary channels, it might have taken a lot longer. It also gives people a chance to see if it's just a one off problem (one faulty disc or even player), or a massive one.

I do understand what you are trying to say and I know that you don't mean any harm. But do understand that this forum has been attracting attention by some influential people and could be the reason for better quality products hitting the market.

Tara46 · Post by **Tara46** » Sun Oct 31, 2010 5:22 pm

I must say this is an excellent forum. It is always the first place I go to look for information concerning the Avengers. It's very helpful to know if you are experiencing a problem that is unique or is affecting everybody else, as has been the case with some of the previous Optimum releases.

Thanks to all who keep this forum honest and worthwhile

rdc180368 · Post by **rdc180368** » Sun Oct 31, 2010 5:24 pm

I totally understand the point you're making. I'm certainly not saying people should be happy having shelled out a lot of money and this will be the second one I'll be sending back precisely for that reason. I'll stick a note in for the supplier telling them what's wrong and hopefully it will get taken up with Optimum.

MRotten · Post by **MRotten** » Sun Oct 31, 2010 6:07 pm

Tara46 wrote:I must say this is an excellent forum. It is always the first place I go to look for information concerning the Avengers. It's very helpful to know if you are experiencing a problem that is unique or is affecting everybody else, as has been the case with some of the previous Optimum releases.

Thanks to all who keep this forum honest and worthwhile

I agree. Civility and mature, intelligent dialogue among fans is found here, and I enjoy it very much. It is informative and lively. Everyone has their opinions but everyone tends to respect one another. It makes for a pleasant experience.

jld21 · Post by **jld21** » Sun Oct 31, 2010 8:31 pm

I'm not sure if anybody has noticed this is on their sets or it might just be me being really picky, but has anybody noticed an issue at the very start of The Bird Who Knew Too Much? I say an issue, but it's only about 1 second long and doesn't spoil the viewing of the episode.

Immediately after the end of the opening credits, we see an agent's legs running across a field. The first second appears to be unremastered footage then it kicks in with remastered footage where you can really tell the difference.

I've been really impressed with the quality of the episodes I've watched so far and think they have definitely been worth the wait!

pauljwyatt · Post by **pauljwyatt** » Mon Nov 01, 2010 1:15 am

jld21 wrote:I'm not sure if anybody has noticed this is on their sets or it might just be me being really picky, but has anybody noticed an issue at the very start of The Bird Who Knew Too Much? I say an issue, but it's only about 1 second long and doesn't spoil the viewing of the episode.

Immediately after the end of the opening credits, we see an agent's legs running across a field. The first second appears to be unremastered footage then it kicks in with remastered footage where you can really tell the difference.

I've been really impressed with the quality of the episodes I've watched so far and think they have definitely been worth the wait!

Hello Jld21 - what you're noticing is an optical fade which was the customary way to fade to black or out from black in shows of this era. They would run a few hundred feet through an optical process to add the fade in (or fade out) The colour of the film would appear slightly darker because of this.

Frankymole · Post by **Frankymole** » Tue Nov 02, 2010 2:48 am

According to posts on Roobarb's, there has been a botched pitch-shifting correction to the sound when mastering the series 5 set. It seems in some cases the pitch-shift was turned "up by 4%" instead of the necessary "down by 4%" to compensate for PAL speed-up (from film), making Steed sound like he's been inhaling helium. This varies from episode to episode and indeed within some lines within an episode.

A tricky one for Canal/Optimum to get corrected, I'd have thought. The sound mastering will have to be done again.

paulpdjh · Post by **paulpdjh** » Tue Nov 02, 2010 8:15 am

A tricky one for Canal/Optimum to get corrected, I'd have thought. The sound mastering will have to be done again.

Usually I'm quite unobservant when it comes to picture/sound errors on DVDs, but even I noticed something was wrong with the sound on this set. I wonder if the remastered Series 6 episodes have the same problem.

Cybernowt · Post by **Cybernowt** » Tue Nov 02, 2010 9:03 pm

Frankymole wrote:According to posts on Roobarb's, there has been a botched pitch-shifting correction to the sound when mastering the series 5 set. It seems in some cases the pitch-shift was turned "up by 4%" instead of the necessary "down by 4%" to compensate for PAL speed-up (from film), making Steed sound like he's been inhaling helium. This varies from episode to episode and indeed within some lines within an episode.

A tricky one for Canal/Optimum to get corrected, I'd have thought. The sound mastering will have to be done again.

People were saying that they werent going to pre-order series 5, due to the errors with series 4. I wish I'd listened.

To be honest, I've not got around to watching any of the eps yet, I just put a disc in to look through the extras. I have though been waiting for this box set to come out [for a long time] to watch the eps in their supposed absolute best. Otherwise I could have just rewatched my old vhs'.

If this problem is going to be addressed, it would be nice to know. Otherwise I'm looking into sending it back asap, and I wont be pre-ordering series 6. The set was too much money to keep if its duff. I generally always wait to buy box sets. I never buy dvds when they first come out. I have patience and always wait for a few months to get them cheaper. But when I really fancy watching something, I'll splash out a bit more and buy is as soon as it appears. This [and series 4] was the only time I've done this in a couple of years at least. Which only adds to my annoyance.

Sorry if I appear overly snippy with this post. I know its not the end of the world by a long way, but I really do feel like I've been done.