The Avengers Optimum Release - US?

anti-clockwise · Post by **anti-clockwise** » Thu Jul 25, 2013 2:59 am

I did not see that it was bluray on the Emma megaset? I guess it's just good news its available. About time.

Frankymole · Post by **Frankymole** » Thu Jul 25, 2013 6:59 pm

Not BluRay, just DVD?

anti-clockwise · Post by **anti-clockwise** » Fri Jul 26, 2013 5:55 am

I looked it over. If it was bluray I am thinking they would make a point of it. How disappointing. But at least it will be available again in the US which is a great thing so that it won't cost $500 on Amazon in US to see Emma Peel.

Alan · Post by **Alan** » Fri Jul 26, 2013 8:20 am

I find it staggering that they're just doing a DVD reissue in the USA, if indeed that's what's happening. Blu-ray is well established there, more so than in Europe, and surely A&E would shift more units by giving them something that upgraded what they already have, rather than something that is essentially identical.

MRotten · Post by **MRotten** » Sat Jul 27, 2013 7:42 pm

There seems to be a large number of people who have no interest in either a multi-region player of DVDs, or a Blu-ray player. Making the set available again in regular NTSC format makes it more accessible to a general audience. With all the problems there were with the UK sets that came out, only diehard US fans like myself had the patience to deal with all of that, sending discs back and all. It was a frustrating experience.

I only wish that the US set would contain the monochrome episodes as they originally aired here. Each episode began with the chessboard scene. That was the way the episodes were re-run as well when the show was in syndication in the '70s and the '80s.

anti-clockwise · Post by **anti-clockwise** » Sat Jul 27, 2013 10:47 pm

i hear you MRotten but i still agree with Alan. It's staggering. Just curious how the Persuaders got to Bluray. But i am guessing it was done in England.

. But there seem to be Americans willing to buy used DVD's of Emma for hundreds of dollars so i can't figure it out.

MRotten · Post by **MRotten** » Tue Jul 30, 2013 8:32 pm

I don't even own a Blu-ray player yet, but an Avengers release would prompt me to do so, it's as simple as that. I would hope that if and when this happens, there will be some sort of extras new to the Blu-ray releases (if that's possible!) which would further entice fans to buy.

Alan · Post by **Alan** » Thu Aug 01, 2013 9:24 am

anti-clockwise wrote:i hear you MRotten but i still agree with Alan. It's staggering. Just curious how the Persuaders got to Bluray. But i am guessing it was done in England.

There are quite a few TV series on Blu-ray, including The Persuaders. That one was a UK release, but the UK is a MUCH smaller market for Blu-ray. It hasn't taken off here like it has in the States.

This is why I'd expect a Blu-ray of The Avengers to be top of any US licensee's agenda. I can understand the need to reissue on DVD, but without a Blu-ray alongside in the world's biggest market for the format, it seems half-hearted to me.

anti-clockwise · Post by **anti-clockwise** » Thu Aug 01, 2013 4:52 pm

Alan wrote:
anti-clockwise wrote:i hear you MRotten but i still agree with Alan. It's staggering. Just curious how the Persuaders got to Bluray. But i am guessing it was done in England.
There are quite a few TV series on Blu-ray, including The Persuaders. That one was a UK release, but the UK is a MUCH smaller market for Blu-ray. It hasn't taken off here like it has in the States.

This is why I'd expect a Blu-ray of The Avengers to be top of any US licensee's agenda. I can understand the need to reissue on DVD, but without a Blu-ray alongside in the world's biggest market for the format, it seems half-hearted to me.

I agree. I wonder how much work is involved and cost to make the series in Bluray. Clearly whatever it is they did not think it was worth it. Frankly I am just glad it is available in the US.
Come to think of it it's a bit costly to charge over 50 dollars for just the Emma set without bluray. But well put that it is half hearted. or no heart at all.

Brisco · Post by **Brisco** » Tue Aug 13, 2013 8:55 am

Alan wrote:
anti-clockwise wrote:There are quite a few TV series on Blu-ray, including The Persuaders. That one was a UK release, but the UK is a MUCH smaller market for Blu-ray. It hasn't taken off here like it has in the States.

This is why I'd expect a Blu-ray of The Avengers to be top of any US licensee's agenda. I can understand the need to reissue on DVD, but without a Blu-ray alongside in the world's biggest market for the format, it seems half-hearted to me.
Unfortunately, A&E has always been pretty half-hearted with their releases. I didn't realize that Blu-ray hadn't taken off in the UK to the extent that it has here in the US, where it definitely seems to have become the standard. A&E has released two UK cult series on Blu-ray so far that I'm aware of: The Prisoner and Season 1 (we call them seasons here) of Space: 1999. But they didn't spearhead either of those HD transfers themselves. In both cases, Network paid for the original HD transfers and released BDs in the UK, and A&E merely picked up the US distribution rights. So I don't imagine that they would commission any Avengers HD transfers of their own initiative, unfortunately. If someone puts them out in Region B, though, then I bet they'd eventually put them out here.

I can't think of any UK cult TV of that era being released on BD solely in the US. Besides the two that A&E has put out, BBC is releasing a BD of the Doctor Who serial Spearhead From Space, but they're putting that out in the UK first or simultaneously.

I'm surprised to hear that BD hasn't caught on in the UK, mainly because of what Network has done with some of their ITC series. I bought an all-region BD player specifically for The Persuaders!, and it's a revelation! That show looks absolutely GORGEOUS in HD, way better than I've ever seen it before! (I hope A&E releases that in America; they put out the now OOP DVDs a while ago.) I would love, love, LOVE to see the filmed Avengers episodes get that sort of treatment!