TVB Released VCD/DVD Questions

[LuNaR]

but ken, i bet most of the ppl already saw the bund before, so if ppl buy the old series, they'll only be rewatching it. on the other hand, if tvb remake the bund, then every1 can enjoy it

and wats up with ppl thinking only old actor/actresses can act and stuff. this "he cannot act or she cannot act" thing is getting on my nerves. its like no matter how bad the movie/series is, if tony leong or andy lau is in it, its the best series ever. i mean come on, give me a break. define how ron ng cant act for me please if u really think he cant act and define how tony leong can act if u really think he can act?

ps: im not saying tony leong cant act, juss using him as an example

[Suet Seung]

but ken, i bet most of the ppl already saw the bund before, so if ppl buy the old series, they'll only be rewatching it. on the other hand, if tvb remake the bund, then every1 can enjoy it

and wats up with ppl thinking only old actor/actresses can act and stuff. this "he cannot act or she cannot act" thing is getting on my nerves. its like no matter how bad the movie/series is, if tony leong or andy lau is in it, its the best series ever. i mean come on, give me a break. define how ron ng cant act for me please if u really think he cant act and define how tony leong can act if u really think he can act?

ps: im not saying tony leong cant act, juss using him as an example

Don't you realize what you call new series will become old series, 5+ years from now?

Haven't you watched some tv series that you like and has remain a favorite of yours for years and years?

Good things never get old. Movies/ tv series/ music that are good never dieout and be forgotten. If they like The Bund, even if they've seen it before, it doesn't mean they won't enjoy it the 2nd time (or the Nth time) they've rewatched it.

Truly you do not understand what sentimental values are (as the impression I get from your posts).

[almo89]

Don't you realize what you call new series will become old series, 5+ years from now?

Haven't you watched some tv series that you like and has remain a favorite of yours for years and years?

Good things never get old. Movies/ tv series/ music that are good never dieout and be forgotten. If they like The Bund, even if they've seen it before, it doesn't mean they won't enjoy it the 2nd time (or the Nth time) they've rewatched it.

Truly you do not understand what sentimental values are (as the impression I get from your posts).

Exacty. It's all about the sentimental values. If something is good, it will always be good. Something I noticed in the new generation is that a new series came out lets say 5 years ago. It was the talk of the town and it was like the best thing ever. I ask my friends now and they barely remember it. So was it really good?

Here's how i define Ron Ng can't act. The guy shows no emotion. When he's angry you don't believe it. For example in series like The Academy, Revolving Doors of Vengeance, Twin of Brothes and all the shows he's in, he's easily the weakest in the cast in terms of acting skills. A lot of the supporting cast can act better than him, but ppl like to watch the stars like Ron. Chow Yun Fat can act. The Church scene says it all. One of the other scenes from the Bund, you can see him go from no tears and then the tears slowly seep out all in one long shot. That's acting. Tony Leung in Police Cadet made you believe that this character is real and you can relate to it. You can't seriously believe that the acting of the main characters today are better than back then. Acting is really important and it weights more than all the little things like CG, improved sets and all the packaged stuff.

Back on topic, I have a feeling this won't come out on DVD anytime soon. They are trying to release shows that weren't released in VCD. The only shows they are releasing are the Jin Yong shows.

Watching this clip makes me want a DVD version more. I have this on DVD and it was the first and only time I saw the Bund in DVD quality:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGkSyt3bLdg

[hello me]

hear hear almo89 and Ken Cheng.

LuNaR **tsk **tsk **tsk. You should start digging your own hole soon.

I'm 24 yet i appreciate those series back then (though some fight scenes were really slow and cheesy). But have you seen some of those CG fights nowadays. Don't get me started on ROCH 06. PurPlease!

[BlueWhiteRed]

Ahhh..The Bund is the best TVB Series ever!

This show has it all. Whether you like action, romance, mystery or drama, there's something for you in every episode. From the opening notes of the theme song to the freeze-frame over which the credits roll, this is a series that grabs you, draws you into its world and doesn't let go until it's through with you. One of the best television shows I've ever seen, in any language. At 25 episodes in length, the series is fast-paced but long enough to give us time to really feel as if we have lived in the underworld of 1930's Shanghai.

[pemberly]

the bund will probably come out eventually. it looks like, now that they've sold enough of the vcd versions of their old serials, tvb is trying to make money by re-re-releasing everything in dvd format. maybe i should wait for blu ray?

and, as show by the popularity of the vcd versions of old serials, there is a great demand for these dvd versions. the jin yong serials that have been re-released are among the top sellers on yesasia right now. lunar, you forget that us oldies make up the overwhelming majority of people in the world. besides, i would guess that there's less demand for dvds of new serials, because people can just rent those. or they're easier to borrow from a friend or to download. also, older re-released serials are the best of the best. people already know they're good, and can have confidence when you buy them. quality of the the newer serials is sometimes a crap shoot. and the re-issued dvds are cash cows. they're cheap to make, and there's already a customer base that's ready and willing.

[BlueWhiteRed]

I agree with Ken. TVB should release the original THE BUND series (DVD with English subtitle). And I hope TVB also consider "Looking Back in Anger" (Felix Wong, Deric Wan, Carina Lau).

[pemberly]

I'm waiting for challenge of life, the greed of man, and the breaking point.

[LuNaR]

Don't you realize what you call new series will become old series, 5+ years from now?

Haven't you watched some tv series that you like and has remain a favorite of yours for years and years?

Good things never get old. Movies/ tv series/ music that are good never dieout and be forgotten. If they like The Bund, even if they've seen it before, it doesn't mean they won't enjoy it the 2nd time (or the Nth time) they've rewatched it.

Truly you do not understand what sentimental values are (as the impression I get from your posts).

i guess it is our kind of thinking. im more liberal. no matter how good anything is, it gets old. movies/series/songs/actor/actress all gets boring if seen/heard too much. but i know wat ur trying to say and i guess i will support this petition... i do have sentimental value btw, series like old time buddy, loch 94/roch 95, duke mount deer 98, time before time, etc (all the stuff from the 90s). those were series that i grew up watching and i will forever recognize em as good series, but not to the point of rewatching it over and over again, cause then i'll juss get bored of it and thats not a good thing.

[pemberly]

i guess it is our kind of thinking. im more liberal. no matter how good anything is, it gets old. movies/series/songs/actor/actress all gets boring if seen/heard too much. but i know wat ur trying to say and i guess i will support this petition... i do have sentimental value btw, series like old time buddy, loch 94/roch 95, duke mount deer 98, time before time, etc (all the stuff from the 90s). those were series that i grew up watching and i will forever recognize em as good series, but not to the point of rewatching it over and over again, cause then i'll juss get bored of it and thats not a good thing.

well, i don't think any of us rewatch our dvds over and over again. but it's fun to whip them out once in a while, especially if you have nothing else to watch. isn't that what owning any dvd is for? who buys dvds to constantly replay them?

[The_One]

the bund will probably come out eventually. it looks like, now that they've sold enough of the vcd versions of their old serials, tvb is trying to make money by re-re-releasing everything in dvd format. maybe i should wait for blu ray?

No point really for blu ray discs to be released. As the shows in the 70s, 80s and even some in the 90s were not shot in hi def. I guess they can up convert the picture quality but even then there won't be any noticeable visual improvement.

[almo89]

No point really for blu ray discs to be released. As the shows in the 70s, 80s and even some in the 90s were not shot in hi def. I guess they can up convert the picture quality but even then there won't be any noticeable visual improvement.

Exactly. They were not in hi def and it wasn't even shot in film, so the quality can only get so good. DVD's will be fine.

[Ken Cheng]

Exactly. They were not in hi def and it wasn't even shot in film, so the quality can only get so good. DVD's will be fine.

The video quality on the DVDs is surprisingly good. I think some digital remastering has been done on the original master tapes to ensure a high-quality transfer. I don't remember the video quality being this good even when the series were first broadcast on TV back in the 1980s.

[almo89]

The video quality on the DVDs is surprisingly good. I think some digital remastering has been done on the original master tapes to ensure a high-quality transfer. I don't remember the video quality being this good even when the series were first broadcast on TV back in the 1980s.

Oh ya, you can totally tell they did some colour correction. That clip I posted, was part of a DVD that had songs from a variety of TVB shows. Back then it was like whoa so nice and it was just a straight transfer. Now with the colour correction, TVB shows looked the best it has ever looked.

[Ken Cheng]

I've got to hand it to TVB that for once, they didn't settle for a dodgy, half-assed product. TVB actually spent time and money to give consumers great value for their dollars on these DVD collections (which is really a first when it comes to TVB products; I had gotten used to the idea of dodgy products).

[almo89]

I've got to hand it to TVB that for once, they didn't settle for a dodgy, half-assed product. TVB actually spent time and money to give consumers great value for these DVD collections (which is really a first when it comes to TVB products; I had gotten used to the idea of dodgy products).

haha ya. When I saw Step Into the Past I was like "it's about fricking time". Then when I got to see the 80s stuff uncut in high quality, I was like why didn't they do this years ago.

[Ken Cheng]

haha ya. When I saw Step Into the Past I was like "it's about fricking time". Then when I got to see the 80s stuff uncut in high quality, I was like why didn't they do this years ago.

I think it was all part of a grand master scheme to milk more money off of consumers, really. Technologically, TVB could have put together these DVD sets as early as seven or eight years ago, but instead, TVB released those heavily edited, cheapo production values VCDs...which consumers at the time believed would be the *only* opportunity they would ever get to own the classic series (except for those who had enough foresight to see these coming).

I remember when purchasing THE BUND VCD seven years ago, the clerk at the store told me that the "boring parts" had been edited out on the VCDs. Even then, it sounded like pure B.S.: it's not up to the production company to decide what parts of its programs are "boring" to consumers. Their so-called "boring" scenes happened to be some of those subtle scenes that made those series classics.

[almo89]

I think it was all part of a grand master scheme to milk more money off of consumers, really. Technologically, TVB could have put together these DVD sets as early as seven or eight years ago, but instead, TVB released those heavily edited, cheapo production values VCDs...which consumers at the time believed would be the *only* opportunity they would ever get to own the classic series (except for those who had enough foresight to see these coming).

I remember when purchasing THE BUND VCD seven years ago, the clerk at the store told me that the "boring parts" had been edited out on the VCDs. Even then, it sounded like pure B.S.: it's not up to the production company to decide what parts of its programs are "boring" to consumers. Their so-called "boring" scenes happened to be some of those subtle scenes that made those series classics.

That's exactly what I thought too. I mean TVB probably got a lot of crap from fans on releasing those early series on VCD which were only 45 mins per disk and it was heavily edited. Then they smartened up by using the full capacity of the CD, but still a lot of parts edited. In my mind, NOTHING should be edited.

[Ken Cheng]

That's exactly what I thought too. I mean TVB probably got a lot of crap from fans on releasing those early series on VCD which were only 45 mins per disk and it was heavily edited. Then they smartened up by using the full capacity of the CD, but still a lot of parts edited. In my mind, NOTHING should be edited.

Indeed. Commercial releases should be exactly the same as the broadcast versions. If they want to touch up the sound and picture resolution, that's great...but the content itself should not be tampered with in any way.

[almo89]

Indeed. Commercial releases should be exactly the same as the broadcast versions. If they want to touch up the sound and picture resolution, that's great...but the content itself should not be tampered with in any way.

Usually sound doesn't need to be touched unless the original soundtrack was damaged. Just give me a the original mono with the no new added music and sfx, im good.