Cheers needs to be released on Blu Ray

[afijamesy2k]

They need to take that show to the highest level and release it on Blu Ray.
all 11 seasons of this groundbreaking and most acclaimed series in tv history.

[Brad]

I'd buy it on Blu-ray if they kept it in the original aspect ratio (I'm not a fan of the 16x9 crops that are airing on HDNet) and if they fixed the music licensing issues that plagued the DVDs.

[afijamesy2k]

I'd buy it on Blu-ray if they kept it in the original aspect ratio (I'm not a fan of the 16x9 crops that are airing on HDNet) and if they fixed the music licensing issues that plagued the DVDs.

I Like the 16x9 better, because it's clearer then 4x3.

[Brad]

That's because you're seeing it in 1080i. The 4x3 would be just as clear as (or perhaps even clearer than) the 16x9 if it was presented in HD.

Things don't need to be widescreen to look amazing in high definition. For proof of that, look at Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, The Wizard of Oz or The Twilight Zone (original series) on Blu-ray.

[afijamesy2k]

That's because you're seeing it in 1080i. The 4x3 would be just as clear as (or perhaps even clearer than) the 16x9 if it was presented in HD.

Things don't need to be widescreen to look amazing in high definition. For proof of that, look at Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, The Wizard of Oz or The Twilight Zone (original series) on Blu-ray.

But to me it's the in thing now, live with it.

[TVQuack]

I'm very happy with just having the DVDs. I feel it's hard enough to get some shows even to make it to DVD.

[Brad]

But to me it's the in thing now, live with it.

Oh, I'm totally down with the widescreen format, and have been since the '90s. I was one of those annoying guys who insisted on watching movies in letterbox on my old CRT TV, even before the days of DVD.

Having said that, things that were intended for the 4x3 aspect ratio should stay that way. With Cheers in widescreen, you're gaining a tiny bit of new information on the sides of your screen, but losing a lot of information excised from the top and bottom of the frame.

It would be blasphemy to crop The Wizard of Oz, Casablanca, Citizen Kane or Gone With the Wind to widescreen. I think pre-widescreen TV shows should be held to the same standard.

[LUNCH]

I concur with AKA.--Anything not originally filmed in widescreen,should NOT be messed with. As he mentioned your basically cutting out part of the picture.As an example I saw a few episodes of Hogans Heroes on a high definition channel and there must have been 20 percent of the picture left out because they cut and cropped it to fit the widescreen.In alot of scenes you could not even see the top of their heads. How is that an improvement?

[robyrob]

I concur with AKA.--Anything not originally filmed in widescreen,should NOT be messed with. As he mentioned your basically cutting out part of the picture.As an example I saw a few episodes of Hogans Heroes on a high definition channel and there must have been 20 percent of the picture left out because they cut and cropped it to fit the widescreen.In alot of scenes you could not even see the top of their heads. How is that an improvement?
or if they don't cut off the ends they stretch it so that everyone looks like the Hill People.

[LUNCH]

or if they don't cut off the ends they stretch it so that everyone looks like the Hill People.
Yeah,and that's even much worse,actually un-viewable. Most tv shows were simply not made for these HDTVs,or rather HDTVs were not made for viewing older tv shows properly.And of course basically anything filmed over 10-15 years ago was not filmed in HD.If you ask me,the older shows look better on regular tv sets.That is one of the main problems I have with the new flatscreens,even if you watch the olders shows how you are supposed to, with the black bars on the sides,they still do not look as good as they do on a regular television set.

[afijamesy2k]

Oh, I'm totally down with the widescreen format, and have been since the '90s. I was one of those annoying guys who insisted on watching movies in letterbox on my old CRT TV, even before the days of DVD.

Having said that, things that were intended for the 4x3 aspect ratio should stay that way. With Cheers in widescreen, you're gaining a tiny bit of new information on the sides of your screen, but losing a lot of information excised from the top and bottom of the frame.

It would be blasphemy to crop The Wizard of Oz, Casablanca, Citizen Kane or Gone With the Wind to widescreen. I think pre-widescreen TV shows should be held to the same standard.

Like I Said it again, it's the in thing now, you have to live with it.
pretty soon, there will super hi vision.

[Brad]

you have to live with it.

Not really. Plenty of old titles are being remastered in HD and released on Blu-ray, but kept in their original aspect ratio.

[robyrob]

Not really. Plenty of old titles are being remastered in HD and released on Blu-ray, but kept in their original aspect ratio.
the whole point of all that extra room on the Blah-Ray disks was supposed to be to give you the option of putting multiple aspect ratios and other extras on there (although in practice it has just been a scam by Sony to control the medium)

[Brad]

Blu-ray's biggest selling point has always been 1080p video. As with DVD, the alternate angle option is an afterthought. In twelve years of owning optical video disc players, I can't tell you how few times I've hit the "angle" button on my remote.

[afijamesy2k]

Not really. Plenty of old titles are being remastered in HD and released on Blu-ray, but kept in their original aspect ratio.

I'm sorry, but Widescreen is the way to go, take it or leave it.

[robyrob]

Blu-ray's biggest selling point has always been 1080p video. As with DVD, the alternate angle option is an afterthought. In twelve years of owning optical video disc players, I can't tell you how few times I've hit the "angle" button on my remote.
i almost never watch our HD tv - i get tired of every single program and commercial constantly switching from letterbox to "fake widescreen" with bars on top bottom and both sides, or appearing stretched or squished necessitating switching a setting on the tv for it to display properly, and half the time it looks washed out or blurry anyways.

I'd rather they'd stuck to just two options: standard definition 4:3 and HD widescreen

...as for the "take it or leave it", and "get used to it" sentiments - don't get too used to it; they will come out with something new and incompatible as soon as they can just to try and get more money from consumers

[Brad]

i almost never watch our HD tv - i get tired of every single program and commercial constantly switching from letterbox to "fake widescreen" with bars on top bottom and both sides, or appearing stretched or squished necessitating switching a setting on the tv for it to display properly, and half the time it looks washed out or blurry anyways.

I'd much rather they'd stuck to just two options: standard definition 4:3 and HD widescreen.

Yeah, I understand that. Some of the HD channels are still guilty of showing "stretchovision." TBS, TNT, History and A&E are the biggest offenders off the top of my head. If they don't have a program in HD, I'd much rather they show it in 4x3 pillarbox than stretch it (giving us short and fat people, and cars with oval wheels).

I normally stick to the HD channels, though, because I'm an HD snob. I have a 47" Sharp Aquos LCD, and I love it.

[LUNCH]

i almost never watch our HD tv - i get tired of every single program and commercial constantly switching from letterbox to "fake widescreen" with bars on top bottom and both sides, or appearing stretched or squished necessitating switching a setting on the tv for it to display properly, and half the time it looks washed out or blurry anyways.




That's another thing I can't stand about HDTVs.--I actually recently bought 2 used regular tvs(not HD).Since they do not make regular tvs anymore I had no choice,cause normally I would never buy a used tv.I got a Sony 20 inch for 50 dollars,and a Toshiba 26 inch for 75 dollars.And I returned the HDTV we got.I don't miss the HDTV one bit,and it is a shame that they still do not make regular televisions.

[LUNCH]

...as for the "take it or leave it", and "get used to it" sentiments - don't get too used to it; they will come out with something new and incompatible as soon as they can just to try and get more money from consumers
And I agree with that too.Get more money and complicate things even further at the same time.

[zypherix]

Original full screen ratio or no deal.

[afijamesy2k]

Original full screen ratio or no deal.

Not gonna happen sadly.

[Ant-Lox]

Friends was just released on Blu ray, the entire series. I don't know if it was filmed or shot on videotape (or filmed, and edited on videotape) but that's pretty remarkable, since James burrows directed both of the sitcoms.

Seinfeld, which was shot on Film similar to Cheers is appearing on Network TV currently in full 16:9 HD. It's not cropped from a 4:3 picture either. You see additional detail, and bokeh in each shot, it's pretty awesome.

Cheers was shot on film as well, and, we could hopefully see a full 16:9 shot, featuring details we never saw before.

Cheers happens to be, one of the best DVD's I have ever seen. It looks better than Wings, and Frasier, oddly.

Cheers in HD would be the end of everything. The colors, the pictures on the wall, the beautiful faces, it would be one of the best shows ever released on Blu ray, honestly.

I hope Paramount goes through with it.

[afijamesy2k]

Friends was just released on Blu ray, the entire series. I don't know if it was filmed or shot on videotape (or filmed, and edited on videotape) but that's pretty remarkable, since James burrows directed both of the sitcoms.

Seinfeld, which was shot on Film similar to Cheers is appearing on Network TV currently in full 16:9 HD. It's not cropped from a 4:3 picture either. You see additional detail, and bokeh in each shot, it's pretty awesome.

Cheers was shot on film as well, and, we could hopefully see a full 16:9 shot, featuring details we never saw before.

Cheers happens to be, one of the best DVD's I have ever seen. It looks better than Wings, and Frasier, oddly.

Cheers in HD would be the end of everything. The colors, the pictures on the wall, the beautiful faces, it would be one of the best shows ever released on Blu ray, honestly.

I hope Paramount goes through with it.

Cheers was broadcast in 16:9 shot on a HD Network.

[afijamesy2k]

Friends was just released on Blu ray, the entire series. I don't know if it was filmed or shot on videotape (or filmed, and edited on videotape) but that's pretty remarkable, since James burrows directed both of the sitcoms.

Seinfeld, which was shot on Film similar to Cheers is appearing on Network TV currently in full 16:9 HD. It's not cropped from a 4:3 picture either. You see additional detail, and bokeh in each shot, it's pretty awesome.

Cheers was shot on film as well, and, we could hopefully see a full 16:9 shot, featuring details we never saw before.

Cheers happens to be, one of the best DVD's I have ever seen. It looks better than Wings, and Frasier, oddly.

Cheers in HD would be the end of everything. The colors, the pictures on the wall, the beautiful faces, it would be one of the best shows ever released on Blu ray, honestly.

I hope Paramount goes through with it.

Cheers was broadcast in 16:9 shot on a HD Network.

[Ant-Lox]

So there is hope!

[Mr. Drucker]

"Cheeers" is one of my four favorite shows along with "All in The Family","Seinfeld",and "M*A*S*H*".I personally would love to see ALL of these mega-classics on both blue-ray and on one of those 80" big screens!RE-RUN HEAVEN!!

[ajgenard]

Friends was just released on Blu ray, the entire series. I don't know if it was filmed or shot on videotape (or filmed, and edited on videotape) but that's pretty remarkable, since James burrows directed both of the sitcoms.

Seinfeld, which was shot on Film similar to Cheers is appearing on Network TV currently in full 16:9 HD. It's not cropped from a 4:3 picture either. You see additional detail, and bokeh in each shot, it's pretty awesome.

Cheers was shot on film as well, and, we could hopefully see a full 16:9 shot, featuring details we never saw before.

Cheers happens to be, one of the best DVD's I have ever seen. It looks better than Wings, and Frasier, oddly.

Cheers in HD would be the end of everything. The colors, the pictures on the wall, the beautiful faces, it would be one of the best shows ever released on Blu ray, honestly.

I hope Paramount goes through with it.

From what I can gather, Cheers was entirely shot and edited on film. Fortunately that makes it pretty easy and cheap to re-scan and make new HD transfers for distribution, which they have already done for virtually all of the episodes. The online CBS syndication bible details what has been newly transferred and available for current syndication packages. http://syndicationbible.cbstvd.com/series/cheers/cheers.htm

So Cheers on Bluray is definitely a possibility. They whole run is available in HD via Amazon Instant Video. Much of the work is already done and it would only take a relatively small demand. Other sitcoms get a bit complicated. For instance I know that the first 2 seasons of Frasier and at least the first few of Wings were shot on film but edited on videotape. Around 1996 I believe the networks started editing digitally, which has a sharper image than videotape but they were only done in Standard Def. That is what is used for the respective DVD releases and that's why the first couple seasons don't look as clear and sharp as Cheers as you've noticed. In order to get a new HD transfer of these, they must go back to the original film elements (if they still exist) and re-edit them, shot-for-shot - in other words, it's a ton of work and money involved. The last 2 seasons of Frasier were already edited for HD broadcasting (starting in 2002) so they are pretty set for Bluray, once again already in HD via Amazon Instant Video.

I am unsure of the technical history of Seinfeld and Friends - whether or not they were ever edited on videotape. But I am sure that they are the 2 most popular sitcoms in recent history and HUGE earners, so any amount of money required for HD upgrades was a no-brainer. I am confident nearly all the big hitters will eventually get a slick HD treatment. We'll just have to be patient.

"Cheeers" is one of my four favorite shows along with "All in The Family","Seinfeld",and "M*A*S*H*".I personally would love to see ALL of these mega-classics on both blue-ray and on one of those 80" big screens!RE-RUN HEAVEN!!

Sadly, All In The Family was shot on videotape with a resolution automatically limited to 480i standard def. It could never be true HD. They already look about as good as they ever will on the DVD releases. Only thing Bluray would offer is the ability to store more episodes per disc.

[Brad]

I would be surprised if CBS has any interest whatsoever in releasing Cheers on Blu-ray. Our only hope is boutique labels like Shout, though I'm not sure how keen CBS is on licensing their product.

[Brad]

I am unsure of the technical history of Seinfeld and Friends - whether or not they were ever edited on videotape.
I'm not sure about Friends, but I'm almost positive Seinfeld was edited on videotape. The episodes were re-assembled from the original film elements when the 16x9 HD masters that are now in syndication and on TBS were created, which I believe was the same remastering session for the DVDs.