1st viewing DVD vs Original broadcast

[Othello]

Do you think it makes a big difference in the viewing experience watching something on DVD in a few days for the first time instead of over the course of 4-5 months with the broadcast schedule?

Whoops.. this was supposed to go in the TV & Media section.. could a mod move the thread?

 

[C_Miller]

I think it does a little bit. My Dad and I are going through Lost right now and it's his first viewing and he said there's no way that he could have sat through six years of this show. Same with Heroes for me. There was just too much of a continuing story for me to be able to follow it spread over a six month time span. Shows like that are essentially 20 hour movies. Would you go watch like The Dark Knight or The Shawshank Redemption in 20 minute increments? I think it's kind of the same deal.

But for a show like Star Trek, The Twilight Zone, Law and Order, CSI, Monk, ect, I don't think it matters. In fact I can't watch those shows over the course of a couple days. The lack of continuing stories don't cause me to hit next after every single episode.

 

[Trekker4747]

For heavily arced shows or shows were a year or more passed between seasons I could see watching a DVD marathon would be better than watching it "live." I suspect many seasons of 24 would be easier to follow by watching it on DVD than trying to watch it over the course of a few months was. The Sopranos had a year or sometimes two years pass between seasons and it'd certainly would've been frustrating to watch "live" as opposed to over the course of a couple week son DVD.

Shows that have series-long arcs like Lost or even have deep plots with twists and turns would also certainly work better on DVD. But if the series' arc isn't too deep or it's very episodic (like all of the Trek series are) then watching it on TV isn't much different than the experience of watching it on DVD.

Depends on the series and depends on how "deep" it's underlying story is.

 

[Takeru]

I don't like 1st viewings on DVD that much, especially for arc heavy shows. The wait, as annoying as it can be really enhances the experience, I love all the talk, the speculation, the excitement when the show finally returns etc., that's all lost if I just put in one DVD after another and watch 22 episodes over the span a few days.

 

[Owain Taggart]

I feel it does. I mean, in Canada we tend to already get that effect on certain shows since we don't always get them at the same time and have to wait months. For example, we just got the Obama episode of Mythbusters. The excitement tends to be lost by the time we see what made such a big buzz.

 

[Jack Bauer]

I watched the first 2 seasons of Alias on DVD in just a few weeks and a couple of months later blew through season three. I think I probably enjoyed it more watching it that way than if I had watched an episode of week. I probably overlooked a number of plotholes and nitpicks my doing so. I think you tend to notice the flaws less if you burn through a season in a few days. I watched 24's third season week to week during the season and I didn't enjoy it as much as I did when I got the DVDs and watched it in a few days. The things that bothered me on the first viewing didn't bother me at all and the boring parts of that season (all in the first half) weren't as boring as before.

 

[jefferiestubes8]

DVD entire seasons

let's face it, a TV series complete seasons on DVD were the best thing to happen to a fan of a show.

when watching something for the first time i think a show with story arcs and character arcs over multiple episodes or season-long continuing arcs really benefits from watching episodes a few at a time on DVD instead of over 3 weeks period.

for standalone episode shows like a number of Trek TOS & TNG episodes there is a benefit of being able to rewatch episodes but not back to back.

with services like Netflix that in the news this week putting 25 seasons of shows on their instant streaming service on-demand you can see how that model is great for any series and that is how it will be in the future.

 

[Small White Car]

I watched all of Sports Night over a few days and because of that I mostly remember it as a really awesome (and really long) movie.

I think it benefited from it.

I've been enjoying Dexter in the same way. I can't be sure but I'm nearly positive I'd hate it if I were watching it live. It has the kind of arcs (where you can guess the general idea of how it will end but have to wait around for it) that really tick me off in live TV.

I think sitcoms are better live. I'm pretty sure that a lot of The Big Bang Theory or How I Met Your Mother all in a row would get tedious.

 

[RandyS]

Re: DVD entire seasons

let's face it, a TV series complete seasons on DVD were the best thing to happen to a fan of a show.

I agree completely. I was considering buying the complete series of Lost (once I finish paying for my recent Six Million Dollar Man set, that is), and after hearing how heavily serialized it is, I would prefer the DVD's. This way I can watch one episode a night for however many months it would take to finish.

 

[Jetfire]

I never watched FRIENDS when it was on TV outside of 1 or 2 eps before deciding I hated it and then a few years after it was over I caught a few eps on TV late night and decided to get the DVD box-set of all 10 seasons and watched it straight through over a few months and I enjoyed it...even though I have seen most TV shows I like live first...I enjoy watching them on DVD because it is at my leisure and I tend to miss alot watching it live because of distractions.

 

[Othello]

Hmm pretty interesting opinions.. not sure where I stand on the issue myself... it seems like 1st time DVD viewing ias more likely to keep your attentionw ith certain types of shows though...