Merlin S2 going to Syfy, and S1 on Region 1 DVD

[23skidoo]

It's possible this was mentioned in the Merlin Season 2 thread, but I just learned via TV Shows on DVD that instead of going to NBC, season 2 of Merlin will air on Syfy this spring, after a March encore of Season 1.

And on April 20 the DVD of Season 1 will be issued over here, too.

http://www.TVShowsOnDVD.com/newsitem.cfm?NewsID=13261

No mention of a Blu-Ray which isn't surprising as I don't believe season 1 was shot in high-def, but someone correct me if I'm wrong. Except for oddball exceptions like The Next Doctor* it seems BBC Video tends to only Blu-Ray shows shot in HD (i.e. Torchwood, the 2009 Doctor Who specials, etc).

Not sure what the move to Syfy means for any Canadian broadcast of Season 2. Last year CTV simulcast with NBC. I assume this probably means Space will air it instead, unless they spent their UK import money on Doctor Who. I wouldn't be surprised to see Syfy schedule Merlin opposite BBC America's Doctor Who, either.

Alex

* Originally released only on DVD but up-converted to Blu-Ray for the Complete Specials box set.

 

[AviTrek]

Just saw this myself. Glad to see the US is getting season 2. I would guess a late may/early June data for season 2 on SyFy unless airs 2 episodes a week which could get us season 2 in late April.

In terms of Blu-Ray there really is very little advantage over DVD if the show isn't shot in HD. Sure PAL is slightly higher resolution, but the difference isn't that large to really matter as long as the disc is correctly encoded as anamorphic widescreen.

 

[dru]

Good news.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

Just saw this myself. Glad to see the US is getting season 2. I would guess a late may/early June data for season 2 on SyFy unless airs 2 episodes a week which could get us season 2 in late April.

The article says the DVD set is coming "a few weeks after the second season debuts," so I'm thinking late-March/early-April.

 

[23skidoo]

In terms of Blu-Ray there really is very little advantage over DVD if the show isn't shot in HD. Sure PAL is slightly higher resolution, but the difference isn't that large to really matter as long as the disc is correctly encoded as anamorphic widescreen.

I agree. However there seems to be a pretty strong anti-DVD bias developing around here (and elsewhere) where people seem to default to "no Blu-Ray, I'm not buying it" mode. It happened when the remake of the Prisoner was announced as a DVD-only release. Personally I think the Prisoner will look fantastic on my plasma even as a DVD. And the same for Merlin.

Alex

 

[KB24]

Glad to see MErlin Season 2 will be stateside! I don't really like 'syfy' but maybe the numbers will be considered more respectable with like niche programming. Last summer's average of 5 million wasn't good enough for NBC? Hmph.

I have the dvds saved in my netflix for another watch, too. Maybe this means we might get Season 2 sets by the fourth quarter as well? What channel is airing season 1 again? I hope proper marketing and a not-deathly timeslot is given.

 

[KB24]

Glad to see MErlin Season 2 will be stateside! I don't really like 'syfy' but maybe the numbers will be considered more respectable with like niche programming. Last summer's average of 5 million wasn't good enough for NBC? Hmph.

I have the dvds saved in my netflix for another watch, too. Maybe this means we might get Season 2 sets by the fourth quarter as well? What channel is airing season 1 again? I hope proper marketing and a not-deathly timeslot is given.

 

[KB24]

Glad to see MErlin Season 2 will be stateside! I don't really like 'syfy' but maybe the numbers will be considered more respectable with like niche programming. Last summer's average of 5 million wasn't good enough for NBC? Hmph.

I have the dvds saved in my netflix for another watch, too. Maybe this means we might get Season 2 sets by the fourth quarter as well? What channel is airing season 1 again? I hope proper marketing and a not-deathly timeslot is given.

 

[KB24]

Glad to see MErlin Season 2 will be stateside! I don't really like 'syfy' but maybe the numbers will be considered more respectable with like niche programming. Last summer's average of 5 million wasn't good enough for NBC? Hmph.

I have the dvds saved in my netflix for another watch, too. Maybe this means we might get Season 2 sets by the fourth quarter as well? What channel is airing season 1 again? I hope proper marketing and a not-deathly timeslot is given.

 

[KB24]

Wow sorry about all that! Didn't mean that!

 

[cylkoth]

^^ And another Merlin spell backsfires..

 

[KB24]

The page froze, and when I rebooted, bam! Dang NBC executives!

 

[Starkers]

I can just imagine Gaius shaking his head. '"Oh Merlin I don't believe you did that."

I have an anti blu Ray bias because I'm old and a luddite. Still dreading the day something is released Blu Ray only!

 

[AviTrek]

In terms of Blu-Ray there really is very little advantage over DVD if the show isn't shot in HD. Sure PAL is slightly higher resolution, but the difference isn't that large to really matter as long as the disc is correctly encoded as anamorphic widescreen.

I agree. However there seems to be a pretty strong anti-DVD bias developing around here (and elsewhere) where people seem to default to "no Blu-Ray, I'm not buying it" mode. It happened when the remake of the Prisoner was announced as a DVD-only release. Personally I think the Prisoner will look fantastic on my plasma even as a DVD. And the same for Merlin.

Alex

As I argued in the Prisoner thread, the issue is how the material was originally created. For the Prisoner, Defying Gravity, or another show filmed and aired in HD I refuse to buy a DVD release because I know they can turn around release a Blu Ray disc tomorrow. But for a show digitally "filmed" today in a non-hd resolution I have no problem buying a DVD since there is no way to ever create the added detail that doesn't exist. I would hope most people with a Blu Ray only approach understand that distinction, but then again, I'm probably giving too much credit to the average consumer.

 

[KB24]

I've said before I'm pleased with how classic films look on blu-ray, but I agree, I still have a lot of vhs in addition to a huge dvd collection. I'm surprised Merlin was filmed with all the bells and whistles for a high def release though. I thought most shows were.

I just got an email from Amazon saying Season 1 was available. Yay.

 

[AviTrek]

Film by definition is higher resolution than HD. So it can be scanned and shown in HD and it will look better than anything since it was shown in theaters. However, anything digital has a fixed resolution. So if a show is shot digitally in less than HD resolutions there is nothing that can be done.

It's shocking that shows are still being produced in SD, but the BBC has been having budget problems so it's somewhat understandable.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

Film by definition is higher resolution than HD. So it can be scanned and shown in HD and it will look better than anything since it was shown in theaters. However, anything digital has a fixed resolution. So if a show is shot digitally in less than HD resolutions there is nothing that can be done.

It's shocking that shows are still being produced in SD, but the BBC has been having budget problems so it's somewhat understandable.

Merlin is shot on 16mm apparently for the feel and tone it gives but the BBC don't consider it good enough for HD resolution. There was talk of series 2 being shot for HD but never panned out, so I assume something went wrong.

 

[AviTrek]

In other news FutonCritic now has details on the SyFy pickup. Season 1 will air as a marathon on 3/28 and seas 2 will then debut on 4/2 alongside SGU.

 

[23skidoo]

As I argued in the Prisoner thread, the issue is how the material was originally created. For the Prisoner, Defying Gravity, or another show filmed and aired in HD I refuse to buy a DVD release because I know they can turn around release a Blu Ray disc tomorrow. But for a show digitally "filmed" today in a non-hd resolution I have no problem buying a DVD since there is no way to ever create the added detail that doesn't exist. I would hope most people with a Blu Ray only approach understand that distinction, but then again, I'm probably giving too much credit to the average consumer.

I also found out that if you don't buy the highest-possible definition TV out there, you can enjoy terrific high-definition images superior to DVD but at the same time you don't throw the baby out with the bathwater and you can enjoy older material, too. Before I settled on my 720 plasma I checked out an old Avengers TV, a 1914 Charlie Chaplin movie, Fritz Lang's Metropolis, Kojak, and a DVD of Saved by the Bell, and everything looked fine. And meanwhile the BRs I bought for the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, Final Fantasy Spirits Within, Get Smart and others looked amazing. So I have no problem buying a DVD release of something like Defying Gravity or Merlin because it'll look great, regardless.

But for those whose interest in film or TV starts and ends at Avatar, they might turn their noses up at something that isn't the highest of the high in terms of definition. In the end I don't care as long as the people making these DVD releases don't think no one is interested and stop making them. I'd rather have Merlin - or the 2009 version of The Prisoner - on standard def DVD than not be released at all.

I just remembered discussions on this very forum 5-6 years back, around the time Blu-Ray was first announced, and people were stating outright they were not going to buy any DVDs, and just wait for the Blu-Ray. I sometimes wonder if these folks ever got tired of waiting and finally sunk and bought the DVD, or if they just spent the money on XBox games instead.

Alex

 

[Othello]

Great news. Very happy we're gonna get season two of this show.