Since Roxbury/Infinity’s release of “Route 66: Season 1, Vol. 2” on DVD a few days ago, a number of complaints have erupted about its widescreen look. Apparently the widescreen format necessitates some cropping at the top and bottom of the picture, which has angered some viewers.
I asked the company’s publicist about this format and the complaints. Here is the statement from Infinity, verbatim:
Infinity Entertainment Group has been very excited to bring the iconic television program Route 66 to DVD for the first time. We have taken great care in restoring and packaging this beloved classic for collectors. However, it recently came to our attention that there is some confusion in the marketplace about some of the technical aspects of this restoration process.
A key decision in the digital restoration of the series was whether to retain the original full screen 4 x 3 aspect ratio (old tube televisions) or to update to a widescreen format with a 16 x 9 aspect ratio (new digital TVs). Since the restoration process utilized the original 35mm film assets, the goal was to do a high definition transfer, updating the aspect ratio for broadcast on new HD TVs. High Definition transfer which requires an update to the 16×9 aspect ratio for new HD TV Broadcast and future Digital Media delivery, i.e. Blu-Ray DVD and HD Internet.
In this new widescreen format, without vertical cropping the program would appear distorted. During the film transfer, the post production house used a process called tilt and scan which allows a Telecine technician to examine each scene individually and center the frame on the action. Unfortunately, in extreme close-ups, the cropping may occasionally intrude on the original framing, sometimes cutting off a portion of the top of the head.
While we tried to remain as true as possible to the original programming, our overall goal is to not only make the program available once again on television, but to optimize it for the next generation of broadcast and television standards.
Infinity Entertainment Group is committed to bringing quality programming and relies on the support of our valued customers to do so. For any comments or questions, please contact David Thornblad at dthornblad@infinity-entertainmentgroup.com
I received a one-disc screener of “Route 66: Season 1, Vol. 2” several weeks ago that contained four episodes of the 1960s television show. I watched one episode and didn’t notice anything amiss; the picture looked crisp.
A few days ago, informed about the widescreen format, I watched another episode and watched for any intrusive crops. Frankly, I got caught up in the acting and storyline instead. I had to keep reminding myself to look for any obvious problems. I found none.
Unless you are one of the few who have an extraordinary memory about “Route 66” or are a finicky home-movie aficionado, you may have a problem with this current re-release of the program.
But if you’re like the rest of us, you probably will be greatly satisfied with these newly available episodes.
I just got my season 1 vol. 2 set last week, and I’ve watched (2) episodes. We have a widescreen TV so maybe that’s why I didn’t notice anything unusual about these transfers. As a matter of fact they seem clearer and crisper than vol.1. Please be supportive of Infinity for bringing these back. I hope they continue with the remaining seasons for all of us to enjoy.
There’s a lot of fans howling murder about this over on the Home Theater Forum. Sure, it’s great that they cleaned up the image from the first release by using better source originals, but they LOPPED OFF 25% OF THE FRAME to accommodate the widescreen format. You don’t need to sacrifice one percent of the frame to accommodate HD, but you do need to maintain the 4:3 ratio to keep the shot the way the cinematographer intended. “Casablanca” didn’t do this for HD widescreen version. Classic shows might have to have bars on the side in widescreen, or, if you’re not a purist, just use the stretch format on your TV remote to fill the screen, but don’t cut off the frame of the original picture. I predict they will correct this by the next release if they want to satisfy their prime customers – fans of this “classic” great show.
Ron, You are not seeing any problems on your “one disc screener” because you are looking at the reviewer’s preview copy. THAT 4-episode disc WAS in the correct 4×3 aspect ratio of the original show. The RETAIL version of this set, however, contains a different 16×9 format which was created by cropping the top and bottom of the picture! Infinity is the ONLY company out there which is cropping classic TV shows this way; all the major companies are putting out classic films and TV with black bars to the sides, preserving the original photographic compositions. (Think “letterboxing”, but with the black bars at the sides.) Yes, it is from a crisper, cleaner source, but you are missing 25% of the picture now! As Wayne pointed out, ALL widescreen TVs come with a “zoom” feature to fill your screen if you don’t want the black bars, so why butcher this great TV show?? Given a choice, I’d rather see the softer image of Volume 1 than the clearer-but-chopped up picture in Volume 2. Tell Infinity to stop this needless cropping!
Wes, you’re wrong.
There was letterboxed-typed cropping on my review copy. It’s just that I didn’t think it detracted from the episodes I saw.
Ron, I was going by what Zach Freeman (Bloggers News Network) posted regarding the 4-episode “screeners copy” that he reviewed, as he could not tell any difference in the formatting over Volume 1. At any rate, if yours was “letterboxed,” so be it. I stand corrected.
Although it may not seem obvious some imagery is missing on these DVDs, it is my hope that through awareness we (the “finicky aficionados”) might improve the future direction of Infinity’s efforts. If you will indulge me with an analogy… think of this in the same terms as preserving the originality of the Mother Road herself. If, say, some Road Commissioner decided to spruce up several miles of Route 66 and had the trash picked up and pot holes filled, we’d be thrilled. But if their “sprucing up” also included removing 25% of the old trees, vintage signs & buildings to “update” things, saying “we kept the best stuff – you won’t miss what we threw away,” would you just accept it? Hardly. Road preservationists would be obviously upset that some surviving Americana had been lost in sweeping and needless modernization. The same concept concerns film preservationists over this transfer of the “Route 66” TV show to DVD. We would prefer to see all of the original photography as carefully composed by the show’s director and photographer, not a recomposition which throws away 25% of that picture.
While the cropped image may look OK (granted, it’s difficult to miss what you can’t see!), damage is still done. Tops of heads are often chopped off (and necks in close-ups) or you may lose sight of the wheels on Tod’s Corvette because Infinity cannot fit it into their fake widescreen reformatting. Can you accept that a telecine operator is forced to trim scenery in order to keep the main characters within the reduced framing? We may lose a sky that clues us about the weather, or the tops of nostalgic ‘60s-era signs, gas stations, diners and bars that Tod and Buz pulled up to (and probably no longer exist). We may not lose all of it, but why lose any of it?
High Definition video transfer is about resolution, not formatting. This cropping is needless. If you can have any influence at all on future efforts, please help us to save ALL of the original “Route 66.”
Perhaps the best illustration of what widescreen cropping does to a full screen image can be seen at Stephen Bowie’s “Classic TV History Blog.” When you scroll down towards the bottom of Mr. Bowie’s article and see the effect of the cropping, you’ll get a very real sense of what’s missing in each frame. Link:
https://classictvhistory.wordpress.com/2008/02/14/86-this-66-the-tv-classic-route-66-hits-a-dead-end-on-the-hi-def-highway/
I’ve purchased Season 1, Vol. 1 and Season 1, Vol 2. I’ve also ordered Season 2 which is due to be released on Nov. 4th. The picture and sound quality are outstanding! It’s remarkable that the original prints of a series that was produced almost 50 years ago are so well preserved. There are many TV shows of that vintage that were not. Yes, there is a slight noticeable difference on Season 1, Vol. 2 due to the technical adjustments to convert to widescreen. However, this difference does not take away from the enjoyment of the content and is all but forgotten once you become absorbed by the program itself. In all other aspects, the transfer is absolutely superb. Do I wish they hadn’t fooled with it and kept it at its original aspect ratio? Yes! But again, the quality is so crisp that it’s hard to complain. I was a huge fan of this show when it first aired. I never thought I’d be able to watch this program again. I’m grateful to Roxbury/Infinity for releasing it in the first place. The discs are well protected and come in a very attractive, classy and convenient packaging format. The only complaint I have is that the names of the stars of the show, Martin Milner and George Maharis, are nowhere to be found on the outside of the packaging. On the back, it lists some of the guest stars, many of whom went on to achieve stardom on the big screen i.e. Robert Redford, Lee Marvin, Robert Duval, Walter Matthau, Martin Sheen etc. Many went on to achieve great success in their own TV series i.e. Jack Lord, Suzanne Pleshette, Ed Asner. You’ll some of the greatest character actors/actresses i.e. Dan Duryea, Ethel Waters, Claude Akins Leslie Nielsen, Jack Warden, Jack Weston, Susan Oliver and Darren Mcgavin. It’s also a feast for the eyes if you love old, classic cars. This show was unique in that it was filmed on location throughout the country, not on some Hollywood set. I highly recommend purchasing this series, not only to baby boomers who fondly remember it, but to anyone interested in experiencing top-notch performances with taut writing, moral lessons and an era in America that was so different than today.
Special Note*** In response to those who complained about the widescreen cannibalization of Season 1, Vol. 2, Roxbury/Infinity has re-released Season 1 in its entirety with all episodes presented in its original aspect ratio.