Monday, September 17, 2012

News: SPACE: 1999 Year 2 Blu-ray Update

The TV Shows On DVD website has an update today on the long-promised Year Two high-def Blu-rays for Space: 1999. Apparently, due to the high cost of converting the audio to digital, production on the discs has slowed to a crawl: 
Essentially, here's deal: When Network (which does all the production and remastering on the BDs under license with ITV) went to produce the Season One set, they discovered that all of the mag tracks (that make up the audio on the first season episodes) had already been digitized, so the company didn't have to take on the cost of doing it themselves in order to create new 5.1 audio mixes for each episode (in addition to the original mono). However, those tracks haven't been converted yet for Season Two and the high cost of digitizing this material has caused the budget for the BD production to become quite expensive. Network has informed me that they're definitely committed to releasing the season on Blu-ray and they're talking with ITV and New Video about the best way to make it happen affordably while ensuring that the set is of the same high quality as Season One.
Network is projecting a release date of late 2013, or possibly even sometime in 2014!

Man, that sucks. I really loved the first season Blus, and while I don't like the second season of 1999 as much as the first, I still would like to replace my existing standard-def DVDs with Blu-ray versions. It looks like it's going to be a very long wait.

For the full story, CLICK HERE.

11 comments:

  1. I contacted Network about this back in June, and their reply simply stated that there were currently no plans to release the title.:(

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    1. I am hoping that the Season Two Space:1999 Blue Ray Release at the very least has it programmed into the DVD'S where you can "Freeze Frame" the black and white and color photo's. The first Season Blue Ray release would only "hold" the image only for a few seconds and go onto the next photo! I'm one of those guys who likes to "zoom in" onto the DVD an look at things up close! The last two "Bonus Disks" in the season one BLUE RAY DVD'S could allow you to do it, but also the episodes on the regular BLUE DVD'S wouldn't.
      Any comment Mr Mills? I am hoping that the very least the guy's at NETWORK will read this and consider it. Slides and photos being so rare now -it would be a great help! OH! How about having a option where you can listen to the episodes with the existing soundtrack with out the voices. They did it on the ISIS DVD! It's so pretty!

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  2. Very happy to hear they haven't given up on it. Year one looked stunning on blu-ray and year two should look equally stunning. While it has a totally different tone, there are still some great episodes, and it's well worth buying. I was hoping it wouldn't take so long, but I'm glad they're taking the time to do it right.

    They're even looking for archival material to scan in HD, so this should be a fantastic set when it gets released.

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  3. I would More Than LOVE to see the 2nd Series of this Dope Sci fi show come out ASAP i hope it will be within 2013 as a Big Fan i watched these on TV all the time and i would gladly Buy the 2nd season as well as i did the 1st

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  4. Guys. pesonally i prefered season two better. it went more action orienated. rather than try to blind us with science. as most of the season one stories were. I know there were exceptions. And of course season two. gave us Catherine Schell.

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  5. Release date is 7th of may 2013:
    http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Space-1999-Season-2-Blu-ray/21307

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  6. According to TV Shows on DVD there is some question as to whether this information is correct:

    http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Space-1999-Seasons-1-and-2/18202

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  7. Germany has already released a Season 1 and season 2 Blu ray box set. Why can't the united states step up to the plate. Excuses, excuses!!

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  8. Network is scheduled to release the second season of Space: 1999 in the Fall of 2015 with a special release of "The Bringers Of Wonder" on Blu-ray along with "Destination Moonbase Alpha" on Dec. 8th from Network.

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    1. I read that. But Network doesn't distribute in the U.S. I haven't read anything on whether A&E, the American licensor, will be releasing this in the U.S. at the same time.

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