Sesame Workshop/Shout! Factory Deal

[minor muppetz]

The 50 Years DVD does look awful, because really you're looking at an SD version of something produced in HD. That said, the copies of certain bits on there are inexcusably bad.

And if they converted standard definition clips to high definition for a release only available in standard definition (and I do not know if that’s the case with the pre-HD clips or not, though I haven’t really noticed any interlacing on the set), then I guess it’ll look worse.

I got that one on both DVD and download. I decided to watch both at once and noticed the color being slightly different, I don’t know if it’s due to the digital download being able to be presented in HD or if size matters (my digital copy was watched on a phone while my DVD was watched on a television screen).

 

[LittleJerry92]

I do also want to mention, if “Wet Paint” is ever fortunate enough to get another DVD release (I guess the closest probably being an old school volume 4 which I sadly never see happening now), I’m really hoping it doesn’t end up just being ripped from Count It Higher as well because I actually would love to see the full ending in DVD quality, speaking as someone who loves the fact that the video really captures the differences between framerates of the chroma-keyed footage and video tape of the puppets when you watch it on your TV. That detail unfortunately gets lost with a lot of digital releases (especially older 480p uploads, though the closest I’ve managed to get to seeing it was the recent source I posted even with some slight interlacing). I could even live without it having the SMV intro (since it was really only seen in two airings anyway). Same could pretty much be said for the other 80s music video-styled songs which sadly always seem to get overlooked on DVD releases (minus A New Way to Walk on Dance Along, but that’s also intercut with framing material; ZZ Blues I’m grateful got at least two uncut releases, as eventually did Rebel L).

Sesame Street is always best watched on DVD personally. Sometimes unfortunately just don’t come out looking great and the 50th is a good example.

 

[LittleJerry92]

Anyway so far some of the segments described for the numbers DVD I’m not too excited about, but hey, it’s just four segments. I’m sure there will be some goodies in there previously released or not.

The only one that slightly caught my attention was Liam Neason and the Count.

 

[minor muppetz]

I could actually go for another release of Wet Paint (though most preferably with the SMV intro).

Considering how uncommon it is these days for classic clips to be released on home video, maybe we shouldn't complain about the quality too much. Of course when things become rarer to come to video, it is hard to determine if we should be thankful we're even getting them or if we should care if they put in the same quality care as before. Not all classic segments on those DVDs book bad (many of them, particularly ones from the 1980s and 1990s, do look decent).

Considering how the majority of Sesame Street DVDs in the last few years have only included widescreen high definition segments as part of the main program (but the Liam Neeson segment was produced before the switch to HD), it is a shame they haven't put out Sesame Street Blu-ray releases (most likely, they don't think Blu-ray is marketable to kids, while DVD is still marketable enough).

 

[LittleJerry92]

I mean I can tolerate interlacing on a digital release; when it appears on dvd is where it just doesn’t look natural.

 

[minor muppetz]

Well, there is a trailer for Cool Counting Collection now.

 

[CoolGuy1013]

Huh, looks like they are using a YouTube bit (as well as the cold open and closing from episode 4835). This is gonna be a weird DVD.

Anyway, I’m having issues with Hoopla right now, so I might need to get those fixed by June.

 

[minor muppetz]

The official description mentions it will have the Liam Neeson segment, which aired in the 1990s, but judging by the lack of fullframe clips in this promo, I have a feeling that was a mistake (wouldn't be the first time the official product description for a Sesame Street release mentioned a segment that ended up not appearing in the final product).

Hopefully the promo is just not showing any fullframe clips (Awesome Alphabet Collection had a good mix of segments from each era, but the promo only showed one '70s clip, though that promo did show plenty of full frame clips from the '90s and '00s). Judging by the promo, it doesn't look like it has many must-have clips, most of the stuff I really like are on other releases. Though I am interested in the season 50 Number of the Day segments.

 

[CoolGuy1013]

Hopefully the promo is just not showing any fullframe clips

Could be. The promo only showed multiple clips for 0 and 20, with one bit each for 2, 4, and 5, a few ambiguous ones, and most numbers unrepresented in the trailer (as opposed to AAC, which featured one clip per letter).

 

[minor muppetz]

And I must point out that it was never said in the announcement that there would be classic clips. Awesome Alphabet Collection was a great mix of classic and recent, and the announcement for that mentioned it would be, but the announcement for Cool Counting Collection just says it's "recent" clips. If it's a follow-up to the other, then it'll be more of a shame if it doesn't have classic clips.

And if it is only widescreen segments, then I can't think of any non-Muppet number segments that are really great (and there probably are some that the modern audience would hold in the same regard we do for classics like Pinball Number Count, Ladybug Picnic, and The King of 8). Elmo's Super Numbers and Count on Elmo both hardly had any Muppet segments (and all the full ones were '90s and later), and most of the segments are pretty forgettable (and some of them appear on both releases).