50th Anniversary The Prisoner Blu Ray

I’ve bought The Prisoner three times, and I think I’m done. Happy enough with the last Network BD set.

I may spring for the standalone In My Mind documentary at some point.

For those who have seen it, is the doc worth buying on its own?

 

I wouldn't say the doc is worth it. If you can pick it up for a 10er then grand otherwise I wouldn't bother.

 

Cheers for your honest feedback. I’m sure it’ll turn up in a Network’s sale at some point. I can wait.

 

No worries man. There are some interesting things but the documentary is very fluffed out. That's just my opinion.

 

Which is why I eventually bought a region-free Oppo.

Region Free Blu-ray Players | Free Shipping on all Blu-ray Players, Brand Oppo - Oppo, Brand Oppo

Granted, they aren't cheap, but it was so worth it. It plays every region DVD and BD I throw at it.

 

Wow , I have an Oppo 83 that’s about 7 years old now. I had no idea they made that player in a region free version. I wonder if they could modify mine? Probably doubtful, but maybe I’ll check it out. I live pretty close to their headquarters.

 

I love the previous Blu-ray set. It's sitting on a shelf next to my framed autograph from Patrick. Nice man. Very intense. Very religious. Super bright (or brilliant) although I like to remind people he wasn't the only one that developed the series.

 

Oppo doesn't make a region-free player, as far as I know. These players have after-market modifications made to them that disable the region-locking and are sold by websites such as 220 Electronics. (That is the case with most region-free DVD and Blu Ray players.) I bought my Oppo from them and have been thrilled with it (for nearly four years now).

 

How come no USA release?

 

Anyone? Is it still the same as the first blu-ray set = lossy DD for the original soundtrack, and phasey lossless 5.1?

 

Mono.

 

The show is more popular in the UK and American distributors have gotten very cautious when it comes to releasing television Blu-ray sets. The UK has a number of complete television sets that haven't been released in the States, including the A-Team.

 

But..Emma Peel/Avengers score higher ?

 

Making a Blu-ray player region-switchable requires a hardware mod, but it's pretty simple and typically just involves connecting a cable either internally or externally (using the USB port in the case of the latter), which is very convenient if you ever have to have the player serviced by the manufacturer since it's as easy to remove as it is to install. The kits to perform the hardware mod used to be pretty plentiful and not too expensive on eBay but (at least in the case of the 83) seem to be pretty scarce now. There's an outfit in the Netherlands that still sells a kit for the 83 (JVB Digital, Codefree OPPO BDP-83 DVD modification kit ), but frankly, given that they're $150 and your player is 7 years old, you might be better served by putting that money toward a new player from 220 Electronics or one of the other reputable outfits that sell region-modded Oppos.

I've had a modded Oppo 95 for several years, and I'm not exaggerating when I say that it was the single best home video-related purchase I've ever made.

 

Thanks for the info. I love my 83 because it has a wonderful upscaling chip for DVD that seems to be better than the successive models. Whether that’s still the case I don’t know.

 

I'm not familiar with the latest 4K-capable Oppo players, but the previous-gen Blu players (BDP-103 and BDP-105) as well as the 95 all use Qdeo video processors, whereas the 83 uses the same VRS scaling/deinterlacing tech as the DV-980H DVD player. I have never seen an 83 in action, but I previously had a DV-980H before I went Blu, and I can tell you that the 95's DVD video quality blows the DV-980H away (as well it should, given its higher-end components and build quality).

I had originally not intended to get a 95, as it was more than twice the cost of an 83, but after I'd ordered a codefree 83 I got a call from the vendor that they were out of stock and could no longer source 83s - they had recently been discontinued and supplies had already dried up. I thought about it for a while, then gritted my teeth and coughed up the additional cash to get a codefree 95 instead, since they still had a few of those available.

I'd be curious about the capabilities of the latest players, but I'd speculate that the 95/103/105 units might be better at upscaling analog content, as the 4K players are likely more focused on upscaling HD content to 4K.

 

Network has just announced that, going forward, they will be price-matching other major online retailers. As a result, they have reduced many prices on their website.

The standalone BD of In My Mind is now just £3.99. Ordered.

 

I'm still waiting for the second season of Space: 1999 on Blu in the U.S. Guess I will have to pony up for the expensive UK set.

 

They recently had the hardcover book that came with the limited-edition set on clearance, but I didn't bother to investigate further because I figured shipping costs would be prohibitive. I used to order lots of discs from Network back in the day, but once the international postage rates skyrocketed it was no longer cost-effective to do so, even when they had the 50% off sales.

 

Sorry to hear that. Unfortunately, international postage rates have gone up the world over. I rarely import from Amazon.com these days, due to the postage rates, as well as the prepaid customs fees. I prefer to use WowHD instead.

Network do not charge for domestic shipping, so not a problem for me.

 

Not necessarily...

Some TV sourced Blu-ray discs won't play in some players if they contain 50hz material, even though they're coded for all regions. For example, I can't play a UK Gavin and Stacey Blu-ray set on my North American PS3 because it's encoded at 1080i 50hz. I don't know if this is the case with PS4s, but it is also the case with an older Sony Blu-ray player I own (BDP-S5000).

 

^Correction... My other player is the BDP-S550

 

Shipping rates from Amazon UK to the US are still quite reasonable in comparison with other UK-based vendors, and US buyers additionally benefit from the removal of VAT and no customs fees. I hadn't realized that the rates from Amazon.com to the UK were somewhat less than favorable.

 

On a whim I decided to log into my Network account and add a couple of items to my cart just to see what the shipping would be. This is one of those times that I am quite happy to have been proven wrong, as the shipping cost to the US for the Prisoner hardcover book and the In My Mind blu-ray was only GBP4.30. Ordered!

The hardcover book is currently only GBP13.00, and as far as I can tell Network is the only place to obtain it separately without buying the complete (and much more expensive) 50th anniversary blu-ray set. As I already have the US-released blu-ray set, as well as Network's earlier 3-CD soundtrack release and the smaller production guide paperback by Andrew Bixley that came with a previous DVD release, I wasn't too interested in ponying up for the new complete set, and am even less so now that I'll have the book and the docu. The new 6-CD soundtrack release is also discounted pretty heavily, for anyone that feels the need to upgrade from the 3-CD version and likewise isn't intent on purchasing the complete box set.

I'll have to see if the international shipping costs remain reasonable for box sets and the like, but I'm pretty pleased to be able to order from Network again, especially given the recent repricing they've undertaken on much of their catalog.

 

Thanks for the head's up on the Blu Ray & Book deals from Network. I don't need the series again but did pull the trigger on the doc and the book, all for $32 shipped to the U.S. Great deal! Looking forward to all this.