The Complete Thirteenth Season DVD Collector's Edition: The Official Thread

[Ray Jay Jonah]

I don't really care about the quality of a cartoon. But f**k, that piracy advert on S12 disc 1 is soo high quality on my normal TV.

[Disgruntled Goat]

It's bigger, but there's no improvement in quality.

Because that's impossible.

Not really, especially for a cartoon with block shapes, they could easily use algorithms to scale it well.

Or, they could go back and film the cels with a HD camera, if the cels still exist.

But it would still be 4:3 which is kinda lame IMO.

[The Governor]

Yeah, that's the downside to Blu-Ray - if you want to upgrade, you also need to plunk down about $700+ for an HDTV, plus another $40 for an HDMI cable. No wonder it's still not the dominant format yet.

I'm sticking with DVDs for "The Simpsons" until further notice. When we get to the point where they re-release the Season 20 set with special features, then I'll go Blu-Ray.

Non-Networked, 2D blu ray player: $80
Middle of the road LCD or Plasma 40" HDTV: $500
HDMI Cable (avoid rip off Monster Cables) $5

The biggest pain is paying the extra 10 dollars for the blu ray set, but just wait a bit and get it used off amazon for less than the new DVD set.

[Wavy Gravy]

Non-Networked, 2D blu ray player: $80
Middle of the road LCD or Plasma 40" HDTV: $500
HDMI Cable (avoid rip off Monster Cables) $5

The biggest pain is paying the extra 10 dollars for the blu ray set, but just wait a bit and get it used off amazon for less than the new DVD set.

Yeah, but I figure if I'm gonna upgrade to HD, I might as well go all the way and get the highest-quality equipment.

[cinco]

^
Or wait until your eyes are so wasted and you can't see the difference between HD and non-HD anymore.

[Kang's Bastard Spore]

^
Or wait until your eyes are so wasted and you can't see the difference between HD and non-HD anymore.

Done and done.

[The Governor]

Yeah, but I figure if I'm gonna upgrade to HD, I might as well go all the way and get the highest-quality equipment.

Right now, 1080p is the most resolution you'll find and the only real advances in HDTV is everyone is trying to outdo the next guy in 3D. For me, I'm one of 10 percent who clinically cannot see 3D TV/Movie images unless they make it without glasses, which won't be a viable consumer option for at least 8-10 years. Also, having to wear glasses over my glasses to watch a movie is a very uncomfortable experience after an hour.

[The Wiggs]

^ 3D is definately a waste of money. I have an HDTV, but I still plan on buying this set in DVD form, for the sake of having all of my sets in DVD.

[cinco]

Great DVD-players combined with great TVs can upscale the quality of DVDs,
reaching picture-quality that rivals Blu-Ray. (which is overestimated in possibilities anyway,
the only place where those Blu-Rays really make a difference is in the pockets of the people)

[Bella Drape 'er]

Great DVD-players combined with great TVs can upscale the quality of DVDs,
reaching picture-quality that rivals Blu-Ray.

Yeah it rivals it, but it doesn't neccessarily match it.

[Kang's Bastard Spore]

Right now, 1080p is the most resolution you'll find and the only real advances in HDTV is everyone is trying to outdo the next guy in 3D. For me, I'm one of 10 percent who clinically cannot see 3D TV/Movie images unless they make it without glasses, which won't be a viable consumer option for at least 8-10 years. Also, having to wear glasses over my glasses to watch a movie is a very uncomfortable experience after an hour.

Solution: Prescription 3D Glasses.

You know you want some...

Plus, you haven't experienced nerd until you come to the cinema with your own special pair of 3D glasses.

[bartyboy]

I've done way nerdier things at a movie cinema....

[Ray Jay Jonah]

But srsly, will the Simpsons really be worth it in 3D?

[merzitar]

I hope The Simpsons doesn't go 3D, becuase the style will change. The problem with most 3D movies is that you often see random crap happening, like things flying towards the screen, and in 2D, you just think: WTF!

[cinco]

3D is a bad thing, plain and simple.

[merzitar]

3D is a bad thing, plain and simple.

It can be good, but it depends how the use it. AVATAR was excellent in 3D.

[The Wiggs]

Ya, but this isn't Avatar. This is a cartoon and 3D would add verry little, if not nothing to the quality of the show. If they ever go 3D, it would only be used in gimmicky ways such as things flying at the screen and stuff.

[Remmus]

They're $32 (DVD) and $40 (BD) on Amazon.com right now, so not a huge difference in price

[Wavy Gravy]

Ya, but this isn't Avatar. This is a cartoon and 3D would add verry little, if not nothing to the quality of the show. If they ever go 3D, it would only be used in gimmicky ways such as things flying at the screen and stuff.

3-D doesn't even seem like it'd work very well with a 2-D cartoon - everything would look flat and papery, like cardboard cutouts. It works fine with CGI animation because it's rendered in three dimensions to begin with, and it also works fine with movies like Avatar because they were shot with a 3-D camera. But if something's shot in 2-D and then upscaled to 3-D (i.e. the live-action Alice in Wonderland), it just looks cheap.

[Ray Jay Jonah]

Only a fucking asshole would make the Simpsons 3D. Unfortunately, alot of the staff are fucking assholes these days.

[cinco]

Only a fucking asshole would make the Simpsons 3D. Unfortunately, alot of the staff are fucking assholes these days.

Uninspired? Yes.
A**holes? No.

[Wavy Gravy]

Uninspired? Yes.
A**holes? No.

Refusing to admit that the show they've been working on for twenty years has sucked for more than half of its run, and keeping it going well past its expiration date purely so they can get even richer? Seems pretty assholish to me.

[Jesse Pinkman]

well obviously they can't just come out and say "The show sucks!" because then they would lose fans and stuff

and the second thing IMO has more to do with Fox. I honestly don't think if they wanted to end it, they could (or at least say a few years ago), but that is really sad. It's basically fact that the ONLY reason it is still going is money. For shame

[Wavy Gravy]

well obviously they can't just come out and say "The show sucks!" because then they would lose fans and stuff

I don't expect them to publicly say "the show sucks"; I expect them to realize that it sucks and make an effort to improve it. By keeping up this endless cycle of the writers saying "we think the show is better than it's ever been" while producing episodes that are unquestionably shit, nothing is going to improve.

[Jesse Pinkman]

well considering the show's "decline" is all up to opinions, it shouldn't make the people who work on it assholes if they disagree...

[lionelhutz123]

I don't expect them to publicly say "the show sucks"; I expect them to realize that it sucks and make an effort to improve it. By keeping up this endless cycle of the writers saying "we think the show is better than it's ever been" while producing episodes that are unquestionably shit, nothing is going to improve.

As long as they don't acknowledge the decline in the show, they don't need to improve anything, so they can keep cranking out easily-written episodes so they can get more $$$, which proves they just don't give a shit, even when deep down they know the quality is worse. That's why they hide from the public behind the media and merchandise and act like that's their safe zone in which they are immune to any source of criticism.
I watch several shows and I have always noticed that the writing staff and executive producers always come out to the public to speak their minds on the current condition of their show and they will release information on how they don't want to cheat their audience with a certain plot line (Dexter) or they want to bring the show back down to earth because they admit their last season was too wacky (Scrubs). Even Seinfeld was aware that without Larry David, their last 2 seasons were paving the road to something strange, therefore they decided to end it while the show was still a hit.
The Simpsons staff however, never discusses anything critical-wise. Sure, they will come out and say "Yeah we're doing an episode where the family's house is under foreclosure and we believe it's going to be a cool one..." or "I believe this will be the best season yet", but there is nothing in those press releases about improving the current quality or at least about trying to give some effort in improving a small aspect of the show. Instead we just get cliche blanket statements, like "Best season ever" and they never delve into why it will be. Nothing gets changed. They are not only lazy, but they are cowards for not acknowledging anything. They give us that 20th anniversary documentary which strangely focused more on the first 10 years, which came close to recognizing the last 10 years of universal criticism towards the show, but instead of giving us a response they make jokes as if opinions expressed over the internet is some foreign method of communication beyond someone's understanding.

"What's your take on the fan's criticism towards the show in recent seasons?"

Al Jean: Hey, we won the emmy.

What kind of bs is that? That's called ignorance. As long as they have the success from the movie, the ride, their recent awards, the overall commercial name that is currently "The Simpsons", AND YET disconnect themselves from not only the fans, but the outside world, then they can do whatever the hell they want. I've never seen a show's name become so overrated to the point where it underestimates the original show (first 8-9 years).

Sorry for the rant, but the situation of it all frustrates me every time I try to think about it.