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THE RIFLEMAN - Chuck Connors, TV series - S1 now available on DVD

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THE RIFLEMAN - Chuck Connors, TV series - S1 now available on DVD

Old 12-12-13, 04:09 PM
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THE RIFLEMAN - Chuck Connors, TV series - S1 now available on DVD

The complete first season (40 episodes) of the classic Western TV series - THE RIFLEMAN - starring Chuck Connors was released last week on DVD.

As of right now it appears to be available only from the official Rifleman website:

http://www.therifleman.net

And...umm...don't kill the messenger...but the price is $69.95 (not including shipping/handling (and even tax perhaps for some)). Yeah I know, if they ever release seasons 2 through 5, it'll be mighty expensive for those wanting to purchase the show.
Old 12-14-13, 07:40 PM
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Re: THE RIFLEMAN - Chuck Connors, TV series - S1 now available on DVD

Originally Posted by flixtime
The complete first season (40 episodes) of the classic Western TV series - THE RIFLEMAN - starring Chuck Connors was released last week on DVD.

As of right now it appears to be available only from the official Rifleman website:

http://www.therifleman.net

And...umm...don't kill the messenger...but the price is $69.95 (not including shipping/handling (and even tax perhaps for some)). Yeah I know, if they ever release seasons 2 through 5, it'll be mighty expensive for those wanting to purchase the show.
Really want this series BUT no way at that price!!! Will wait for a complete series set or a major price reduction!!!
Old 12-14-13, 09:41 PM
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Re: THE RIFLEMAN - Chuck Connors, TV series - S1 now available on DVD

Originally Posted by smurr05
Really want this series BUT no way at that price!!! Will wait for a complete series set or a major price reduction!!!
+1. Not a big western fan, but I do like The Rifleman.
Old 12-15-13, 09:51 AM
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But...they used a "glass mold" and a "professional post-production studio"...

Kidding aside, I really do wonder how successful this release is going to be...if someone like myself aka close to, if not exactly, the target audience is holding off because of the price...well, I wonder what that may mean for the releases of the remaining seasons...even setting aside the price, I do wonder about how successful this "website exclusive" distribution model can possibly be for a show like this.

If I recall correctly, when this was still in "reserve your copy" phase and nearing release there might have even been something posted along the lines of...once we e-mail that your copy is ready for purchase you will have 72 hours to complete your purchase after which your reservation will expire...kind of made me roll my eyes...as if this was actually going to sell out right away.
Old 11-17-14, 10:33 AM
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BUMP



Season 2 is coming out on November 28th...same pricing as Season 1.

Now, it does look like they've created another option. I was in Walmart and they had a Season 1 - Volume 1 release on the shelves...price in-store was $17.96 (not including tax). Haven't yet checked what might be different in comparison to the Season 1 Complete release from the official Rifleman website.
Old 11-17-14, 02:04 PM
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Re: THE RIFLEMAN - Chuck Connors, TV series - S1 now available on DVD

They are crazy. I love this show but no way am I paying those prices.

I've lived this long with out it but if they every release a complete series set for this at a reasonable price, I am all over it. One of my all-time favorite shows.
Old 11-17-14, 02:25 PM
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Re: THE RIFLEMAN - Chuck Connors, TV series - S1 now available on DVD

Originally Posted by flixtime
BUMP



Season 2 is coming out on November 28th...same pricing as Season 1.

Now, it does look like they've created another option. I was in Walmart and they had a Season 1 - Volume 1 release on the shelves...price in-store was $17.96 (not including tax). Haven't yet checked what might be different in comparison to the Season 1 Complete release from the official Rifleman website.
Yeah... same here - way too expensive!

WM has that S1/V1 set on their site for $25.49 (shows a MSRP of $29.99). It's the first 20 episodes which means *if* a S1/V2 set is released it'll be a bit less expensive, although still a tad pricey. My general rule of thumb is a max of $.75 per half hour for US Network productions. I'll occasionally go higher *if* it's a very highly desired product.

I'll probably go for that ~$19 after tax one if it shows up here.

**EDIT**
Just for grins and giggles I took a look at some of the "reviews" of the full set on Amazon. One very disgruntled person, who'd purchased the season at full price only to see the S1/V1 set at WM for under $20, indicated there was info on the official site about this and later releases. I went looking... It's really on the *store* part of their site (about half way down the page):

THE RIFLEMAN SEASON 1 DVD sets
in Two Volumes
Available at Walmart
(online and selected stores)

Over the past year, many Rifleman fans have been asking us to lower the price of our official Rifleman season DVDs. As we have expressed to our fans, the costs of configuring this series, as well as presenting it in a premium collector format requires a significant economic investment. However, in an effort to reach those fans who would otherwise not be able to enjoy this iconic series, we have worked with Walmart to develop a price-conscious version of Season 1 in two affordable volumes.

Season 1 – Volume 1 – a collection of the first 20 episodes, went on sale at selected Walmart stores and at www.walmart.com on November 4, 2014. The set does not have the premium packaging and disc art or the 20-page program booklet familiar to those who purchased the Collector Edition, but the Season 1, Volume 1 set of 4 discs contains the same 20 episodes, the original pilot episode and the same Special Features. We hope this no frills edition in 2 Volumes brings The Rifleman to more fans – old and new – in a more affordable manner.

Volume 2 will follow shortly (potential release date: January 2015).

Production of similar low frills, 2-volume DVD sets for Seasons 2 through 5 will depend upon the demand and sales of the Season 1 volumes at Walmart.

Release date Volume 1 (Episodes 1–20). November 4, 2014.

Release date Volume 2 (Episodes 21–40). TBD.*

Where to Get It. www.walmart.com and selected Walmart stores.

Production specifications. Manufacturing identical to Collector Edition DVDs: digitally re-mastered original episodes with media encoding and authoring performed by a professional post-production studio. Episodes and special features are embedded on eight (8) DVD-9 (single sided, dual layer) discs from a glass mold produced from high-quality video (from film) and audio files.

English subtitles (closed-captions).

Black plastic clamshell package (7 1/2" x 5 3/8" x 9/16").

Est. Cost for Volume 1.* $25.49 (+ shipping/handling & sales tax where required). Manufactured to high standards for dedicated Rifleman fans.
So... a bit different but not enough to cause me to blink twice considering the price difference. Actually... I got the impression the "Collector" edition is in digi-pak packaging (they indicated a "fold out" package) and this release is in standard amaray packaging. IMHO that's a *plus*.

Last edited by BobO'Link; 11-18-14 at 04:53 PM.
Old 11-18-14, 05:52 AM
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Re: THE RIFLEMAN - Chuck Connors, TV series - S1 now available on DVD

Love this show. I've been wanting to have it on disc for a while now, but the price tag and reviews for the first season squashed any enthusiasm I had.

Which is why I was all over the Wal-mart release as soon as it hit the shelves. $17.96 + tx for 20 eps.
It would have been great if they'd released both volumes at once, but as a beggar who hasn't been able to enjoy the show regularly for going on about 35 years now, I'm going to take whatever I can get.

As far as quality goes...yeah, there is no way the quality of the product here merits their absolutely ridiculous website price. It's a shame. If these had the same quality as some of the better CBS/Parmount classic releases, I would actually consider paying the premium. But now that I've seen what they're putting out, I'm just going to have to wait and hope for more half season W-M releases.
Even at under $20 the video here pales (literally) in comparison to the first season of another half hour B&W show from the same production team- Sea Hunt. And Sea Hunt's 1st season is available for under $10 on Amazon...for a full 40 eps!

Still, the Wal-mart release was happily unexpected and I can honestly say I'm enjoying this just as much as any other release this season. Great to see this again after all these years.
Old 11-18-14, 11:18 AM
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Re: THE RIFLEMAN - Chuck Connors, TV series - S1 now available on DVD

I ran by WM this morning and picked up a copy - $19.57 including tax. This was a total nostalgic purchase as I loved the show as a kid and haven't seen it since it originally aired. Based solely on some of those Amazon reviews I'm going in somewhat apprehensively expecting not so good quality and also not expecting to see the original S1 open. However I *am* expecting better quality than what you would get on one of those PD releases. I *do* like that it's in a standard amaray case and that they indicate the 2nd half of the season should be available early in 2015.

therifleman.net *does* have some episodes available for free streaming on their site so I may just stream a few before cracking open the plastic - just in case it doesn't hold up for me.

Last edited by BobO'Link; 11-18-14 at 11:24 AM.
Old 11-18-14, 04:01 PM
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BobO'Link, appreciate your looking into and posting all that additional information.

Paul_SD, good of you to offer the insight as to what to expect with regard to picture quality. I actually need to stop putting off my pick-up of SEA HUNT...now it seems there is a remastered release...but that is listed on Amazon as DVD-R versus the initial release that was DVD...not too keen on the idea of picking up the DVD-R releases.

On a related note, for those who missed out on the Walmart exclusive (about a year ago) release of TOMBSTONE TERRITORY - THE COMPLETE SERIES, you can now do a whole lot better than the inflated prices that were (and still are) being offered via Amazon Marketplace. Just go to the Shout Factory website and it is now available there for $30 (not including shipping)...you might even find a slightly better deal via Ebay.
Old 11-18-14, 04:52 PM
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Re: THE RIFLEMAN - Chuck Connors, TV series - S1 now available on DVD

^There are *two* listings for each Sea Hunt season.

This one is the original S1 DVD release from TGG. It has a January 29, 2013 release date (UPC 011891211239).

This one is the new S1 DVD-R release from TGG. This one has a June 2, 2014 release date (UPC 0887936874956). Notice it also says "Digitally Remastered." Yeah... right... I don't buy that simply because it's from TGG. Even though Shout! purchased the label most of their releases are not "remastered" but come from very good, typically 35mm, prints. I don't expect that to change with the Shout! takeover, especially for the low price.

There are similar listings for seasons 2-4 - the DVD-R ones show "Digitally Remastered" on the title. Unfortunately, the 4 season set (which could save a few $$) appears to only available as DVD-R.

TGG seems to be going the route many low volume labels have headed - press 'em a while (if at all) and switch to DVD-R once the original stock is depleted. At least TGG uses a different UPC for the different releases so it's easy to make sure you get pressed instead of burned.

That's another show that's on my radar. Hopefully I'll be able to pick up a pressed copy at a reasonable price before they go totally OOP.

Last edited by BobO'Link; 11-18-14 at 04:57 PM.
Old 11-18-14, 06:59 PM
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Re: THE RIFLEMAN - Chuck Connors, TV series - S1 now available on DVD

For Sea Hunt, I specifically chose the earlier release when I saw the other was DVD-R.
I'm one of the few people on these forums that doesn't have a problem buying DVD-R's from Warner, Sony, Universal etc...but as long as there is a choice being offered and the prices are comparable, I'll just go ahead and get the DVD versions.
Don't be expecting premium quality elements/transfers. Some of the eps are rough around the corners and none look as sharp and pristine as the better CBS stuff.
The Rifleman, by comparison, has issues with combing, aliasing and low contrast which results in milky blacks and a bland range of greys. It's disappointing on my 19" monitor, but using handbrake to make mp4's with it, and using the deinterlace setting, they look decent enough when I load them up onto my iPad (which is where I end up watching just about all my TV DVDs now).
So YMMV with these.
Old 11-18-14, 10:45 PM
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Re: THE RIFLEMAN - Chuck Connors, TV series - S1 now available on DVD

The WalMart set should have all of the episodes directed by Sam Peckinpah. That's all I need.
Old 11-19-14, 12:22 PM
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Re: THE RIFLEMAN - Chuck Connors, TV series - S1 now available on DVD

^More new info... I didn't know Peckinpah directed some of those! That pretty much dictates it's a keeper.
Old 11-19-14, 12:44 PM
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Re: THE RIFLEMAN - Chuck Connors, TV series - S1 now available on DVD

What's unfortunate about the new set is that it isn't up to the same video quality as the older OOP MPI set. If it hand been I would have given it a pass, but all the extras are enough to make up for it, especially at the price point originally being charged. Now for those that don't have access to the MPI sets, the discounted Walmart release is a compromise.

The two things they planned to look into fixing for the season 2 release are better video quality and original openings. We will have to wait for reviews to see if they were successful.
Old 11-20-14, 02:16 AM
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Re: THE RIFLEMAN - Chuck Connors, TV series - S1 now available on DVD

Rifleman Season 1, part 1 was $17.49 at my Wal-Mart.
Too bad they didn't have the 2nd half of Season 1.

Watched the backdoor pilot from the ZANE GREY THEATER. Video was not remastered. Poor quality.
But the 1st episode of the series look good to very good to me.
Old 11-20-14, 08:33 AM
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Re: THE RIFLEMAN - Chuck Connors, TV series - S1 now available on DVD

So many sets these days come without subtitles for the hard of hearing, so in trying to do the right thing, they messed up by implementing it badly. Subtitles are generally included by just adding a simple text file that includes the text and time to be shown for each case. The player takes the text and displays it appropriately. The file is small so it doesn't impact the quality of the content, but the text displayed is generally just so-so in its video representation.

In an effort to try and improve the quality of the subtitle presentation the producers of the disks decided to "burn-in" the subtitle text right into the video. As a result, each disk includes each episode twice, causing unnecessary compression (one with subtitle and one without).

I did capture comparisons between the new set and the old MPI sets, and the result is that the video in the new sets are softer with less detail. Another easier indicator is to look at the brims of their hats and you will see flickering and jagged lines.

It is unfortunate, but fixable, and hopefully will be fixed for the next seasons release.
Old 11-20-14, 03:29 PM
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Re: THE RIFLEMAN - Chuck Connors, TV series - S1 now available on DVD

^Wow! That's a *very* rookie mistake in authoring!
Old 11-21-14, 04:27 PM
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Re: THE RIFLEMAN - Chuck Connors, TV series - S1 now available on DVD

The company putting the series out on DVD are the owners of the show. The full season edition is a very nice presentation with more thought involved then what you see with many releases put out by a company specializing in just DVD releases. Unfortunately, that can also mean a few mistake that the other guys would have avoided. From a few email correspondences they are fully aware of what needs to be improved for season 2. Here's hoping for a perfect season 2 release.
Old 11-23-14, 09:48 AM
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Re: THE RIFLEMAN - Chuck Connors, TV series - S1 now available on DVD

Originally Posted by BobO'Link
^More new info... I didn't know Peckinpah directed some of those! That pretty much dictates it's a keeper.
Peckinpah was one of the creators of the show. He left because of "creative differences".
Old 11-23-14, 11:50 AM
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Re: THE RIFLEMAN - Chuck Connors, TV series - S1 now available on DVD

Originally Posted by Doc Moonlight
Peckinpah was one of the creators of the show. He left because of "creative differences".
More new info! I guess I should read up on this one, eh? I loved the series as a kid but as a adult never took time to look into its creation and/or pedigree.
Old 11-24-14, 08:29 AM
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Since the target audience is here....Deep Discount has a great price on the recently released DVD for ZANE GREY THEATRE - SEASON 2....$8.99.
Old 11-25-14, 02:35 PM
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Re: THE RIFLEMAN - Chuck Connors, TV series - S1 now available on DVD

Season 2 is being released on 11/28. The price was reduced by $10 from season 1, plus a $10 coupon is currently available.
Old 11-25-14, 02:56 PM
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Re: THE RIFLEMAN - Chuck Connors, TV series - S1 now available on DVD

^That's a more reasonable price if you use the coupon. If you're so inclined they also offer a S1/S2 package for $5 off the regular price and they throw in free shipping.

It still amazes me that manufacturs consider digi-pak packaging as "premium" when it's such a sub-par and damage prone storage method. Considering the price I'd rather have the "no-frills" multi-disc amaray package. In fact that packaging is exactly why I'll wait for the WM releases.

Last edited by BobO'Link; 11-25-14 at 08:18 PM.
Old 11-25-14, 06:24 PM
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Re: THE RIFLEMAN - Chuck Connors, TV series - S1 now available on DVD

I tend to lean towards the standard cases myself as well. I think part of the interest when going with the clear digi-pak is the ability to include photos and such within the cardboard of the design, and the use of sleeves for episode guides. However, the rigidness of the plastic does make them more prone to cracking, especially in shipment. This design is a bit wider then what two standard cases would be.

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