How best to collect The Twilight Zone?
 

I was wondering what people thought about how best to collect the complete Twilight Zone (the original series).

I know there are (five?) box set collections out there, and dozens of invidual discs with 3 or 4 episdoes each. There was also, if I recall, a competing box set collection from a mail-order retailer.

What have you found to be the best collection? Is there any difference between video and sound quality in any of the releases? Do you think it's possible that a new, superior collection could be released?

Thanks in advance for any opinions.

There are 5 box sets, each containing 9 of the 45 single releases. The discs in the box set are exactly the same as the individual discs, except in slim cases. The box sets are a much better deal - each of the 45 individual discs retails for $15 ($675 total), while each box set retails for $100 ($500 total). Plus, with the slim cases the box sets don't take up as much room on your shelf, if that's a concern.

The other box set, I believe, has the episodes in chronological order (but don't quote me on that), but it's on DVD-Rs so I would pass on that if I were you.

I'd say your best bet is getting Image's 5 box sets - that's what I did. You can get each for about $70 shipped online, for a total of about $350 for 45 discs, or $7.77/disc. Not a bad deal at all if you're a fan of the show (which I'm assuming you are).

And can be found for $75

I recently bought The Twilight Zone The Gold Edition, which is the entire series, chronologically, in custom keep cases, in a 49 disc boxed set. 44 discs of all the episodes, and 5 discs (one per season) of extra features.

My player played them fine. Although they might have been pressed as DVD-R, this is completely undiscernable, as they are very clear episodes (for being a 44 year old show), with basic menus and all in all, a nice package.

It was a limited edition of 2500 made specifically for a mail order company.

You can catch them on eBay for a Buy it Now price if about $355 shipped (roughly).

They are NOT bootlegs or anything like that. The cover art is clear on the disc and the covers, and the collection is a nice addtion.

Check out my collection link below to see the DVD Profile of it.

Really, the only place to buy it is eBay. If you buy from an online mail order company, you will pay a minimum $399.99 plus shipping.

Just type in Twilight Zone Gold Edition into the search, and it will bring up a bunch.

I was just not in the mood to collect the individual discs or the separate box sets. Granted, it was a hefty investment, and if you are considering this, be sure to scope out all the sellers of it on eBay and buy from a reputable one (there are several sellers of it), but I am VERY happy with mine.

It was the most $$$ I had ever spent on a single box set, and I can honestly say that it is worth it!

Of course, this is just my opinion, and I could be wrong.

--LVM

A) It's not made anymore

B) The folks who sold it were AnotherUniverse, the folks who were behind the credit-card double- and triple-charging on the My So-Called Life box set before it got released to retail stores...in spite of AU saying it was their "exclusive release". At least they finally delivered their exclusive lunchbox-style case and bonus disc to AU purchasers...over a year after the set was released! :eek:


Nah, stay far away from that one. The Twilight Zone doesn't need to be seen in order any old way...each episode stands alone just fine.

I have the Gold Collection and have no idea where this myth about them being dvd-r comes from. UNLESS YOU HAVE SOLID INFO, STOP PERPETUATING THIS STUPID MYTH!!! Why do people have the need to post on these boards even though they have no ****** idea what they're talking about!!!

We may be talking about two different sets. The company that made the one I have is still in business, and has a running webiste of MFTV stuff (although they are sold out of this one).

It is called V3Media. Their website is www.v3media.com. It also carries the CBS logos, and states that is is under license from them.

The cases are extemely well put together, with 5 discs per custom keep case (with "pages" on the inside).

It is in chronological order, with the title and date of airing before the opening of each episode.

TO each is own. Personally, I am happy with it.

--LVM

purplechoe: Thank you for clearing that up. I didn't think they were.

--LVM

Doing some research, I found out that I was wrong (I'll admit that), but the error isn't totally my fault. I found this news story from TVShowsonDVD.com from 11/17/02, where the president of the company admitted they were using DVD-Rs in the sets:

(Bold added by me for emphasis)
http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/newsitem.cfm?NewsID=248

I remembered hearing but, but didn't remember reading the follow-up:

http://www.mscl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1868

So I admit I was wrong, but they DID originally announce them as being DVD-Rs, so the confusion definitely understandable.

But thanks for being so polite in your pointing out of my error.

Back and forth. Back and forth.

All that matters is the truth is out, and all is good.

Back to the original OP, as you can see, this is apparantely pretty subjective.

I am happy with the Gold Edition, but that is just me.

Good luck in your decision!

TZ Rocks, and that;s all that matters!

--LVM

If you decide to go w/ the original sets (not this gold edition) check www.amazon.ca I was able to pick up all 5 from them for about the same price as from amazon.com but w/ the exchange rate factored in it came out as an extra discount :D Haven't looked at the prices recently though...

Another happy Gold Collection owner here. I got mine off ebay for ~ $300. Like Vegas Mike, it's the most I'd ever spent for a dvd set but it's worth EVERY penny!

Having all the episodes in chronological order was important to me but YMMV. Oh BTW, the <b>DVDs</b> have the Image logo on them, & appear to be the same transfers. I consider it the crown jewel of my collection.

This sentence completely sums it up for me!

I couldn't agree more!

--LVM

I've started to record these shows onto my computer for dvd archival. I get pretty decent quality as it is from a satellite signal.

Here's a link to scifi's twilight zone page <a href=http://www.scifi.com/twilightzone/>link</a>

btw, so there is 45 total episodes ???

No, there are 45 discs in the 5 boxed sets released by Image. There are 156 total episodes. There's an episode guide here: http://www.epguides.com/TwilightZone/ The Season 4 episodes are each an hour long (less commercials, of course).

Rob

I got my sets from costco and sam's club $68 for each set

For those that don't have the gold collection and are interested in viewing chronologically (from David VP of HTF):

"THE TWILIGHT ZONE" EPISODE & DVD CROSS-REFERENCE GUIDE:

SEASON 1 (1959-1960):

001. "Where Is Everybody?" -- Can be located on the "Treasures Of The Twilight Zone" DVD, plus on Volume #43 (an alternate version with subtle changes)
002. "One for the Angels" -- Volume 14
003. "Mr. Denton on Doomsday" -- Volume 12
004. "The Sixteen-Millimeter Shrine" -- Volume 12
005. "Walking Distance" -- Volume 3
006. "Escape Clause" -- Volume 15
007. "The Lonely" -- Volume 5
008. "Time Enough at Last" -- Volume 2
009. "Perchance to Dream" -- Volume 7
010. "Judgment Night" -- Volume 13
011. "And When the Sky Was Opened" -- Volume 16
012. "What You Need" -- Volume 17
013. "The Four of Us Are Dying" -- Volume 4
014. "Third From the Sun" -- Volume 8
015. "I Shot an Arrow Into the Air" -- Volume 18
016. "The Hitch-Hiker" -- Volume 7
017. "The Fever" -- Volume 11
018. "The Last Flight" -- Volume 10
019. "The Purple Testament" -- Volume 13
020. "Elegy" -- Volume 20
021. "Mirror Image" -- Volume 21
022. "The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street" -- Volume 2
023. "A World of Difference" -- Volume 22
024. "Long Live Walter Jameson" -- Volume 23
025. "People Are Alike All Over" -- Volume 24
026. "Execution" -- Volume 25
027. "The Big Tall Wish" -- Volume 26
028. "A Nice Place to Visit" -- Volume 29
029. "Nightmare as a Child" -- Volume 32
030. "A Stop at Willoughby" -- Volume 34
031. "The Chaser" -- Volume 36
032. "A Passage for Trumpet" -- Volume 4
033. "Mr. Bevis" -- Volume 39
034. "The After Hours" -- Volume 11
035. "The Mighty Casey" -- Volume 41
036. "A World of His Own" -- Volume 43

-----------------------------------------------------------------

SEASON 2 (1960-1961):

037. "King Nine Will Not Return" -- Volume 7
038. "The Man in the Bottle" -- Volume 14
039. "Nervous Man in a Four Dollar Room" -- Volume 15
040. "A Thing About Machines" -- Volume 43
041. "The Howling Man" -- "More Treasures Of The Twilight Zone"
042. "The Eye of the Beholder" -- "More Treasures Of The Twilight Zone" and Volume 43 (under alternate title of "The Private World Of Darkness")
043. "Nick of Time" -- Volume 9
044. "The Lateness of the Hour" -- Volume 12
045. "The Trouble With Templeton" -- Volume 10
046. "A Most Unusual Camera" -- Volume 19
047. "Night of the Meek" -- Volume 1
048. "Dust" -- Volume 21
049. "Back There" -- Volume 22
050. "The Whole Truth" -- Volume 28
051. "The Invaders" -- Volume 1
052. "A Penny for Your Thoughts" -- Volume 29
053. "Twenty Two" -- Volume 34
054. "The Odyssey of Flight 33" -- Volume 2
055. "Mr. Dingle, the Strong" -- Volume 4
056. "Static" -- Volume 35
057. "The Prime Mover" -- Volume 9
058. "Long Distance Call" -- Volume 5
059. "A Hundred Yards Over the Rim" -- Volume 10
060. "The Rip Van Winkle Caper" -- Volume 36
061. "The Silence" -- Volume 39
062. "Shadow Play" -- Volume 7
063. "The Mind and the Matter" -- Volume 9
064. "Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up" -- Volume 41
065. "The Obsolete Man" -- Volume 13

-------------------------------------------------------------------

SEASON 3 (1961-1962):

066. "Two" -- Volume 4
067. "The Arrival" -- Volume 14
068. "The Shelter" -- Volume 8
069. "The Passersby" -- Volume 6
070. "A Game of Pool" -- Volume 3
071. "The Mirror" -- Volume 17
072. "The Grave" -- Volume 6
073. "It's a Good Life" -- Volume 9
074. "Deaths-Head Revisited" -- Volume 6
075. "The Midnight Sun" -- Volume 15
076. "Still Valley" -- Volume 18
077. "The Jungle" -- Volume 19
078. "Once Upon a Time" -- Volume 10
079. "Five Characters in Search of an Exit" -- Volume 21
080. "A Quality of Mercy" -- Volume 13
081. "Nothing in the Dark" -- Volume 1
082. "One More Pallbearer" -- Volume 22
083. "Dead Man's Shoes" -- Volume 23
084. "The Hunt" -- Volume 25
085. "Showdown With Rance McGrew" -- Volume 26
086. "Kick the Can" -- Volume 3
087. "A Piano in the House" -- Volume 26
088. "The Last Rites of Jeff Myrtlebank" -- Volume 6
089. "To Serve Man" -- Volume 8
090. "The Fugitive" -- Volume 8
091. "Little Girl Lost" -- Volume 29
092. "Person or Persons Unknown" -- Volume 32
093. "The Little People" -- Volume 33
094. "Four O'Clock" -- Volume 35
095. "Hocus-Pocus and Frisby" -- Volume 37
096. "The Trade-Ins" -- Volume 12
097. "The Gift" -- Volume 38
098. "The Dummy" -- Volume 11
099. "Young Man's Fancy" -- Volume 38
100. "I Sing the Body Electric" -- Volume 5
101. "Cavender is Coming" -- Volume 40
102. "The Changing of the Guard" -- Volume 41

-------------------------------------------------------------------

SEASON 4 (1963); (THIS SHORTENED SEASON HAD ALL 1-HOUR EPISODES):

103. "In His Image" -- Volume 16
104. "The Thirty-Fathom Grave" -- Volume 20
105. "Valley of the Shadow" -- Volume 24
106. "He's Alive" -- Volume 27
107. "Mute" -- Volume 28
108. "Death Ship" -- Volume 18
109. "Jess-Belle" -- Volume 30
110. "Miniature" -- Volume 31
111. "Printer's Devil" -- Volume 32
112. "No Time Like the Past" -- Volume 33
113. "The Parallel" -- Volume 35
114. "I Dream of Genie" -- Volume 34
115. "The New Exhibit" -- Volume 36
116. "Of Late I Think of Cliffordville" -- Volume 37
117. "The Incredible World of Horace Ford" -- Volume 38
118. "On Thursday We Leave for Home" -- Volume 39
119. "Passage on the Lady Anne" -- Volume 40
120. "The Bard" -- Volume 42

-------------------------------------------------------------------

SEASON 5 (1963-1964):

121. "In Praise of Pip" -- Volume 14
122. "Steel" -- Volume 3
123. "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" -- Volume 2
124. "A Kind of a Stopwatch" -- Volume 15
125. "The Last Night of a Jockey" -- Volume 16
126. "Living Doll" -- Volume 11
127. "The Old Man in the Cave" -- Volume 17
128. "Uncle Simon" -- Volume 19
129. "Probe 7 - Over and Out" -- Volume 5
130. "The 7th is Made Up of Phantoms" -- Volume 19
131. "A Short Drink From a Certain Fountain" -- Volume 20
132. "Ninety Years Without Slumbering" -- Volume 21
133. "Ring-a-Ding Girl" -- Volume 22
134. "You Drive" -- Volume 23
135. "The Long Morrow" -- Volume 23
136. "The Self-Improvement of Salvadore Ross" -- Volume 25
137. "Number Twelve Looks Just Like You" -- Volume 25
138. "Black Leather Jackets" -- Volume 24
139. "Night Call" -- Volume 26
140. "From Agnes - With Love" -- Volume 27
141. "Spur of the Moment" -- Volume 27
142. "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" -- "Treasures Of The Twilight Zone"
143. "Queen of the Nile" -- Volume 28
144. "What's in the Box" -- Volume 17
145. "The Masks" -- "More Treasures Of The Twilight Zone"
146. "I Am the Night - Color Me Black" -- Volume 29
147. "Sounds and Silences" -- Volume 30
148. "Caesar and Me" -- Volume 30
149. "The Jeopardy Room" -- Volume 31
150. "A Stopover in a Quiet Town" -- Volume 31
151. "The Encounter" -- Volume 33 and "Treasures Of The Twilight Zone"
152. "Mr. Garrity and the Graves" -- Volume 37
153. "The Brain Center at Whipple's" -- Volume 40
154. "Come Wander With Me" -- Volume 41
155. "The Fear" -- Volume 42
156. "The Bewitchin' Pool" -- Volume 42

Thanks for posting that, dgc! :up: Saves me from having to look it up. I've been meaning to rewatch my Twilight Zone discs; I think I'll watch them chronologically this time. I'd always thought the Gold Collection was on DVD-Rs too; I missed the follow-up that it wasn't. If I'd known that, I would have bought it, since I'd rather have them chronological. On the bright side, I bought 4 of the 5 collections during FYE's 15% off sale last year, so I wound up paying less than $300 for all five. :)

Rob

If anybody is looking for the complete individual set of 45 discs go to half.com and search under vol.1 or box set vol. 1 there for sale for $369.95 and only $2.49 shipping a much better deal than the $675.00 that they usually go for, yes they are mine...

I had never heard of the Gold Collection until this thread. Hav to say, it sounds pretty sweet! So, even though I don't have close to $350 right now, I have to ask. Are the bonus disks exclusive to the Gold Collection or are they also included in the Image box sets? Also, are the extras on the bonus disks any good?

As of this minute, I don't have an answer for you, as I haven't watched any of them yet (still working on the first season).

I don't know if they are the same, as I do not have the other one or know how it is setup.

I can tell you what is on it, based on the back of the case. On each one of the special feature cases it says that it has:

Biographical Information on Rod Serling
History of the Twilight Zone
Season XXX Commentary (replace XXX with the season number)
Season XXX Episode Reviews

As soon as I get the chance to watch them, I will have more informed information, of course.

--LVM

I have the Image Complete Collection (BOUGHT PAID FOR). Since they were the same number of discs on DVD-R, I assume that they are single layer discs. Might be a fun project to transfer them to DVD-R in order.

I didn't want to fool with the rumored DVD-R at the time, and bought them complete from DDD. Quite happy with them.

Those sound like the same extras that are on the Image sets. If they are the same, then they are all text supplements.