Yeah, I thought there were a few video glitches & I do believe you're right about the odd glitch in the audio at the start.  It's during the first short I believe.

Funny thing is, I missed Dr. F's comment about slapping Frank (I was kinda half asleep) & thought there was a major glitch in the audio during the credits.  When I re-watched it fully awake I realized it's just Dr. F slapping Frank for the entirety of the credits.

If indeed there are problems with  these DVDs, I did not even notice. I think these problems  happen  in  the blink of the eye and, I am just thankful  Shout!   is releasing  all they have thus far. To me,its much more important  to have  these episodes in much greater picture quality and so, if there will be problems with some, thats fine because also remember, the masters are on videotape, and these tapes are sadly getting older so, its best   to have what  there is,then not have them  at  all.And also, having  them on DVD means they  will not get any  worse!

I love MST3K and have watched it from when it started on Comedy Central on  to the end on Sci Fi Channel and  to be able to have these episodes on DVD is fantastic!1 I own  ALL that has been released on DVD from  day 1,the singles and the box sets!! 

THANKS SHOUT! FACTORY FOR PUTTING  MST3K  ON DVD, AND PLEASE CONTINUE FOR AS LONG AS YOU ARE ABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm completely in the same boat as you, flamanar.  I have yet to own this box set - my wife was going to surprise me with it had it not been for rent-time - but these increasing number of complaints does cause one for alarm.  With Comic-Con just around the corner, I'm sure Brian hasn't had a chance to huddle up with the rest of SF's MST-dvd-producing team to get the complete lowdown, so I myself will give him a brief reprieve on this matter. But these sets aren't cheap, and Shout! has laid the groundwork on delivering quality dvds for these shows, so fans of this (and many other of their products) have come to expect a higher level when it comes to overall quality. My guess is that B Ward and SF will come up with a reasonable solution to appease fans of this unexpected drawback; just give them alittle time to work on the matter.

I will say this, though...I still own a VCR for one reason: MST3K.  I don't have the technology nor patience to transfer old and yet-to-be-released eps to dvd-r, nor do I have the cash to shell out for fan copies of the show on dvd-r.  So I keep these relics on hand in case I have a need to see, say, Lost Continent or Beast of Yucca Flats.  My copies of these are still very watchable even after 15+ years of being taped, repeatedly watched, and kept in storage.  And I'm not afraid to resort to these should Shout become Rhino II and choose to ignore these kinds of problems on future sets.

For me personally I mainly wanted to point out the audio problem in “Crash of the Moons” for documentation purposes.  We, as fans, should be keeping track of this information because no one else will.  I’ve even thought about setting up a detailed wiki with the glitches and time in which they occury on the disc, beginning with the “time hiccup” in a host segment in “The Amazing Colossal Man.”

I imagine that replacement discs are probably not likely, but Brian would still probably want to know about these glitches so he can look into it.  Some of the glitches might be tape roll from degrading master tape which of course is beyond his control.  But other things like volume level issues are something that could be prevented in the future.  So that’s another reason to “nit-pick.”

But, also, I’ve bought dvd sets of shows which are far older, such as Perry Mason and Star Trek, and they’re in great shape.  Star Trek is flawless from what I could tell and Perry Mason so far has been incredibly impressive for such an ancient show.  So it breaks my heart at the thought of Jim Mallon not storing these episodes properly, or at the thought of them not receiving the greatest of “tender loving care” during the dvd production process.  Every frame of MST3K, from Green Slime though Diabolik, is like precious gold and should be treated as such.

I’m still going to buy the sets.  But, at the same time, I’m also going to demand nothing less than perfection from them.

I thought TNG and DS9 were shot on 35mm film.  I've seen those dvds and thought they looked amazing and crystal clear.  Either way, TOS is more impressive than either simply because of its age.  The Perry Mason isn't perfect, most is crystal clear while occasionally certain scenes look like slightly substandard footage.  But they get away with it because it just adds to the vintage look of the show and isn't that jarring when intermixed with the clear footage.

I’ll tell you what IS jarring and that’s the intermixing of pitifully substandard footage on the Cheers dvds.  Cheers was shot on film and most of it looks fantastic: clean, crystal clear and razor sharp.  But, during various scenes, certain camera angles within the same scene look like the film was soaked in a septic tank for a few years, dried out in the sun for another couple of years, and then used to wipe someones ass before being transferred to disc.  The audio is fine in these parts, but such hideously substandard footage is a criminal disgrace.  I noticed it being casually worked in at first, then used more and more as the seasons progress, and even used for an entire episode (the first ep of the fourth season I think…Frasier returns after being left at the alter by Diane, and Woody Harrelson’s first show).  It REALLY breaks my heart to see such a class act of a show like Cheers get such shoddy treatment.  I was so depressed by it I quit buying after season eight.  I bought all of the Frasier episodes and they look fabulous, from beginning to end.

Another case of crappy footage is the third season episode of Gilligan’s Island with the homing pigeon and the giant cave spider.  It looks atrocious (see description of substandard Cheers footage above)!  Every other episode looks remarkably pristine and razor sharp.  But for whatever reason, the giant cave spider episode looks horrible.

Why would such crummy footage be used?  Did the master to that one Gilligan’s Island episode get lost or destroyed?  Did they have to track down a substandard copy to use for the dvd set?  And if so, why not use one of the good copies that I see being broadcast in reruns?  Same question with Cheers.  I see the same episodes in reruns, but without any substandard footage, so I know decent footage exists for these.

But I definitely see what your saying about MST being shot on video (which is much cheaper than film), therefore being more susceptible to early degradation.  And that it's not necessarily Jim's fault.  In fact, I hope it isn't his fault because that's what would really devastate me...knowing that this show is in the care of someone who doesn't truly understand the value and importance of it.  I'd hate to think Jim just tossed the tapes up into his attic all these years.  But the fact that the tapes are in danger of rapid degradation is all the more reason that all of the episodes should have been transferred to the digital realm long ago.  Do you suppose that would have been prohibitively expensive?

I don't know that this is a complete, release wide problem. I didn't notice any glitches really. Nothing beyond a mild flicker in a spot or two on my copy. Perhaps their are multiple production locations and there was some sort issues there?

I even went looking after reading this thread and there really weren't huge issues in mine.

Are you guys really overly nitpicking or are only some of the copies experiencing issues?

Edit: Didn't mean to sound rude there in the last line. I just don't have a copy with these flaws so I don't know the extent of the issues some of you are having.

Just to throw in my two cents - yeah, the wierd audio thing in the "Money Talks" short was a little "uh, did I just hear that or did I just have a mini-stroke."  Right around when they're talking about the kid's friend Bob itemizing his expenses and he's at the gas station with his snazzy car, the announcer says something and then it's instantly repeated...

That and I too have noticed the momentary flashes of black, like flickering, in the beginning of the Yucca Flats DVD, especially in the first host segment, similar to the ones at the beginning on "Lost Continent."

I'm thinking this is on Jim Mallon, knowing how big a head case he is, he probably has it where Shout has to use his tapes and his tapes alone. I could be wrong.

Wow, I would have to say this is a bit of an over-exaggeration. The discs from SF are still nicer than my fan copy of any of those episodes. Far less grainy, better sound. Were there a few flaws on the new set? Yeah, but they were minor, and they hardly were a distraction from the experience of enjoying the show. Unless you watch it frame by frame, the flaws are split-second and gone before you can think much about them.

I'll be glad to see any episodes come out as they will still look better than 99% of fan copies out there. If Jim didn't preserve the show properly, what can we do? It's an unfortunate fact that is coming to light, but one we can't do much about.

I'll continue to look forward to future releases.

For those who say they don;t see them, here's one. The first host segment: As Tom says he put the kibosh on a type of wallpaper. We also get lines like this when Forrester announces Proposition Deep 13

And the film itself, the scene at the car with the couple is strangled suffers a lot from these. It happens twice here and again when we see the husband at the back of the car.

I understand that these are minor to some of you and if your okay with the condition, that's fine, I wont put you down. But it isn't all in our imaginations. I can see them clearly and personally they bother me - they distract and detract from my enjoyment.

Me, I'm not upset at all about those tape hits.  The fact that these eps were released before the masters could get any worse is an accomplishment, and is a testament to the power of the show's fan base.

The ones on both Beast and Lost Continent are nowhere near as bad as the quality issues I have with my copy of Dead Talk Back on Volume 8 anyway.

If anything, I say release the ones with tape hits soon so they don't suffer any more.

And for those of us hoping the KTMA season will see the light of day, remember that those eps will probably also have quality issues.

Guess I hit a nerve. Sorry Brian but yeah, well have to agree to disagree on that issue.

Also you and Shout are not being picked on, Rhino got an earful on many, many occasions believe me. This thread is actually pretty tame. MSTies are a passionate people. The networks were not exempt from our complaints, neither was Rhino. We're very protective of the quality of this show and were so, long before Shout entered the picture. We start threads, we share info and pictures and have done so since set #1.

You asked why now, why the hullabaloo? Because I, the consumer was not satisfied with the product. I found the tape hits on this particular Shout release glaring and a distraction. Are they as bad as Rhino's "Dead Talk Back"? No,  but they did bother me none the less. I spent my hard earned cash on a 4 disc DVD set and I ended up with only 2 discs that I’ll actually watch.

Maybe you think I'm silly and nit picky. And If there's nothing to be done about these flaws, okay then. Now I know that and as a consumer I have a decision to make on future releases. But I for one hope it will be an informed decision and will count on threads like this to let me know what's what.

I think we were prepaired for Lost Continent because a reviewer mentioned it in a pre-release. We weren't ready for Yucca - and for me the tape hits just stuck out. Maybe because they were grouped together in bunches where as on other releases they would pop up here and there and then I wouldn't see one for a long stretch.

For the record, in regards to the question of "To buy or not to buy". I've purchased every set and release and will likely continue to do so. I'm  just worried there will come a time where I read that all 4 discs look like Dead Talk Back, weeeelll, then that's when I'm going to have to make a difficult decision.

Dear Brian Ward:

Please don't worry about it. Most people who bought the set "get it" as to why there are minor problems and we're not complaining here. You can spend all day bantering here with the vocal minority and never win. I enjoyed the main feature and the extra features without any major problems. The video problems on Lost Continent were much worse than on the Beast Of Yucca Flats and I'm not complaining about that either as it's one of my all-time favorite episodes and I'm just glad to have it on DVD. Please don't let the complaining here alter your release schedule or the episodes you plan to release based on minor tape damage. How many people bought this set vs. how many people are vociferously complaining? Most of us who bought the set are pleased with it and looking forward to more. Thanks!

Well Lost Continent IS a favorite for some of us, but we're not complaining endlessly about it because it's already been explained repeatedly by Brian Ward that Shout! will either spend the money on restoration or lots more releases, not both and most of us want to see more releases as soon as and as quickly as possible.

I was very sad to see the problems on Lost Continent, but Mr. Ward already explained why there are anomalies and imperfections on these MST3K DVDs and the same explanation applies to all of the discs with such problems. For each fan to complain loudly about their personal favorites is unproductive. I could whine all day about the state of Lost Continent, but it won't fix the problems or change the explanation of them. Now how about everyone let Mr. Ward spend his time on more fruitful pursuits like securing more episodes and producing great menus and extra features instead of answering the same question ad nauseum and then having to tap dance to avoid offending the sensitive fans on this forum.

By the way, Brian, the menus on the past couple sets were just terrific fun. Thanks!

I noticed the video glitches as well in Best of Yucca Flats. While not as bad or excessive as Rhino's awful "The Dead Talk Back" DVD it was still slightly annoying as Yucca Flats was one that I have been patiently waiting for an official release of. I don't know if this is a case of Shout Factory getting shoddy masters from Best Brains or what. I know that was Rhino's excuse for some of their shoddy MST3K DVD's. I just hope that Devil Fish in the next set is completely glitch free!