Favorite format for your Chaplin collection?

[Deborah]

Hi All, (Well, at least Richard),
I still have some Chaplin on VHS and am moving to DVD for most -
except my Modern Times, which has the whole Titina on it. Do you think
I'll be losing anything by doing so? I'm taking Essanays, major films,
Early Chaplin, Unknown Chaplin, etc.

Deborah

[Dennman6]

Post by Deborah
Hi All, (Well, at least Richard),
  I still have some Chaplin on VHS and am moving to DVD for most -
except my Modern Times, which has the whole Titina on it. Do you think
I'll be losing anything by doing so? I'm taking Essanays, major films,
Early Chaplin, Unknown Chaplin, etc.
Deborah

In the late 1980s I was taping Chaplin shorts off of A&E channel onto
VHS with my RCA Hi-Fi VCR. These were the Van Beuren reissues from c.
1938, which had added sound effects & music. I understand these were
available as a set at one time, possibly on DVD. In the mid-1990s I
began buying several of the Fox Home Video VHS versions(The Kid, The
Gold Rush, The Circus, A King in New York among them). Tower Records
in southern California had a marvelous video section in those days. At
the same time I bought the Laserdisc sets of Mutual & First National
shorts-gorgeous quality at the time. And within the last five years I
did pick up a few closeout VHS sets of the Essanay shorts from Kino.
Quality so-so on those.

On DVD I've only managed to get Modern Times, within the last two
years I think. I know Warner Home Video had a nice DVD set of all the
Chaplin features, but when it first came out I couldn't afford to
spend the money on it. Now that I can wave hundred dollar bills
around, I can't find the set stocked anywhere. Maybe I'll do the
Amazon crapshoot & take me chances. I saw Unknown Chaplin at a local
Best Buy here in Indianapolis a few years ago, & didn't buy it right
away. I even went & his it behind some WWII documentaries(the Chaplin
was in the "Special Interests" section. But don't you know some fool
came along, found it, & bought it for themself! Shoulda-woulda-coulda.
Now I am looking forward to more news on the Essanays as restored by
the BFI.

Dennis Forkel

[Deborah]

Post by Dennman6

Post by Deborah
Hi All, (Well, at least Richard),
� I still have some Chaplin on VHS and am moving to DVD for most -
except my Modern Times, which has the whole Titina on it. Do you think
I'll be losing anything by doing so? I'm taking Essanays, major films,
Early Chaplin, Unknown Chaplin, etc.
Deborah

In the late 1980s I was taping Chaplin shorts off of A&E channel onto
VHS with my RCA Hi-Fi VCR. These were the Van Beuren reissues from c.
1938, which had added sound effects & music. I understand these were
available as a set at one time, possibly on DVD. �In the mid-1990s I
began buying several of the Fox Home Video VHS versions(The Kid, The
Gold Rush, The Circus, A King in New York among them). Tower Records
in southern California had a marvelous video section in those days. At
the same time I bought the Laserdisc sets of Mutual & First National
shorts-gorgeous quality at the time. And within the last five years I
did pick up a few closeout VHS sets of the Essanay shorts from Kino.
Quality so-so on those.
On DVD I've only managed to get Modern Times, within the last two
years I think. I know Warner Home Video had a nice DVD set of all the
Chaplin features, but when it first came out I couldn't afford to
spend the money on it. Now that I can wave hundred dollar bills
around, I can't find the set stocked anywhere. Maybe I'll do the
Amazon crapshoot & take me chances. I saw Unknown Chaplin at a local
Best Buy here in Indianapolis a few years ago, & didn't buy it right
away. I even went & his it behind some WWII documentaries(the Chaplin
was in the "Special Interests" section. But don't you know some fool
came along, found it, & bought it for themself! Shoulda-woulda-coulda.
Now I am looking forward to more news on the Essanays as restored by
the BFI.
Dennis Forkel

Dennis, that's good news on the restoration of the Essanays. I'll keep
an ear out for that, too.
Deborah

[Derek Gee]

Post by Deborah
Hi All, (Well, at least Richard),
I still have some Chaplin on VHS and am moving to DVD for most -
except my Modern Times, which has the whole Titina on it. Do you think
I'll be losing anything by doing so? I'm taking Essanays, major films,
Early Chaplin, Unknown Chaplin, etc.
Deborah

When you say you're moving to DVD, are you buying new DVD's or buying used
DVD's? I assume you're not transferring your VHS tapes to DVD. The current
MK2 DVD's have some problems that the earlier Image DVD's did not.

Derek

[Deborah]

Post by Derek Gee

Post by Deborah
Hi All, (Well, at least Richard),
�I still have some Chaplin on VHS and am moving to DVD for most -
except my Modern Times, which has the whole Titina on it. Do you think
I'll be losing anything by doing so? I'm taking Essanays, major films,
Early Chaplin, Unknown Chaplin, etc.
Deborah

When you say you're moving to DVD, are you buying new DVD's or buying used
DVD's? �I assume you're not transferring your VHS tapes to DVD. �The current
MK2 DVD's have some problems that the earlier Image DVD's did not.
Derek

Thanks Derek, That's the kind of info I need. So, your opinion is I
should look for the Image DVDs over the MK2? I don't care if they are
used versus new. And no, I'm not transferring VHS to DVD. :-D

Deborah

[Derek Gee]

Post by Deborah
Thanks Derek, That's the kind of info I need. So, your opinion is I
should look for the Image DVDs over the MK2?

Yes, you only need the MK2 of "The Gold Rush" to get the restored silent
version. Unless you want the bonus documentaries, which I thought mostly
stunk. Buy the Image DVD's that were supervised by David Shepard. I should
mention though that the Essanay's are transferred too slowly. Nice
transfers, but the wrong speed.

D