Getty Images overpaid 9,000 iStock photographers and now it's taking the money back

[dividebyzero]

If a show doesn't take off right away, (and most Sci-Fi doesn't), broadcast TV will kill it after a season or two...

Pretty much standard fare for any decent SF show. Generic/high rating TV seems geared to the episodic. Anything with a continuous major story arc tends to put people off if they aren't in at the start, since most people aren't invested enough (nor have the attention span) to search out earlier episodes.
Farscape I believe didn't get much in the way of support from the SyFy channel when it aired (nor any quick syndication repeats), and was probably too story/character driven for successful casual viewing.

So, I have boxed sets of, "Dollhouse:"...

Likewise- as well as Firefly and Lexx (...and Max Headroom, The Invaders, Babylon 5, BSG, V (1983-84), Red Dwarf, The Glam Metal Detectives, and a host of other weird and wonderful SF)

Anywho, the mug on Claudia Black, always made me think of what must be going through a male black widow spider's mind on his, "honeymoon", so to speak. "Oh wow, that was fun while it lasted, what are you doing, dear"? (slurp). In any event, Ben Browder's baby face always made me want to ask, "Claudia, who's that, your son.....argh...?

Claudia's Aeryn Sun character seems to have enshrined her in the pantheon of Geek-lust (along with her voice acting for Crysis and a host of other video games). I wonder how many noted that she played someone who'd had a sex change operation in an Aussie procedural a year before Farscape debuted (Sorry about the spoiler, but 16 years have passed).

@dividebyzero, both of you are "PAL" standard for DVD? That would add a certain difficulty for finding older material. Although, I thought that at least part of, "Farscape", was filmed in Australia.

Pretty much the whole of Farscape was filmed in Australia, excepting some brief outdoor shots at Cape Canaveral and the Shuttle footage the company got from NASA. The odd thing is that even though Australia's Channel 9 footed a large part of the production costs, Farscape didn't immediately air in Australia and New Zealand.
I think my blu ray set of Farscape is NTSC, I couldn't find a PAL (Region 4) set unless I bought individual season sets- and expensive option.

 

[Railman]

If a show doesn't take off right away, (and most Sci-Fi doesn't), broadcast TV will kill it after a season or two...

Pretty much standard fare for any decent SF show. Generic/high rating TV seems geared to the episodic. Anything with a continuous major story arc tends to put people off if they aren't in at the start, since most people aren't invested enough (nor have the attention span) to search out earlier episodes.
Farscape I believe didn't get much in the way of support from the SyFy channel when it aired (nor any quick syndication repeats), and was probably too story/character driven for successful casual viewing.

So, I have boxed sets of, "Dollhouse:"...

Likewise- as well as Firefly and Lexx (...and Max Headroom, The Invaders, Babylon 5, BSG, V (1983-84), Red Dwarf, The Glam Metal Detectives, and a host of other weird and wonderful SF)

Anywho, the mug on Claudia Black, always made me think of what must be going through a male black widow spider's mind on his, "honeymoon", so to speak. "Oh wow, that was fun while it lasted, what are you doing, dear"? (slurp). In any event, Ben Browder's baby face always made me want to ask, "Claudia, who's that, your son.....argh...?

Claudia's Aeryn Sun character seems to have enshrined her in the pantheon of Geek-lust (along with her voice acting for Crysis and a host of other video games). I wonder how many noted that she played someone who'd had a sex change operation in an Aussie procedural a year before Farscape debuted (Sorry about the spoiler, but 16 years have passed).

@dividebyzero, both of you are "PAL" standard for DVD? That would add a certain difficulty for finding older material. Although, I thought that at least part of, "Farscape", was filmed in Australia.

Pretty much the whole of Farscape was filmed in Australia, excepting some brief outdoor shots at Cape Canaveral and the Shuttle footage the company got from NASA. The odd thing is that even though Australia's Channel 9 footed a large part of the production costs, Farscape didn't immediately air in Australia and New Zealand.
I think my blu ray set of Farscape is NTSC, I couldn't find a PAL (Region 4) set unless I bought individual season sets- and expensive option.

As I live in the UK my DVD collection is PAL. The Farscape season 2 box set is a special edition version in a very nice box. It was second hand but in mint condition. I also have a fair number of Dr Who stories on DVD going back to the first Doctor in the 1960s. Complete set of Babylon 5 and Crusader. Gerry Andersons UFO. Three series of Star Trek Voyager. Complete collection of new version of Battlestar Gallatica. Series 1 to 9 of SG1. Series 1 to 4 Stargate Atlantis. The only series of Star Cop. Series 1 to 3 of Torchwood.

 

[captaincranky]

Farscape I believe didn't get much in the way of support from the SyFy channel when it aired (nor any quick syndication repeats), and was probably too story/character driven for successful casual viewing.

I heard a number of people bellyaching about how, "the Sy-Fy channel had handed itself to a bunch of low grade horror/slasher movies". Can't afford cable, so that's just hearsay / gossip.

Likewise- as well as Firefly and Lexx

Check & check.

Red Dwarf,

That's one of my PBS "boycotts". I do remember the vividly where Red Dwarf went to a female dominated planet where, "The women there liked to watch two men together". Laughed for days about the irony of that.

The Glam Metal Detectives,

That sounds like a Thong-Fi classic...

Claudia's Aeryn Sun character seems to have enshrined her in the pantheon of Geek-lust (along with her voice acting for Crysis and a host of other video games). I wonder how many noted that she played someone who'd had a sex change operation in an Aussie procedural a year before Farscape debuted (Sorry about the spoiler, but 16 years have passed).

Yeah, she's Electra and Oedipus all rolled into one., Or as one might rephrase Paladin's business card, "Have Whip, Will Travel".

The spoiler which I'm going to repay in kind. Guess what, "Tommy" gets his sight back!

I think my blu ray set of Farscape is NTSC, I couldn't find a PAL (Region 4) set unless I bought individual season sets- and expensive option.

Yeah over here, the reprint of Farscape was actually nicer than the first release. "Andromeda" is the the style on the original Farscape, (I think). One huge cardboard slip liner for one season, about 3" wide.

As I live in the UK my DVD collection is PAL. The Farscape season 2 box set is a special edition version in a very nice box. It was second hand but in mint condition. I also have a fair number of Dr Who stories on DVD going back to the first Doctor in the 1960s. Complete set of Babylon 5 and Crusader. Gerry Andersons UFO. Three series of Star Trek Voyager. Complete collection of new version of Battlestar Gallatica. Series 1 to 9 of SG1. Series 1 to 4 Stargate Atlantis. The only series of Star Cop. Series 1 to 3 of Torchwood.

I have Season 5 of SGA.

Ya lost me at "Torchwood" though.

I do have all of "Angel" and "Buffy", though I'm not entirely sure I should admit to that. In any case, I have all(?), of "Forever Knight", a Canadian cop drama, with the lead character as, "vampire with a soul, trying to make up for his deadly past". If I didn't know Josh Whedon's material is entirely original, I"s swear that show was the Template for, "Angel". The chief premise is certainly a duplicate.

Si, me gotz all the new BSG, plus the movies. Ever since then, I've been hopelessly in love with Grace Park. Interesting character that one, even has a degree in psychology.

The season of BSG where Galctica's crew was in a concentration camp, overseen by the Cylons, was categorized by some as, "the most depressing hour of TV on TV". (The series did hit a bit of a lull that year).

Anyway, I've finally collected the three available seasons of, "Game of Thrones", and am beginning to watch them. (But not too fast, I don't want to finish them before season 4 is out). I'm two episodes in and I've learned something very interesting! People in ancient and distant places, still use the same slang pejoratives for sex and genitalia, that are still in use today! Plus, "life in the middle ages was nasty brutish and short". It's when they started being forced to slaughter the children's pet wolves, that I began to question the wisdom of my purchase. Oh and before I forget, "candy is dandy, but incest is best". (Learned that @ episode one).

Anyhoo, I really need to get to it, if I want to revisit the series in my collection. I'm 65, and there's new stuff being released daily.

I wonder if Getty Images has stills lifted from some of these series, available for download....

 

[Railman]

Farscape I believe didn't get much in the way of support from the SyFy channel when it aired (nor any quick syndication repeats), and was probably too story/character driven for successful casual viewing.

I heard a number of people bellyaching about how, "the Sy-Fy channel had handed itself to a bunch of low grade horror/slasher movies". Can't afford cable, so that's just hearsay / gossip.

Likewise- as well as Firefly and Lexx

Check & check.

Red Dwarf,

That's one of my PBS "boycotts". I do remember the vividly where Red Dwarf went to a female dominated planet where, "The women there liked to watch two men together". Laughed for days about the irony of that.

The Glam Metal Detectives,

That sounds like a Thong-Fi classic...

Claudia's Aeryn Sun character seems to have enshrined her in the pantheon of Geek-lust (along with her voice acting for Crysis and a host of other video games). I wonder how many noted that she played someone who'd had a sex change operation in an Aussie procedural a year before Farscape debuted (Sorry about the spoiler, but 16 years have passed).

Yeah, she's Electra and Oedipus all rolled into one., Or as one might rephrase Paladin's business card, "Have Whip, Will Travel".

The spoiler which I'm going to repay in kind. Guess what, "Tommy" gets his sight back!

I think my blu ray set of Farscape is NTSC, I couldn't find a PAL (Region 4) set unless I bought individual season sets- and expensive option.

Yeah over here, the reprint of Farscape was actually nicer than the first release. "Andromeda" is the the style on the original Farscape, (I think). One huge cardboard slip liner for one season, about 3" wide.

As I live in the UK my DVD collection is PAL. The Farscape season 2 box set is a special edition version in a very nice box. It was second hand but in mint condition. I also have a fair number of Dr Who stories on DVD going back to the first Doctor in the 1960s. Complete set of Babylon 5 and Crusader. Gerry Andersons UFO. Three series of Star Trek Voyager. Complete collection of new version of Battlestar Gallatica. Series 1 to 9 of SG1. Series 1 to 4 Stargate Atlantis. The only series of Star Cop. Series 1 to 3 of Torchwood.

I have Season 5 of SGA.

Ya lost me at "Torchwood" though.

I do have all of "Angel" and "Buffy", though I'm not entirely sure I should admit to that. In any case, I have all(?), of "Forever Knight", a Canadian cop drama, with the lead character as, "vampire with a soul, trying to make up for his deadly past". If I didn't know Josh Whedon's material is entirely original, I"s swear that show was the Template for, "Angel". The chief premise is certainly a duplicate.

Si, me gotz all the new BSG, plus the movies. Ever since then, I've been hopelessly in love with Grace Park. Interesting character that one, even has a degree in psychology.

The season of BSG where Galctica's crew was in a concentration camp, overseen by the Cylons, was categorized by some as, "the most depressing hour of TV on TV". (The series did hit a bit of a lull that year).

Anyway, I've finally collected the three available seasons of, "Game of Thrones", and am beginning to watch them. (But not too fast, I don't want to finish them before season 4 is out). I'm two episodes in and I've learned something very interesting! People in ancient and distant places, still use the same slang pejoratives for sex and genitalia, that are still in use today! Plus, "life in the middle ages was nasty brutish and short". It's when they started being forced to slaughter the children's pet wolves, that I began to question the wisdom of my purchase. Oh and before I forget, "candy is dandy, but incest is best". (Learned that @ episode one).

Anyhoo, I really need to get to it, if I want to revisit the series in my collection. I'm 65, and there's new stuff being released daily.

I wonder if Getty Images has stills lifted from some of these series, available for download....

Many of the old black and white episodes of Doctor Who were wiped by the BBC as video tape was expensive. Often the only visual record is photographic stills. Torchwood is a spin off from the revised version of Doctor Who. It is aimed at the older audience as the content includes 15 rated sex and violence. Ironically there was another spin off 'The Sarah Jane Aventures' which was aimed at younger audience and starred the most popular companian to the Doctor. She also starred in an earlier spin off 'K9 and Company'.

 

[captaincranky]

Many of the old black and white episodes of Doctor Who were wiped by the BBC as video tape was expensive. Often the only visual record is photographic stills.

That's more of a problem than kids today might realize. As recently as 1993, Maxell's better grade VHS tapes were $4.00 USD a pop! I think the broadcast video decks may have been pulling 3/4" or 1" tape. (not sure)..

In any event, price and quality, were higher, and much worse, respectively, than today's 4.7GB DVD+R blanks. Those are down to about 18 cents a pop! In fact, the first DVD-Rs I bought, cost almost a buck a pop, and were either write @ 1x or 2x..Not really so long ago though, 1997 or 1998, I think.

 

[Railman]

Many of the old black and white episodes of Doctor Who were wiped by the BBC as video tape was expensive. Often the only visual record is photographic stills.

That's more of a problem than kids today might realize. As recently as 1993, Maxell's better grade VHS tapes were $4.00 USD a pop! I think the broadcast video decks may have been pulling 3/4" or 1" tape. (not sure)..

In any event, price and quality, were higher, and much worse, respectively, than today's 4.7GB DVD+R blanks. Those are down to about 18 cents a pop! In fact, the first DVD-Rs I bought, cost almost a buck a pop, and were either write @ 1x or 2x..Not really so long ago though, 1997 or 1998, I think.

Many of the old black and white episodes of Doctor Who were wiped by the BBC as video tape was expensive. Often the only visual record is photographic stills.

That's more of a problem than kids today might realize. As recently as 1993, Maxell's better grade VHS tapes were $4.00 USD a pop! I think the broadcast video decks may have been pulling 3/4" or 1" tape. (not sure)..

In any event, price and quality, were higher, and much worse, respectively, than today's 4.7GB DVD+R blanks. Those are down to about 18 cents a pop! In fact, the first DVD-Rs I bought, cost almost a buck a pop, and were either write @ 1x or 2x..Not really so long ago though, 1997 or 1998, I think.

Judging from film clips the video tape must have been quite wide. In the black and white era the picture was 425 lines. The programs that did survive were transferred to film. This was done whenever a program was sold to a foreign TV station. I remember that VHS video tapes were around £20 each and only lasted 180 minutes. The first video recorder I bought cost £450. Taking inflation into account that would probably translate into £2,000 in todays money.

 

[captaincranky]

Judging from film clips the video tape must have been quite wide. In the black and white era the picture was 425 lines. The programs that did survive were transferred to film. This was done whenever a program was sold to a foreign TV station. I remember that VHS video tapes were around £20 each and only lasted 180 minutes. The first video recorder I bought cost £450. Taking inflation into account that would probably translate into £2,000 in todays money.

Yeah in the US, (& USD obviously), the first VCRs to hit the retail market were about a grand a pop. (Sony Beta-Max, I believe). The suckers weighed like 40 pounds or something. It was really quite an event, when the massive cassette carrier came bursting out of the tops of those machines.

I can see where early VCRs might not have more than 3 hr recording, as tape and record/playback head manufacturing, were still fairly "primitive". You well know though, those VHS 6 hour settings looked like barely warmed over crap anyway ..

As one might expect, "Wiki" has a great page on early video tape formats: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Videotape.

Audio recording studios are still pushing analog recording tech, as many musicians still consider it superior to digital, "solutions" Those recorders are usually pulling 2" magnetic tape @15" a sec, or better.

(Every time you double the tape speed, the frequency of the noise increases one octave. So you can see, it doesn't take too many doubles, to push the tape hiss beyond the range of human hearing. Likewise, the noise drops an, "octave", when you halve the tape speed. That affects video and audio tape alike).