The Rockford Files Blu-Ray Boxset Review.

Derek S-H

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Garrett, Brian, or anyone else for that matter know anything about this?

Was released in June this year but currently not available in the UK, so Region A only. Picked up a terrible professional review on Blu-Ray. com:

The Rockford Files: The Complete Series Blu-ray

But the three customer reviews seem more positive. Some mixed user reviews on Amazon.com too:

https://www.amazon.com/Rockford-Fil...ds=the+rockford+files+complete+series+blu+ray

I was so impressed with the BBC's upscaled HD image from last year, so if it looks similar to that I'd be happy. Still haven't managed to procure Season 6 for a less-than-insane price yet, so getting this Box with it included would actually work out better.

Note: this Box just has the 122 TV episodes, not the 8 feature films and is priced and packaged to be a budget release.
 
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I'm sorry Derek but I can't help. I think it's been talked about somewhere but this is the only thread I could find in a search.

According to your link it's probably region a locked so I assume you are multi region

Bri
 
Yes Brian, my Oppo can play Region A discs.

I think I was just looking to see if anyone on here had invested in a set and what they thought, that's all. It may be a budget price in America, but it's not here on import!
 
Yes Brian, my Oppo can play Region A discs.

I think I was just looking to see if anyone on here had invested in a set and what they thought, that's all. It may be a budget price in America, but it's not here on import!

I'm multi region too but Garrett isn't so he won't be able to help either.

Bri
 
Okay, based on the second review I found above I have just taken a chance and ordered it from Amazon US.

Cost was £71 including an import duties deposit paid by Amazon and fast shipping - guaranteed delivery this Friday!:eek:

If I don't have to pay any more customs charges I'll be surprised, but we'll see how it goes.

I can write up a quick A/B comparison between a Blu and a Universal DVD if anyone is interested?
 
Okay, will do!

Apparently, the early episodes don't look too great but improve as time goes on, so I intend to watch one of the early episodes to see just how "bad" it is.
 
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I believe it's a Mill Creek release which has been bringing out very reasonably priced Bluray versions of a number of classic tv shows.
Many reviews are biased as Mill Creek have a reputation for very low budget corner cutting. Their Hammer films double bills for example are only around £7 each but the image quality does suffer.
Some fans complain when they put 6 episodes on a disc however I bought their Quantum Leap boxset and it's excellent. As we've seen before , 6 x 45 minutes doesn't cause any problems on a Bluray 50gb disc. MC release exactly what Universal give them. They don't have any knowledge of the series or its history like UK labels like Network so they basically throw it on a disc and bring it out as cheaply as possibly. Mill Creek was and remains the only option for Quantum Leap and I felt it was a bit of a risk based on MC's reputation but I would have no hesitation in recommending a release which if it should ever arrive in the UK would likely be double the price from Fabulous Films.

Bluray.com have a lot of clueless reviewers who are best ignored
 
Yes, it is Mill Creek who are responsible for this Blu-Ray release and yes, they are mentioned in very derogatory terms by some of the customer reviews on Amazon.com.

What convinced me to take a punt on it is:

1. The Box only came out at the end of June and was $130 at the time (still is on the Mill Creek website!), which is the current equivalent of £99 excluding delivery + customs charges. So £71 all in (I hope) is a great price.
2. The second review I linked is much more measured and grounded in its expectations: you don't compare this release to other Blu-Ray's, you compare it to the Universal DVD's and if it's an improvement on that then job done.

You can get it cheaper than I paid: it's £66.44 on Ebay with free postage, but you're left to deal with the customs charges. I could also have not paid extra for the faster delivery from Amazon.com, but the difference was an extra £2 to get it two weeks' earlier!

Anyway, if it's a disaster you can all learn from my mistake!
 
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Garrett, Brian, or anyone else for that matter know anything about this?
Sorry I not replied earlier but I recall when it was last shown on TV I think I commented the the quality was not bad although not up to blu ray standards.
Hope you enjoy the series as I know you were a follower and contributer to the The Rockford Files thread:thumbsup:
 
Quick Update: my parcel is currently being held in the US and won't be arriving this Friday after all.

I contacted Amazon US to query this as I had paid a little bit extra for "Guaranteed Delivery" and they wrote back, apologised, and have reimbursed my postage costs in full!

So, at time of writing, this Boxset has cost me £64.13. Delivery is by DHL (who I don't rate, but we'll see) and is now due on Tuesday 31st.

Just wanted to praise Amazon US for their quick and generous response on a public Forum.
 
Rockford Files reminds me of my late father who loved this series. I was just a kid at the time, and hated it as I was too young to be able to appreciate it. But what I hated even more when he would watch 'When the Boat Comes In' :mad:

Miss you dad :(
 
I recently watched one of the two extras on the Universal DVD set (apparently, the Blu-Ray set has none) and the writer, Stephen J Cannell, said that the relationship between Jim and Rocky was basically his relationship with his own father on screen.

And it was yet another of the quirky yet winning factors of this tremendous and influential show.
 
Another quick update (to bump my Thread to the top of the page!):

My Boxset is now at Gatwick and due for delivery at some point tomorrow (hopefully, not when I'm in the toilet). No, the bump is to say that because I got free delivery on that order, I treated myself to this book which arrived today:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Thirty-Yea...1509401835&sr=1-1&keywords=the+rockford+files

It looks packed full of anecdotes, detail and insight and should be a fine companion to the programme.
 
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Another quick update (to bump my Thread to the top of the page!):

My Boxset is now at Gatwick and due for delivery at some point tomorrow (hopefully, not when I'm in the toilet). No, the bump is to say that because I got free delivery on that order, I treated myself to this book which arrived today:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Thirty-Yea...1509401835&sr=1-1&keywords=the+rockford+files

It looks packed full of anecdotes, detail and insight and should be a fine companion to the programme.

Not like the U FO book then?

:)
Bri
 
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I love The Rockford Files!
 
Good news: my Boxset arrived today!
Even better news: I wasn't charged any additional customs charges!
But the bad news is that I am now going to write an AV Forums-type review as, to the best of my knowledge, there are currently no UK-based reviews plus this Thread has had over 400 views, so there must be some interest in this Box out there. But if you lose the will to live reading my drivel, feel free to skip to the conclusion!

Packaging
Since this does matter to many, I thought I'd start here.

There are six slimline cases, the first five hold 4 discs and the last 2 discs = 22 discs in total. The cardboard used to house the collection is not heavy duty but neither is it like a cereal packet, more something in between and perfectly serviceable. Dimensions are 17.5 cm x 14 cm x 8 cm (HxWxD).

The biggest issue for some may be the fact that the discs are stacked on top and flush with each other, so if you have chubby fingers you might find getting the top disc out on its own a bit tricky! Also, there is the risk that the top disc may rub up against the disc below and cause scratching, though all the discs in my Box were absolutely fine with no marks on them anywhere.

The episode titles are all printed on each disc, there are no booklets.
8/10

Picture
The biggie and the main reason why anyone would think about replacing their DVD's with this set.

First of all, my understanding is that Mill Creek are a budget outfit who tend to put out material as quickly and cheaply as possible, with little to no remastering whatsoever. With this in mind, my expectations were suitably low, but I was pleasantly surprised.

I must emphasise that this set cannot be judged against other Blu-Ray TV restorations because, I believe, the money just hasn't been spent on it. For example, does it look as good as Star Trek? No, nowhere near, but then Paramount assembled a huge team, took years and spent millions. Is it as good as the BBC's upscaled HD image from when they broadcast a short run last year? Yes, in my opinion. Is it superior to the Universal DVD's? Absolutely.

For a start, it's in the correct 4:3 aspect ratio rather than the stretched image present on the DVD's (I know you can adjust this using your TV remote, but that's an extra thing to do). I found the image brighter, sharper and clearer with good colours; the Universal DVD's in comparison look dark, dull and flatter. There is image grain but I don't mind that, better that than excessive DNR.

Another thing worth mentioning: I always thought the iconic Pontiac Firebird was brown, but now you can clearly see that it is more gold than brown and it positively glistens off the screen. Faces look natural, there's more shadow detail and I would say that it's at least 25% better than the DVD's.
7/10 (5/10 for the DVD's)

Sound
The Universal DVD's are listed as "2.0 Mono" which is slightly confusing as I always thought Mono was one channel! My Blu-Ray player displayed the sound as 2.0 Stereo and, again, there is a clear improvement here.

Both music, dialogue and effects were louder and more detailed, the DVD's were softer, quieter and more muffled in comparison. There aren't lots of sound panning or whizzing about from speaker to speaker, but it does give the soundtrack a bit more punch and impact.
7/10 (5/10)

Extras
The definition of bare bones: none whatsoever.

However, the DVD's only had two 10 minute interviews with James Garner and Stephen J Cannell, plus a feature on the history of TV detectives which I never watched, so it was hardly feature-packed in the first place.
0/10 (2/10)

Equipment Used
Panasonic CZ952 65" 4K OLED TV
Oppo 95EU Blu-Ray player
Marantz SR7011 AV Receiver
PMC i-Series speakers
Monitor Audio Gold W15 subwoofer

Conclusion
Should you double dip and splash out on this set if you already have the Universal DVD's? I would say that the improvements justify the outlay as they are evident, though it also depends on what your expectations are. If you have a 100" screen and 7.2.4, then you are likely to be underwhelmed, but then the DVD's are still likely to look and sound inferior as well.

If your TV is 65" or less and you have 5.1 or less, then I think it is likely you will be very satisfied with the upgrade.

I must emphasise that I am NOT a critical viewer. I am no longer 25 with 20/20 vision and perfect hearing, and I am more interested in the content than the presentation. I don't spend my time assessing fabric textures and flesh tones, or worrying about colour vibrancy and fine detail; I just switch things on and enjoy.

And this programme is still tremendously entertaining. Yes, it shows its age when it comes to fashions, hairstyles and cars, but its writing, acting and characterisation - the core values regarding quality - are still timeless. And in the same way that Adam West WAS Batman and William Shatner WAS Captain Kirk, James Garner IS Jim Rockford and his wit, charm and intelligence still shines through, no matter what the format.

Could the Blu-Ray be improved upon? Yes, probably, if someone is prepared to take the time and spend the money. But at the time of writing (October 2017), this is probably the best the show has ever looked and sounded. The cheapest price I've found so far is Amazon US (via Amazon UK): either £69 or £71, depending on your delivery option. It is available cheaper on Ebay, but you run the risk of extra customs charges, Amazon mitigate against that somewhat by building in an import fees deposit into their price.

Would I recommend this set over any existing DVD collection? Yes, unreservedly if you're a fan. I'm already looking forward to watching the show again and will donate my previous DVD's to charity. I hope they get a good price for them!

Pros
Improved picture and sound
Smaller, space-saving packaging
The Firebird's never looked better!

Cons
Discs are directly stacked
No extras or subtitles
Cardboard box isn't the sturdiest
Only the TV series, doesn't include the 8 later feature films
Region A only
 
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A comprehensive and excellent effort, nice wordage Sir :thumbsup:
 
I'm on page one on Google search!

It's a shame that no one has picked this up for general UK release, which means needing to have a Multiregion player, but I think the price is okay for 22 discs in a compact box.
 
Brian - I also checked the DVD's, which are listed as "2.0 Mono" on the case, and they flagged up as 2.0 Stereo by my Blu-Ray player as well!

Regardless, has this piqued your interest or not? It is expensive, I admit, and quite an investment, it's not really a casual purchase at all. Mind you, it's also unlikely to end up at Poundland, which I know is your store of choice!;)

Joking aside, that Thread of yours is an absolute beast and I can't see it ever ending. If they ever picked up the show on DVD I can see them flying off the shelves.
 
I see this is down to about £39 @ DeepDiscount.com here or £48.87 @ WowHD here

I have the old R1 DVD boxset with a few extra single releases (I think there was something missing from the boxset so it was never a "complete" collection). Will have to read up on the Blu-ray set.
 
Brian - I also checked the DVD's, which are listed as "2.0 Mono" on the case, and they flagged up as 2.0 Stereo by my Blu-Ray player as well!

Regardless, has this piqued your interest or not? It is expensive, I admit, and quite an investment, it's not really a casual purchase at all. Mind you, it's also unlikely to end up at Poundland, which I know is your store of choice!;)

Joking aside, that Thread of yours is an absolute beast and I can't see it ever ending. If they ever picked up the show on DVD I can see them flying off the shelves.

No I won't be going for it. I haves loads of unwatched tv discs that I'm making my way through. I've just added the first season of Heroes to the stack as it was going begging in Poundland. Add to that my recent purchase of the colour Saint episodes on DVD I might pegg out before I see what I have already.

:eek:
Bri
 

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