The Beverly Hillbillies: Collector's Edition (5-pk)

32 Earliest B&W Episodes 1962-64
This is a 4 DVD box set from Platinum Disc Corp. There are (8) 25 min. episodes per DVD, all are from 1962-1964, with one unexplained exception: Ep. 8 on Vol. 3 is from 1974. Go figure.

Digital quality: Very good (3.5/5). I have a 162" front projection system, so I can observe absolutely every minute detail of any DVD. Resolution is very good (4/5) with good detail. Brightness is a little low and contrast is also somewhat lacking. These can be compensated for by adjusting your TV or projector. Still, overall very good for 1962-63. I haven't viewed all episodes yet, but some of them are of substantially lesser quality (e.g., excessive brightness/contrast).

Two complaints to get out of the way: First, the episodes have an annoying "Platinum Disc Corporation" logo in the lower right during the entire episode. (A trick in my Sony player is if I use slow, step or fastfwd for even an instant, the logo does not reappear once normal play is resumed. Very cool.) Second,...

Heapin' helpin' of hospitality----hillbilly, that is!
This DVD contains four of the earliest episodes of "The Beverly Hillbillies," but because these are not released by the copyright holder, the actual open and close we all know is not on the DVD. Instead, there's an Elvis sounding impersonator handling the singing made famous by Jerry Scoggins. Hopefully, CBS will release "Beverly Hillbillies" on DVD soon, so better prints with the actual opens and closes are available. The episodes on this DVD do a pretty good job of showing why the first two seasons of the program are actually among the best written in the history of television. Snobs hate the program, but the writing, character definition, and evolution of the characters all get off to a good start. And the music of Perry Botkin is used in a very sophisticated way to underscore the action on the screen, compared to the music of Curt Massey whose background music is heard on the later color episodes. Instead of using the music to set up a gag or to get a...

What a shame!
This review is for the quality, NOT the shows. I grew up with, and loved, the Beverly Hillbillies. I have a few VHS tapes, but wanted better quality as you would expect with DVD. NOT!
The shows on VHS are even better than this mini frisbie.
Not only is the quality poor, but the theme song is gone.
No "Come and listen to a story about a man named Jed..."
There's this banjo music I never heard before.
All I can think is that someone wanted to make a quick buck.
A truely pathetic example of modern technology. Save your money.
Maybe some day Jed and his clan will get a respectable release.

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