Lost in Space: The Complete Series [Blu-ray]

I just want to say I've bought alot of old tv series from this time period but the quality and picture of this really blew me away. My mouth literally fell open when it started. Highly recommend!

Lost in Space: The Complete Series [Blu-ray] ASIN: B011QLB4B0 box set. This is a beautiful set of this 60s TV show. Picture and sound are excellent. Season 1 is in back and white and season 2 and 3 in color. Each of the 3 seasons comes in their own multi-fold cardboard case. BE CAREFUL with the multi-fold cases when handling or removing discs as discs may slide out the other side and fall on the floor. Believe me, I know.

While I agree that the packaging sucks--it's very cardboard and you have to be SUPER careful in removing discs so you won't rip the packaging, so KEEP SMALL LITTLE FINGERS AWAY--the transfers themselves are gorgeous. They are so clear that you can see the wires holding the Jupiter 2 as in flys around the derelect in the 2nd episode--something that would never be seen in the old NTSC format--and you can actually read all the controls! It's kind of funny because now you can see that the "Cosmic Sequencer" or whatever really says "AC FAN OFF/ON" ! It's just a hoot to see things so absolutely clearly. I have the first 5 episodes virtually memorized but this time I could see the fuse wire wrapped around the consoles prior to their shorting out and things like that. The bonus disc has an episode in 5.1 stereo and 16x9 framing which is also a revelation. I know there are those who are adamant about the original aspect ratio if 4x3, but seeing this episode (with it's potentially problematic extreme closeups) in 16x9 shows that the show can be presented in this format with virtually nothing lost. The top and bottom cropping are what used to be called "title safe" in 4x3, so anything that had to be seen on the original broadcasts had to be within that parameter, and 16x9 fits "title safe" on the top and bottom. I would love to have seen the 3rd episode, "Island in the Sky" with the crash sequence in 16x9!Considering the show is 50 years old, and the transfers were from interpositives or CRI color internegatives made by Deluxe at the time the show was aired, the color is outstanding. (I used to work at Fox, and we used to call it "Pink by Deluxe" because Deluxe color ALWAYS faded to pink after a few years. They had to do huge restoration on STAR WARS because the negative was fading!) So to see the colors on Lost In Space, especially the pastel uniforms, is another delight. I never remember such a wild and bold color palate before, and it was truly trend-making at the time. These transfers truly do justice to the color plotting of the show. LIS went to the bold colors due to the success of another Fox show, BATMAN, and it was sort of a game of one-upmanship in the color department.In all, KUDOS to all involved in this project. They really did their research and dug up a ton of material. The only thing they missed (which I have heard!) is a stereo alternate version of the season 1 main title. But literally, that's about it.Another wonderful addition are the original rushes from the Lydecker Effects Unit. Many of the first season effects shots were actually shot in color, and to see the camera slates (and realize that the Jupiter 2 shots were shot anywhere from 80 to 160 frames per second (sound speed is 24 frames per second) lets you know some of the tricks involved--including shooting sideways! It's remarkable that so much was done "in camera" and the results--especially the Jupiter 2 crash--have become iconic. And now you can see the wires--not that that is a fault, but it just shows how incredibly GOOD these guys were at doing effects quickly and efficiently.My only complaint is the packaging. Something more than corn-flake box packaging would be better.

I had previously bought the early 2000s DVD set and was incredibly disappointed with the picture quality - many episodes were even worse than bad VHS in terms of picture quality! This blu-ray set on the other hand offers superlative picture quality owing to the high quality HD remastering from 35mm film. The only "downside" in terms of picture quality is that you can now see many endearing "flaws" in the sets and clothing that were never remotely visible to viewers in the old analogue TV era. This may be a distraction for some or perhaps an interesting curiosity for others!Much has been said about the packaging and I have to concur, however I was careful to put pressure towards the label side when sliding the disks out so that the playing side did not come into contact with the cardboard walls of the container. 17 of the 18 disks came out in as good a shape as any blu-ray or DVD I have ever bought, though the 18th disk was knocked around a fair bit. Rather than try and deal with a replacement just for that one disk, I polished the flaws out using a rotary polishing nano extension that I got for polishing stuff like piano black car trim. It worked a treat and that disk played flawlessly.This set really is a must-have for any serious fan of the series. Forget the price. It is worth it! But add a few extra dollars for some proper DVD containers. Take the disks out and put them in these containers - you really do not want to be dealing with this packaging more than once!

A major caveat applies here. I ordered the "Multi-Format" version and received a Blu Ray version. Fortunately, I have a Blu Ray player so I can enjoy this show. But these DVDs will NOT play on a standard DVD player - you must have a Blu Ray player. If you have a Blu Ray player, then do NOT order the very expensive "Blu Ray" version. Buy the "Multi Format" version (which is, in reality, the Blu Ray version) and save $120.00. And just a comment, I can't see why an old black and white TV show should need a Blu Ray, high definition treatment. I did file a complaint with Amazon regarding the incorrect product information that does not note that this DVD set is in the Blu Ray format.And, as virtually every other reviewer has noted, the packaging is beyond horrible. It is impossible to get the disks out of the sleeves without getting your fingers all over the playing surface. We were tempted to get out the scissors and start cutting away the heavy cardboard imprisonments, but I like to have the original packaging for my movie library. So we spent a frustrating hour at the table attempting to carefully remove each disk, cleaning same disk with a lint free cloth and then putting the disks in standard plastic DVD storage cases.I give 5 stars because the transfer of this old show to DVD has worked very well here. The video is crystal clear and a pleasure to watch.Followup Edit: after playing with the packaging, we ended up putting all the DVDs in standard paper DVD envelopes which will slide right back into the original packaging. Since the paper sleeve won't quite go all the way in, you can easily grab the edge of the sleeve to remove the DVD the next time you remove it. Enter "dvd envelopes sleeves" into the Amazon Search box which will bring up a variety of appropriate envelopes.