MotU Region 1 DVD FAQ (North America) Updated 26/January/06

[Lioncourt]

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe The Classic Series on Region 1 DVD (North America) FAQ If you feel something is missing from this FAQ, please e-mail me at lioncourt@he-man.org You can click any of the questions below to find the answer to the question. At the end of each section there is a link to take you back to the table of contents. Contents The Basics What's being released on DVD/UMD? When is it coming? Who is releasing it? Who owns the rights? Where can I see the cover art? Where can I read the press releases? Where can I buy all this great stuff? How much will it cost? Will "The Greatest Adventures of All" or "Skeletor's Revenge" specials be released? Quality and Presentation How good will the picture/audio be on the episodes? Will the sound be remastered for Dolby Digital 5.1 or DTS Surround Sound? How many episodes will be in each set? How many discs will be in each set? What order will the episodes appear in? Who chose the episodes for the "Best Of" set anyway? What kind of packaging will the sets be released in? Will the slight (3% or so) speed-up of the masters be corrected on the DVD releases? Extra Features What extras will be included with the "Best Of" release? What extras will be included with the season sets? Who is providing/coordinating extras material and/or card art? What Filmation personnel have been interviewed for the extras? Will the background music be included as a bonus?

[Lioncourt]

Basics What's being released on DVD/UMD? At this time, the following has been announced for release on DVD: "The Best of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe" -- Two disc set with ten of the best episodes, five from season #1 and five from season #2. These episodes were voted on by the fans on He-Man.org. This set includes: "Evilseed" "Quest for He-Man" "Prince Adam No More" "Diamond Ray of Disappearance" "Teela's Quest" "Into the Abyss" "Teela's Triumph" "To Save Skeletor" "The Problem with Power" "Origin of the Sorceress" Exclusive extra features and art cards All 130 episodes of the classic Filmation "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe" animated series divided into four box sets. These will be released as "Season 1, Part 1", "Season 1, Part 2", "Season 2, Part 1", and "Season 2, Part 2". These sets will include exclusive extra features and art cards. All 65 episodes of "The New Adventures of He-Man" produced by Dic Entertainment divided into two box sets with exclusive extra features and art cards. "The He-Man and She-Ra Christmas Special" with exclusive extra features and art cards. The following has been announced for release on UMD, (discs playable by your Sony Playstation Portable): He-Man and the Masters of the Universe - The Best Top 5 Episodes: Season 1 (contains contents of "Ten Best" DVD collection's disc #1) He-Man and the Masters of the Universe - The Best Top 5 Episodes: Season 2 (contains contents of "Ten Best" DVD collection's disc #2) UMD releases do not include extras. When is it coming? The "Best of" compilation went to mass market on Tuesday, July 12th, 2005, and should be available at most retailers including Amazon.com. The "Best of" also got a special premier at the 2005 San Diego Comic Con International. The first season box set is slated for fall of 2005, with the rest of the releases to follow over the next 18 months. The first two UMD releases, corresponding to each disc in the "Ten Best" DVD release, were released on 23/August/2005. Season #1, Part #1 was released on 18/October/2005. The "Christmas Special" was released on Tuesday, December 6th, 2005. Season #1, Part #2 will be released on 14/February/2006. Who is releasing it? All of the region 1 DVD sets discussed in this FAQ are being released by BCI Eclipse. Who owns the rights? BCI Eclipse licensed the series for region 1 DVD release in North America from the current rights holder Entertainment Rights, a UK based company specializing in family entertainment programming. Where can I see the cover art? You can see the cover art for the "Best of" compilation right here. Where can I read the press releases? You can read the initial press release Right here. Where can I buy all this great stuff? These sets are a mass market release. Such retailers as Target and Wal-Mart are stocking at least some of these releases. Amazon.com is a great place to get them, too. How much will it cost? The Suggested Retail Price for the "Best of" is $24.99, but most retailers will have it for less. The suggested retail on the first two UMD releases will be $19.99 each. Season sets should have a SRP of $49.95. Will "The Greatest Adventures of All" or "Skeletor's Revenge" specials be released? We do not know yet. No information on those has been released. Back to Contents

[Lioncourt]

Quality and Presentation How good will the picture/audio be on the episodes? We have gotten reassurances from BCI Eclipse that the episodes will be presented in the best possible quality. Corners will not be cut if it compromises the quality of the episodes. Will the sound be remastered for Dolby Digital 5.1 or DTS Surround Sound? No. The episodes will be presented in stereo, as they were originally intended. How many episodes will be in each set? The "Best of" compilation will include 10 episodes. The season box sets will include 32 or 33 episodes each. How many discs will be in each set? The "Best of" compilation includes two discs. "Season 1, Part 1" consists of six discs. The "Christmas Special" consists of one disc. We have no word on the other releases yet, but it is probably safe to assume that future season sets will also consist of six discs each. What order will the episodes appear in? The episodes are appearing in production order, with modifications to account for story continuity. This prevents Montork from returning before he shows up for the first time, and also places "Diamond Ray of Disappearance" first, as it was intended to be the series' pilot. There are other places where production order has bene slightly altered to maintain continuity. Who chose the episodes for the "Best Of" set anyway? BCI Eclipse and the staff of He-Man.org narrowed the selection down to ten episodes from each season. From there, fans were allowed to vote on He-Man.org to help determine the final list. What kind of packaging will the sets be released in? The "Best of" release will be in a multi-panel digi-pack with a slipcase. The spine is going to be a 5th color - either a really bright, clean red or most likely a florescent red. The idea is when some retailers put it on the shelf with the spine facing out, it'll still be the most eye-popping thing people see. We do not know about packaging for any other releases at this time. Will the slight (3% or so) speed-up of the masters be corrected on the DVD releases? No. The speed up of the audio could not be corrected without compromising video/audio quality. Back to Contents

[Lioncourt]

Extra Features What extras are included with the "Best Of" release? Two brand-new documentary featurettes with a variety of talent involved in the making of the original series, including voice-over actors, artists, and those working behind the scenes. Two 4" x 6" exclusive He-Man art cards, by Bruce Timm and Adam Hughes. Trivia and "fun facts" about the creation of He-Man Upcoming releases trailer What extras are included with the season sets? The box sets include the most comprehensive set of extras ever produced for an animated series on DVD, according to the press release. Each release, including the "Best of" and "Christmas Special" includes art cards from world renound comic book artists and fans of the property, as well as featurettes, which are part of a 16 part documentary series. "Season 1, Part 1" includes: Additional one-of-a-kind renderings by some of the world's most famous comic book artists. Character bios & artwork Complete storyboards from selected episodes Gallery of original animation cells and never-before-seen character sketches Much, much more! Who is providing/coordinating extras material and/or art cards? The featurettes are being produced and directed by best-selling author Andy Mangels. Val Staples, Emiliano Santalucia, James "Busta Toons" Eatock and Adam Tyner of He-Man.org are also providing extras content. The only four confirmed artists contributing the collectable art cards included in each set are: Bruce Timm -- An Emmy-award winning animator, responsible for building the modern DC Comics cartoon franchise. He landed his first animation job in 1981 with Filmation where he worked on He-Man. Adam Hughes -- A multiple Harvey and Eisner Award winner, and one of the most popular comic book creators working today. He was recently chosen to illustrate Warner Bros. Wonder Woman film poster. Alex Ross Jae Lee What Filmation personnel have been interviewed for the extras? At this time, only Lou Scheimer and J. Michael Stracynzski have been confirmed. Will the background music be included as a bonus? Many fans have been asking for this, and those involved are aware of the demand. We do not know if such a bonus is possible or planned at this time. Back to Contents