Airwolf Season 1-3 (1984-86) UK HD-DVD Box Set 2014

UK Region 2 Box Card Front

Airwolf Season 1 to 3 HD DVD Box Set

This set should NOT be confused with the "Universal Playback Release" 

This  New Set   Released In April 2014 by Fabulous Films is a Remastered release to accompany the Blu-ray release as shown here.

Many thought this "dvd" box front was faked from the blu-ray and was being used to sell pirate versions of the playback release, which in some instances... it was...  But we can confirm that this remastered dvd set is a genuine product that is available and has its own UPC code.

The card sleeve houses 3 pretty proper sturdy DVD boxes and each box also has a booklet, detailing the episodes & cast members. It's a pretty nice looking package first glance.






Season One:
Boxed with a 12 page booklet (6 double sided pages) featuring promo photos along with information about the episode and cast listing.  Season 1 comes on 3 duel layer dvd discs that are single sided... so they have artwork on one side.  Menu options for disc 1 and 2 consist of "Play All" and  "Select Episode"
Disc 3 is the same but also has an "Extras" button.
Upon selecting the episodes their is information about the episode and an option to play. There is no menu for chapters within the episode.  The extras on dvd 3 (season 1)  has cast bio screens with some text regarding the person,  oddly that list includes Caitlin from season 2 & 3.

Cast Bio Screen

The Main Menu design is semi static and semi animated..
IE: the main rotor spins and the clouds move...
Maybe when they researched it, what they watched was my video...
Where i took airwolf through the stargate.. or maybe the gfx editor was a sliders fan lmao.

Season One - Disc 1 Main Menu - Disc 2 Is The Same

Season One - Disc 3 Main Menu Has The Extras Button

The Cast Bio Screen Is Above

Episode Information screen is pretty nice, although ide of done it like a top secret file (almost like flashpoint briefings on a clip board) with "Top Secret" and "The Firm" and the firms logo, like the dvds are top secret them selves.  JMV seams to be the featured character on all 3 discs for episode selection.

Episode Selection Screen

Episode Selection Screen

Episode Selection Screen

Season Two:
Boxed with a booklet again.. 16 pages (8 double sided pages) featuring episode information and promo photos again. If you own the "Airwolf The Movie" on dvd or blu-ray you will of noticed a lot of the promo shots in these books are included on those disks in their extras menu and one starts to wonder could they not of been linear kinda notes from actual guest stars on the show, mini photo and a few paragraphs of what they thought of the show. Season 2 comes on 5 Discs, Duel Layer Single Sided bearing artwork.

Season Two - Disc 1 Main Menu

And you guessed it.. The Episode Selection Screens are the same to

Season Two - Disc 1 Episode Information

After that menu disappointment im going to head straight to Disc Five... to check the extras
(ide of expected at least an alternate tint to its menu)

Oooo nooo... Guess what the extras are on Season 2 disc 5

Season Two - Disc 5 Extras Menu - Same As Season 1

Season Three:
Boxed with a booklet again.. 16 pages (8 double sided pages) featuring episode information and promo photos again..... So guess what the menu looks like... Guess what the extras are...
Note that all 3 disks (the menu music)  is the music used when Driving to the Lair.

IMPORTANT NOTE:
We may of found a problem with these Episodes to...  As you know it was made for Tv and at times the screen will go black then come back on.. This we know is from the Ad Break Moments right....
But that doesn't explain why their are scenes "MISSING"   For example  "Bite Of The Jackal"
18.39 (approx)  into the Original Episode & Playback Releases..
Santini Fires a Flare Gun.. then says   "I Don't Like The Look Of This"
That line and the following 3/4 scenes are CUT on the HD release and the Blu-ray... WTF
(now im wondering how many other scenes are cut)
And this has also been verified as a problem ..with the HD-BluRay releases  :'(

Season Four:
Not Included...


Discs and Box Art:
So the artwork is not bad i guess, though i am confused as to why...
They re-used the season 2 image on the season 3

Essentially The Same As The Blu-ray

Books DON'T Fit The Holding Clips :(

Packaging wise.. it could of been a lot worse and we know it could...

Box Front's Inc Card Sleeve

Box Back's Inc Card Sleeve

DVD COMPARISON IMAGES:
Ok i guess this is what your waiting for (please note the frames are NOT exact) so please don't assume the remasters have been cropped, you are looking for colour clarity and each image description.  Also note that these are shots when VLC Media Player is paused, some do it justice and others do not, depends how vlc is feeling when you pause it & what movement is going on upon the screen as its paused.

Remember...
Screen Shot (left) = Universal Playback DVD Release 2007
Screen Shot (right) = Fabulous Films DVD Release 2014

Click Them To Enlarge..

In Episode CRT & Projector Visuals Are Much More Clear

Colours Are Much More Vibrant

Such Clarity In This ADF Shot Its Stunning

Surprising thing with this shot is how clear hawkes left hand is

Birds of paradise season 3 sure has that miami vice look to it

My screen shot just didn't do this one justice

They also fixed the really bad greasy smears (approx 39) mins into moffets ghost

Nice Work...


FINAL NOTES:
Little note to these Graphic Designers hired to work on Airwolf stuff..
Read My Lips.... Them Lazar Cannons you keep assuming are on the Nose...
On The LEFT is a Mid Air Refuel Nozzle..
On The RIGHT is a Radio Arial ..
The Weapons Are Not Even Deployed On The Image... Research People...
You can tell that some work has gone into this release, which is unusual, its not fantastic (when it comes to extras or the menus, but the episode visual quality is better than the playback releases)
I guess we should just be happy for the booklets when it comes to added bonuses.....

Ide rate this Box Set pretty high, and although i am critical of certain aspects....
I can still say though that "Fabulous Films" went further on this release than most companies do
and for that i am eternally grateful.. but one wonders what other scenes are missing!!!!
Let us know if you find any others missing in the comments PLEASE...

..To this day.. AirSwe... had the coolest looking dvd menu design demo i have ever seen


UPC: 5030697026750
ASIN: B00IGRO3TI
STUDIO: Fabulous Films
RELEASE DATE: 14 April 2014
RUN TIME: 2599 minutes
AUDIO: Stereo 2.0
VISUAL SIGNAL: PAL
REGION: 2
DISC COUNT: 13

Although this box set has no subtitles it does support  Closed Captioning, so in theory if your watching it on a tv with tellytext then it should essentially show subtitles if you click on tellytext and type in  888


Review by TheWraith517


We have Emailed Fabulous Films "18th May 2014" and we await their response to our questions

Hi, i am known online as  TheWraith517  in Airwolf circles and have been an avid fan since day one in 1984.  I was delighted to see your HD release for season 1 to 3 and jumped on both the R2 DVD and the Region B Blu-Ray releases. Ive just finished writing a review that was very much in favor of the Fabulous Films Release over the Universal Playback (for sheer visual quality)  But i have found an Issue upon the DVD and the Blu-ray and would like to know how your company responds to this issue...

The Issue is as follows..
Season 1 Disk 1 Episode "Bite Of The Jackal"
Roughly 17:58  you removed an important scene (setting up the perimeter line)

To verify this issue, if you In-cert Season 1 DISK 2 of the Universal Playback release and skip into the episode to 18:43 you will see the scene you folks have lost...
where did it go.. why is it missing.. and begs the question what else have you cut?

I am unsure if their are more problems with the release as ive yet to nit pick them all  :'(

Yours.. feeling sadly disappointed.. Bob

ps
I await your response, as do many fans who read our Airwolf blogs..

They never got back to us.. 24th August 2014  :'(
17th May 2016 and still Nada...
Gawd its july 2018 and still no reply....