How are DVDs, Blu-ray and Digital Distributions made?
 

I thought this was interesting and I couldn't find an article. I was looking to get the new Twilight Zone Blu Ray box set and it is actually in HD because it was filmed in 35mm, while other programs made for TV may make it to Blu Ray for best quality but will always be SD because of the filming method (Farscape, for example, was filmed on 35 I think as well but the masters were magically lost so the transfers were PAL copies for best resolution).

Do studios plan in advance for a release. When it comes, what is the transfer method?

The rights are acquired well in advanced on any technical work. The business folks often simply assume something is available. After all the rights are secured, and it comes time to deliver source to the releasing company ... uh-oh! Where is it?!

Remember, I worked for studios before my medical issues started.

I still remember a property where the only surviving copy was a VHS tape. The film was gone, 1" broadcast masters were gone, and all we had was a VHS tape from the late 1970s. But no ... it gets worse! The owner refused to let us have that tape -- which is somewhat understandable, given how everything else was MIA. But he also refused to do as we asked, and submit a 4:4:4 uncompressed SDI transfer. He wouldn't even do a 4:2:2 losslessly compressed file! What we got a 4:1:1 DV transfer of a VHS tape. The color was absolute $hit, with heavy green shifts that were simply uncorrectable.

And it was a boring. :smack:

It sounds like you can never really bank on a full season/series dvd release when it comes to TV