Customer Reviews

Little House on the Prairie: Season 1

5 star:		(44)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

First, like many here, this is one of my top favorite shows. I feel like I've grown up with the Ingalls family and really care about them as characters in these stories. Many of these episodes give me a special feeling that can often bring tears to my eyes (Just hearing the music can do that). You'll have to buy the pilot episode separately but it's worth the money. The first 2 episodes (Harvest of Friends and Country Girls) are a magnificent start! The Ingalls settle in and we get to meet some of the most enduring characters to ever appear on TV. I was about to list my other favorites of the first season but the list is too long. :) Highlights are The Racoon, a 2-parter called The Lord Is My Shepard, Christmas At Plum Creek, Plague, Child In Pain, Money Crop, Survival and Founder's Day. I'm glad to have these in DVD form so that they will last forever.

Now with that out of the way, I cannot in good conscience give this set a *****/***** like I'd like to. At first glance all looks great with this set...beautiful packaging (I wish they had included a set of cards with the pictures on the packaging). But after watching each episode I've discovered the problems mentioned from other buyers. The image and sound quality varies from episode to episode. Even ones with a sharp picture can have problems with jagged edges. Every time the outside of the schoolhouse/church is shown I cringe a little bit. It looks like it needs its horizonal hold adjusted. But this isn't fatal. Many look fine reguardless. And most others are acceptable while a few just look bad at first...but close up shots of the characters are always sharp. Many have what looks like a sheet of grain across them (I saw a similar effect in some of my Monty Python episodes so I figure its just the age of the program). I would've paid more money for a proper cleanup job on some of these episodes and anamorphic transfers for all. Little House is one of the best offerings in American television, ever. It deserves the best it can be. I think many problems are probably less noticable on a regular TV (I use a 19" monitor so problems show very well).

One big grevance is the fact that the packaging says these are uncut. This is not true. Uncut means that we get each episode with the teaser at the beginning, the original opening credits, the episode and then previews for the next, then closing credits for that episode. Again, this program deserves to be presented in it's original complete form (which is what we all thought we were buying). The opening credits do not play at the beginning of each episode (at least on every player I've tried). By "uncut" I guess they mean that none of the program has been edited out to make room for commercials...so for that this company has done what they advertised. I did notice some odd time-compression signs. Not as bad as trying to watch The Waltons on TVLand. I wonder if it's just an error they made when processing these digitally. Anyway, it didn't distract from my enjoyment.

I had no difficulty with the quiz. I tried it twice and it worked perfectly. Well designed questions.

The cast bios were very incomplete. What's there isn't bad.

If these are ever re-released in a better form I will ebay these and buy the newer versions. I'm crossing my fingers. But, still, kudos to this company for putting this series on DVD. Not bad, just should be better. I have seasons 2 & 3 to watch next and I can't wait! I gave this set ***/***** instead of **/***** because the price is right!

I was very pleased when I heard "Little House On The Prairie" would be released on DVD by seasons. Season 1 quality is ok. Most episodes are pretty good but there are some episodes that are dark. Obviously, the transfer to DVD on these episodes weren't that good. One huge disappointment is that there is no chapter search. To the makers of this DVD set "WHAT WERE YOU THINKING". Again, "WHAT WERE YOU THINKING". How hard is it to add chapters? You have to fast forward to get to the scene you want. I have a DVD player which fast forwards in increments of 10 seconds. So you can imagine how long it would take me to get to 25 minutes into the show. The pamphlet included inside list the episodes and a discription of each episode. This is a plus. But, you have characters listed that don't appear in this season, Almanzo Wilder, Albert Ingalls, Adam Kendall? This was obviously a short cut taken and it is being used for the second season also. Does anyone know how to pay attention to details? The price, well, I wouldn't have paid much more for the set. Overall I'd give it a 3 star. Plenty of room for improvements. LIKE CHAPTER SEARCH!!!

I really love watching the show on TV and I am so happy that they have them on DVD! Just for the people who wanted to know the names of the first episodes here they are (I'm just a little fanatic!)

1. Harvest of Friends
2. Country Girls
3. The 100 mile walk
4. Mr. Edwards Homecomming
5. The love of Johnny Johnson
6. If i should wake before i die
7. Town Party - Country Party
8. The Lord is my Shepard (2 part episode)
9. Ma's Holiday
10. School Mom
11. The voice of Tinker Jones
12. The Raccoon
13. The Award
14. Christmas at Plum Creek
15. Doctors Lady
16. Family Quarrel
17. Circus Man
18. Plague
19. Child of Pai
20. Money Crop
21. Survival
22. To see the world
23. Founders Day

I can't wait for the next DVD's (3-9)

In a nutshell, the video and sound do leave much to be desired. Sometimes episodes contain inexcusably bad scene transitions and sound. The only things that save the DVD series are: 1. The show itself is so good. 2. If you don't get these DVDs, you don't get the series.

So, buy the DVD expecting to enjoy the show but be prepared to groan at some horrible quality at times. During those times just remember it is this or nothing.

I don't know what all the complaints are about! I was a little unsure about buying these DVD's when I read some of the complaints but now I'm glad I didn't listen! The quality is excellent, the color is beautiful and the audio is great as well. I was glad that I read the reviews first because I knew not to buy the single episodes because they would be included in the boxed set. Only the pilot episode is not included in any season boxed set. I have already purchased the pilot movie and the 1st and 2nd seasons. This is my all time favorite show and I plan on buying all the sets. Don't listen to any of the negativity! Believe me, it's perfect!

I'm serious - I could have done a better job transferring VHS tapes to DVD on my home computer than this! These are hands down the WORST video and audio mastering jobs I've ever seen.

The bitrate on these DVD's is horrible, the sound quality is horrible; the video is seriously on par with an average VHS tape. I don't know WHAT they did to the audio - but Charles sounds like Mickey Mouse half the time it's mixed so badly.

The only way some of these reviewers could be remotely happy about these is if they are so emotionally attached to the show that they are blinded to the reality of how shoddily and quickly these were thrown together.

The only thing that saves this is that the shows are so great. What a shame they were "re-mastered" by people who obviously don't give one ounce of care into what they're doing other than churning these out as quickly as possible.

Love it, and am happy to pass on these wonderful shows to my kids. Ahh the joys of not having cable TV...you get to choose what your children see! And LHOTP is happy for all!

I was nine years old when Little House on the Prairie premeired on television and it was one of my favorite television shows and I grew up watching it as the seasons went on and well I just have great memories of watching this show. I love that that the first season is on DVD and the episodes are all very good and not a dud episode can be found which is rare to not have at least one episode that is a major dud. Melissa Gilbert is absolutely wonderful as Laura Ingalls and Melissa Sue Anderson is also very good as her sister Mary and so are Michael Landon as their Pa, Charles Ingalls and Karen Grassle as their Ma, Caroline Ingalls and the rest of the cast members are good too, including Victor French as their friend the eccentric but loveable Mr. Edwards and Alison Arngrim as Laura's nemesis, Nellie Oleson. I Love Little House on the Prairie and I personally would love to own the entire series on DVD! Also if you love this series check out The Waltons which was another wonderful family show in the 70s and both shows can be viewed by the entire family.

I think that the Little House episodes are wonderful! They're so much fun to watch and a million times better than all of that garbage on tv now. Everyone enjoys these! We watch the episodes all of the time and have yet to be tired of these. LHOTP has to be my favorite series of all times... and that goes for the other people in my family and my friends who have seven children. The 2 year old loves them, the 15 year old loves them, and so does EVERYONE in between.
For those of you complaining about no extras, they've put them in, and there now is chapter selection. So buy the set! Because once you're done with the first season... you'll want to keep going!
This DVD may not be the best, but i found NO problem with it... the SHOW is what's keeping me watching it. I love it!

I can only assume people giving this DVD set a high rating are doing so for the emotional value they put on the Little House Show. The DVD set for Season One and Two are Horrible.

1) - Unlike what another has said the color is washed out terrible in some episodes.
2) - Video quality is average to poor.
3) - The sound track is OK to poor.
4) - Show openers are gone for a single common show opening clip.
5) - There are NO chapters. If you click next on your remote you end the episode. This is unheard of in DVD.
6) - There are NO extras... this is unheard of on DVD.

If you own a bunch of VHS tapes with kiddy finger prints all over your 27 inch TV screen then you may be fine with this. But if you own a nice television and are familiar with DVD quality and standards then this set and Season two both lack.

Things improve slightly in Season three where chapter points are added to the episodes & video and audio quality improves slightly.

People really should tell the objective truth when rating a product. All too often folks get on here and just VOTE for their favorite show with no regard to the fact others are reading these ratings to see HOW the product stands up. Just because you loved the Ingles growing up doesn't mean the studio should get a pass on delivering a weak product. How will that force them to do better next time?

If you truly LOVED Little House as we did then you should be OUTRAGED when it is presented so poorly.