THE SEEDS OF DEATH | VHS & DVD Comparison | Doctor Who | Second Doctor | Featured In DWM 595

The Ice Warriors intend to wipe out humanity and take control of Earth, but the Doctor throws cold water over their invasion plans. Literally.
This video was featured by the official Doctor Who Magazine in issue 595.
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Intro
00:51 Episode 1
03:04 Episode 2
03:47 Episode 3
04:36 Episode 4
05:28 Episode 5
06:18 Episode 6
TIMELINE
July 1985 - BBC Video release The Seeds Of Death on pre-cert VHS and Betamax formats (RRP £24.99). It marks a number of firsts: the first black-and-white Doctor Who release, the first six-parter to be issued and the home video debut of Patrick Troughton as the Second Doctor. Troughton would also appear on the following release, The Five Doctors, issued in September 1985. The episodes are sourced from 16mm film prints and presented as a 136 minute movie-style compilation with brand new closing credits and no restoration.
July 1987 - BBC Video re-release the story on VHS as a budget title with a U certificate (RRP £9.99). The closing credits are amended and the BBC Video logos presented slightly differently, but in all other respects the presentation is identical to the 1985 release.
February 2003 - The Seeds Of Death arrives on DVD for Doctor Who's 40th anniversary, finally issued complete and uncut in its original episodic format. Fresh transfers are made from the original negatives held by the BBC and improved further by the Doctor Who Restoration Team. The newly developed VidFIRE process is applied, restoring the original video look to originally videotaped studio scenes. Two genuine film sequences from the closing moments of Episode Five are erroneously included in the VidFIRE processing.
March 2011 - The second Revisitations box set provides the Restoration Team with a second bite at the cherry. The raw negative transfers of 2003 were re-used but further improvements in noise reduction, image stabilization and VidFIRE processing are achieved. The 2011 DVD also benefits from more efficient compression and encoding. The two film sequences in Episode Five are now presented without VidFIRE processing.
SOURCES
1. 1985 VHS, edited compilation, no restoration (BBCV2019) - out of print
2. 1987 VHS, edited compilation, no restoration (BBCV4072) - out of print
3. 2003 DVD, episodic & unedited, restored (BBCDVD1151) - currently available
4. 2011 DVD, episodic & unedited, further restored (BBCDVD2956A) - currently available
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Researched and compiled by Pip Madeley.
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DISCLAIMER: The footage in this video is the copyright of the BBC and I do not claim ownership. Limited clips have been used in accordance with fair dealing as allowed by UK law for the purposes of review, research and education. The Seeds Of Death is available to buy on DVD. Twice.