Why weren´t the CBS Tapes filmed in better quality?

[Nicole Presley]

Something I always wonder when I watch the CBS Tapes: Why isn´t it in better quality? How can it be that Aloha from Hawaii in 1973 is in much better quality as something filmed in 1977?

[debtdbruno]

I'm only guessing as I'm not 'tech' guru......lol

Isn't it because Aloha has been updated, but because of what it is, the CBS has been 'left alone' as there's no chance of a release

[JRtherealJR]

Something I always wonder when I watch the CBS Tapes: Why isn´t it in better quality? How can it be that Aloha from Hawaii in 1973 is in much better quality as something filmed in 1977?

It's because you have never seen the CBS tapes in their full quality.

You have probably only seen horrible third, fourth or fifth generation illegal copies with a counter at the bottom of the screen. These pirated videos / DVDs had terrible picture and sound quality, but for many years they were all we had. Then The Final Curtain box set came out and they had all the footage with greatly improved picture quality- but still not perfect.

We will probably never see the CBS Special in it's pristine quality because there are no plans to release it anytime soon- if ever.

But it's plainly obvious that the CBS Special and Aloha were both filmed in equal picture quality.

Didn't you realise that you were watching a pirated/bootlegged version of the CBS Special???

[dennyelvis]

I agree both the CBS Special and Aloha were both filmed in equal picture quality, but at Aloha Elvis just looked awesome, on the CBS , he just didnt, hence the exhaustive restoration on Aloha, i fear we wont ever get that on CBS ............

[elvia7]

There's another reason ... I guess, ....
Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. They are not very keen on popularizing the image of Elvis '77 ....

[hounddog]

I saw the show when it was screened in Australia just after he died and the quality was excellent. What most of us are watching have been copied and recopied so many times they lose quality.

[KPM]

I watched it in 77 and picture quality was great-what is circulating and seen on the internet is many generations removed from the original tapes.

[EnigmaticSun]

There's another reason ... I guess, ....
Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. They are not very keen on popularizing the image of Elvis '77 ....

Really?

No, that's true. But if they'd release better picture quality with a more sensible selection of songs, it'd turn out alright!!

It is also why some people think he misses notes. It is because the sound quality had been affected too.

[Nicole Presley]

Didn't you realise that you were watching a pirated/bootlegged version of the CBS Special???

I just watched a normal video. I don´t how it first came out in 1977. I got the video from my mother in I think 2004. So does that mean it was in good quality and I just had bad luck and got a video in bad quality? Where can I get it in the quality it had in 1977?

[Nicole Presley]

Didn't you realise that you were watching a pirated/bootlegged version of the CBS Special???

I just watched a normal video. I don´t how it first came out in 1977. I got the video from my mother in I think 2004. So does that mean it was in good quality and I just had bad luck and got a video in bad quality? Where can I get it in the quality it had in 1977?

[JRtherealJR]

Where can I get it in the quality it had in 1977?

You can't.

But as I said before, the best version we have is on The Final Curtain box set.

[Nicole Presley]

Does that mean it doesn´t exist in good quality anymore? It it doesn´t exist in good quality anymore, why did you think I watched a bootlegged version? Or all versions of the CBS Tapes bootlegs?

[KPM]

Does that mean it doesn´t exist in good quality anymore? It it doesn´t exist in good quality anymore, why did you think I watched a bootlegged version? Or all versions of the CBS Tapes bootlegs?

EPE owns the EIC special and all tapes that are associated with it-they have never released them to the public...so all versions that are in the public are bootlegs.
Some people taped the CBS special when it aired in 77 and I'm sure some of those people have made copies and they end up in someone elses hands and those people make copies-and each time its copied the quality goes down. How the other versions of it were made I do not have a clue,
but since only EPE is the rightful owner-only they can copy and sell the special legally.

[Nicole Presley]

EPE owns the EIC special and all tapes that are associated with it-they have never released them to the public...so all versions that are in the public are bootlegs.
Some people taped the CBS special when it aired in 77 and I'm sure some of those people have made copies and they end up in someone elses hands and those people make copies-and each time its copied the quality goes down. How the other versions of it were made I do not have a clue,
but since only EPE is the rightful owner-only they can copy and sell the special legally.

Now I understand! The CBS Tapes is a bootleg and they never released it. Why didn´t they release it? I really would like to see it in good quality. If the quality would be better Elvis would look better. If they didn´t release it to protect his image that was a mistake! Because the bootlegs don´t make him look good. He would look so much better in good quality.

How was it in 1977? Was the movie in the theater? And did the fans who made the bootlegs record it there? What name did the movie originally have?

[KPM]

Now I understand! The CBS Tapes is a bootleg and they never released it. Why didn´t they release it? I really would like to see it in good quality. If the quality would be better Elvis would look better. If they didn´t release it to protect his image that was a mistake! Because the bootlegs don´t make him look good. He would look so much better in good quality.

How was it in 1977? Was the movie in the theater? And did the fans who made the bootlegs record it there? What name did the movie originally have?

No in 77 the special was for CBS television-it never played in theaters. If Elvis had lived I doubt that the footage would have been used, but he died and that was the last professional footage of Elvis so CBS could not wait to broadcast it....to cash in.
That image on network TV less than 2 months after he died was sad and hard to watch (I had tears in my eyes as I watched it)
just 4 years before he had looked like a Greek God chiseled from stone on "Aloha from Hawaii" and to see how far his health and appearance had dropped in such a short time was heartbreaking......add to that the book by the Wests and Hebler, the Enquirer and Star printing every negative story about him they could..... and all that combined started the jokes about weight, about drug usage, about Peanut Butter and Banana sandwiches......disgusting.
That was 35 years ago and even today the damage done by that special airing has not totally been corrected.
I doubt that EIC will ever be released officially in our lifetimes not because they are trying to cover up his problems at the end-but because people have a tendency to judge a book by its latest cover......................and if that cover is less than perfect they judge the contents as less than perfect and maybe they don't open the book to find out whats inside.........EPE wants people to explore Elvis not be turned off by the image of him right before he died.
People who listen to the EIC album think Elvis sounds great and is strong and vital....but show them the EIC footage of him singing those songs and they get a very different opinion.

[Nicole Presley]

So the original name was "Elvis in Concert"?

EPE wants people to explore Elvis not be turned off by the image of him right before he died.

But they see the footage anyway. They see the bootlegged videos and the videos of it on youtube. If they would release it in good quality that would be much better than on the bootlegged videos.

[Nicole Presley]

So the original name was "Elvis in Concert"?

EPE wants people to explore Elvis not be turned off by the image of him right before he died.

But they see the footage anyway. They see the bootlegged videos and the videos of it on youtube. If they would release it in good quality that would be much better than on the bootlegged videos.

[KPM]

So the original name was "Elvis in Concert"?



But they see the footage anyway. They see the bootlegged videos and the videos of it on youtube. If they would release it in good quality that would be much better than on the bootlegged videos.

The better quality of a pristine image can not erase the extra 40-50 pounds, nor can it suddenly turn his movements into 1970 type action, and it can not make him supremely confident in his appearance at that stage of his life-it only will show much clearer the decline.
Yes its true its on the internet (at least for now) and many have copies of it-but not legally... and if it went into stores how would you market it?
"See Elvis at his physical worst" ? "See Elvis 6 weeks before he died"? There is no way to turn a positive light upon this tv special-and the music from the special is available for listening.....as I said listen to the cd of the special and you get one vision of Elvis the great powerful singer, see the performance and its completely different.
Its a decision they made long ago and people have constantly argued it should be released..but I would not hold my breath.

[Barbie]

Elvis gets enough guff - I wouldn't want to see more criticizm if the CBS shows were released...............maybe if they released extras and film in a different angle/light maybe I might say release it (but it would have to be a lot better than what was released!)- but the non Elvis fans I'm sure would love to see this released so they can criticize and make fun of Elvis even more than they already have!!! I have all the outtakes and shows films however, I can listen to Elvis during this period but I just can't watch it.............it's just too sad..................(I've been a fan since '56 and saw Elvis live 30 times from '69-'76)

[JRtherealJR]

Now I understand! The CBS Tapes is a bootleg and they never released it. How was it in 1977? Was the movie in the theater? And did the fans who made the bootlegs record it there? What name did the movie originally have?

I seriously think you need to read a few books on Elvis, Nicole.

The best ones to start with would be Last Train To Memphis and Careless Love.

I also highly recommend The Death of Elvis, The King & Dr. Nick, Down At The End Of Lonely Street and Elvis: The Final Years.