Sign up for the FREE Tell Membership and receive benefits that include the digital edition of Tell magazine sent straight to your inbox, product giveaways, coupons and much more!
Sign up for the FREE Tell Membership and receive benefits that include the digital edition of Tell magazine sent straight to your inbox, product giveaways, coupons and much more!
If it’s on television, there’s a good chance it’s on DVD – and if it’s not, it’s coming soon. With so many shows and specials available on disc, it’s sometimes difficult to find the good stuff. Here are a few recent highlights in the world of TV-on-DVD (and Blu-ray):
The IT Crowd: Season 1
MPI | DVD
If you’ve ever worked in IT (as in Information Technology) or you have a soft spot for geek speak, definitely give this British comedy a look. The canned laughter can get tiresome but there’s plenty of solid laughs along the way to make it worthwhile. MPI presents the six episodes of Season One in anamorphic widescreen on a single DVD and extras include deleted scenes and a funny short film entitled "Hello Friend."
Mars: The Quest for Life
Genius / Discovery Channel | Blu-ray Disc
Space exploration enthusiasts will definitely want to check out this Blu-ray offering from The Discovery Channel. It chronicles the 2008 mission of the Phoenix Lander, a NASA exploration drone which sought out to find evidence of life on the red planet. Video is a collection from various sources, some good, some not so much – but the fresh, high def footage looks great.
Pride and Prejudice
A&E | Blu-ray Disc
Jane Austen’s classic story has been adapted more times than one cares to count, but this 5 hour BBC mini-series is the most ambitious and faithful version to date. The cast is led by Colin Firth (Love Actually) and in addition to the 1080p video, you also get a handful of bonus featurettes.
The Riches: Season 2
Fox | DVD
Here’s a show that’s just plain fun. Led by the dynamic pair of Eddie Izzard and Minnie Driver, "The Riches" is the delightfully different story of a family of con artists posing as a clan of well-to-do suburbanites. Fox presents the seven Season Two epidoes in anamorphic widescreen with Dolby 5.1 sound for each. Extras are limited to a single featurette on the incomparable Mr. Izzard.
The Universe: Season 1
A&E | Blu-ray Disc
I was a little late in discovering this History Channel series, but better late than never, right? If you love astronomy and you’re captivated by thoughts of what else is "out there," you’ll definitely want to give this series a look. A&E presents all 13 Season One episodes in 1080p high definition and like The Discovery Channel’s Mars offering, the results are somewhat mixed – particularly when older footage is shown. However, the bulk of the show does looks great and you won’t have to wait long for the next installment; Season Two comes to Blu-ray on July 7.
The Venture Bros.: Season 3
Warner | Blu-ray Disc
Why, oh why couldn’t we have gotten Season One on Blu-ray first? The Venture Bros., part of Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim block, is a show I’ve heard nothing but great things about yet I’ve somehow never gotten around to watching. And then Warner had to go and release this ridiculously cool Blu-ray package for Season Three. Curiousity got the better of me and I gave it a sampling. As expected, I love it – it’s sharp, it’s clever and it’s often laugh-out-loud funny. And the high def video is surprisingly great. I may have to pick up seasons one and two on DVD just so I can finish watching this Season Three collection.
The World’s Biggest and Baddest Bugs
Genius / Animal Planet | Blu-ray Disc
If you enjoy squirming in your seat, or like me you have a pair of youngsters at home who simply go nuts over things that creep and crawl – this is required viewing. This Animal Planet production sends entomologist Ruud Kleinpaste on a mission to find the world’s biggest, nastiest inspirations for the word, "EWW!" Featuring giant cockroaches and hairy spiders to name but a few, be sure to watch this one AFTER you eat. The 1080p video here is bright and crisp and the Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack is perfectly adequate.
EVALUATION SYSTEM:
Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 1080 projector
Carada Masquerade screen system (92")
Panasonic DMP-BD35 Blu-ray Disc player
Oppo DV-983H DVD player
Onkyo TX-SR805 A/V receiver
Definitive Technology ProCinema 1000 speakers
Datacolor SpyderTV PRO 2007 video calibration
Monster Power HTS5100 power center
BetterCables interconnects
UltraLink speaker wire
Related Posts