kal
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Joined: 06 Mar 2006
Posts: 18114
Location: Ottawa, Canada
TV/Projector: JVC DLA-NZ7
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| Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2012 10:07 pm Post subject: Boardwalk Empire: The Complete First Season [Blu-ray] |
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Another reference disc!
Boardwalk Empire: The Complete First Season [Blu-ray] (2010)
(Hover over link for price, click to purchase and support our forum at no extra cost to you)
| Quote: | 'Boardwalk Empire' is another HBO hit, but with the astronomical production costs associated with it, how much longer can it keep running? Hopefully, until Winter and his team have exhausted the story they set out to tell. I'm excited for what 'Boardwalk Empire' has up its sleeve. The sordid affairs of some of the world's most notorious scofflaws make for interesting and engaging television. With the perfect audio and video, along with some clever PiP Blu-ray exclusives, this set comes highly recommended.
The Video: Sizing Up the Picture
As has become the custom with HBO TV Blu-rays, 'Boardwalk Empire' features some drop-dead gorgeous visuals that will have you gawking at the TV screen during almost every scene.
As soon as the show opens on that distinct and pristinely created 20s Atlantic City Boardwalk, we can see that no expense has been spared to make this show look as realistic as possible. Fine detail is visible throughout the season. It doesn't matter at what range the camera is place, the detail here is unmistakably noticeable. Close-ups reveal pores and scars, like the light ones on Capone's face. Blood spatter is almost too realistic. When Jimmy takes out one of the Chicago bosses at close range and his brains splatter on the wall behind him it's easy to see chunks of brain and skull dripping down the wall.
Color is a rich feast. From the opulent gold and silver of Nucky's office to the dark shadowy surroundings of speakeasies and illegal distilleries colors run the gamut and they're all presented cleanly. Reds are especially prominent, offering that colorful pop that we've become accustomed to with HD. Textures like Nucky's perfectly manicured pinstriped suits or the rough tweed of henchmen overcoats, it's easy to see every bump and weave.
I know you expected it, but I'm here to simply report what you'd already been hoping for. 'Boardwalk Empire' comes to Blu-ray with a flawless presentation. Each episode being presented in its original 1.78:1 aspect ratio. The show has always had a distinct cinematic feel and nothing has changed with the Blu-ray. It looks as good as it ever has.
The Audio: Rating the Sound
As flawless as the video presentation is, there's a possibility that the audio does an even better job. Too bad there isn't a choice above five stars here at the site. The 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio blows the original broadcasts out of the proverbial water. This is how 'Boardwalk Empire' was meant to be heard.
Surrounds are teaming with ambience. Nucky's grand parties are full of rabble-rousing crowds all hankering for another drink. The boardwalk, no matter how sparsely populated always has ambient sound making it a full viewing experience. It can be gulls cawing in the distance, the far off sound of waves, or a couple chatting as the walk past. No sounds are lost or mismanaged. Everything is brought in as a whole. Providing an overwhelmingly realistic audio environment in which to envelope the viewer.
Dialogue is always clear and intelligible. Even the soft spoken words of Margaret Schroder are easily audible. Directionality is key because so many of these scenes feature more than a few characters, all talking at once from different areas of a large room. The mix keeps track of all of them placing you in the center being able to hear every word spoken. LFE is alive and well whenever an old 20s car roars to life, or someone opens up on a crowd of unsuspecting mugs with a tommy gun.
Finally the 20s-inspired soundtrack bleeds throughout the soundfield offering a perfect representation of the swinging music from that period. |
Kal
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