The WORLD at WAR (1973) Documentary Series coming to Blu on 11/16/10 - Blu-ray Forum

Lincoln6Echo · 07-30-2010, 08:07 PM

The famed BBC The World at War 1973/4 mini-series is coming to Blu on 11/16/10. It has been meticulously remastered for HD, in both video and sound. http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Wor...nnounced/14172

I never got this series on DVD so this might be a good pick up now. Amazon has this for pre-order for $105 for a 9-disc set.

SquidPuppet · 07-30-2010, 09:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lincoln6Echo

The famed BBC The World at War 1973/4 mini-series is coming to Blu on 11/16/10. It has been meticulously remastered for HD, in both video and sound. http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Wor...nnounced/14172

I never got this series on DVD so this might be a good pick up now. Amazon has this for pre-order for $105 for a 9-disc set.

Wow. The DVD set is 26 hours.

Lincoln6Echo · 07-31-2010, 03:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Wow. The DVD set is 26 hours.

And so will the BD.

BouCoupDinkyDau · 07-31-2010, 03:15 AM

Cool.

Harlock415 · 07-31-2010, 03:42 AM

Oh, frakl me! I got the DVD set during a golden box for less than $79.

EDIT:

I mean less than $39.

ChadFL · 07-31-2010, 03:45 AM

Is it true they screwed with the original aspect ratio?

koontz1973 · 07-31-2010, 05:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChadFL

Is it true they screwed with the original aspect ratio?

It has been said that some parts will be 16:9 instead of the original 4:3. Why and how I do not know, so will wait to see some images.

alexdg1 · 01-22-2015, 09:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChadFL

Is it true they screwed with the original aspect ratio?

Yes. They did.

Nevertheless, it is only a minor quibble. The presentation and content are still good.

Lee M · 08-04-2010, 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lincoln6Echo

The famed BBC The World at War 1973/4 mini-series is coming to Blu on 11/16/10...

For the record, The World at War is not a BBC production. It was made by Thames Television.

It's completely idiotic that this series should be presented in 16:9, given the fact that 90% of it consists of WWII archive footage that was shot before widescreen was invented. The series was originally made on 16mm, which means any grain or artifacts are only going to be exaggerated by expanding to full width. I suppose it's possible that some of the archive material may be replaced by the original 35mm footage, but I suspect the passage of time may have rendered some of the original nitrate film unusable.

Blu-Ray buyers need to send a clear message to video companies that this kind of tampering with aspect ratios is unacceptable. This is the reason I didn't buy Thunderbirds on Blu-Ray, and I'm sure as hell not going to buy The World at War either. It pains me to do so because these are titles I'd love to have in my collection, but it would be like buying a leather-bound edition of my favourite books with some of the chapters torn out.

P@t_Mtl · 08-04-2010, 11:32 AM

The biggest problem is that in general people will jump on this. The amoutn of those like us who are truly for the OAR of things is by far outweight by thos wanting their precious TV screen filledout properly. I know very well cause one of my friend is exactly like that and something like this would not matter to him. So this will properly see very well even with the horrible aspect ratio and cropping

toyfigure · 08-05-2010, 12:20 AM

Aside from the aspect ratio problem, is the video quality going to be improved? How?

broganreynik · 08-07-2010, 04:30 PM

The thing is, Joe 6 pack isn't going to shell out a hundred bucks for a documentary, so why cater to him if it's the purists who are most likely to buy it.

Douglas R · 08-07-2010, 09:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by broganreynik

The thing is, Joe 6 pack isn't going to shell out a hundred bucks for a documentary, so why cater to him if it's the purists who are most likely to buy it.

The distributors have said that it's in 16:9 because that is what TV companies want. I'll bet they make far more money selling this series worldwide to TV companies than selling an expensive box set to the public.

hok007 · 08-17-2010, 10:39 PM

Was this series recorded on film stock or on tape? If tape, then I am not so sure that HD will represent an improvement over SD (though I suppose they could play with the color). If it was recorded on film, then HD *could* represent an improvement, so long as the original aspect ratio of the source material is preserved. This is definitely one of those "wait and see" moments.

vertigo12314 · 08-23-2010, 03:12 PM

A look at the restoration:

http://hcc.techradar.com/playback/co...u-ray-12-08-10

Apparently DTS audio?

16:9

Quote:

To crop or not
Some controversy surrounds the release though following the news that it had been decided to crop the original 4:3 visuals to 16:9. As Fremantle's Anthony Thomas revealed, this was the result of not only numerous comparative tests, but also commercial pressures such as the fact that when it comes to worldwide broadcast rights, 'there simply aren't any HD TV channels that are willing to consider 4:3 material. However, it's worth pointing out that all of the grading and restoration was done to the original 4:3 material, before it was cropped to 16:9. So, if for some reason we ever need it, we do have the restored version in its original aspect ratio'.

While purists will undoubtedly moan, the new framing has the approval of series' producer Jeremy Isaacs and supervising editor Alan Afriat. And as Glaridis is keen to point out, 'it's not an automated process - we're adjusting the image manually, moving it up and down, left and right to ensure that the focus remains on the most important part of the image. You are going from 4:3 to 16:9 so, unavoidably, you do lose a little of the original image. But back when all of this material was shot, even then it was pretty much on the fine line, there weren't many rules going on with framing anyway. So while some people might look at the 16:9 version and think that it's cropping a little head and that, if you go back to the original, it's often shot like that anyway, or it's blurred, and it's like "No, no, this is how it is anyway". Hopefully it won't be judged that much because if you did go back and compare it's really not far off from the original'.

Deviation · 09-27-2010, 06:58 PM

Sigh. The cropping is probably just enough to keep me from buying this set.

Maybe I'll just pick it up on DVD. I'm certainly seeing nothing high def about that stock footage and I don't quite care if the interview footage is in HD or not.

Mobe1969 · 11-02-2010, 09:30 PM

Quote:

we're adjusting the image manually, moving it up and down, left and right

WTF, "left and right"? What excuse can there be for that?

I'm eager to see the review nevertheless.

Skorpius · 09-30-2010, 06:43 PM

Totally asinine to not release the correct version for home video if they actually prepared it. Let the TV have the widescreen version for airing.

TylerDurden · 09-30-2010, 08:28 PM

I have never seen this series before and would like to get my hands on a set. What do you guys suggest I do?

Deviation · 09-30-2010, 09:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skorpius

Totally asinine to not release the correct version for home video if they actually prepared it. Let the TV have the widescreen version for airing.

++

07-30-2010, 08:07 PM	#1
Lincoln6Echo Special Member Top contributor Member since:Sep 2009 Home Theater Gallery:4 4K collection:312 Blu-ray collection:1517 DVD collection:8 Blu-ray reviews: 25	The WORLD at WAR (1973) Documentary Series coming to Blu on 11/16/10 The famed BBC The World at War 1973/4 mini-series is coming to Blu on 11/16/10. It has been meticulously remastered for HD, in both video and sound. http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Wor...nnounced/14172 I never got this series on DVD so this might be a good pick up now. Amazon has this for pre-order for $105 for a 9-disc set.

07-31-2010, 03:42 AM	#5
Harlock415 Blu-ray Guru Top contributor Member since:Jun 2009 Location:San Francisco 4K collection:811 Blu-ray collection:4689 DVD collection:533	Oh, frakl me! I got the DVD set during a golden box for less than $79. EDIT: I mean less than $39. Last edited by Harlock415; 07-31-2010 at 10:21 AM.

07-31-2010, 03:15 AM	#4
BouCoupDinkyDau Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Jun 2010 Location:Zeta II Reticuli 4K collection:37 Blu-ray collection:313 DVD collection:3 Blu-ray reviews: 11 Trading Score:7	Cool.

07-31-2010, 03:45 AM	#6
ChadFL Blu-ray Archduke Member since:Dec 2009 Location:Daytona Beach, FL Blu-ray collection:556 DVD collection:5	Is it true they screwed with the original aspect ratio?

08-04-2010, 11:32 AM	#10
P@t_Mtl Blu-ray Duke Member since:Sep 2008 Location:Montreal Home Theater Gallery:4 Blu-ray collection:452 DVD collection:513 Trading Score:3	The biggest problem is that in general people will jump on this. The amoutn of those like us who are truly for the OAR of things is by far outweight by thos wanting their precious TV screen filledout properly. I know very well cause one of my friend is exactly like that and something like this would not matter to him. So this will properly see very well even with the horrible aspect ratio and cropping

08-05-2010, 12:20 AM	#11
toyfigure Member Member since:Apr 2009 Blu-ray collection:190	Aside from the aspect ratio problem, is the video quality going to be improved? How?

08-07-2010, 04:30 PM	#12
broganreynik Blu-ray Guru Top contributor Member since:Sep 2007 Location:Nebraska Home Theater Gallery:60 4K collection:124 Blu-ray collection:2113 DVD collection:111 Blu-ray reviews: 4 Trading Score:46	The thing is, Joe 6 pack isn't going to shell out a hundred bucks for a documentary, so why cater to him if it's the purists who are most likely to buy it.

08-17-2010, 10:39 PM	#14
hok007 Active Member Top contributor Member since:Oct 2008 Location:Fairfax, VA 4K collection:28 Blu-ray collection:688 DVD collection:222	Was this series recorded on film stock or on tape? If tape, then I am not so sure that HD will represent an improvement over SD (though I suppose they could play with the color). If it was recorded on film, then HD could represent an improvement, so long as the original aspect ratio of the source material is preserved. This is definitely one of those "wait and see" moments.

09-27-2010, 06:58 PM	#16
Deviation Senior Member Member since:Nov 2009	Sigh. The cropping is probably just enough to keep me from buying this set. Maybe I'll just pick it up on DVD. I'm certainly seeing nothing high def about that stock footage and I don't quite care if the interview footage is in HD or not.

09-30-2010, 06:43 PM	#18
Skorpius Active Member Top contributor Member since:Mar 2010 4K collection:94 Blu-ray collection:2209 DVD collection:811 iTunes collection:8	Totally asinine to not release the correct version for home video if they actually prepared it. Let the TV have the widescreen version for airing.

09-30-2010, 08:28 PM	#19
TylerDurden Blu-ray Ninja Member since:Oct 2009 Location:Seven seas Blu-ray collection:1007 Trading Score:32	I have never seen this series before and would like to get my hands on a set. What do you guys suggest I do?

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