The Wire: The Complete Series (2002-2008)

[Jay Mammoth]

Yes yes yes I know this is going to be my favorite release of 2015.

[rickah88]

Mods, please merge here:

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=114484

[rickah88]

Mods, please merge here:

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=114484

[rickah88]

Originally Posted by RandyK

Beat you by a minute my friend.

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=253091

And this thread beat you by a couple years.

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=114484

[bootsy]

Finally happening. Damn.

[YouGotMeFeelingBlu]

I believe this accurately portrays my reaction.

[BaerGriggs]

[EddieLarkin]

It is already confirmed to be reframed to 16x9. On his blog, David Simon attempts to justify the change whilst at the same time admitting that it does not represent the original vision of The Wire, and for the most part is not as good as it was in 4:3

http://davidsimon.com/the-wire-in-hd/

[bkhage01]

Wow, didn't think this was going to happen. Picked up the DVDs used from a GoHastings sale for $19.99 not too long ago and just finished Season 1, which was AMAZING. May try to unload the DVDs on Ebay to offset the cost of the BDs...

[MifuneFan]

Can't wait. While it would be nice to have both a widescreen and 4:3 version included, I'll take The Wire on BD any way I can get it. The screens of the show in WS looked pretty good too.

[Akijama]

Love the show, even though it all went downhill after S3 and

[Show spoiler]and the murder of Stringer Bell

. Very gritty and realistic look into the inner workings of a drug dealers, the police and the city politics.

It will be great to revisit this show in HD.

[octagon]

Originally Posted by Akijama

Love the show, even though it went downhill after S3 and

[Show spoiler]and the murder of Stringer Bell

. Very gritty and realistic look into the inner workings of a drug dealers, the police and the city politics.

It will be great to revisit this show in HD.

I wouldn't say it went downhill, exactly. It might have peaked with S3 but it remained very solid and finished very, very well.

This isn't post-Trinity Dexter or anything

[chronoclast]

Originally Posted by EddieLarkin

It is already confirmed to be reframed to 16x9. On his blog, David Simon attempts to justify the change whilst at the same time admitting that it does not represent the original vision of The Wire, and for the most part is not as good as it was in 4:3

http://davidsimon.com/the-wire-in-hd/

Despite David being okay with it, I feel cropping it to 16:9 was a very bad and unnecessary decision. Destroying the original vision so people won't whine about pillarbox bars or to modernize it or whatever is totally stupid.

IIRC all the VFX is being redone too. That's so they can make it all progressive and HD so the BDs will be 1080p/24. HBO should have scanned and remastered the film parts, upscaled the VFX of which most or all is 29.97, kept it interlaced, and in 4:3. That would be true to the original vision. HBO's need to completely reversion it to "reach a wider audience" is disgusting.

[MikeZ.]

Originally Posted by EddieLarkin

It is already confirmed to be reframed to 16x9. On his blog, David Simon attempts to justify the change whilst at the same time admitting that it does not represent the original vision of The Wire, and for the most part is not as good as it was in 4:3

http://davidsimon.com/the-wire-in-hd/

Thanks for sharing that, I've kept a copy of that for reference.
I won't be jumping on the bandwagon, but will instead continue to enjoy my DVD set, in the intended OAR.

[EddieLarkin]

I'm just praying HBO will have the sense to use the pre-reframed HD scans for the Blu-ray release.

[Akijama]

Originally Posted by octagon

I wouldn't say it went downhill, exactly. It might have peaked with S3 but it remained very solid and finished very, very well.

This isn't post-Trinity Dexter or anything

I wouldn't know. I haven't watched Dexter. You're (partially) right. As I recall it, the season 4 was also very good, but I didn't like the final season. Just my 2 cents.

Who knows....perhaps my opinion will change after I re-watch the whole series.

[Jay Mammoth]

Originally Posted by Akijama

Love the show, even though it all went downhill after S3 and

[Show spoiler]and the murder of Stringer Bell

. Very gritty and realistic look into the inner workings of a drug dealers, the police and the city politics.

It will be great to revisit this show in HD.

No way season 4 was amazing.

[Akijama]

Originally Posted by Jay Mammoth

No way season 4 was amazing.

It's been a while since I watched it. Leave me alone.

[MikeZ.]

Originally Posted by chronoclast

HBO's need to completely reversion it to "reach a wider audience" is disgusting.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

[cakefactory]

Wow, I've never seen anyone say it peaked with S3 before. S4 seems to be the near-unanimous favorite season every other board I've ever been on. S3 is usually labelled the least ambitious, since it seemed like sort of a backpedal after S2 confused foolish people with the major change of scenery. I like all the seasons a lot, S5 is the least awesome but still has a ton of great stuff in it. S4 is definitely my vote for favorite too, though. Snoop and Chris and Marlo are some of the scariest villains of all time (those scenes in the abandoned houses are truly nightmarish, and Marlo has some of the deadest eyes ever put on film) and the kids are heartbreaking and everything else is firing on full cylinders too. I guess Stringer Bell fanboys don't like it, or something, but I find the new order just as great as the old and much scarier, and I found the focus on education to be one of the most interesting things they ever did.

Avoiding buying the DVDs for years has finally paid off! I'll buy this on release date, probably, since HBO likes to have things the cheapest on release day. :P I love this series and have watched it multiple times but was holding out for HD to buy my own copy.