The Shield: The Complete Series (2002-2008)

[Bates_Motel]

Originally Posted by Doctor Jack

If a show is filmed with widescreen in mind like this than its fine to be released in 16:9. If it wasn't, like Buffy, than OAR all the way.

Doesn't matter if they had "widescreen" in mind, Seasons 1-5 were FRAMED for 4x3 because that's how they tried. So any alteration of that will affect the compositions, just like on The Wire. So, like The Wire, you'll have dead space on the sides and most likely a lot of information cropped off the bottom.

I find it funny that people constantly complain about films not in OAR, but are fine chopping up the image on a TV show. Rather sad.

At least studios aren't cropping all the pre-1953 films like they do TV.

[balthazar_bee]

But, Bates, as someone who did have a problem with The Wire's changes, and who's generally pretty humourless about maintaining OAR integrity, not once did I notice a problem watching The Shield on DVD.

Now again, I didn't know at the time that it had been re-framed; but I did think to myself, "Hey, this looks pretty great."

Have you watched the first five seasons at 16:9? I'd be interested to hear from someone who's seen it both ways.

Better yet, does anyone out there have some comparison shots?

[BMM]

My DVD boxset of The Shield has all 7 seasons in Widescreen and I never noticed a single problem while watching all the episodes. I think if the 4K remastering process is good enough for the creator of the show it should be just fine for the rest of us.

[Dean learner]

Outstanding news, like everywhere outside of North America, in the UK was got it in widescreen so it will be great to see it on blu-ray.

It would be great for the soundtrack to receive a 5.1 remix too. Pretty sure the DVDs were in stereo or surround only.

[Bates_Motel]

Originally Posted by balthazar_bee

But, Bates, as someone who did have a problem with The Wire's changes, and who's generally pretty humourless about maintaining OAR integrity, not once did I notice a problem watching The Shield on DVD.

Now again, I didn't know at the time that it had been re-framed; but I did think to myself, "Hey, this looks pretty great."

Have you watched the first five seasons at 16:9? I'd be interested to hear from someone who's seen it both ways.

Better yet, does anyone out there have some comparison shots?

My DVDs (of seasons 1-5) are 4:3 OAR. I wanted the re-framed Sopranis and the re-framed The Wire and it was glaringly obvious to me how everything is centered. The information on the sides is worthless anyway, and to my eyes the image was weaker and it was actually LESS visual, because the compositions weren't tight anymore.

The OAR of season 1-5 is 4:3, regardless of how some people "had to problem" with them in 16x9 on DVD. It's still revisionist, because they weren't framed o broadcast that way. We don't do the same for feature films, so there's no need to do it for TV shows, which can be just as visual.

[JohnCarpenterLives]

Originally Posted by cakefactory

The only characters I really don't care for are Julian

I agree. They didn't seem to know what to do with him.

[Show spoiler]The closet gay, the step-dad with family, and they even dropped the trying-to-conceive subplot after a couple episodes! Then they also tried out that onflicted moral warrior... just didn't work. He never had a consistent character arc, and acted erratic.

Pretty wild what ended up happening with him.

[JohnCarpenterLives]

Originally Posted by BMM

My DVD boxset of The Shield has all 7 seasons in Widescreen and I never noticed a single problem while watching all the episodes. I think if the 4K remastering process is good enough for the creator of the show it should be just fine for the rest of us.

Seriously. I only bought the DVD colelction when it was on sale for $25 SPECIFICALLY because there quotes from Ryan saying "blu-ray will never happen."

I'll get the blu eventually, and for now I'll sell my DVD set. Maybe to my friend for $15.

[insomniac013]

Cool. I'm watching it on Netflix. Looks pretty rough...

[crow2k5]

Can't wait, one of my top 5 all time shows

[Fat Phil]

This is especially great news for those of us in the UK because we ended up with a seriously butchered version of the Season 5 finale on DVD. Missing loads of footage (close to half an hour). The really stupid thing is that you could see some of it used in the "Previously on The Shield" intros on later episodes....

[lolwut]

I've been meaning to watch this for years. Glad it's finally coming out.

[JohnCarpenterLives]

Originally Posted by balthazar_bee

But, Bates, as someone who did have a problem with The Wire's changes, and who's generally pretty humourless about maintaining OAR integrity, not once did I notice a problem watching The Shield on DVD.

Now again, I didn't know at the time that it had been re-framed; but I did think to myself, "Hey, this looks pretty great."

Have you watched the first five seasons at 16:9? I'd be interested to hear from someone who's seen it both ways.

Better yet, does anyone out there have some comparison shots?

I was always under the impression that from season 2 onward it was filmed for 16x9, but broadcast in 4:3 since HDTVs, and HD channel subscriptions were not yet the norm like it has been the past few years.

[St.ylo]

Hmm... the show was shot on 16mm; is there a point to a 4k resolution?

I'm not denying its blu-ray worthiness in general. I just thought that the information derivable from 16mm was probably less than that of 4k. Like maybe 1080p would be "enough" to capture it.

Originally Posted by Bates_Motel

My DVDs (of seasons 1-5) are 4:3 OAR. I wanted the re-framed Sopranis and the re-framed The Wire and it was glaringly obvious to me how everything is centered. The information on the sides is worthless anyway, and to my eyes the image was weaker and it was actually LESS visual, because the compositions weren't tight anymore.

The OAR of season 1-5 is 4:3, regardless of how some people "had to problem" with them in 16x9 on DVD. It's still revisionist, because they weren't framed o broadcast that way. We don't do the same for feature films, so there's no need to do it for TV shows, which can be just as visual.

I actually started watching the show and didn't realize until a few seasons in that my DVDs were not OAR (I got the recent two-spindle cheap packaging Sony set). I was mildly annoyed, but it was easy to forget when watching.

I did also do a google, and I couldn't figure it out: were seasons 6-7 meant to be 4:3 too, even though they were never released that way on DVD? Because I thought I saw a reference to that.

It seems odd that Ryan would have changed it for the last two seasons, having wanted that claustrophobic docu feel, especially considering nothing at all changed in the style of the show's filming during those seasons. It's all pretty much of a piece.

[returnofthemack]

I remember before the show first aired, FX played soooo many commercials for the shield and my buddies and I made fun of it. Somehow that advertising worked and we watched it. It was a riot. Vic breaking down that fence and beating the dude with a phone book, brilliant. Will probably pick this up.

[Joeker]

This will be mine!

[Jim Phelps]

This is great news for sure.

One of the best tv shows of all time.

[marcbird91]

Most excellent news.

That DVD box set is well, trash. The way the discs were lined up is terrible. Cover art not so good. Hopefully we get a better box set.

And Vic Mackey smashing heads in 4k is gonna be glorious

[Bates_Motel]

Originally Posted by JohnCarpenterLives

I was always under the impression that from season 2 onward it was filmed for 16x9, but broadcast in 4:3 since HDTVs, and HD channel subscriptions were not yet the norm like it has been the past few years.

You can't film for 16x9 if your broadcast format is 4:3. It's impossible. Everything would still have to be composed for the 4:3 frame, with all characters and relevant information within that, because that's all that people would see. Sure, you can make sure no lights or crew are in the 16x9 shot, but the compositions would still all be 4:3 compositions, and everything "else" in the 19x9 shot would be nothing of importance anyway.

It's not a deal breaker, because the resolution bump will be significant. I would still watch The 16x9 Wire over the 4:3 correct DVDs, mostly because of the resolution. It's just a shame all the compositions will be compromised and (if you know compositions and what it SHOULD look like) it's pretty obvious and sometimes distracting. Everything should be OAR, with alternate 16x9 versions also available.

[lolwut]

Originally Posted by St.ylo

Hmm... the show was shot on 16mm; is there a point to a 4k resolution?

I'm not denying its blu-ray worthiness in general. I just thought that the information derivable from 16mm was probably less than that of 4k. Like maybe 1080p would be "enough" to capture it.

Absolutely.

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Follo.../55340/#Review

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-T...106447/#Review

[KilloWertz]

Great news, although I just got the DVD set for Christmas last year.