The Shield: The Complete Series (2002-2008)

[Slim Jim]

None so far might not hear anything until it gets closer to being finished or the release date.

[TheLaughingMann]

I thought getting the whole series on DVD for $25 was a damned great deal. Considering how highly rated it is, it should cost more than that (likely not cause of the cheap double spindle packaging). But 4K upgrades? If the set goes down to $50 or 60, I'll bite. =/ Otherwise, I'll pass on anything higher than that.

[Ihavecandygetnthevan]

Originally Posted by TheLaughingMann

I thought getting the whole series on DVD for $25 was a damned great deal. Considering how highly rated it is, it should cost more than that (likely not cause of the cheap double spindle packaging). But 4K upgrades? If the set goes down to $50 or 60, I'll bite. =/ Otherwise, I'll pass on anything higher than that.

that's never gonna happen

[TheLaughingMann]

Originally Posted by Ihavecandygetnthevan

that's never gonna happen

Oh, it will. Maybe by the time it does, 8K will be on the market...you can make out the microbes on actor's faces giving better performances in scenes. =P

[Bates_Motel]

Originally Posted by Ihavecandygetnthevan

that's never gonna happen

The Wire and Boardwalk Empire both hit around $60-$70, so this might, but it could be a while.

Originally Posted by TheLaughingMann

Oh, it will. Maybe by the time it does, 8K will be on the market...you can make out the microbes on actor's faces giving better performances in scenes. =P

Well, considering The Shield was shot 16mm, which maxes out at about 3K, 8K won't add a thing.

[Pyro.Kitty]

God I've been waiting so long for this

[Bates_Motel]

Originally Posted by Pyro.Kitty

God I've been waiting so long for this

Too bad it's being opened up and cropped for blu-ray and not OAR.

[Slim Jim]

So this is coming out on regular bluray right and not just 4K?

[mikesncc1701]

Originally Posted by Bates_Motel

Too bad it's being opened up and cropped for blu-ray and not OAR.

[Jay Mammoth]

Originally Posted by Slim Jim

So this is coming out on regular bluray right and not just 4K?

Hasn't even been announced for UHD just bluray. Hope they do as great a job as HBO did with The Wire.

[Bates_Motel]

Originally Posted by mikesncc1701

Nope. No excuse to butcher OAR in any instance, but we're stuck with inferior releases of Sopranos, the Wire, now this. At least Freaks & Geeks is done semi-right, with both 1.33 AND 1.78 versions.

Originally Posted by Slim Jim

So this is coming out on regular bluray right and not just 4K?

It won't be coming on UHD 4K.

[mikesncc1701]

Watching "Dominos Falling" right now. I just wanna go through the entire series again right freakin' now. I've made up my mind about double dipping for a blu set. I'm definitely in for it.

So what's everyone's favorite episodes? I would say Pilot, Cherrypoppers, Dragonchasers, Circles, Co-pilot, Dominos Falling, Of Mice and Lem, and Family Meeting are amongst the best. Of course it's hard to pick and choose when every episode is excellent but I actually find myself watching these every now and again as stand alones.

[blueman_Richie]

Originally Posted by Bates_Motel

Too bad it's being opened up and cropped for blu-ray and not OAR.

It's been 16:9 for YEARS on dvd and if you watch the BtS stuff you can clearly see the monitors are shooting 16:9 and protecting for 4:3. This isn't a show to clutch your pearls over OAR as it was always shot in widescreen.

[TheLaughingMann]

What I've always found is that any show shot originally in widescreen and converted to fullscreen later tends to look better. The reason being that back then, fullscreen had to really track what was happening on screen. And depending on the camera crew, it could have either went well or not. I am glad that some shows shot in WS and getting primarily FS treatment only to convert back in today's market happen. Even if the picture quality isn't the best, I'd rather see anything in widescreen. If I have to see anything in fullscreen, so be it (Farscape, I love you, even though I wish a widescreen version of Seasons 1, 2, and 3 exist in today's market).

With a show like this, it's polarized some people who saw it in fullscreen originally. But I want to see everything possible that was filmed. And if there's a way for me to see it in a sharper format, I'll consider the upgrade.

[BrandonJF]

Originally Posted by Lava_Lander

Yes, and Shawn Ryan confirms that in the linked news announcement in the OP.

I really never understand why people have a problem when the guy who made the show says widescreen is fine.

I don't really mind it when the creator is involved, but Ryan has also stated that while it was shot 16x9, it was intended to be 4x3 to maintain a "documentary" feel (not sure what that means, since a 4x3 aspect ratio isn't something native to a documentary.... I think he is probably thinking of "Cops" at the time). He obviously preferred 4x3 at some point and that was his intended presentation. This seems like another "The Wire" scenario - 4x3 was the plan, but he's fine with 16x9 now.

[mikesncc1701]

The documentary style comment means he wanted it to fill the screen. To be as immersive as possible. The Shield started filming pretty much when the transition from 4x3 to 16x9 was taking place so he filmed for both aspects. Now that 16x9 is the standard I'm pretty sure he feels the same way about it being as in your face as possible. Using that logic, 16x9 is the way to go now.

[Xen11]

With The Shield being in fullscreen vs. widescreen, fullscreen gives it an intimate, shot-on-handheld-camera feel to it. Not cellphone or current cameras, but the old-school cameras used in guerilla-style documentaries (back then). It makes it feel real and authentic as opposed to (widescreen) cinematic. It's real grit vs. melodramatic glam. Melodramatic glam-look works for almost all movies, but when it comes to some hard-hitting sh!t like The Shield, that fullscreen snuff-film look can really elevate the atmosphere. The shooting/cinematography was all about catching the little subtleties at the right moments, almost as if you are not supposed to be watching this and you are viewing through a little square hole.

Can we maintain that for preservation's sake on Bluray? Or should I just stick to finding the fullscreen DVDs?

It would be nice if they included both aspects, but asking for common-sense presentations is nonsense in a nonsensical business that cares nothing for purity.

[Pyro.Kitty]

i just want it soon is all.

[mikesncc1701]

Originally Posted by Xen11

Can we maintain that for preservation's sake on Bluray? Or should I just stick to finding the fullscreen DVDs?

Good luck. Everything after Season 4 was released widescreen only when Sony took over home video rights. I even believe one episode in season 4 had a disclaimer on the back that it was presented in a different ratio than the rest. You'd be going from 4x3 to 16x9 anyways and personally, I'd rather keep the entire series as uniformed as possible. The widescreen formatted episodes don't look bad at all.

[fitprod]

The main thing is... From day one, all deleted scenes in every 4x3 (Fox) release were presented in the supplements in a 1.78 aspect ratio.

Shield was shot 1.78.

fitprod