The Wire

[Machine Elf]

My DirecTV shows 60 episodes available in HD. I started episode one and it looks great but I don't really know how to know exactly what I am looking at. The available resolutions and formats are 480p, 720p, and 1080i all in 4:3 (I've only looked at ep1).

[MTRodaba2468]

If HBO follows this up with a Blu-Ray release of the complete series (in OAR, of course), I will get it, I don't care what the cost is.

The Wire is a flat-out masterpiece.

[cakefactory]

Originally Posted by EddieLarkin

Hmm, a shot like that isn't really going to be problematic with the heavy cropping, but I'm worried about how it'll look in mid shots and close ups.

What "heavy cropping" are you talking about in those three screenshots? It looks to me like almost nothing is being lost in the widescreen version and a ton of extra info is visible on the sides.

Is the problem with 16:9 just that it's going to be like Buffy where it's all extra information, but was supposed to be cropped and thus has sound guys standing behind bushes and stuff? :P

I loved this show and watched it twice through but refused to buy DVDs of it thinking as soon as I did there'd be a bluray announced, even with David Simon saying he didn't want that to happen. Looks like I should continue holding my breath a little longer!

[ThePhantom]

Originally Posted by cakefactory

Is the problem with 16:9 just that it's going to be like Buffy where it's all extra information, but was supposed to be cropped and thus has sound guys standing behind bushes and stuff? :P

One of the show's DPs, Dave Insley, said that the early seasons (maybe later ones too?) were framed for 16x9 in addition to 4x3 "as a way of future-proofing." Full quote:

Originally Posted by Dave Insley

When the show started 2001 / 2002 they framed it for 16 x 9 as a way of future-proofing. Then a couple of seasons ago, right before Season 4 began shooting, there was a big discussion about it and after much discussion -- David, Nina, Joe Chappelle, the Producers, the DPs -- and we discussed what should be the style of the show. David made the decision that we would stay with 4x3. The DPs pretty much defined the look to be what it is now. And it's been consistent for the past two seasons.

Source: http://library.creativecow.net/artic...o_the_wire.php

So I'm not sure if the decision to "stay with 4x3" means they dropped the 16x9 future-proofing for seasons 4 and 5, or just that they stuck with 4x3 for broadcast but continued framing for 16x9 as well, as they had been doing since the beginning. If the upcoming HD broadcasts (and possible eventual Blu-rays) are going to be 16x9, I certainly hope they continued framing for 16x9. Either way, the original aspect ratio would be preferred.

[rickah88]

Originally Posted by HD Goofnut

https://forum.blu-ray.com/forumdisplay.php?f=73

Haha!
I want this just as much as the next person, but until an official announcement has been made....off to the wish list forum with this!

[sarah_wentworth]

Originally Posted by Jar Jar Stinks

The Wire Remastered Promo - YouTube

“It’s Baltimore, gentlemen. The gods will not save you.” That’s the opening line of a new promo for a plan to rebroadcast The Wire that promises “every episode, every season, remastered for the first time in high definition.” The promo says the episodes air weeknights 8pm starting September 4. If you check TV listings online, you’ll find other programs filling those timeslots—while About Time is a fine movie, it is not The Wire remastered in HD.
However, the Wire page at TV Guide has listings starting September 8 with season 1 episode 3, which would accommodate the first two episodes airing on September 4-5. I can’t guarantee these remastered episodes will start airing this week, but it sure sounds like they exist, and that’s a major step for those of you hoping for an eventual Blu-ray release.

Read more at http://collider.com/the-wire-remaste...UCcwuKwTTzL.99

what does this all mean?

[bsweetness]

Originally Posted by sarah_wentworth

what does this all mean?

It means exactly what it says - HBO is going to start airing remastered HD versions of the show.

Given this, an eventual Blu-ray release, something we weren't sure we'd ever see for The Wire, is far more possible now.

[Rizor]

Good news. Hoping a Blu-ray happens.

[theusher]

Alan Sepinwall ‏@sepinwall 4m
Re: “The Wire” being remastered in HD for September marathon, HBO says the date was premature, and they’re still working on process.

So the HD remaster is definitely real, but the broadcast is currently delayed.

[Lava_Lander]

The Verge has more:

HBO's The Wire, aka that show you've been saying for years you'll watch because all your friends won't shut up about it, is coming back. The show is being remastered for HD, and it's supposed to marathon on HBO at some point in the near future. However, exactly when that'll happen isn't nailed down just yet: though HBO began running promos advertising the HD episodes' premiere on September 4th, HBO tells us that the episodes "aren’t ready yet." The episodes are still being reviewed, and HBO says that it hopes to share more soon.

The big question is whether HBO's remaster will simply bring the show, as it was originally broadcast in 4:3, up to HD resolution, or if HBO will also recut the show into 16:9 for today's widescreen TVs. Although it initially aired in 4:3 standard definition, The Wire was reportedly shot with Panavision cameras in Super 35, meaning that footage actually had to be cut off the sides for the initial broadcast. A widescreen version of The Wire showed up briefly streaming on Amazon Prime — true widescreen, not cropped on the top and bottom — two years ago before returning to its former 4:3 aspect ratio.

HBO declined to comment on what [aspect ratio] its HD remaster would take.

[theprestige85]

Read this guys:

Yesterday, reports surfaced that HBO was going to air a massive marathon of their critically acclaimed series “The Wire.” It was supposed to start this Thursday, September 4 – but unfortunately for fans of the gritty Baltimore series, it’s been put on hold.

The good news is, the show is getting remastered and will be released in some form, as soon as the powers that be finish reviewing the episodes. Speculation suggests that there will indeed be a marathon and a definitive collection released on Blu-Ray, where you can watch all the details of the complex drug game in pristine quality. As the Verge notes, the question that looms is whether or not the remastered episodes will remain in the original 4:3 ration, or recut for today’s 16:9 widescreen televisions.

“The Wire” first premiered on HBO on June 2, 2002 and ran for five seasons, concluding on March 9, 2008. The show featured breakout performances from Dominic West, Idris Elba, Amy Ryan, Michael K. Williams, Michael B. Jordan, and several more who went on to book high profile TV and film gigs. Creator David Simon received wide spread acclaim and followed up the series with a look at post-Katrina New Orleans in his series “Treme.”

Check out a teaser video here:

http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2014/...re-remastered/

[theprestige85]

And this:

UPDATE: We’ve just heard back from HBO on this. The Wire is being remastered and September was the original target date but the episodes are still being reviewed and aren’t ready quite yet. So the good news is that The Wire IS being remastered and is coming soon! The bad news is you’ll have to wait and the dates are still up in the air. We’re gussing this trailer was indeed real but that it wasn’t pulled in time. More as we get it. – Jacob
The original source is this man claiming to have seen this on HBO’s air:
again, re the wire rebroadcast thing, that promo was shown on HBO today. so it's real, whatever that means. https://t.co/68azpz7LFv
— Arthur Gies (@aegies) August 23, 2014
Anyone else seeing the same? Please comment with your first-hand experiences.
We haven’t had news to report on HBO’s The Wire in a long, long time but this tidbit caught our ear. HBO will be rebroadcasting one of its iconic series: The Wire in never-before-broadcast HD glory! The marathon will begin weeknights at 8PM starting on September 4th. You’ll find the episodes on HBO Signature, a channel most, if not all HBO subscribers should have access to.
Here’s the teaser that’s been reportedly airing across HBO’s properties this weekend:

We aren’t sure if this rebroadcast is better or worse than what you can stream on HBO Go currently or on Amazon Prime but either way it’s exciting to see HBO give the series some love. A few weeks ago the Amazon Prime version of The Wire flipped to full HD, 16:9 aspect ratio but they have since been pulled. So the video exists, we just don’t know when HBO will drop it on us.
HBO has been frustratingly quiet about a release of The Wire on Blu-Ray. But with The Sopranos recently being announced as an amazing new Blu-Ray set and now the above news, we’re hoping that The Wire will make its way to Blu-Ray sometime in the near future. Why does HBO toy with us like this?
“It’s all in the DVD sales game, yo.”
If you can’t get enough of David Simon (the creator of The Wire) you’ll be happy to know that he’s putting together a new mini-series for HBO called Show me a Hero.
So go watch The Wire on HBO Signature this month. It’s a good time to watch it for the first time if you missed it in 2002 (which all but a few million loyalists did). Give it a watch and report back here when you’re inevitably converted.
UPDATE: While The Wire still does not show up on HBO’s official schedule we did find this on TVGuide.com:
The Wire pschedule
This puts The Wire, Episode 3 on at just the time purported by the trailer. Monday at 8PM with subsequent episodes airing on HBO Signature every weekday after that. It does skip the first two episodes on the 4th and 5th but we’re assuming this is just an oversight adding to the already confusing situation.
TV Guide had to have gotten this information from somewhere and we see this as a solid source. More as we get it.
BELIEVE, people!
UPDATE 2: More confirmation from our loyal followers; Xfinity now has the same info:

http://hbowatch.com/the-wire-being-r...-in-hd-by-hbo/


If you go to the bottom page of the link I have just provided, some guy claims to have worked on the project and confirms it's a completely new remaster that will be shown 16:9.

[Brady_2_Moss]

Originally Posted by theusher

So the HD remaster is definitely real, but the broadcast is currently delayed.

dammit..oh well

[theprestige85]

Sorry, didn't read the posts above me...

[AUS1969]

Given that HBO routinely reduces 2:35 movies to 1.78 in order to remove the black bars that annoy some people, and they're (wisely) investing money to remaster them, they're going to be 1.78. I can live with that if it results in blu-ray.

[frenchfreak]

Maybe the wire won't get the crop treatment since it was shot on 4 and then 3 perf 35mm film :
Inside HBOs the wire
http://www.tivocommunity.com

fingers crossed

[AnamorphicWidescreen]

Sounds good re: the possibility of The Wire being put on Blu. If so, I'm definitely in. I've never owned the series before, so there will be no double-dipping for me.

[BluVinyl]

Yes, I also held off buying the dvds hoping for a bd release. One of my 3 favorite shows. Hopefully they don't go 16:9

[BluVinyl]

Its been about 4 weeks since any news broke about this. I wonder what is the hold up?

[theprestige85]

Originally Posted by BluVinyl

Its been about 4 weeks since any news broke about this. I wonder what is the hold up?

Yeah, I would like to know, too. However, the optimistic in me takes this as a good sign and that they are doing right by the remastering to ensure it's the best quality possible. If this delay is the difference between a beautiful High definition transfer of The Wire and a shite one, i'll wait for as long as they want.