Gomorrah: The Complete Season One

[pro-bassoonist]

Gomorrah: The Complete Season One Blu-ray



NEWS/TRAILER
https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=14638

British distributors Arrow Films have revealed that they are planning to release on Blu-ray Gomorrah: The Complete Season One. The release will be available for purchase on October 27th.

Synopsis: Gritty Italian crime drama based on Roberto Saviano's book of the same name, which the New York Times dubbed "the most important book to come out of Italy in years".

Gomorrah is the inside story of fierce Neapolitan crime organization the Camorra, as seen through the eyes of Ciro (Marco D'Amore), the obedient and self-confident right-hand man of the clan's godfather whose loyalty is tested to its limits. Acclaimed Romanzo Criminale writer and director Stefano Sollima is responsible for the overall art direction and also directs multiple episodes of the show, which is shot on location in and around Naples, Barcelona, Milan and Ferrara. Starring Marco d'Amore, Fortunato Cerlino, Maria Pia Calzone, Salvatore Esposito, Marco Palvetti, Domenico Balsamo, Enzo Sacchettino, and Elena Starace.

Note: In 2008, Matteo Garrone's feature-length film Gomorrah won the Grand Prize of the Jury at the Cannes Film Festival and was selected to represent Italy in the Foreign Language Film Category of the 81st Annual Academy Awards. In the united Kingdom, the film is already out on Blu-ray courtesy of StudioCanal. See our listing of this release here. In the United States, the film is available on Blu-ray courtesy of the Criterion Collection. See our listing of this release here.

Pro-B

[McCrutchy]

Wow, based on the specs, it looks like Arrow might not mess this series up.

4 discs for 12 55-minute episodes and Italian: DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio.

The series is pre-ordered, but I will believe it when I see it, after their string of disappointingly compressed Nordic Noir series releases.

[nitin]

I've seen Borgen s1, The Bridge s1 and The Killing s1 on blu. None of those showed any overt compression artifacts? Anything in particular you are referring to?

[Buzz201]

Originally Posted by nitin

I've seen Borgen s1, The Bridge s1 and The Killing s1 on blu. None of those showed any overt compression artifacts? Anything in particular you are referring to?

I think he's opposed to the idea of 4 hours a disc, don't know why, most of the major studios do up to 4.5 hours...

Braquo S1 has some obvious errors in the subtitles, which pissed me off, but it sounds like Arrow just used a distributor prepared master for that...

[McCrutchy]

Originally Posted by nitin

I've seen Borgen s1, The Bridge s1 and The Killing s1 on blu. None of those showed any overt compression artifacts? Anything in particular you are referring to?

Originally Posted by Buzz201

I think he's opposed to the idea of 4 hours a disc, don't know why, most of the major studios do up to 4.5 hours...

I wouldn't necessarily be opposed to 4 hours of content, although to be totally fair, even that is probably too much for optimal compression, but since you mentioned it, Borgen, The Bridge and The Killing all have 5 hours of content per disc.

And likely because of the compression, there are also irregularities across releases with the type of soundtracks offered:

Borgen: Series One: 1080p, DTS-HD MA 5.1 (Nordic release apparently had DD 5.1 audio)
Borgen: Series Two: 1080/50i, DTS-HD HR 5.1 (No Nordic release)
Borgen: Series Three: 1080/50i, DTS-HD HR 5.1 (No Nordic release)

The Bridge Series One: 2 BDs, DTS-HD MA 2.0 (Nordic release is 3 BDs and has DTS-HD MA 5.1)
The Bridge Series Two: 2 BDs, DTS-HD MA 2.0 (Nordic release is 3 BDs and has DTS-HD MA 5.1)

The Killing Trilogy:
Series One: 1080/50i, DTS-HD MA 2.0 (No Nordic release)
Series Two: 1080p, DTS-HD HR 5.1 (No Nordic release)
Series Three: 1080/50i, DTS-HD HR 5.1 (No Nordic release)

Jägarna AKA The Hunters: Released on DVD only (Nordic BD is English-friendly)
Jägarna 2 AKA False Trail: Released on Blu-ray and DVD (Nordic BD is not English-friendly)

I'm sure, to a certain extent, Arrow works with what they are offered, but that doesn't excuse jumping between 1080p and the proper 1080/50i, and giving a 5.1 audio show only a 2.0 audio track.

EDIT: And let's not forget the 2013 Wallander films, which Arrow neglected to release on Blu-ray at all. And of course, the Scandinavian BDs are not English-friendly, probably because of Arrow's licensing (yes, previous Scandinavian Wallander DVDs have English subtitles).

Originally Posted by Buzz201

Braquo S1 has some obvious errors in the subtitles, which pissed me off, but it sounds like Arrow just used a distributor prepared master for that...

As I don't own those releases, I can't comment, but if the specificationss are correct, then ironically, Braquo (and Maison Close) are the exception when it comes to other aspects of poor Arrow releases. If the specs are to be believed, there is less content on each disc, and those series releases have full DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio.

So the question is: Will this be handled by Arrow like a Nordic Series, or like a French one? My hope is on the French side, but I have just seen that the Dutch release of Gommorah: Season One (via Lumière) is specified 3 discs, with only DTS-HD MA 2.0 audio (the Italians are saying the sound design is 5.1), so hopefully, Arrow has access to better materials, and the good sense to use them.

[Buzz201]

Originally Posted by McCrutchy

As I don't own those releases, I can't comment, but if the specificationss are correct, then ironically, Braquo (and Maison Close) are the exception when it comes to other aspects of poor Arrow releases. If the specs are to be believed, there is less content on each disc, and those series releases have full DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio.

So the question is: Will this be handled by Arrow like a Nordic Series, or like a French one? My hope is on the French side, but I have just seen that the Dutch release of Gommorah: Season One (via Lumière) is specified 3 discs, with only DTS-HD MA 2.0 audio (the Italians are saying the sound design is 5.1), so hopefully, Arrow has access to better materials, and the good sense to use them.

Nope, Braquo has French LPCM 2.0, featuring burnt in subtitles with obvious spelling mistakes. I'm assuming it was a master provided and Arrow decided it wasn't viable to produce a new master with better subtitled and 5.1. Although the Australian release also only has 2.0 so it's probably to do with Zodiak Rights...

[kashif]

Thanks a lot for this great news. I never read the book but highly impressed by the movie. I hope this show will be as good as the movie itself. I am expecting some serious violence and high quality direction. Kindly post a review as soon as possible.

[McCrutchy]

Originally Posted by Buzz201

Nope, Braquo has French LPCM 2.0, featuring burnt in subtitles with obvious spelling mistakes. I'm assuming it was a master provided and Arrow decided it wasn't viable to produce a new master with better subtitled and 5.1. Although the Australian release also only has 2.0 so it's probably to do with Zodiak Rights...

Perhaps. The Canal releases of Braquo in France should have DTS-HD MA 5.0 (Series 1) and 2.0 (Series 2 and 3) tracks. Don't ask me why they downgraded the audio, and I'm not sure if it was just for the BD, or if the series itself changed, or if the French Series 1 BD is an up-mix.

If the German Blu-ray cases are to be believed, their releases have only Dolby Digital 2.0 audio across the first two series.

On the other hand, the four seasons of Spiral, which I own, all have 24-bit DTS-HD MA 5.1, so Canal+ was and is certainly producing series in 5.1.

So it is a hell of a situation, really. If a series is shot with 5.1 audio, then the licensor should be handing that out as part of the package. It wouldn't make any sense for them to withhold a 5.1 mix but allow the rest of the series to go out overseas, because that's shortchanging their product, and in the end, the series can only suffer for it.

[Todd Tomorrow]

I didn't like the film much, I just didn't find it very involving. I'll give the series a try though as I find e subject matter interesting.

[lolwut]

Would I like the show if I didn't like the film?

[nitin]

Originally Posted by McCrutchy

I wouldn't necessarily be opposed to 4 hours of content, although to be totally fair, even that is probably too much for optimal compression, but since you mentioned it, Borgen, The Bridge and The Killing all have 5 hours of content per disc.

And likely because of the compression, there are also irregularities across releases with the type of soundtracks offered:



I'm sure, to a certain extent, Arrow works with what they are offered, but that doesn't excuse jumping between 1080p and the proper 1080/50i, and giving a 5.1 audio show only a 2.0 audio track.

EDIT: And let's not forget the 2013 Wallander films, which Arrow neglected to release on Blu-ray at all. And of course, the Scandinavian BDs are not English-friendly, probably because of Arrow's licensing (yes, previous Scandinavian Wallander DVDs have English subtitles).



As I don't own those releases, I can't comment, but if the specificationss are correct, then ironically, Braquo (and Maison Close) are the exception when it comes to other aspects of poor Arrow releases. If the specs are to be believed, there is less content on each disc, and those series releases have full DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio.

So the question is: Will this be handled by Arrow like a Nordic Series, or like a French one? My hope is on the French side, but I have just seen that the Dutch release of Gommorah: Season One (via Lumière) is specified 3 discs, with only DTS-HD MA 2.0 audio (the Italians are saying the sound design is 5.1), so hopefully, Arrow has access to better materials, and the good sense to use them.

Sorry, late reply but have been offline for a few days.

Borgen and The Bridge are definitely 5 hours per disc (The Killing s1 is 4 hrs per disc but s2 and s3 are 5 hrs per disc). That does mean bitrates for Borgen, The Bridge and The Killing s2 and s3 are in the 15-20 MBPS range (bitrates for The Killing s1 are between the 20-30 MBPS range). But again, having seen these seasons, I did not notice any overt compression artifacts on a 60" screen (not huge I know but big enough to spot overt compression artifacts on other discs). I would score The Bridge and Borgen s1 as 4/5 for PQ. Killing s1 maybe a 3.75/5, mainly because it was shot with older cameras with more noise.

That's not to say that more breathing room would not have allowed a better picture though. I have the Nordic release of The Bridge s1 which has 4 hrs per disc for discs 1 and 2 plus 2 hrs on the last disc. The PQ is better than the UK release (bitrates on the 4 hr discs are between 20-30 MBPS) but probably only 0.5/5 better (ie I would score it 4.5/5).

[McCrutchy]

Originally Posted by nitin

Sorry late reply but have been offline for a few days.

Borgen and The Bridge are definitely 5 hours per disc (The Killing s1 is 4 hrs per disc but s2 and s3 are 5 hrs per disc). That does mean bitrates for Borgen, The Bridge and The Killing s2 and s3 are in the 15-20 MBPS range bitrates for The Killing s1 are between the 20-30 MBPS range). But again, having seen these seasons, I did not notice any overt compression artifacts on a 60" screen (not huge I know but big enough to spot overt compression artifacts on other discs). I would score The Bridge and Borgen s1 as 4/5 for PQ. Killing s1 maybe a 3.75/5, mainly because it was shot with older cameras with more noise.

That's not to say that more breathing room would not have allowed a better picture though. I have the Nordic release of The Bridge s1 which has 4 hrs per disc for discs 1 and 2 plus 2 hrs on the last disc. The PQ is better than the UK release (bitrates on the 4 hr discs are between 20-30 MBPS) but probably only 0.5/5 better (ie I would score it 4.5/5).

Right. Again, I don't necessarily have a problem with cutting costs via more compression--although I still think it's not ideal (and would be happily be willing to pay more for a superior presentation), I am willing to accept that some compromises must be made to make these releases on Blu-ray possible in the UK.

And in general, these are new series shot digitally with the latest equipment, so they do not suffer terribly from compression issues if they are handled correctly.

But my understanding stops at nonsense like releasing a series with non-lossless audio, or lossless 2.0 audio for a 5.1 series. Again, these are new release series, and the least Arrow can do is release them with enough care to provide fully lossless audio in the original sound design. It isn't as if they are providing extras on most of these releases (Borgen excepted, and yes, the short piece on Series 2 of The Killing).

Right now, I am quite nervous (especially seeing the specs from the Dutch release), that Gomorrah will not be a 4 disc set with DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio, but a 3 disc set with DTS-HD MA / LPCM 2.0 audio. Arrow's shop are selling this very cheaply (£25.99 on a £25.99 RRP) right now, and of course, the specs are not (and knowing Arrow, likely will not be) detailed on their product page.

[Blu Lemmy]

For those with Sky atlantic, this starts tonight.....might be worth a try before buying

[samdvd1]

Originally Posted by McCrutchy

Right now, I am quite nervous (especially seeing the specs from the Dutch release), that Gomorrah will not be a 4 disc set with DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio, but a 3 disc set with DTS-HD MA / LPCM 2.0 audio.

I can confirm it is 4-discs. Received it today. About to watch the first episode shortly.

EDIT: No 5.1 audio, just LPCM 2.0 Stereo. Subtitles are optional.

[Marten]

Originally Posted by samdvd1

I can confirm it is 4-discs. Received it today. About to watch the first episode shortly.

EDIT: No 5.1 audio, just LPCM 2.0 Stereo. Subtitles are optional.

Please do let us know what you think of the series. I'm on the fence about importing this.

The Weinstein Company bought the U.S. rights for the series and are planning on an English-version adaptation. So, we probably won't be seeing this anytime soon.

[samdvd1]

A surprising amount of jagged edges in the first episode

The show itself has started off strong though.

[Hucksta G]

Wow I didn't even know there was a series, I liked the film

[McCrutchy]

Originally Posted by samdvd1

I can confirm it is 4-discs. Received it today. About to watch the first episode shortly.

EDIT: No 5.1 audio, just LPCM 2.0 Stereo. Subtitles are optional.

Thanks. I will cancel my pre-order. My understanding is that the series should have 5.1 sound, so a release with only 2.0 audio is quite disappointing.

Perhaps I will re-order when the price is right.

[samdvd1]

I'm 5 episodes in now. The aliasing / jaggies are absolutely hellish. The PQ isn't bad, but this problem is far too noticeable and causes problems on details of small items (especially jewellery). Not good enough for a 3.5/5, but too good for a 3/5 IMO. I'll likely give it a 3.5 with an obvious note myself, transfer wise.

AQ, despite no 5.1, is very good. Good depth, and no issues. Easy 4/5

Really digging the show so far too.

[McCrutchy]

Originally Posted by samdvd1

I'm 5 episodes in now. The aliasing / jaggies are absolutely hellish. The PQ isn't bad, but this problem is far too noticeable and causes problems on details of small items (especially jewellery). Not good enough for a 3.5/5, but too good for a 3/5 IMO. I'll likely give it a 3.5 with an obvious note myself, transfer wise.

AQ, despite no 5.1, is very good. Good depth, and no issues. Easy 4/5

Really digging the show so far too.

Sam, is it 1080/50i or 1080p?