7.1 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
Documentary | 100% |
Nature | 77% |
Other | 34% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080i
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: Dolby Digital 2.0
None
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 2.5 | |
Audio | 2.0 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
The Best of Europe travel series offers a handpicked selection of Rudy Maxa’s Emmy-award-winning public television series, “Smart Travels: Europe with Rudy Maxa”. In a forward-thinking move on the part of the show’s producers, this series was the first high definition travel offering on public television, making it an obvious choice for release on Blu-ray. If you ever had a desire to visit Europe, but lack the financial means to make the physical journey, this is your opportunity to take in the sights from the comfort of your favorite recliner.
It's almost as if the clouds are floating away from the bridge in every direction.
Presented in 1080i utilizing the AVC codec (at an average bitrate of 28Mbps), Best of Europe: London & Beyond offers a reasonably proficient visual experience that's downgraded by the presence of several digital anomalies. At first glance the level of detail appears wonderfully crisp with natural colors, deep blacks, and excellent contrast. Unfortunately, as you look closer you'll begin to notice the transfer also suffers from the presence of easily noticeable moire effects that lead to some nasty artifacting. Anytime you see lines running parallel to each other with minimal space between them, shimmering will take hold of those lines, giving that portion of the picture a lack of consistency. Additionally, images with dark borders that run at a slight diagonal angle reveal drastic stairstepping that shifts as the camera pans in various directions. I've noticed this to a large extent on 1080i productions, so I'm assuming it has to do with the inherent weaknesses of an interlaced signal, which lacks the smooth consistency of a progressive offering. Other than the problems I've noted, most fans of the television series will enjoy the upgraded visual perspective on this collection of Europe's most scenic sights, so long as you're careful not to set your expectations too high.
The only audio offering on the disc is a Dolby Digital 2.0 track in the native language of English. Even though this clearly isn't a surround sound experience, the audio crew recording the original source material did a nice job capturing the ambiance of the city streets and local pubs, bringing out every nuance of the hustle and bustle around Maxa as he attempts to blend in. Moving on to the music, the selections in each episode are standard fair for a television documentary, with a mixture of choral and orchestra entries. It doesn't add much to the overall experience, but the score was never obtrusive or inappropriate for the subject matter and offered an appropriate volume balance when blended with the dominant narration. Speaking of the narration, I never felt the need to strain in order to make out the dialogue, which is key in a narrative-heavy travel show.
The overall audio track is far from impressive when stacked up next to a surround sound lossless mix, but considering the material doesn't demand that kind of treatment, I doubt anyone will have many complaints after listening to the track.
There are no supplements provided on the disc.
Whether your planning a trip to the British Isles, or searching for a way to relive your prior experience, Best of Europe: London & Beyond is an enticing high-definition offering for the world traveler in all of us. The production values aren't the greatest, but seem entirely appropriate for a travel television show. The only thing holding me back from a wholehearted recommendation is the presence of several deficiencies in the transfer, which I hope Questar rectifies in future Blu-ray offerings of the series. As it stands, I'm still quite satisfied with the idea of adding this disc to my collection and I'd imagine any fan of the series will welcome the opportunity to travel through Europe from the comfort of their home.
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+ Photo Booklet
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