Great expectations - DVD set doesn't deliver.
597778
Miami Vice was the one TV series that I couldn't wait to be delivered on DVD.  I expected this series to shine on DVD!

When I picked the first season set up, I rushed home, unwrapped it and threw the first DVD in my player.  The picture quality was below average and the DVD freezed several times.

I later learned through an article in Video Business magazine that the reason for the glitches are the double sided discs using the DVD 18 format.  The plants producing these discs are running over capacity and it is a quality control issue.  Several studios are acknowledging the problem and switching from DVD 18 to DVD 9 on certain DVD TV titles.  These single sided discs have more durability.  Warner Brothers recently switched producing the West Wing and Dukes of Hazzard from DVD 18 to DVD 9.  Universal Studios had not commented.  I'm hoping Universal Studios corrects this problem and reissues Miami Vice on the standard DVD 9 format.
3714498
Even though I have never read the book I found this Production very good.

I would recommend this to any one who is a Dickens Fan but do youself a favour and don't buy this DVD release.

As a British review on Amazon uk site indicated this DVD looks as if it was copied straight off the TV and also the commentary in the beginning and end of the movie telling us about the Great Expectations novel made the DVD worse.

Masterpiece Theatre has spoiled this Great BBC Production of Dickens Great Expectations with it's Commentary (even though they think they are being helpful- but are not) and poor DVD.

Four Stars for the Production itself but giving this Two stars because of the DVD quaility.

Wait until BBC Release a DVD of the Production and the DVD quaility will be much, much better.

I will be selling this DVD and wait until BBC release the DVD in Australia.
961018
This is not an easy review.  There are some real issues with this performance and especially with the DVD quality!  I expect more in quality from DECCA.
1) I am very disappointed with the Video part of this production.  The picture just fills only 3/4 of my HD screen.  Definition is very poor with many blurring problems.  When singers in bright costumes move too fast a ghostly blur follows them.  Lighting is far too dark at times and one can barely see the singers at times.  This is picturewise a less than good video recording. In fact I have some private DVDS with much better picture and sound production.
2) The Sound Quality is not that great either.  It's muffled or muted much of the time.  The excellent Weiner Philharmoniker is too much in the background.
3) The Sets are okay; just not inspired.  Set changes often are way too long and the viewer sits in his/her living room in total darkness and wonders if the DVD is having problems or has stopped.  These long pauses are very distracting and should have been edited out.
4) The stage directing is very weak and at times none exsistent.  Too many times a character enters and just "parks and barks."  Tamino often runs in turns and sings with no motivation.  The poor Queen in both arias gets no help from the director.  In the first her costume sabotages her...her qown is the set.  In the second she just stands there and sings to the Conductor.  Luciana Serra deserved better than this.  The three ladies just do traffic patterns for no apparent reason and with nonexistant motivation.
5) Some of the costumes just work, some work(the priests) and some are outright disasters.  Tamino's and Pamina's are very bad.  My Grandmother has better "house dresses" than Tamino's feminine rags.
6) Make up and hair styles are not always flattering i.e. Pamina's braid and Tamino's red marks on his forehead.
7) Most of the singers are really fine; especially, a very young Rene Pape and Deon Van Der Walt.  Luciana Serra's very bright voice works well for The Queen Of The Night.  Ruth Ziesak is a weak Pamina.  Her top just doesn't float and she does squeeze at times.  Anton Scharinger is just adequate as Papageno.  The three ladies are only Okay.  The three boys are very good.
8) Solti's conducting is fine; I just like Muti so much more in 2006 at Salzburg.
IN CONCLUSION: This DVD has some weak production values that DECCA should have addressed or left in the Vault.  It isn't worth the money I spent on it and does neither DECCA or THE SALZBURG FESTIVAL JUSTICE.  I don't expect to view this again.
2140771
This is a visually attractive adaptation of the first half of Galsworthy's "Forsyte Saga", but it has nowhere near the depth and impact of the original (1969) TV series.  Most of the actors in this series do a fine job, the one glaring exception is the blank spot on the screen where Irene is supposed to be.  Also, too much has been made of Damian Lewis's "Soames"--he mumbles his lines through clenched teeth and portrays his character as evil-incarnate.  Soames is much more complex (and better-spoken) than that!
Most of the secondary characters, although well-acted, are not well-developed.  The wonderful idiosyncrasies of the extended Forsyte clan, particularly the aunts and uncles, are ignored in this version.  The interior sets look beautiful, but, although I'm no expert, they don't appear "Victorian" to me.  The cinematography is generally good except for the irritating and sophomoric use of focus shifts to film conversations.
Finally, it should be noted that this DVD is only the first half of the series.  Presumably, they are filming the second half and it will eventually be out on DVD for approximately the same price.  The recently released 1969 version, which includes the entire series, thus will hardly cost any more and is incomparably better.
3992878
The movie is fantastic but the DVD quality is super poor. The early low lit images tip off that the transfer is very low quality. There is image shift that makes the film look like a weird experimental animation. The bed in the first scene is literally dancing up and down. If that kind of mind tripping distraction is your cup of tea, buy this overpriced DVD that Criterion Collection will probably release WELL at some point and with some existent extras. Come on, the movie isn't any longer than Seven Samurai and it's on two discs?! Take the hint.
2810636
The Wonder Years is among my all time favorite shows, second only to M*A*S*H, so needless to say, I'm thrilled that it's finally out on DVD. However, having seen how beautifully some older shows have been restored recently, I have to confess that the video and audio quality of The Wonder Years is a major disappointment. Since it originally aired, I've watched it in syndication on various networks, and also on Amazon, and it seems to me that these DVDs simply are not very good. If this was the best possible quality that could be achieved, then so be it, but I caution anyone who hasn't seen these DVDs yet; be prepared to be disappointed. I won't be surprised when they come out with an improved remastered edition once the sales of this original DVD release slow.
4224928
When I heard The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes was to be released on DVD, I was so excited. I had been waiting for this moment since I first saw the movie as a junior higher (I'm now 24) and read about Billy Wilder's masterpiece trimmed down from its original length. In junior high, I was tempted to save up my allowance to purchase a laser disc player just so I could buy the laser disc copy of PLoSH with the added scenes.
I was disappointed to find on this DVD that the missing scenes were merely tacked on in slideshow form. Perhaps I had raised my hopes too high, but this film deserves a much better treatment than this DVD release.
939359
The Dragon Ball Z Season Five DVD box set includes six DVDs that contain twenty-six episodes.  The first two discs contain six episodes, the third disc contains five episodes, the fourth and fifth discs contain three episodes, and the sixth disc contains three episodes and the DVD extras.

The special features really aren't all that special.  All you get are the textless versions of the opening and ending credits (which is a feature that was already included on the previous four DVD box sets), and trailers.  The trailers included on this set are for xxxHolic, Glass Fleet, Black Cat, Fullmetal Alchemist, Dragon Ball Z, One Piece, Baki the Grappler, and Samurai 7.

Another issue I have with this set is with the audio mastering levels.  FUNimation's opening splash screen, the trailers at the beginning of the DVDs, and the menu were mastered at a high audio level.  However, the actual episodes on the discs were mastered with a very soft audio level.  It's rather frustrating to have to sharply turn the volume down when you put the DVD into the player, and then having to sharply turn the audio back up in order to hear the audio for the episodes.

While I was disappointed with the audio levels and the lack of special features, this set is still a "must get" for any Dragon Ball Z fan that wants all the episodes on DVD.  This 26-episode set sells for anywhere between $30 and $50.  The price is a little disappointing for this set, since you paid the same price for the previous four sets but you get more episodes on the previous volumes.

In order to write this review, I checked out a copy of this DVD box set through the King County Library System.
1872098
The DVD would play,not one of the DVDs would play. Thus they were returned!!
2372018
The first 2 episodes have poor picture quality while the latter 2 episodes are better. Why ? Having experienced the fansub version of the series I was expecting very good picture quality so this was a bit of a nasty surprise. Through noise reduction and sharpening (not forgetting color correction too!) you can get the picture quality to an acceptable levels but I thought that the idea of DVDs was to get rid of these kind of things. Oh well, if you intend to collect the entire series (like me) then you'll have to live with this but my expectations concerning picture quality were higher than what I received. Let us hope that the rest of the DVDs will show an improvement.
4224879
While "The Highlander" has always been one of my favorite movies,  I was greatly disappointed by the Tenth Anniversary DVD.  The sound and picture were lacking,  making my VHS cassette a cleaner option.
Fast forward a few years,  and along comes the "immortal edition."  Promises abound about more material,  better picture and sound quality,  and Bonus Queen music.
Did the new edition deliver?
While the plot and story are the same as always,  quality of the presentation has been rather varied.  The Tenth Anniversery edition was almost painful,  so it was hard to imagine this version not being a step up.  And a step up it was.
However,  it could still be better.  The picture's not as grainy,  and the lips are actually in synch this time,  but there is grain to the picture that's not even present in VHS.  The sound is also a step up,  but it could definitely better.
Part of the lure for me was the Queen material.  The four videos seemed slapped in there (You can even hear the final notes of "The Show Must Go On,"  an unrelated peice of music,  at the beginning of "A Kind of Magic")  And the picture is not up to snuff with the other collections that contain these videos.  Of the three music tracks,  two are available on a Queen CD,  where the mixes of several songs used for "The Highlander,"  which woulda been more appropriate,  are still unavailable.
I recommend the movie itself,  but could not in good conscience promote this edition and reward such a half assed job.  The movie itself recieves 5 stars,  the quality/presentation of it barely even merits 1 star.
2712353
Well I guess I expected more out of this set than what I got. A lot of these movies are B&W and that does not bother me at all. I own a bunch of old movies in that format. It is the quality that is the issue, this is a very poor job of putting these old great movies onto DVD. I am being generous in giving this set 2 stars. I rarely give something such a low rating but even at $20 which is an awesome price it is more than what this set is worth. I was definitely swayed by the positive reviews, shame on me. If your eyesight is poor then just take your glasses off and enjoy the movies.
271971
The movie is great. The widescreen DVD however is horrible. The video is grainy, and at least the disc we got has horrible compression artifacts as well as an aspect ratio change from chapter 16 to chapter 17.

I guess the studio is trying to push us to switch to HD DVD or BluRay.

Overall, the widescreen edition is a waste of money.
3347835
I enjoyed the movie very much but was extremely disappointed in the sub-titles.  They were not shown throughout the movie, were inconsistent and sometimes displayed in a foreign language.  I was also disappointed that the movie was produced in wide screen format only.  It was not as pleasurable to watch on a full screen t.v.  The content and quality of the DVD was excellent, however.
4263452
A lot of effort was put into this boxed set, but you could at least mention somewhere that it has region limitation!
Turns out the DVDs do not work in Europe .. and off course it's not an NTSC issue, as my DVD player can read both PAL and NTSC formats.
So now what? I payed all this cash to get a product that is not working and I can't watch, because it was never mentioned anywhere how it has a region limitation!
3875369
I was really looking forward to watching this set of Indiana Jones DVDs but I have to say I was disappointed. The stories just aren't as good and far more liberties are taken with history. The one episode where Indy is a translator at the Versailles Conference does hit many major flaws in how the peace treaty was written but it also gives way to this "we gave them victory but they threw it away" spiel which would continue to run through the following episodes. While there were a few far-seeing people who saw the treaty terms as too harsh public opinion on the Allied side saw this as just. And Indy's boyhood friend was Paul Robeson?! That would have made it hard for him to get a security clearance when he rejoined the Army in the 1940s. The minidoc which is part of the DVD set made it sound as if he was simply a civil rights activist. Robeson was a communist stooge who would later be awarded the Stalin Prize for his unflagging propagandizing on behalf of the USSR. The minidoc used the term "witch hunt" and trotted out the same tired cliche that there were no communists in Hollywood etc. etc. when we now know there certainly WERE, thanks to records unveiled after the fall of communism.

Harrison Ford's appearance in the Blues episode seems to be this set's one redeeming feature.

It's a pity but at least I didn't spoend any money on this.
1251637
News of the release of Darkside's first season on DVD was long awaited. Unfortunately, the product ultimately delivered was a tremendous disappointment. Please be aware that all of the show's original music has been changed here for every episode as far as I can tell, with the exception of "Inside the Closet", which is presented with its original score. In all fairness to the producers of the set, this music alteration is mentioned on the back of the DVD case, along with a statement about some episodes that may be modified. However, these facts are stated nowhere in the amazon.com product description, so many buyers may find this out after the fact.

  It appears that music library licensing has forced the producers of this set to strip the series of all of its original soundtracks. I find it somewhat difficult to believe that compensatory arrangements couldn't have been made with the original composers or their families in order to allow for this music to be included in the DVD release. Consider the DVD release of The Twilight Zone, for example. Beyond the 4 or 5 major composers that contributed music to that series (Herrmann, Goldsmith, Constant, etc), there were a plethora of other musicians that contributed little musical cues, as confirmed by the new Zone book by Martin Grams. With this in mind, the Zone DVDs still present all of the original music from the series. Again, I find it difficult to believe that the producers of the Darkside DVD set could not have done the same.

  I personally would have paid $20 to $40 more for the set if it included the original music. For me, the inclusion of altered music makes the DVD set utterly unacceptable and unwatchable. For all of its campiness, low production value and overall marginal episode quality, I really feel that the music of this series was well written and indispensable. Some viewers, and especially anyone new to the show, may not care about the altered soundtrack. However, for anyone with even a casual admiration for the series, I would think that the changes made here will be of great concern.

Regarding the picture quality of the DVD release, it appears that no effort was made by the producers to improve upon or re-master the video. This being said, I would not say that the visual quality is poor. It is at best average, but does not take away from the enjoyment of the viewing experience. That said, it is my opinion that the visual quality of the program as aired on the Sci Fi channel is better than what one would get with the DVD release. If nothing else, this is still disappointing.

  There are two other very minor issues that I would like to mention. This is really nitpicking on my part, but hopefully it can be of value to someone. First, the commentary by creator George Romero that is advertised in the product description appears to be nothing more than bits taken from an interview done with him around the time of the creation of the series circa 1983. In other words, Romero has not been actively involved in contributing any new material to the DVD release, which he could easily have done. This is in a way deceptive advertising, as the product description leads one to believe that Romero provided new commentary for the purpose of the DVD release. In addition, this supposed commentary appears as an option for only one episode, the pilot "Trick or Treat". My initial impression after learning of the inclusion of commentary was that Romero would sit down and review at least 5 of the most well written episodes of the season. The second gripe is virtually meaningless, but something that was still disappointing. The show's commercial bumpers are not included in the set. This is trivial, but I cannot help to again reference the DVD release of The Twilight Zone, which does include all of the original show bumpers as each episode went to commercial. In virtually every way, the Zone DVD release is IMO the model for which all other TV programs should strive. Unfortunately, this release came nowhere near to satisfying what the fans of the program deserve.