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    • BLU-RAY REVIEW

    Band Of Brothers

    Featured In Issue 162, December 2011

    Picture4.5
    Sound5
    WSR Score5
    Basic Information on new release titles is posted as soon as titles are announced. Once reviewed, additional data is added to the database.
    (Studio/Distributor):
    HBO Home Video
    (Catalog Number):
    4000031915
    (MPAA Rating):
    Not Rated
    (Rating Reason):
    (Retail Price):
    $
    (Disc Type):
    Single Side, Dual Layer (BD-50)
    (Widescreen Edition):
    Yes
    (Full Screen Edition):
    No
    (Running Time In Minutes):
    705
    (Color Type):
    Color
    (Chaptered/Scene Access):
    Yes
    (Closed Captioned):
    Yes
    (Regional Coding):
    Not Indicated
    (Theatrical Year):
    2001
    (Theatrical Release):
    No
    (Direct-To-Video Release):
    Yes
    (Disc Release Date):
    11/08/11
    (THX® Digitally Mastered):
    No
    (Director):
    Phil Alden Robinson, Richard Loncraine, Mikael Salomon, David Nutter, Tom Hanks, David Leland, David Frankel, Tony To & David Frankel
    (Screenplay/Written By):
    (Story):
    (Music):
    (Director Of Photography):
    (Production Designer):
    (Visual Effects):
    (Costume Designer):
    (Editor):
    (Supervising Sound Editors):
    (Re-Recording Mixers):
    (Executive Producers):
    (Co-Producers):
    (Producers):
    (Academy Awards):
    (Principal Photography):
    (Theatrical Aspect Ratio):
    (Measured Disc Aspect Ratio):
    (Disc Soundtrack):
    Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo, DTS HD Lossless 5.1
    (Theatrical Sound):
    (Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
    (DTS Bit Rate):
    (Dolby Digital Bit Rate):
    (Additional Languages):
    (French Language):
    (Spanish Language):
    (Chinese Language):
    (Subtitles):
    (Cantonese Language):
    (Mandarin Language):
    (Japanese Language):
    (Italian Language):
    (German Language):
    (Portuguese Language):

    Based on the book by Stephen E. Ambrose, Band Of Brothers is the Golden Globe-winning 10-part HBO series about the volunteer parachute regiment who found themselves at the forefront of World War II. Starting with their rigorous training in Georgia in 1942, it recounts the achievements of the elite rifle company from D-Day to the fall of Nazi Germany, and the surrender of Japan. (Suzanne Hodges)

    Special features includes the 80-minute We Stand Alone Together: The Men Of Easy Company documentary, a 30-minute behind-the-scenes Making-Of Band Of Brothers featurette, a 12-part video diary belonging to actor Ron Livingston, and a three-minute glimpse at the premiere screening of Band Of Brothers at Normandy.

    Originally reviewed in Issue 138, the 1.78:1 1080p VC-1 picture quality purposely reflects a dated, rough appearance with washed-out sepia overtones in which brown hues are prevalent. Thus, color fidelity is intentionally distorted. Overall, the images appear natural, and compared to the actual HBO HD broadcast, the picture looks far more pleasing. Resolution is a bit soft, but overall sharpness and clarity in close-ups are rendered well. Fleshtones appear touched up at times, exhibiting an unnatural appearance, but at others times they look perfectly natural. Skies are often gray, and bright sunny daylight is subdued. Blacks are deep and shadow delineation is excellent. Noise and other artifacts, including edge enhancement, are not too noticeable, except for slight grain. Overall, dimensionally is excellent. The quality is consistent throughout the series, presented on five discs. The cinematography is superb and creates realism that is satisfying throughout. (Gary Reber)

    The DTS-HD Master Audio™ 5.1-soundtrack, while well recorded, sounds a bit dated, perhaps intentionally. Slightly distorted, and at times muffled, the sound is not as refined and clear as it could have been. Dialogue is generally intelligible throughout but far forward in level, as is the center-channel content compared to the other channels. Front-channel directionality, with planes flying in various directions, gunfire, and other sound effects is often impressive. At times the surrounds ignite with aggressive directionalized energy. This is especially true during intense fighting scenes. Such directional elements and smooth pans really are impressive. At times the soundfield is holosonic®, with excellent surround envelopment, both aggressive and subtlety ambient. Bass extension during war scenes is deep and solid, extending to near or below 25 Hz in all channels, as well as the LFE .1 channel. The music score is sweeping and nicely presented. Overall, there are no glaring inconsistencies between the episodes on the five discs. The added DTS® lossless soundtrack is a real plus to what otherwise is typically Dolby® Digital lossy compressed soundtracks on television series. (Gary Reber)

    Reason #67 Why Readers Love Widescreen Review:

    Widescreen Review is by far the most in-depth and comprehensive publication in its genre. Readers of all levels of expertise can increase their knowledge and enhance their enjoyment of the Home Theatre experience. Widescreen Review is one of the few, if not the only publication, that actually affects manufacturer’s decisions in regards to their product lines. I believe one of the reasons DTS decoding is so common in consumer equipment is due to the efforts of Gary Reber and his associates. Additionally, the magazine has heralded the importance of a properly calibrated video monitor. Consumers who are so inclined now have the information needed in order for their equipment, from entry level to state-of-the-art, to be the best that it can be. Add to this the software reviews, articles on emerging technologies, and meticulous equipment reviews, and you have a magazine that sets the standard for others to emulate. This is why I read Widescreen Review.

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