New to Blu: September 23 – 29

The Last Ship: The Complete First Season

“This show’s 1.78:1 1080p picture quality is absolutely splendid. With a pretty effective mix of practical effects and CGI, detail rarely falters during the big ‘Wow!’ shots of the ship, or during tight quarters combat sequences. Colours are bright and beautiful – especially the colour blue considering the numerous shots of the ship sailing through the ocean. In later episodes greens and reds get to have more pop and presence.”

“The only casualty are the shadows, which tend to crush a bit. Otherwise, all is as it’s meant to be. Contrast is consistent (even when it’s consistently overheated), primaries pop, black levels are rich and inky, and detail is crisp and revealing. Edges are refined, without any significant ringing or aliasing. Textures are well-resolved, and aren’t impeded by noise, artifacting or banding.”

“The 5.1 mix is excellent in immersing the viewer into explosive fight sequences and atmosphere. Bass is deep and satisfying and dialogue clear and at a suitable level in the mix. Surrounds are constantly in use whether in the confines of the battle ship, or the arctic expanse or in the jungle confines. Overall this is an excellent example of high definition audio which is well designed and implemented.”

The Flash: The Complete First Season

“The producers behind The Flash did not skimp on production design or on the special effects budgets and everything on screen comes through in vivid glory with this 1.78:1 1080p presentation. Detail levels are absolutely flawless allowing the viewer to fully appreciate the intricate costuming, the meticulous makeup of Barry’s laboratory, as well as facial features and makeup effects. Thankfully the show didn’t undercook the CGI as most effects blend into the image seamlessly and, with the exception of a couple occasions, the effects never look out of place.”

“A TV series won’t boast movie-quality audio, but the shows delivered reasonably involving material. Much of the track maintained a forward emphasis, but action scenes managed to use the back speakers in an effective manner. With the Flash’s running, explosions, storms and other components, the soundscape managed to pack a pretty good punch.”

Sons of Anarchy: The Final Season

“Unquestionably the best the series has ever looked on Blu-ray, there are no anomalies at all with outstanding sharpness in every shot, colour that is rich and true with superb skin tones, and contrast which is always consistently maintained. Black levels are reference quality with impressive shadow detail.”

“Despite the darkness of the series, most of the show is filmed in broad daylight, which tends to help the detail, as the fictional town of Charming comes to life with the sharp picture and vivid colours. Contrast also plays a big role in making the setting feel lifelike. Blacks are generally full-bodied and offer a great range in terms of shadow delineation, running from gray to solid black without a hint of crush or banding anywhere.”

“Sons of Anarchy: The Complete Final Season is presented in a lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track and it’s wonderful. The mix perfectly utilises the surround channels that picks up and takes you right into the action, be it during a showdown or on the open road, while the dialogue remains crisp and clear throughout. There were no noticeable audio dropouts or distortions throughout the set.”

Also new are seasons three of Arrow, six of The Vampire Diaries, five of Adventure Time (part one) and the BBC Earth series, Enchanted Kingdom.

Leading the movie releases on BD are A Royal Night Out, Infinitely Polar Bear and a box set repackaging of the James Bond movies.

Other newcomers include The Harvest, Child 44, Book of Life, Careful What You Wish For, Against the Sun, Firewalker and Barely Lethal.