New to Blu: TV & ‘Toons > May 23-29

True Blood: The Complete Fourth Season lands on Blu-ray “superbly rendered and vastly superior to the series’ 1080i broadcasts in every way”.

That was an American reviewer’s thoughts on the Blu-ray-versus-the HD broadcast, so imagine how much better season four will look to NZ fans after its shabby SD trnasmission on Prime.

“Like always, HBO has released another stellar looking season of True Blood. Shining and shimmering in 1080p the shadow-cast show features some wonderfully refined detail, inky shadows, and technically proficient visuals.”

“HBO’s DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track is a bloody bayou treat too, dragging listeners, kicking and screaming if need be, into True Blood‘s steamy shifter swamps, rowdy werewolf bars, dusty Wiccan shops, underground vampire clubs, and serene fairy fantasy worlds.”

Also here at last is season one of Nikita. “Fans and newcomers alike will be blown away …

“Its steel-blue Division interiors, striking primaries, alluring skintones and ruthless black levels rarely falter. Fine detail excels as well with crisp, well-resolved textures, razor-wire edges, refined closeups, consistent clarity and excellent delineation.”

Season two of Rome is being re-issued on Blu-ray this week as are the first two Alvin & the Chipmunks movies in a box set with the latest, Chipwrecked (“top-notch picture and sound”).

Available to buy for the first time on Blu-ray — and on any format since it went out of print on DVD — is The Beatles: Yellow Submarine.

According to a press release about the 1968 animated classic’s worldwide re-release, “The film has been restored in 4K digital resolution for the first time by Paul Rutan J. and his team of specialists at Triage Motion Picture Services and Eque Inc.

“Due to the delicate nature of the hand-drawn original artwork, no automated software was used in the digital clean-up of the film’s restored photochemical elements. This was all done by hand, frame by frame.”

And in in his essay for the DVD and Blu-ray packages, Yellow Submarine aficionado John Lasseter, the chief creative officer of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios, writes: “As a fan of animation and as a filmmaker, I tip my hat to the artists of Yellow Submarine, whose revolutionary work helped pave the way for the fantastically diverse world of animation that we all enjoy today.”

The week’s other tune-full releases are One Direction: Up All Night – The Live Tour and Queen & Paul Rodgers: Return of the Champions.