ScreenScribe

Could Prime have found its new Downton Abbey? The channel will screen in HD the new Julian Fellowes adaptation, Doctor Thorne, 7.30 Thursdays from March 31. His spin on the Anthony Trollope novel stars Tom Hollander (The Night Manager, Rev) as a village doctor in the 1870s and Ian McShane as an alcoholic railway baron; Humans’ Rebecca Front, […]

“Presented in 1.78:1 1080p AVC, True Detective Season Two looks exceptional on Blu-ray. “The influence of film noir on this season is obvious, and as a result, quite a bit of it takes place in moody lighting or darkness. “The subtlety of shadow crossing into the light, the detail in skin and clothing texture, and […]

“Ant-Man looks great on Blu-ray. The 1.85:1 framing helps accentuate the movie’s contrasting ‘large’ and ‘small’  visuals  and the Blu-ray captures that sense of large scale scope, evident even on surfaces far smaller than standard theater screens.” “Detail is excellent, adding superior texture and clarity, and providing all of this with no signs of digital defects, […]

Local Blu-ray buyers again are shortchanged with this week’s release of three TV series on disc. Downton Abbey: A Moorland Holiday is the Christmas special that’s just aired on Prime. In the US, it’s been bundled with season five but here it has to be bought separately. And only the 2D versions of the David […]

Quickflix has launched a TV streaming initiative in HD for subscribers and casual customers alike. Quickflix has had a patchy track record for HD delivery but a spokeswoman says all the new TV titles will be “available in HD provided the relevant viewing device supports that resolution”. According to the press release, shows include Downton Abbey, […]

There’s nothing chequered about the HD quality of this week’s flagship release, racing car drama Rush. “Rush looks every bit as good as a recent theatrical release should courtesy of yet another terrific 1080p/AVC-encoded video transfer from Universal. “Colours are desaturated but beautifully so, with lovely, sunstruck skin tones, rich black levels and excellent contrast. […]

Here’s an early Christmas present for HD TV fans: Doctor Who, Downton Abbey and Top Gear could soon be screening here in 1080i. Following its exclusive content deals with CBS Studios International and 20th Century Fox Television, Sky at last is preparing to upgrade its free-to-air channel, Prime, to HD. “It’s been mooted for some […]

Two HD series that suffered in SD on Prime — Under the Dome and Downton Abbey — get a 1080p spruce-up this week on Blu-ray. “Under the Dome fares well on Blu-ray. The HD video photography delivers a very clean, accurate image. Daytime exteriors are particularly stunning.” “I was simply delighted by the 5.1 DTS-HD […]

If you missed Prime’s Sunday night broadcast of the 2012 Downton Abbey Christmas special, Journey to the Highlands, it will be released next week on DVD and Blu-ray. Seeing this movie-length episode in HD might at least make up for what most critics thought were shortcomings worse than its SD transmission on Prime. Among the […]

The Miami vice drama, Magic City, heads a TV-on-Blu bonanza that includes a special edition of Game of Thrones’ first season, the latest seasons of Downton Abbey and Supernatural, and HD remasters of classics Star Trek: The Next Generation, Life on Earth and Trials of Life. “Magic City: The Complete First Season rolls onto Blu-ray with a polished and […]