- Joined
- Feb 8, 1999
- Messages
- 18,408
- Real Name
- Robert Harris
It's not often that quality and popularity coincide on television. It seems that in many cases, something a bit more literate might catch a smaller audience, and not find the success of more simplistic and popular programming.
Downton Abbey is both.
Literate, and filled with the history of the era. Beautifully produced, and yet with just enough of a soap opera ethic to make it a chart-topper.
I had major problems with the original domestic release because the quality of transfer and authoring. Although shot as data, the UK 1080i release became the victim of poor processing toward the 1080p world here in the Colonies. I ended up viewing the UK release, which was not troubled.
The problems have now been fixed, re-packaged, and finally, the special Christmas episode, previously only available as a separate offering, is now included.
While the first season appears to be the same as originally, meaning that the encode is the same, it is not now, nor was it ever problematic. It is the second season that now replicates the UK release -- not simply for content, which is complete and uncut, but rather for authoring and the stuttering problem in the original.
The new release also hits a much friendlier price point ($42), as we wait for Season three to arrive in January of 2013.
Downton Abbey is wonderful programming, and now, in terms of quality, hits proper PBS standards.
Highly Recommended.
RAH
Downton Abbey is both.
Literate, and filled with the history of the era. Beautifully produced, and yet with just enough of a soap opera ethic to make it a chart-topper.
I had major problems with the original domestic release because the quality of transfer and authoring. Although shot as data, the UK 1080i release became the victim of poor processing toward the 1080p world here in the Colonies. I ended up viewing the UK release, which was not troubled.
The problems have now been fixed, re-packaged, and finally, the special Christmas episode, previously only available as a separate offering, is now included.
While the first season appears to be the same as originally, meaning that the encode is the same, it is not now, nor was it ever problematic. It is the second season that now replicates the UK release -- not simply for content, which is complete and uncut, but rather for authoring and the stuttering problem in the original.
The new release also hits a much friendlier price point ($42), as we wait for Season three to arrive in January of 2013.
Downton Abbey is wonderful programming, and now, in terms of quality, hits proper PBS standards.
Highly Recommended.
RAH
