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A Few questions about the DS9 DVDs

post #1 of 9
3/2/06 at 2:22pm
Thread Starter 
I'm finally able to get this series, and wanted an idea of what to expect, not in terms of episodes (already know them and love them) but rather what people thought of regarding the image and sound quality. Sure, I could have (and did) read reviews, but everyone has their own way of seeing these things.

Just a couple of questions:

-How is the 5.1 on these sets? I've read things such as very little surround activity in battle sequences, distortions in the main title sequence (which I would NEVER skip over- I love the DS9 theme, and can't wait to hear both versions in 5.1) and some episodes/seasons without any surround at all.

I had only three purchased episodes on VHS from different seasons, and even they looked great, so I assume the video quality will be at least broadcast standard.

-the BIG question: Are there common DVD glitches/freeze-ups/all around problems I should check out first? For example, 'pop in disc 4 of season 7 because in the first episode on the disc there is a _______ error....'

It's the big 48 disc complete series set, and I want to know up front if there are issues I should check out on this pricey set before watching it all the way through.

Thanks in advance!
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post #2 of 9
3/2/06 at 4:03pm
All the seasons of Deep Space Nine are similar in terms of video encoding. The picture isn't tack sharp, but it looks nice overall (better than TNG). There are compression artifacts in some dark, smoky, hard to compress action scenes - minor macroblocking and "drifting" pixels. Color is excellent throughout.

The 5.1 experience is average for TV product from the era. It's not immersive, but it is okay. I believe the distortions in the title sequence you refer to were limited to a certain brand of DVD player - it was a DEcoding issue, not an ENcoding issue.

The only widespread "glitch" I recall is a minor sync issue in one episode (I don't remember the episode or season, but it was one episode in one of the last three seasons). While I was able to notice it after reading of complaints, I only found it noticeable in a couple of sequences - and I wasn't convinced that it was an encoding issue - it looked like poor looping in post-production.

If you have read the HTF review threads for seasons 4-7, there is discussion of the noted distortion and sync issues.

All this talk of DS9... I might have to start from the beginning again...

-Scott
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post #3 of 9
3/2/06 at 5:02pm
I seem to recall that a lot of people had an issue with the "Sons Of Mogh" episode in season 4. There was something about a freeze-up, maybe, early on in the episode. I recall watching mine without any issues at all.

I got all seven seasons individually. Some new, some slightly used on eBay, and we've watched them all twice through without any problems.

Harry
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post #4 of 9
3/2/06 at 5:11pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks, guys - I read Scott's reviews and corresponding review comments last night, but I figured I'd ask only because it's been a couple of years, and first impressions/viewings are long out of the way so anyone with these sets has a firm grip on their flaws ...if any (and I certainly don't mean the series itself!)
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post #5 of 9
3/2/06 at 6:08pm
Searching the old reviews, it is Sons of Mogh from season four that supposedly exhibits the syncing problem.

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...nc#post1721037
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post #6 of 9
3/6/06 at 5:51am
A lot of people had problems playing the season 5 episode "Let He Who Is Without Sin." That episode would not play for me at all. They had an 800 number at the time to send you a replacement disc. You might want to check that one out just to make sure.
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post #7 of 9
3/6/06 at 2:34pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks. I have to wait though, as the shipping was delayed by a day.
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post #8 of 9
3/6/06 at 3:02pm
I had no problems with any freezing or skipping on any of the episodes. The 5.1 isn't all that noticeable, but it's not bad either. I had a blast watching through the entire series again in order when I first bought the DVDs.
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post #9 of 9
3/9/06 at 7:42am
Thread Starter 
Now that the box set has arrived, I must say this -

Because I generally watch DVDs on my LCD computer monitor (don't have a big screen TV, and this monitor is great for viewing anamorphic images without those aliasing lines - perfect picture) I found that the image quality was horrible...but on my standard 20" TV, it looked fantastic. That was a surprise.

The audio is interesting. I found the 5.1 to be interesting, in that it's more or less the same stereo mix heard in both front and rear channels, but the rears are either missing or simply lowering the volume on specific sounds, so there's a bit of difference.

I LOVE the opening titles. Always have, and I would never, ever think of skipping them. I say this because of all the times I read about people frustrated that the chapter marks are sometimes misplaced, preventing them from avoiding the titles altogether.

I noticed come things about the music in the titles, specifically the season 4-7 arrangement:

"The Way Of The Warrior", the first episode to feature the new version of Dennis McCarthy's theme, is slightly different here than in subsequent episodes- cymbals and the bass rhythm are more pronounced than in later episodes.

The chimes are not present in the surrounds, which I found surprising...I imagined that those chimes would be highlighted in the surrounds, making for a more enveloping listen.

I am going to view the series from beginning to end, but there were things I wanted to check out first.
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