24 Season 2 DVD's - inferior PQ than season 1? (1 Viewer)

[Sean Patrick]

I don't know....i'm more than halfway through season 2 now, and my wife and i both agree (she's not usually picky about picture quality) than Season 2 of 24 is seriously lacking picture-wise when compared to the VERY sharp and highly detailed dvd's of season 1.

it's almost like the season 2 discs are at half bit-rate or something. they also appear much murkier and very SOFT.

what's even stranger is that the season 2 preview disc looked REALLy good, just like the first season. those same episodes look murkier in the boxed set!!!

anyone else disappointed in season 2's picture quality?? what could have caused this??

 

[Chad A Wright]

Actually, it seemed to be better on my set. I was highly dissapointed in the first few discs of Season 1. Season 2, by contrast seems a lot sharper. However, I've only made it through the first disc on Season 2.

 

[Sean Patrick]

the first episode of season 1 had a lot of compression artifacts, but after that it looked VERY good.

Season 2 just looks very soft to me. And i really think the preview disc of season 2 is sharper than the final product in the boxed set, almost as if the bit rate on the new box is unneccesarily low.

the episodes just seem very dark. i'm hoping this was intentional but i really think these new dvd's are far less detailed than season 1.

 

[Joshua Moran]

Well here is the reason why. The preview disc uses less compression because there are only 2 episodes on the disc. The final product has 4 episodes per disc. Which uses much more compression to fit 4 hours of content on a single DVD.

 

[Sean Patrick]

obviously that's true, but the preview disc had PQ more like season 1 (which also had 4 episodes per disc).

i am very familiar with the season 1 boxed set (seen it all the way through twice) and i am convinced there is far more compression on the new box.

maybe because of the deleted scenes, new menus, commentaries, etc??? maybe they're just cramming too much in??

 

[Joshua Moran]

I feel the the PQ is the same as season 1. Both suffer from to much compression. And is really noticable on outside scenes just look at the clouds and sky.

 

[Andy Overby]

How about the special feature on the Season 2 disk???

They have the ability to branch the deleted/extended scenes right into the show. Does this type of stuff take up alot of space??? I dont know, but maybe..

Doesnt really matter though....Its one hell of a show!!

-A

 

[Dan Rudolph]

Well here is the reason why. The preview disc uses less compression because there are only 2 episodes on the disc. The final product has 4 episodes per disc. Which uses much more compression to fit 4 hours of content on a single DVD.

But the preview disc was one layer. So they have roughly the same amount of material to a layer.

 

[Sean Patrick]

yes the quality of the show makes this pretty much a non-issue, i'm just suprised everyone else thinks it looks great and/or as good as season 1. season 1 looked great, season 2 looks murky. BTW - i am watching on a 38" 16:9 via progressive scan. maybe on smaller sets it looks better?

 

[Joshua Moran]

the demo disc only has 1 audio stream as well. which probably saved some room for PQ

 

[Sean Patrick]

i just think it's unfortunate that a freebie disc has better PQ than the final product.

 

[Dan Rudolph]

I'm through disc 3 now and I'm noticing what appears to be color banding. Particularly in the backgrounds. I don't remember S1 being like this.

 

[Sean Patrick]

disc 3 is the disc that made me start this thread. it was those episodes in particular that i thought looked like soft, muddy messes compared to season 1. i also noticed the banding in the backgrounds that you mentioned.

luckily by disc 5 things seem to be back to the quality of season 1. i just wish the overall prensentation was more consistent. the only episode that looked soft (and compressed) in season 1 was the first episode. that one had moments that actually looked softer and muddier than anything on season 2's 2nd or 3rd discs.