- Joined
- Feb 8, 1999
- Messages
- 18,396
- Real Name
- Robert Harris
I'll answer the question before it appears later in this thread.
"No."
I did not view all 1,320 minutes -- two seasons of HBO's brilliant, episodic Rome to check for quality.
I've been waiting over two years for Rome to arrive on Blu-ray. Back in 2007, I purchased both seasons on standard definition after happening upon occasional episodes in broadcast. The standard definition version did not live up to what I had seen in this hundred million dollars production as aired, and decided not to view it.
I sold the SD boxed sets and waited.
Today, Rome arrived at my door in Blu-ray. I'm not a packaging fanatic. Generally, I prefer plain vanilla Blu-ray plastic. But upon unwrapping, I discovered what most acknowledge. HBO is all about quality. Their products do not suffer poor packaging. Rome is a slipcased book, with each of the ten discs safely ensconced in a very solid, heavy page. The feel and texture of the packaging brings to mind luxuriously bound tomes of an era of handmade books. Each disc yields gracefully and easily from its page, but is in no danger of falling out on its own. Those who may fear damaging the discs during extraction should keep in mind the protective coating on all Blu-rays.
I love the packaging.
As to the 1,320 minutes -- I can only relate to the first hour as the initial episode introduces what will lay ahead.
Photographed in Super 35, and from there taken to 1080p/24, Rome spreads across one's screen with the beauty, horror and destruction that came with the era.
Magnificently photographed, with superb special effects that do not betray their broadcast origins, Rome is as it should be, with rich deep, and subtle blacks, brilliant colors, wonderful shadow detail, and a sharpness and perfection that avoids digital pitfalls, and looks as if 35mm film is being projected.
This is exactly what I expected of HBO, which delivers with perfection.
While neither for children nor those offended by extreme violence and nudity, HBO's Rome will delight those who seek a rich, literate, gorgeously mounted entertainment experience brought to Blu-ray.
With The Sopranos most assuredly on the way, we can set our sights and hopes on Deadwood.
For now, I'm pleased to report that HBO's Rome is Highly Recommended.
RAH
"No."
I did not view all 1,320 minutes -- two seasons of HBO's brilliant, episodic Rome to check for quality.
I've been waiting over two years for Rome to arrive on Blu-ray. Back in 2007, I purchased both seasons on standard definition after happening upon occasional episodes in broadcast. The standard definition version did not live up to what I had seen in this hundred million dollars production as aired, and decided not to view it.
I sold the SD boxed sets and waited.
Today, Rome arrived at my door in Blu-ray. I'm not a packaging fanatic. Generally, I prefer plain vanilla Blu-ray plastic. But upon unwrapping, I discovered what most acknowledge. HBO is all about quality. Their products do not suffer poor packaging. Rome is a slipcased book, with each of the ten discs safely ensconced in a very solid, heavy page. The feel and texture of the packaging brings to mind luxuriously bound tomes of an era of handmade books. Each disc yields gracefully and easily from its page, but is in no danger of falling out on its own. Those who may fear damaging the discs during extraction should keep in mind the protective coating on all Blu-rays.
I love the packaging.
As to the 1,320 minutes -- I can only relate to the first hour as the initial episode introduces what will lay ahead.
Photographed in Super 35, and from there taken to 1080p/24, Rome spreads across one's screen with the beauty, horror and destruction that came with the era.
Magnificently photographed, with superb special effects that do not betray their broadcast origins, Rome is as it should be, with rich deep, and subtle blacks, brilliant colors, wonderful shadow detail, and a sharpness and perfection that avoids digital pitfalls, and looks as if 35mm film is being projected.
This is exactly what I expected of HBO, which delivers with perfection.
While neither for children nor those offended by extreme violence and nudity, HBO's Rome will delight those who seek a rich, literate, gorgeously mounted entertainment experience brought to Blu-ray.
With The Sopranos most assuredly on the way, we can set our sights and hopes on Deadwood.
For now, I'm pleased to report that HBO's Rome is Highly Recommended.
RAH
Definitely gritty and entertaining, though!
