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PLEASE NOTE: Michael D's is currently in READ ONLY MODE. Anything submitted will simply not be written to the database.
Lots of stuff is still broken, but at least reviews can now be looked up and read.
Conquest of the Skies (Blu-ray) (2015)

Conquest of the Skies (Blu-ray) (2015)

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Released 4-Mar-2015

Cover Art

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Details At A Glance

General Extras
Category Documentary Bonus Episode-Making of
Rating Rated G
Year Of Production 2015
Running Time 200
RSDL / Flipper Dual Layered Cast & Crew
Start Up Ads Then Menu
Region Coding 4 Directed By None Given
Studio
Distributor
Sky
Roadshow Home Entertainment
Starring David Attenborough
Case Standard Blu-ray
RPI ? Music None Given


Video Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame None English DTS HD Master Audio 5.1
English Dolby Digital 2.0
Widescreen Aspect Ratio 1.78:1
16x9 Enhancement
16x9 Enhanced
Video Format 1080i
Original Aspect Ratio 1.78:1 Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures No
Subtitles English for the Hearing Impaired Smoking No
Annoying Product Placement No
Action In or After Credits No

NOTE: The Profanity Filter is ON. Turn it off here.

Plot Synopsis

     David Attenborough just keeps on churning out these natural history shows for British television. He does less travelling these days but his dulcet tones and recognisable physical presence continue to grace our screens. This one consists of three 50 minute episodes which focus on the mechanics and development of flight within different groups of living organisms. It includes some wonderful photography and some quite impressive CGI which recreates some of the prehistoric flying animals which are discussed in the show. The three episodes here focus on insects, vertebrates including pre-historic ones, birds and more including how they have battled for aerial supremacy over the ages. The series was made for 3D however this local Blu-ray version is 2D only. There is a 3D Blu-ray available in the UK but not locally.

     This is a visually stunning series with very impressive photography and CGI, however it lacks something in the presentation as the stunning vistas and CGI flying creatures don't seem to gel that well with Attenborough. He doesn't seem comfortable with what is designed to look like seamless interaction. Regardless, there is much to enjoy here for natural history documentary fans on this release.

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Transfer Quality

Video

     The video here is very obviously shot digitally giving it a harsh and possibly too sharp look which may also be to do with the mixture of live action and effects. The colour is very good and the picture sharp, however there is some shimmer and digital noise. Technically it is 1.78:1 and 1080i.

     There are subtitles available in English for the Hearing Impaired. They were clear and easy to read.

Video Ratings Summary
Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

     The main audio on this Blu-ray is a DTS HD-MA 5.1 track in English, plus an English Dolby Digital 2.0 track for those without hi-def sound capability. This is a high quality Blu-ray sound transfer which provides lots of surround ambiance and effects. The dialogue is clear and easy to understand, the music comes across well and the surround speakers provide ambiance and music. The subwoofer also supports the music.

Audio Ratings Summary
Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

Extras

    The extras are quite good.

Menu

    The menu included music and scenes from the show.

Making of (52:50) 

    An extensive making of which covers shooting, CGI development and how the components were combined together. Essentially an extra episode of the show.

R4 vs R1

NOTE: To view non-R4 releases, your equipment needs to be multi-zone compatible and usually also NTSC compatible.

    Both the US and UK versions of this show are 3D Blu-rays. If you have 3D you will probably want to import.

Summary

    A visually stunning exploration of the development of flight.

    The video quality is a bit harsher than I would expect.

    The audio quality is very good.

    The extra is an episode length making of.

Ratings (out of 5)

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall

© Daniel Bruce (Do you need a bio break?)
Thursday, June 11, 2015
Review Equipment
DVDPanasonic DMR-PWT500, using HDMI output
DisplaySharp LC52LE820X Quattron 52" Full HD LED-LCD TV . Calibrated with Ultimate DVD Platinum. This display device is 16x9 capable. This display device has a maximum native resolution of 1080p.
Audio DecoderBuilt into amplifier. Calibrated with Ultimate DVD Platinum.
AmplificationMarantz SR5005
SpeakersMonitor Audio Bronze 2 (Front), Bronze Centre & Bronze FX (Rears) + Sony SAW2500M Subwoofer

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