James May's Cars of the People (2015) |
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General | Extras | ||
Category | Documentary | None | |
Rating | |||
Year Of Production | 2015 | ||
Running Time | 150:19 | ||
RSDL / Flipper | Dual Layered | Cast & Crew | |
Start Up | Menu | ||
Region Coding | 4 | Directed By | None Given |
Studio
Distributor |
Roadshow Home Entertainment |
Starring | James May |
Case | ? | ||
RPI | ? | Music | None Given |
Video | Audio | ||
Pan & Scan/Full Frame | None | English Dolby Digital 2.0 | |
Widescreen Aspect Ratio | 1.78:1 | ||
16x9 Enhancement |
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Video Format | 576i (PAL) | ||
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 |
Another Top Gear related release has hit the shelves in addition to the two I have reviewed recently. This release is branded Top Gear, however it is a free standing documentary series hosted by James May only. It is entitled James May's Cars of the People and explores how cars came to the masses in terms of affordability and availability. It is closer to a serious documentary than most Top Gear product, however it certainly still contains enough 'cocking about' to satisfy a Top Gear fan. Considering the recent demise of the show in its most popular form, this product may be just what you need to get you through your withdrawal symptoms.
The show consists of three 50 minute episodes, so contains more content than many of these specials. The first episode focuses on cars produced by totalitarian regimes including the Volkswagen Beetle, Trabants, Fiat 500 and the Fiat 124 which became the basis of the Lada. He discusses and reveals their foibles, successes and whether or not 'the people' actually got them or not. The second episode turns its attention to cars produced both in England and continental Europe after World War II when road congestion started to become a problem and materials were hard to get. A large range of European micro cars are included, three wheeler English cars made to avoid rules which applied to cars, Japanese K-Cars and more. This episode includes a race challenge and some silliness involving French cars and their readiness or otherwise for war. The third episode completes the series by focusing on aspirational peoples cars including everything from a Rolls Royce Silver Shadow to a Ford Mustang and the Ford Capri. More challenges and silliness ensue in addition to some solid facts and information.
This is an enjoyable show and if you sometimes wish Top Gear had more about the cars themselves you will certainly enjoy this series. It is interesting and certainly would be enjoyed by car enthusiasts. Recommended.
The video quality is decent.
The series is presented in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio which is the original aspect ratio. It is 16x9 enhanced.
The picture was reasonably sharp throughout. The shadow detail was good.
The colour was good without being great and there was some chroma noise and cross colourisation at times.
There was quite a bit of simmering/digital noise on display plus some MPEG grain and aliasing.
There are subtitles available in English for the Hearing Impaired which are clear and easy to read.
There is no obvious layer change during playback.
Sharpness | |
Shadow Detail | |
Colour | |
Grain/Pixelization | |
Film-To-Video Artefacts | |
Film Artefacts | |
Overall |
The audio quality is good.
This disc contains a English soundtrack in Dolby Digital 2.0.
Dialogue was generally clear and easy to hear and understand. The music used added to the show and sounded good.
The surround speakers and subwoofer were not used.
Dialogue | |
Audio Sync | |
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts | |
Surround Channel Use | |
Subwoofer | |
Overall |
The menu included music and motion.
NOTE: To view non-R4 releases, your equipment needs to be multi-zone compatible and usually also NTSC compatible.
This show is available in the UK in the same format and also on Blu-ray.
The video quality is decent but nothing special.
The audio quality is good.
The extras were left in a Lada by mistake.Video | |
Audio | |
Extras | |
Plot | |
Overall |
Review Equipment | |
DVD | Panasonic DMR-PWT500, using HDMI output |
Display | Sharp 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 Decoder | Built into amplifier. Calibrated with Ultimate DVD Platinum. |
Amplification | Marantz SR5005 |
Speakers | Monitor Audio Bronze 2 (Front), Bronze Centre & Bronze FX (Rears) + Sony SAW2500M Subwoofer |