MTV 20-Collection (2003)

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   Music compilations - don'tcha love em? There's nothing I like better when I am doing my Jamie Oliver impression on a Saturday evening than putting a music DVD on the box as I am weaving my magic around a smoking wok, a glass of Chardy in hand and a song in my heart! Compilations allow you to indulge yourself - I can ignore those tracks I don't enjoy (distracted by some frenetic chopping) and then give my full attention to that hidden gem, as the chicken burns spitefully over my shoulder.

    The MTV 20 Collection indulges me more than any other collection I have come across. It is a diverse mixture of videos, ranging from some absolute classics to some utter dreck that I would gladly never watch (or hear) again. There is a good likelihood that if you are under fifty there will be enough good stuff within this collection to satisfy. And as for the dreck - well if you have kids, they will probably love it. "One man's meat is another man's murder" has never rung more true than with this eclectic collection.

    This compilation features three previously released DVD discs, along with a short fourth Bonus Disc available only as part of this set. Collectively the four discs encompass fifty-two videos. The discs are presented in a black case, about twice the thickness of a standard Amaray case. Inside, the discs are attached to either side of two hinged leaves - quite a reasonable solution. The videos are grouped into themed collections on each disc. Disc 1 (Pop) presents some lovely hits from the likes of Chumbawumba, Tears For Fears, Smashmouth and Semisonic with the odd lemon from the likes of Lionel Richie or Aqua. The second disc (Rock) offers some more gems from the likes of Aerosmith, Primus, Everclear and blink-182 and has to be my personal choice of the bunch. Now, for those who are more into funk/R&B the third disc (Jams) will be a gem - for me it is a nightmare of dross from the likes of De La Soul, R. Kelly and Juvenile, with the odd half-decent offering from the likes of Monica - sorry baby, but with the exception of Run-DMC it's just not my bag.

    The fourth disc (Bonus Jams) contains only six videos, but includes some more modern classic acts and the full track list is as follows: Technotronic - Pump Up The Jam, House Of Pain - Jump Around, Chemical Brothers - Setting Sun, Fluke - Atom Bomb, Moby - Bodyrock and Jungle Brothers - Get Down.

    If you enjoy a very wide range of music, then this collection may prove to be a really worthwhile addition to your music catalogue. If, like me, you lean towards the Rock end of the spectrum, you will find that some of this collection is wasted space. In trying to please the widest possible audience, MTV has managed to produce a collection which will please very few for the entire duration. The Bonus disc contains very little, but does offer some decent "house" type stuff (forgive my terminology if it's wrong - I am nearly 40 you know!). This collection is to be applauded for its attempt to present the diverse range of music available on MTV - but on the other hand, some of the video choices seem to be driven by a hidden commercial agenda rather than artistic merit - there is some dross here, and endless major omissions if this is supposed to represent 20 years of MTV. Recommended - to those with an eclectic taste in music.

   If you are a rocker, married to an R&B freak with pop-mad kids this collection will be an absolute must buy. If you fall firmly into the Rock, Pop, Soul or House camps then you should look further afield for your musical fix (perhaps to the individual releases?).

    The video quality is perfectly acceptable given the diverse ages of the source videos.

    The audio quality is generally good with no major defects - the 5.1 mix in particular, generally rocks.

    The extra features are few, but may entertain fans of music trivia and help increase the value of the package slightly.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall

MTV 20-Pop (2001)

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General		Extras
Category	Music	Menu Animation & Audio Biographies-Cast Informational Subtitles-On-Screen Trivia Easter Egg-MTV promotional clips
Rating
Year Of Production	2001
Running Time	71:32
RSDL / Flipper	RSDL (49:52)	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	2,4	Directed By	Various
Studio Distributor	Warner Vision	Starring	Various
Case	Soft Brackley-Transp
RPI	$39.95	Music	Various

Video		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	Full Frame	English Dolby Digital 5.1 (448Kb/s) English Dolby Digital 2.0 (224Kb/s)
Widescreen Aspect Ratio	None
16x9 Enhancement	No
Video Format	576i (PAL)
Original Aspect Ratio	1.33:1	Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures	Yes
Subtitles	English Information	Smoking	No
		Annoying Product Placement	No
		Action In or After Credits	No

    On August 1 1981, a new dedicated music channel was launched in the US - MTV. Twenty years on, it has grown beyond all expectations.

    MTV20: Pop is a disc containing fifteen different pop video clips that have aired on MTV over the last twenty years. These clips are separated by short interview segments with some of the featured bands and various other groups. In addition to the interview segments, a small number of MTV promotional clips are also placed between tracks.

    The bands featured on this disc are as follows: Gary Numan, A Flock of Seagulls, Naked Eyes, The Fixx, Big Country, Elvis Costello, Lionel Ritchie, The Thompson Twins, Tears For Fears, Lisa Stansfield, Aqua, Smash Mouth, Chumbawamba, K-ci & JoJo, and Semisonic. If I was selecting a collection of fifteen different pop clips from the past twenty years, I would have a drastically different list as I expect most other people would. The selection of these clips is quite unusual as a number of these clips did not even make the top 10 in the charts and would not be classified as pop classics by most people.

    One annoying issue with the disc is that viewers are unable to just watch the video clips. Each clip is authored as a single chapter but this chapter also contains interview segments or MTV promos. An option to play just the music videos would have been appreciated.

    If you really enjoy the songs included on the disc then I would suggest that you take a look at this disc, but I feel that most viewers would expect more from a collection of the best pop songs from the last two decades.

Video

    Due to the range in quality of the source materials utilized, the quality of the transfer varies considerably throughout.

    Each of the videos appear to be presented in their original aspect ratio with the majority of the transfer presented at a ratio of 1.33:1. The videos for Promises, Promises, Hold Me Now, and Barbie Girl are all presented at an aspect ratio of approximately 1.85:1. The video for Shout is presented at approximately 1.78:1 and the video for Closing Time is presented at approximately 2.35:1. None of these videos are 16x9 enhanced.

    The sharpness varies throughout this transfer and may be directly linked to the age of the clips. Some of the oldest clips are quite soft but by the end of the feature the modern clips are significantly sharper. Some low level noise may be seen constantly during the first ten clips and also during some segments during Walkin' On The Sun. For the first series of clips, this low level noise is inherent in the source material and is not a fault of the transfer, but its occurrence during Walkin' On The Sun is unexpected. This low level noise is slightly distracting to the viewer.

    The colour presented varies throughout the transfer and ranges from slightly muted, during early clips such as I Ran, to extremely vibrant and highly saturated in Barbie Girl. The colours for all clips appear to be accurately reproduced.

    No MPEG artefacts were detected during the transfer.

    Some minor instances of aliasing were visible at 67:13 during Closing Time. Two instances of moiré artefact were also visible during this clip at 66:55 and 68:33. These artefacts were slightly distracting to the viewer.

    Some minor film artefacts may be seen during most of the early clips with obvious examples visible at 6:50, 19:16 and 23:10.

    A number of NTSC to PAL conversion artefacts may be seen during the Barbie Girl clip and at 0:40 and 56:33. These artefacts are quite minor and are not distracting to the viewer. Three analogue tape errors may be seen at 3:29, 17:06 and 44:47, but as these only last for a single frame they are not distracting.

    During a number of clips, some obvious edge enhancement is visible. Some examples of this may be seen at 1:49, 3:02, 3:11, 33:15, and 62:08. The result is moderately distracting to the viewer.

    Excessive contrast may be seen during the Walkin' On The Sun clip. This may have been intentional but this does seem unusual for a clip of this age. An instance of posterization may be seen at 51:24 but due to its short duration it is not disturbing.

    Two subtitle streams are included on this disc. The first is a series of comments about the tracks and is presented like the comments seen in MTV's pop-up videos. The second subtitle stream contains no information.

The layer change occurs at 49:52 during a natural fade to black part way through Chapter 10 and is unlikely to be detected by most viewers.

Video Ratings Summary

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

Audio

    The lyrics are always clear and easy to understand.

    As with many music video clips, there are often very slight problems with audio sync but this is expected by the viewer and easily overlooked. No dropouts were detected at any stage during the transfer.

    The surround and subwoofer channels are used extensively throughout the transfer. Some viewers may find this new remix of the audio distracting and the inclusion of the original 2.0 PCM mix would have been appreciated.

Audio Ratings Summary

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

Menu

    The minimally animated menu is presented at an aspect ratio of 1.33:1

Biographies

    This is a collection of biographical information, given in point form, and selected discographies for each of the featured artists.

On-Screen Trivia

    Selecting this option will allow the viewer to activate the first subtitle stream containing short trivia items, such as a song's time in the charts or specific details about an artist. This set of subtitles may also be selected by the viewer via the remote.

Easter Eggs

    By pressing the up arrow on the remote when the Extra Features item is highlighted on the main menu the viewer is presented with one of four different clips. These clips are short MTV promotional items and they include one of the segments seen during the main feature. These clips appear to be chosen at random and may also be viewed as Titles 3 to 6.

    Both versions of this film appear to be identical and I therefore would have no preference for either version.

    MTV20: Pops is a collection of music videos that will surprise many viewers by their selection. If you enjoy these clips then this disc may be worth checking out but I feel that many viewers will be disappointed.

    The video transfer is acceptable but it does emphasize the original low production values of the early clips.

    The surround mixes will be enjoyed by some viewers but I feel that many people will be disappointed with the exclusion of a PCM 2.0 mix.

    The biographies and trivia are quite interesting for viewers but it would have been nice to seen some background information on MTV itself provided.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall

MTV 20-Rock (2001)

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General		Extras
Category	Music	Main Menu Audio & Animation Biographies-Cast Discography Informational Subtitles-Fast Facts And Short Stats Easter Egg-4 MTV promotional items
Rating
Year Of Production	2001
Running Time	75:49
RSDL / Flipper	RSDL (50:30)	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	2,4	Directed By	Various
Studio Distributor	Warner Vision	Starring	Various
Case	Click
RPI	$39.95	Music	Various

Video		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	Full Frame	English Dolby Digital 5.1 (448Kb/s) English Dolby Digital 2.0 (224Kb/s)
Widescreen Aspect Ratio	None
16x9 Enhancement	No
Video Format	576i (PAL)
Original Aspect Ratio	1.33:1	Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures	Yes
Subtitles	English Information French Italian German Spanish	Smoking	Yes
		Annoying Product Placement	No
		Action In or After Credits	No

    On August 1 1981, a new dedicated music channel was launched in the US. This channel was, of course, MTV and twenty years on it has grown beyond all expectations.

    MTV20: Rock is a disc containing sixteen different rock video clips that have aired on MTV over the last twenty years. These clips are separated by short interview segments with some of the featured bands. In addition to the interview segments, a small number of MTV promotional clips are also placed between tracks.

    The bands featured on this disc are as follows: Robert Palmer, The Cult, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jesus Jones, Aerosmith, Counting Crows, Soundgarden, Blues Traveler, Primus, Everclear, Goldfinger, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Monster Magnet, Cake, blink-182 and Godsmack.

    One annoying issue with this disc is that viewers are unable to just watch the video clips. Each clip is authored as a single chapter but this also contains interview segments or MTV promos. An option to play just the music videos would have been appreciated by most viewers.

    This disc is the third and final release from this series of video collections from MTV. The first two releases, Pop and Jams, contain a similar number of video clips with an almost identical presentation. The selection of video clips in this series is quite disappointing and I feel that with access to the past twenty years worth of music videos, most people would have picked a vastly different collection. If you really enjoy the songs included on the disc then I would suggest that you take a look at this disc, but I feel that most viewers would have expected more from a collection of the best rock songs from the last two decades.

Video

    Due to the range in source materials included on this DVD, the quality of the transfer varies considerably throughout.

    Each of the videos appear to be presented in their original aspect ratios with the majority of the transfer presented at a ratio of 1.33:1. The videos for Round Here and Never There are both presented at an aspect ratio of approximately 1.78:1. The video for The Impression That I Get is presented minimally letterboxed at approximately 1.66:1. None of these videos are 16x9 enhanced.

    The sharpness varies throughout this transfer and is directly linked to the age of the clips. Some of the oldest clips are quite soft but by the end of the feature the modern clips are significantly sharper. Some low level noise may be seen constantly during the first nine clips. This is very obvious during early clips such as Fire Woman but is reduced as the clips progress. While this low level noise is inherent in the source material and is not a fault of the transfer, it is still moderately distracting to the viewer.

    The colour presented varies throughout the transfer and ranges from slightly muted, during clips such as The Impression That I Get, to extremely vibrant and highly saturated as seen in Higher Ground and Black Hole Sun. The colours for all clips appear to be accurately reproduced.

    A number of MPEG artefacts may be seen throughout the transfer. Some examples of these artefacts may be seen at 12:17, 12:30, 33:46, 33:57 and 35:35. They are moderately distracting.

    Some small instances of aliasing may be seen throughout the transfer. Examples of this artefact may be seen at 24:47, 26:39, 26:54 and 50:55. Each of these artefacts occur for only a short duration and are only slightly distracting.

    A small number of film artefacts may be seen during the transfer. The most obvious examples of these may be seen during the clip for Addicted To Love. These artefacts are slightly distracting.

    A single analogue tape error may be seen at 37:00 but as this only occurs for a single frame it is not distracting.

    Some obvious and slightly distracting edge enhancement may be seen during the clip Addicted To Love.

    Obvious dot crawl may be seen during the clips Wynonna's Big Brown Beaver, with clear examples visible during the animated sections, and during the clip Round Here at 28:28.

    Six subtitle streams are included on this disc. The first is a series of comments about the tracks and is presented like the comments seen in MTV's pop-up videos. The second subtitle stream contains no information. The remaining streams are French, Italian, German and Spanish tracks. These yellow foreign language subtitles provide information only for the short interview segments placed between videos.

    The layer change occurs at 50:30 at the start of chapter eleven and is not disruptive to the viewer.

Video Ratings Summary

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

Audio

    The lyrics are always clear and easy to understand.

    As with many music video clips, there is often very slight problems with audio sync but this is expected by the viewer and easily overlooked. No dropouts were detected at any stage during the transfer.

    The surround channels are used to reproduce the front main channels at a lower volume level. Some viewers may find this remix of the audio distracting.

    The subwoofer channel was used where appropriate and never drew attention to itself.

Audio Ratings Summary

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

Menu

    The minimally animated menu is presented at an aspect ratio of 1.33:1.

Biographies

    This is a collection of biographical information, given in point form, and selected discographies for each of the featured artists.

On-Screen Trivia

    Selecting this option will allow the viewer to activate the first subtitle stream containing short trivia items, such as a song's time in the charts or specific details about an artist. This set of subtitles may also be selected by the viewer via the remote.

Easter Eggs

    By pressing the up arrow on the remote when the Extra Features item is highlighted on the main menu the viewer is presented with one of four different clips. These clips are short MTV promotional items and may also be viewed as titles 2 to 5.

    There is censorship information available for this title. Click here to read it (a new window will open). WARNING: Often these entries contain MAJOR plot spoilers.

    Both versions of this disc appear to be identical and I therefore would have no preference for either version.

    MTV20: Rock is the third and final release in this disappointing collection of music videos from the past twenty years. If you enjoy these clips then this disc would be worth taking a look at but I feel that many viewers will be disappointed with the tracks provided.

    The video transfer is acceptable but it does emphasize the original low production values of the early clips.

    The surround mixes will be enjoyed by some viewers but I feel that most viewers will be disappointed with the exclusion of an uncompressed 2.0 mix.

    The biographies and trivia track is quite interesting for viewers but it would have been nice to seen some background information on MTV itself provided.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall

MTV 20-Jams (2001)

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General		Extras
Category	Music	Main Menu Audio & Animation Biographies-Cast Informational Subtitles-Fast Facts and Short Stats Easter Egg-4 x MTV Promos
Rating
Year Of Production	2001
Running Time	74:16
RSDL / Flipper	RSDL (41:03)	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	2,4	Directed By	None Given
Studio Distributor	Warner Vision	Starring	None Given
Case	Soft Brackley-Transp
RPI	$39.95	Music	None Given

    MTV20: Jams is the second release celebrating the launch of the MTV cable network in the US twenty years ago.

    Like the previous release, Pop, this disc contains fifteen different video clips that have aired on MTV over the last twenty years. These clips are separated by short interview segments with some of the featured bands and a number of MTV promotional clips.

    The bands featured on this disc are as follows: Run-DMC featuring Aerosmith, Eric B. & Rakim, De La Soul, Digital Underground, Jodeci, Digable Planets, R. Kelly, Montell Jordan, Method Man featuring Mary J. Blige, Deborah Cox, Erykah Badu, Brian McKnight, Usher, Monica and Juvenile. Many of these videos are clearly light R&B tracks and their inclusion, on a disc purporting to be an over-the-top compilation of groundbreaking jams videos, is puzzling.

    One annoying issue with the disc is that viewers are unable to just watch the video clips. Each clip is separated as a single chapter but this chapter also contains interview segments or MTV promos. An option to play just the music videos would have been appreciated by most viewers.

    If you really enjoy the songs included on the disc then I would suggest that you take a look at it, but I feel that most viewers would have expected more from a collection of the best jams from the last two decades.

Video

    Due to the range in source materials, the quality of the transfer does vary considerably throughout.

    Each of the videos appears to be presented in their original aspect ratios with the majority of the transfer presented at a ratio of 1.33:1. The videos for Rebirth Of Slick (Cool Like Dat), This Is How We Do It, and You're All I Need are all presented at an aspect ratio of approximately 1.85:1. The video for Sentimental is presented at approximately 1.78:1. None of these videos are 16x9 enhanced.

    The sharpness varies throughout this transfer and may be directly linked to the age of the clips. Some of the oldest clips are quite soft but by the end of the feature the modern clips are significantly sharper. Some low level noise may be seen constantly during the first nine clips and during the final track, Back That Thing Up. This constant low level noise is due to the video source material and is moderately distracting.

    The colour presented varies throughout the transfer. Most clips display a muted colour palette with only the latest clips displaying a highly saturated natural image. The colours for all clips appear to accurately reproduce the original material.

    No MPEG artefacts were detected during this transfer.

    A large number of aliasing artefacts are visible throughout this transfer. Some examples of these artefacts may be seen at 56:30, 56:42, 57:08, 58:19 and 59:22. These artefacts vary in severity and are moderately distracting. Numerous moiré artefacts may also be seen during the transfer with examples visible at 8:07, 10:02, 44:03, 55:37, 57:19 and 60:10. These artefacts are moderately distracting to the viewer.

    Numerous film artefacts are visible throughout the transfer. Some examples of these slightly distracting artefacts may be seen at 9:32, 10:44, 18:44, 19:43 and 20:53.

    A number of NTSC to PAL conversion artefacts may be seen throughout the transfer. Some examples of these may be seen at 6:18, 8:10, 41:25, 50:52 and 51:48. These artefacts are only slightly distracting.

    A cross colouration artefact may be seen at 47:16.

    Six subtitle streams are included on this disc. The first is a series of comments about the tracks and is presented like the comments seen in MTV's pop-up videos. The second subtitle stream contains no information. The remaining streams are French, Italian, German and Spanish tracks. These yellow foreign language subtitles provide translations only for the short interview segments placed between videos.

    The layer change occurs at 41:03 at the start of Chapter 9 and is not disruptive.

Video Ratings Summary

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

Audio

    The lyrics are always clear and easy to understand.

    As with many music video clips, there are often very slight problems with audio sync but this is expected by the viewer and easily overlooked. No dropouts were detected at any stage during the transfer.

    The surround channels are used extensively by the 5.1 mix. Some tracks, such as Forever My Lady and My Way are provided with a very aggressive surround mix while others are more front-focused. I personally found this track to be distracting but many viewers will enjoy the aggressive mix.

    The subwoofer is used extensively throughout the transfer.

Audio Ratings Summary

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

Menu

    The minimally animated menu is presented at an aspect ratio of 1.33:1.

Biographies

    This is a collection of biographical information, given in point form, and selected discographies for each of the featured artists.

On-Screen Trivia

    Selecting this option will allow the viewer to activate the first subtitle stream containing short trivia items, such as a song's time in the charts or specific details about an artist. This set of subtitles may also be selected by the viewer via the remote.

Easter Eggs

    By pressing the up arrow on the remote when the Extra Features item is highlighted on the main menu, the viewer is presented with one of four different clips. These clips are short MTV promotional items and they appear to be chosen at random. The clips may also be viewed as Titles 3 to 6.

    There is censorship information available for this title. Click here to read it (a new window will open). WARNING: Often these entries contain MAJOR plot spoilers.

    Both versions of this disc appear to be identical and I therefore would have no preference for either version.

    MTV20: Jams is a collection of music videos that will surprise many viewers by their selection. If you enjoy these clips then this disc would be worth getting but I feel that many viewers will be disappointed.

    The video transfer is acceptable but it does emphasize the original low production values of the early clips.

    The surround mix will be enjoyed by some viewers but I feel that most viewers will prefer the straight 2.0 mix.

    The biographies and trivia are quite interesting for viewers but it would have been nice to seen some background information on MTV itself provided.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall