AFL-Sydney Swans: 2003 Season Highlights (2003)

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General		Extras
Category	Sports	Main Menu Audio & Animation
Rating
Year Of Production	2003
Running Time	73:04
RSDL / Flipper	No/No	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	1,2,3,4,5,6	Directed By	None Given
Studio Distributor	Aust. Football Video Visual Entertainment Group	Starring	None Given
Case	Amaray-Transparent-Secure Clip
RPI	$29.95	Music	None Given

    The Sydney Swans are an interesting team. In 1981 they gained permission from the AFL to play home games the following year away from Melbourne, the spiritual home of football. From those infant days of interstate based football when the team in red and white took a foothold in a state ruled by the unholy gods of Rugby League and Union and a city seemingly too obsessed with itself to have the time for a new sporting club, let alone a new sport, the Swans have enjoyed significant success. Sydneysiders after all these years might still hate football, but who (particularly Kangaroos supporters) would dare deny them their love of the Swans?

    They may not have won the flag since their relocation north but the Swans have had a good run of success. 2003 was a good year for the Swans who, having looked to have become a little stale under the leadership of coach Rodney Eade, played some exciting football for newly appointed coach and former champion of the club, Paul Roos. In his debut year as senior coach he took the team all the way to the preliminary finals and was rewarded for his efforts by being voted the Coach of the Year by the AFL Coaches' Association.

    Roos lends his services to the Sydney edition of this Season Highlights DVD release and his round by round analysis has the detail and insight one would expect from the man with whom the buck must stop.

Video

    This is a 1.33:1 transfer, obviously not 16x9 enhanced, taken from source material that is widescreen. This is a disappointment.

    Sharpness and shadow detail are excellent.

    The interview footage intercut into the match footage is of a terrific clarity.

    Colours were realistically presented. The artificial light of night games provided a nicer looking palette.

    There were no film artefacts to report.

    Grain and low level noise were non-existent. Some MPEG artefacts were noticeable on occasion, but again, nothing serious. Aliasing is slightly more of a problem - the grass shimmers a little on occasion, and railings and signs in the stands do cause some disturbance.

Video Ratings Summary

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

Audio

    The English Dolby Stereo 2.0 track does its job well, and although the surrounds and subwoofer get little to do, there isn't too much to complain about.

    Dialogue was easy to hear in all but a few instances. Audio sync was excellent during the interviews. There were no moments of distortion.

Audio Ratings Summary

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

    There are no extras on this release.

    This is an all region title so as long as your set is PAL compatible this is the version to get.

    I have already commented on the lack of depth of these Season Highlights releases, but a Swans fan would be pretty happy with what's on show here.

    The video, recently transferred, is excellent.

    The audio is decent.

    There are no extras.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall