Little Things, The-Volume 1-A Guide to Kids 0-2 Years Old (2005)

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General		Extras
Category	Documentary	Main Menu Audio
Rating
Year Of Production	2005
Running Time	152:37 (Case: 148)
RSDL / Flipper	Dual Layered	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	1,2,3,4,5,6	Directed By	None Given
Studio Distributor	Roadshow Home Entertainment	Starring	Antonia Kidman
Case	Amaray-Transparent-Secure Clip
RPI	$19.95	Music	None Given

Video		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	None	English Dolby Digital 2.0 (224Kb/s)
Widescreen Aspect Ratio	1.78:1
16x9 Enhancement
Video Format	576i (PAL)
Original Aspect Ratio	1.78:1	Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures	No
Subtitles	None	Smoking	No
		Annoying Product Placement	Yes
		Action In or After Credits	No

    The Little Things is a television show made locally for Foxtel specifically for their women's channel, W. So far there have been three series of the show, all hosted by Antonia Kidman, Nicole's younger sister. The show is an informative and down-to-earth show about parenting, its challenges, rewards and incredible learning curve. As the parents of two young boys, my wife and I found this an interesting and entertaining series which is broad rather than deep in terms of its coverage. It is meant to be a light information and entertainment show rather than a medical or psychological documentary on parenting. Each of the three series has been released on a separate disc and this is the first of them, Small Children - Pregnancy - 2 Years Old. The disc is separated into episodes each of approximately 25 minutes in length. This particular disc includes 6 episodes. As a presenter Antonia Kidman does quite a reasonable job and approaches issues from the perspective of an interested parent asking the questions rather than trying to appear to be the expert. The show includes interviews with celebrities, experts and normal parents and also includes information about available resources such as books, websites and other services. Some of these things smack of product placement but generally it is well handled. The only criticism I would make of the series technically is that white on-screen text on yellow backgrounds is hard to make out. This colour combination is used regularly.

    The episodes included here are:

1. Calm Before The Storm - Fertility, conception, pregnancy, the various tests, miscarriages, cots, morning sickness & eating during pregnancy.
2. From Here to Maternity - Birth plans, pain management, labour, assisted delivery methods, caesareans, the father's role, basic nursery equipment and caring for a very young infant.
3. The Stork has Landed - Breast feeding, circumcision, common problems, issues for the mother after birth, Baby blues and post-natal depression, premature babies and naming.
4. Home Alone...With Baby! - Transport, lack of sleep, conflicting advice, newborn sleeping, SIDS, crying, settling, heath checks, common early issues, immunisations.
5. The Good, The Bad & The Soggy - Weaning, returning to work, solids, highchairs, teething, relationship issues and your baby's development.
6. Getting Mobile - Stages to first steps, accidents and childproofing, limit-setting and difficult behaviour, travelling and talking.

    A very worthwhile series for new or prospective parents who want to know more about what they are getting themselves into.

Video

    The video quality is very good.

    The feature is presented in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio 16x9 enhanced which is probably the original aspect ratio.

    The picture was very clear and sharp throughout, with no evidence of low level noise. Shadow detail was very good but rarely required. There was light grain throughout.

    The colour was wonderful, rich and solid throughout.

    The only noticeable artefact was aliasing which occurred quite a bit, especially on the dress Antonia was wearing in the first episode.

    There are no subtitles.

Video Ratings Summary

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

Audio

    The audio quality is fine.

    This DVD contains an English Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo soundtrack encoded at 224 Kb/s.

    Dialogue was clear and easy to understand and there was no problem with audio sync.

    The theme song becomes annoying after a few episodes but this is a minor criticism.

    The surround speakers and subwoofer were not used.

Audio Ratings Summary

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

    None.

Menu

    The menu is very simple allowing for playing all episodes or choosing specific ones.

    This series does not seem to be available in other regions.

    The video quality is very good.

    The audio quality is fine.

    No extras.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall