Andromeda-Season 5 (Remastered) (2000) (NTSC)

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General		Extras
Category	Science Fiction	Main Menu Audio & Animation Deleted Scenes Outtakes
Rating
Year Of Production	2000
Running Time	957:38 (Case: 999)
RSDL / Flipper	Dual Layered Multi Disc Set (6)	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	4	Directed By	Jorge Montesi Allan Eastman Richard Flower David Winning
Studio Distributor	Beyond Home Entertainment	Starring	None Given
Case	Slip Case
RPI	$59.95	Music	Matthew McCauley

Video (NTSC)		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	None	English Dolby Digital 5.1 (448Kb/s)
Widescreen Aspect Ratio	1.78:1
16x9 Enhancement
Video Format	480i (NTSC)
Original Aspect Ratio	1.78:1	Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures	No
Subtitles	None	Smoking	No
		Annoying Product Placement	No
		Action In or After Credits	Yes, Only in one episode

    Season five was a significant reboot for Andromeda. After ending season 4 rather cataclysmically, this season finds Dylan Hunt (Kevin Sorbo) reuniting his crew, who have been scattered all over the Seefra solar system and, to a lesser extent, time. Also joining the crew are Telemachus Rhade (Steve Bacic) and an Android named Doyle. Telemachus Rhade is the genetic reincarnation of Dylan's once best friend and first mate Gaheris Rhade, whose betrayal was what forced the Andromeda to be stuck in time at the start of the first season (which we reviewed here). Doyle is an advanced android, assembled by Harper during the years that he has been stuck in the Seefra system without Dylan or the Andromeda Ascendant using parts from the largely destroyed Rommie, the Andromeda's avatar robot.

    After reassembling his crew Dylan sets about unlocking the secrets of the Seefra solar system, which seems isolated from the known worlds and somehow important in the battle against the Spirit of the Abyss (the underlying force of evil in the show). As well as the ongoing battle against forces of the Abyss, the Andromeda has the armies of its once allies the Nietzscheans to contend with. This series ties up pretty much all the significant plot threads that the first four seasons spawned (read all about them in our earlier Andromeda reviews).

    Prior to its production there was a degree of speculation as to whether a fifth season of Andromeda would be made. Season 4 provided a kind of conclusion to the story, albeit a completely open-ended conclusion that raised more questions than it answered. Thankfully for fans, this season was specifically tailored to round out the series and it does a good job of tying up loose ends whilst including a good amount of original storyline itself. This series features the meatiest story arcs since the show's second season, which is a welcome break that suits the multi-DVD format well. It is certainly one of the better seasons of the show.

Video

    The show is presented in its original 1.78:1 aspect ratio and is 16x9 enhanced. The video format for each episode is NTSC, which may cause playback issues on older televisions and DVD players.

    The video is sharp and clear. Mild grain is noticeable in a handful of darker scenes, but there is otherwise no sign of grain or low level noise. There is an excellent level of detail in shadows and dark scenes.

    The colour levels are quite bright and vivid. Skin tones appear to be well balanced.

    Occasional small white film artefacts are visible throughout the episodes, but never in any significant number. Interlacing artefacts are occasionally noticeable when the camera cuts from one shot to another. Each of these frames is a single frame in length and consequently quite ignorable. No MPEG compression related artefacts are visible.

    There are no subtitles provided for the show.

Video Ratings Summary

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

Audio

    One English Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 Kbps) audio track is provided.

    The dialogue is clearly audible and reasonably well synchronized throughout (although occasional ADR mismatches are occasionally noticeable).

    The opening theme is a rather cheesy orchestral reprise of the show's closing credits theme. The background score music varies between episodes, from generic orchestral music to synth driven scores.

    The surround channels are put to good use throughout the episodes, particularly during action sequences. The subwoofer is put to reasonable use.

Audio Ratings Summary

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

Alternate & Deleted Scenes (35:31)

    A mish-mash of excised and extended scenes from a variety of episodes, followed by an press-kit style making of entitled Andromeda: 100 Episodes and Beyond (which seems more promotional than explanatory). Each deleted scene is placed in context as to where it was deleted from, but not why it was deleted. Why the making of material is tacked onto a featurette entitled Alternate/Deleted Scenes is a mystery, though the material is certainly worth a look for fans.

Outtakes (16:28)

    A moderately amusing series of outtakes. Set malfunctions, ad-libbed responses to some of the show's sillier dialogue, and plain old bloopers fill the bulk of this material.

    This remastered release of Andromeda is, technically, a significant improvement on the previous Region 4 release. The show is presented in its original aspect ratio, with 5.1 surround sound and a modest assortment of extras. It is also much more reasonably priced that the 11 individual discs that made up the previous release and the 12-disc box set version of that release.

    This particular season of Andromeda is available in both Region 1 and Region 2 in a 10 disc set that features a number of extras that are missed from this Region 4 release (although the Region 4 set has much nicer packaging). The missing extras include:

• 11 Behind the Scenes Featurettes (mostly special effects related)
• Audio Commentaries
• Cast Interviews
• Episode Design Photo Galleries
• TV Spots

    In terms of economics, the Region 1 version of this season is comparable in price to the local remastered release. The full 5 seasons were available in Region 1 in a reasonably cheaply in a 50 disc set, but that has been discontinued.

    A satisfying conclusion to the Andromeda space opera. There are definitely a few duds in the seasons, but the hits certainly outweigh them.

    The video is presented in NTSC, which may pose a problem for some Region 4 viewers, but is otherwise pretty good. The audio is very good. There is a small and rather forgettable assortment of extras.

    This set presents both better value and a better technical presentation than the previous pan and scan Region 4 release, but is not quite as impressive a set as is available in other regions.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall