'Sopranos, Season Six Pt 1' - High-Def Digest Review

[jed]

Kenneth Brown's review of the first half of the last season of 'The Sopranos' is up. Unfortunately the Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 mix on this HD DVD edition is not quite as stellar as the uncompressed PCM 5.1 track on the Blu-ray edition, but with a 4.5 (out of 5) star video presentation, 'The Sopranos' has never looked this good.

Full Review:
http://hddvd.highdefdigest.com/sopranos_s6p1.html

[MichaelHDDVD]

They should of at least pumped the bitrate on the audio up to 1.5 mbps

[Glenmulder]

How Bad is the Audio?.

[MichaelHDDVD]

Originally Posted by Glenmulder

How Bad is the Audio?.

It isn't bad at all according to the review. It just isn't the highest quality

From Review

I was still satisfied with the above-average sound design -- gun shots ring across the channels, music pulses throughout your home, and shouts pepper the soundscape with nice accuracy.

[BostonMA]

i've never got a chance to see and watch the sopranos because my family never paid extra for hbo. i've always had a strong urge to start watching but since i got into hd, i wana wait till all of the box sets come out on hd. last night was the finale and ALL of my friends said that it was an awful finale but oh well, i'm sure its an incredible series. i'm a giant fan of the mafia in cinema and the mafia depicted, and i really think that i might just buy all of the seasons on dvd and this one in hd cuz i cant wait any longer.

[Blurry]

The series was incredible even though the ending did not feel like much of a resolution. However, since it leaves many of the key family members intact, I imagine that leaves open the door for a potential Sopranos movie down the road.

[watchtower41]

Originally Posted by BostonMA

i've never got a chance to see and watch the sopranos because my family never paid extra for hbo. i've always had a strong urge to start watching but since i got into hd, i wana wait till all of the box sets come out on hd. last night was the finale and ALL of my friends said that it was an awful finale but oh well, i'm sure its an incredible series. i'm a giant fan of the mafia in cinema and the mafia depicted, and i really think that i might just buy all of the seasons on dvd and this one in hd cuz i cant wait any longer.

I'm pretty much in the same boat as you. The only 2 full episodes I've ever watched of the Sopranos have been the last 2. I've always wnated to get into the series, but figured I tried to get on the boat way too late....

Couple questions for all you hardcores out there..... 1) will they be releasing all seasons on HD?? 2.) Does Season 6 Part: 1 merit a purchase for someone that hasnt been into the series since Day 1?? I'm really into HD DVD as most are around these parts, and I couldnt justify picking up a deal on all 5 previous seasons in SDVD. I'd imagine they'd release Season 6: Part 2 before they'd even consider going back and relasing the rest??

Any help is appreciated.

[Blurry]

I recommend starting from the beginning. I think it is kind of lame to release season 6, but not season 1. Or at least release both Season 1 and 6, then release the in between season incrementally (which I am sure will happen in any case).

[watchtower41]

Originally Posted by Blurry

I recommend starting from the beginning. I think it is kind of lame to release season 6, but not season 1. Or at least release both Season 1 and 6, then release the in between season incrementally (which I am sure will happen in any case).

Yeah, I'm kinda thinking HBO/Warner missed the boat on this one. I couldnt imagine how much profit they could reap while at the same time gain attention from new customers if they had all previous seasons (or at the very least like you said 1) available on hd right as the series was coming to an end. I know I'd be dropping a good $500 on the complete series surrounding all this hype. This is literally all people are talking about today. I kinda doubt there will be as much public attention when they relase the final season on dvd (which is when they'll probably release more HD seasons??) I'm guessing nothing has been announced or hinted at??

[Headhunter]

Still waiting for Season 1 myself, so I can make the Sopranos journey in high definition...

[Volume 11]

Originally Posted by Headhunter

Still waiting for Season 1 myself, so I can make the Sopranos journey in high definition...

After the absurd ending last night, as a fan since the begining, I have to say, I was utterly dissapointed with the finale and the last season or two. It made me rethink the whole saga. I feel like whats the point in investing all the time and money into the series when it ends like that, as if almost all of it didn't matter...anyways...

So many awesome threads undeveloped and left hanging...remember the snowy woods in season 3, anyone????

[Blurry]

Originally Posted by Volume 11

After the absurd ending last night, as a fan since the begining, I have to say, I was utterly dissapointed with the finale and the last season or two. It made me rethink the whole saga. I feel like whats the point in investing all the time and money into the series when it ends like that, as if almost all of it didn't matter...anyways...

So many awesome threads undeveloped and left hanging...remember the snowy woods in season 3, anyone????

I agree, I would like something more meaningful in the finale. However, I know there had been talk of making a movie a year or 2 back. There is nothing in progress that I know of, but this ending certainly leaves such an option open.

[Volume 11]

Originally Posted by Blurry

I agree, I would like something more meaningful in the finale. However, I know there had been talk of making a movie a year or 2 back. There is nothing in progress that I know of, but this ending certainly leaves such an option open.

On one hand I get the screenwriters gushing over it. It went against ALL expectations and in a gutless way tied up all the major threads (at least for Chase to justify the silly ending without getting called out by fans). And the amoral symbolism and American dream themes were definitly crafted well and linked together with precision, not only in the last episode, but throughout the whole saga...

That being said, its sort of a big eff-you to the long time fans...
It was so anti-climactic and nihilistic that, like I said in the earlier post, it makes me wonder as someone who is re-evaluating the whole saga why they decided to make the series in the first place if the ending was going to be so diddle daddly.

A lot of screenwriters and critics are heralding it as edgy and existential, but I feel like with better writing that isnt afraid to be what it is (despite the high brow crowd liking it, its still a grisly mafia show about mainly meatheads who arent deep enough to warrant that type of treatment) it could have been the epic mafia tale that it started out like. Chase could have made all the same points and still stayed true to the reality of being a mob boss...that is assasination, flipping to the FBI, death in exile or death in jail being the 4 universal options most Dons face...

Besides the movie rumblings I read Chase shot 3 different endings that will hopefully be on the DVD release.

[VC-1]

Originally Posted by Blurry

I agree, I would like something more meaningful in the finale. However, I know there had been talk of making a movie a year or 2 back. There is nothing in progress that I know of, but this ending certainly leaves such an option open.

bingo.

they were never gonna close the series forever.

i still think a movie will happen in a few years, or a new miniseries.

[Blurry]

Originally Posted by Volume 11

Besides the movie rumblings I read Chase shot 3 different endings that will hopefully be on the DVD release.

Hey, that's cool, you got me looking forward to it now. I mean, perhaps one of the alternate endings will have some sort of resolution...