It seems the ABC are starting to really put out some
quality DVD’s. This is a four part series based on the effect of storms and changing
weather conditions on the Australian environment. I was particularly interested in this
dvd as I have not only visited but lived in many of these places and environments, from
the far northern cyclones, heat and humidity of QLD coastal areas to the outback and
barren inner country, to now a colder southern part of Australia. The four episodes cover
the effect of La Nina, El Nino, The Southern Exposure, and The Monsoon an incredible
weather pattern in northern Australia.
The DVD is of course intended to be an educational experience but at the same time does
provide an element of entertainment as it delves deep into the effects of these weather
patterns on the wildlife and native fauna of our lucky country. As a photographer at
heart, I was continually impressed with the quality of photography and cinematography on
offer here, and some of the macro and high-speed photography was executed brilliantly.
I do have one complaint of the excessive advertising at the beginning of the DVD before
the menu. The ABC used to be famous for it’s lack of advertisement but as times goes
by the promotional material becomes ever increasing and more annoying.
So how does this transfer hold up?
...  |
VIDEO
The 4x3 full frame transfer is nothing short of gorgeous. A presentation
of the Australian Countryside would be disappointing if the transfer was anything less
than this. There are no mpeg or film artefacts and only one small instance of shimmering.
The only other small fault is that the transfer sometimes falls into a little bit of
grain, which is not terribly noticeable but would have been a problem on a larger screen.
The colour palette is simply beautiful and shows some extremely rich and vibrant
colours from the red spectrum of the outback to the blue grebe side of the spectrum in the
forest scenes.
It is amazing how much detail there is in this transfer. Even in the almost completely
white scenes of Antarctica there was still an enormous amount of detail.
This DVD also lacks any encoding of timing information, which is disappointing. Being a
modern multimedia format, I would expect such a feature to be a standard on any DVD and I
have never seen this happen before. Maybe it is a production fault?
AUDIO
The Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track was at most times
fantastic. There is a lot of dialogue in the track as narration but the surround channels
pick up on effects and the score frequently. The bass channel however is a bit of a
problem and has not been mixed correctly at all. At times I found the lfe channel to be
silent when I expected it’s presence and at others it was a constant sound, which
became quite annoying.
The narration is clear and easy to understand throughout.
EXTRAS
None
OVERALL
I’m not sure I would go out and buy this one but I would definitely recommend a
rental even if it is just for the superb photography on offer and some insight into the
weather in other parts of Australia.
| PICTURE
QUALITY |
9/10 simply
breathtaking |
| SOUND
Quality |
6/10 some annoying mixing
problems |
| EXTRAS |
0/10 nothing |
| OVERALL |
8/10 a great experience |
Review Equipment
TV: GE 68cm (16:9 selectable)
DVD: Pioneer 737
Receiver: Yamaha RX-V595a
Speakers:-
Fronts: Wharfedale Diamond R6 (on a pair of custom made stands you'd KILL for)
Centre: Venturi
Rears: Sony bookshelf
Sub: M&K v75
- Reviewed 17th May 2001
* jpeg files for internet promotion use
only. Copyright© exists on all aspects of these files by Roadshow Home Entertainment/ABC
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