Harsh Realm In The U.s.

[Guest Regan MacNeil]

None of my local retailers had the Harsh Realm DVDs on Tuesday so I had to order it from Amazon, but I'm dying to know, is the Region 1 release widescreen or fullscreen. I've heard different things from different sources.

[Guest Forza]

None of my local retailers had the Harsh Realm DVDs on Tuesday so I had to order it from Amazon, but I'm dying to know, is the Region 1 release widescreen or fullscreen. I've heard different things from different sources.

Although the package states Full Screen, my (properly configured) DVD player automatically selects widescreen mode during playback. So, unless you want to call my DVD player a liar, they appear to be encoded using a 1.78:1 aspect ratio.

So, thanks to the geniuses at Fox Home Entertainment, I have The X-Files Seasons 1-4 in Fullscreen, The X-Files Seasons 5-9 in Widescreen, MillenniuM Season 1 in Fullscreen*, and Harsh Realm in Fullscreen--no, make that Widescreen after all.

How retarded.

* I even remember posts here stating that MillenniuM itself was actually filmed in 1.78:1 from the beginning, yet what do we get with the States' DVD's--1.44:1!!! Ridiculous!

Edited August 27, 2004 by Forza

[Guest OS_]

Not knowing the aspect ratio of their own releases is a bit retarded but what exactly is so retarded about the rest of that list? If you add to the list Millennium seasons 2 & 3 in widescreen you'll notice that everything before the 1997-98 season was produced in fullscreen. That's when they started making widescreen versions and that's how Fox is releasing them.

The older seasons were filmed with same kind of film and some kind of widescreen versions could probably be produced by making all new transfers from the original negatives. But still the special effects etc. wouldn't be widescreen. And those seasons weren't filmed with widescreen in mind, so there's probably all kinds of stuff in the extra area of the image that souldn't be there.

Edited August 27, 2004 by OS_

[Guest chrisnu]

Additionally, in Season 5 of TXF, there was some major gaffes that made it obvious that while it was being filmed in widescreen, it was intended to be viewed fullscreen. The most glaring example is in the episode "Bad Blood". I wonder if Season 2 of MLM has the same kind of mistakes.

[Guest Forza]

Not knowing the aspect ratio of their own releases is a bit retarded but what exactly is so retarded about the rest of that list? If you add to the list Millennium seasons 2 & 3 in widescreen you'll notice that everything before the 1997-98 season was produced in fullscreen. That's when they started making widescreen versions and that's how Fox is releasing them.

Ahh, that explanation makes sense; I was under the impression that all three seasons of MillenniuM had been filmed at 1.78:1, but it sounds like only Season 1. So be it.

I refuse to retract my labeling of Harsh Realm as 4:3 as "retarded", however!

[Guest Regan MacNeil]

I got HR in the mail today, thanks guys.

Labeling HR as full screen was pretty retarded.

chrisnu, you mentioned some "major gaffes" in the season five episodes, particularly in "Bad Blood". Can you give me some examples, I never really noticed any problems before.

[Guest Forza]

chrisnu, you mentioned some "major gaffes" in the season five episodes, particularly in "Bad Blood". Can you give me some examples, I never really noticed any problems before.

Indeed, pray tell!

[Guest OS_]

In Bad Blood there's a hand giving DD a prop:

That's one of the worst ones, but there's smaller stuff like that in almost every ep. A typical one is a character near the side who is talking but their lips aren't moving, because they shouldn't be visible. But because of TV overscan most of these aren't really noticeable.

Edited August 29, 2004 by OS_

[The Old Man]

TVShowOnDVD have just posted a favourable review for Harsh Realm in which it states the box is incorrect and the footage is in widescreen.

[voidprime]

Here is my review. it's been up since the start of August.

Be Seeing you,

David Blackwell