Saturday, May 1, 2010

Can you say, WOW ? Pre-order now the new True Blood Season 2 Blu-ray DVDs


The Show Itself
is the complete second season of the Louisianan based story of a world where vampires have have gone public with their presence. The sparks between human-vamp couple Sookie (Anna Paquin) and Bill (Stephen Moyer) are yet more intense; though the romantic frills are slightly intercepted by Bill’s unintended “student” Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll), who offers a difficult disposition in being not only a 17 year-old girl, but also being fresh to the Vampire world. The last you’ve seen of Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis)’s frightful expression in the final episode of season one is not the last, as the company he keeps and the trades that he makes has landed him in the palm of someone’s (or something’s) hand. The unusual generosity of Maryann (Michelle Forbes) that was introduced in the previous season now plays a more significant role in the story, as her absurdly lending nature has a grip on Tara (Rutina Wesley), and Sam (Sam Trammell) sincerely cautions her to open her eyes to the oddness of Maryann’s giving; perhaps because he has crossed her path in the past. Now that Vampires have been “out of the casket” for a while, one would think that there is not much else in the world that is baffling, however, an unidentifiable creature has left its scent in Bon Temps, along with a few scratches. All of this darkness is not for everyone’s taste though, as Sookie’s brother, Jason (Ryan Kwanten) leaves to join The Fellowship of the Sun, an Anti-Vampire group.


The full 12 (total) episodes for The Complete Second Season are included as follows:

  • Episode 1 : “Nothing But the Blood
    1. Original Air Date: 6/14/2009 — 9.1 rating over at TV.com
  • Episode 2 : “Keep This Party Going
    1. Original Air Date: 6/21/2009 — 9.2 rating over at TV.com
  • Episode 3 : “Scratches
    1. Original Air Date: 6/28/2009 — 9.2 rating over at TV.com
  • Episode 4 : “Shake And Fingerpop
    1. Original Air Date: 7/12/2009 — 9.3 rating over at TV.com
  • Episode 5 : “Never Let Me Go
    1. Original Air Date: 7/19/2009 — 8.6 rating over at TV.com
  • Episode 6 : “Hard Hearted Hannah
    1. Original Air Date: 7/26/2009 — 9.2 rating over at TV.com
  • Episode 7 : “Release Me
    1. Original Air Date: 8/2/2009 — 9.3 rating over at TV.com
  • Episode 8 : “Timebomb
    1. Original Air Date: 8/9/2009 — 9.4 rating over at TV.com
  • Episode 9 : “I Will Rise Up
    1. Original Air Date: 8/16/2009 — 9.6 rating over at TV.com
  • Episode 10 : “New World In My View
    1. Original Air Date: 8/23/2009 — 9.2 rating over at TV.com
  • Episode 11 : “Frenzy
    1. Original Air Date: 8/30/2009 — 8.5 rating over at TV.com
  • Episode 12 : “Beyond Here Lies Nothin’
    1. Original Air Date: 9/13/2009 — 8.4 rating over at TV.com

Overall, the show is just as addictive as before; all it takes is one episode. The second season of “True Blood” stands just as strong as the first with its wide variety of inter-connecting plotlines within the deep-south world of Bon Temps, Louisiana, having now at this point seemingly left behind the shock factor of Vampires being open about their existence, and now rather floods viewers with the drama endured amongst the politics of the undead, and one after another paranormal mystery. If you enjoyed the first season, you’ve probably already made room on your shelves for this release, as it overall receives a “4.5 Star Rating“.


Video Quality on this release is 1080p in AVC MPEG-4 on FIVE BD-50’s (50 gigabyte dual-layered Blu-ray Discs) using the 1.78:1 aspect ratio.

This release’s video presentation is nothing short to its nice looking picture quality seen on the Blu-ray release of the first season. The variety of settings in the show provides an exhibit of the fluctuations in the color palette from the use of warm to cool filters. With many interior scenes taking place within Merlotte’s, and other exterior daytime shots, more of a warm picture is present, with golden-hued shades somewhat overwhelming the saturation, and also offering a more vivid contrast in primaries where available in the set design. Scenes that are conveyed with the use of this warmer palette amplify the fleshtones of the cast, even those who are “dead”, into slightly darker than natural hues, though not over-doing the effect by presenting an orange tone upon the actors. In contrast to these warm to neutral shots, are several cool-toned shots, such as those within Bill’s house, and a majority of scenes shot after-dark. The subtle presence of blues in this cool filter adds a further absence of color to the many settings involving the undead, making the solid black level further stand out.

The amount of detail visible does vary from scene to scene, depending of course upon the nature of the setting being interior, exterior, its lighting sources, and so forth. As mentioned above, the black level is solid, and in the scenes displaying the warmer palette, it translates into a bit more of an inky nature, as the general sharpness of the picture appears slightly enhanced, leaving a great amount of definition visible in several scenes/close-ups that offer abundant clarity. Special visual effects look well-blended in Hi-Def, from the CG super-abilities of the Vampires (fast movements, etc.), to the makeup effects of not only those with fangs, but other creatures as well; though if more detail were presented by this release’s video quality perhaps specific subjects could be a little more appreciated. There are no massive complaints to be held with the video quality on this release other wise, as it is worth a more than decent “4.5 Star Rating“, falling on this score for an excellent looking picture.

Disc Usage:

Disc 1 uses 28.1GB total. Disc 2 uses 38.6GB total. Disc 3 uses 38.2GB total. Disc 4 uses 39.1GB total. Disc 5 uses 37.2GB total.


Audio Quality on this release is in DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio. This DTS-HD audio track’s use of the 5.1 setup does little resting through out the show’s runtime, from the most intense audible displays, to even the most subtle of sounds conveying on-screen actions. Just as discussed in the video quality above, there are of course several scenes that take place inside of Merlotte’s, and this itself is a strong example of the perfect balance you will hear from the channels as they convey a wide array of audible subjects; the crowded conversations of customers, roaring music from the jukebox, and the clanking and chiming of dishes all pour through various channels brightly without ever harming the primary dialogue being spoken amongst the conjunction of sound. That is simply one of many examples through out the season that really makes it a point to not waste any channels in the soundscape, though depending on the content, some exhibits may be a bit more subtle while involving panning about the 5.1 setup (i.e. Jason fighting the guilty little voices in his head), or be slightly more blunt and aggressive in presentation of sound.

Unique soundeffects relevant to the content of the show, such as the amplified sense of hearing that Vampires experience that makes even the pulsation of a human’s veins rumble slightly from the subwoofer, adds yet further flare to the scale of just what this audio track can do. Not only are all of these small details well-played audibly, but are of course also accompanied by the original music composed by Nathan Barr (Broken Lizard films, and Eli Roth films). The often flowing tones of the score usually consists of small bass presence, and melodies from strings that provide rich tones from the front channels, and also provide a more subtle rear channel presence. Overall, the audio quality for this release is worthy of a “4.5 Star Rating“, proving to be a great DTS-HD Master Audio track to compliment a great show.


Bonus Materials are presented in 1080i Hi-Def (HD) video with DTS 2.0 Stereo sound.

    All Discs Include:

  • Recap” from previous episodes, as well as a Season 1 recap available on the first episode.
  • Preview” each episode before you watch it.
  • Enhanced Viewing” which includes:
    1. —”Character Perspectives” provides you with further information of the story with input from characters such as Hoyt, Pam, Karl, and Steve Newlin.
      —”Flashback/Flashforward” allows you to do just as the title suggests, catching you up on pieces of the story you may have missed, or simply want a peek of from the future.
      —”Pro/Anti-Vampire Feeds” provides you with updates and information from both parties.
      —”Hints/FYI” is basically a trivia track with informative details, hints, and clues.

    Disc 1:

  • Commentary on Episode 2 ‘Keep This Party Going‘ by Nelson Ellis (Lafayette) and Michael Lehmann (Director)
  • Disc 2:

      —No extras aside from those listed above

    Disc 3:

  • Commentary on Episode 7 ‘Release Me‘ by Raelle Tucker (Writer) and Michael Ruscio (Director)
  • Commentary on Episode 8 ‘Timebomb‘ by Stephen Moyer (Bill), Alexander Skarsgard (Eric), and John Dahl (Director)
  • Disc 4:

  • Commentary on Episode 10 ‘New World in My View‘ by Ryan Kwanten (Jason) and Sam Trammell (Sam)
  • Commentary on Episode 11 ‘Frenzy‘ by Rutina Wesley (Tara), Alan Ball (Writer), and Daniel Minahan (Director)
  • Disc 5:

  • Commentary on Episode 12 ‘Beyond Here Lies Nothin’WITH TWO TRACK SELECTIONS TO CHOOSE FROM:
    1. Track 1 with Anna Paquin (Sookie) and Michelle Forbes (Maryann)
      Track 2 with Alexander Woo (Writer) and Michael Cuesta (Director)
  • Fellowship of the Sun: Reflections of Light” (12:14, DTS 2.0 @255kbps) is divided into 4 chapters as Mr. & Mrs. Newlin covers topics such as “Who Needs Marriage?“, “Do You Want To Live Forever?“, “Detoxify Your Marriage“, and “It’s Hip To Be Alive“.
  • The Vampire Report: Special Edition” (23:50, DTS 2.0 @1.5Mbps) is an entertaining faux news report.

Overall the bonus materials are enough to keep fans entertained with the commentary tracks which include great cast & crew feedback as well as the “Enhanced Viewing” mode and its features. The faux news reports and such are also very entertaining if you enjoy the show as they run pretty lengthy and are presented in 1080i HD video quality.

read on and check out screen shots here from highdefnews

Just buy NOW


So you say, " But Dallas I don't have a Blu-ray player only a regular DVD player "

BUY ONE THEY are only about 100$ bucks now and worth every penny!!!



1 comments:

Kathryn said...

But Dallas even though I could buy a Blue Ray player, I don't have a TV compatible with Blue Ray and I can't afford a new one until the old one goes.

What can you tell me about the extras on the regular DVD package?