2008 World Series: Philadelphia Phillies vs. Tampa Bay Rays Blu-ray

2008 World Series: Philadelphia Phillies vs. Tampa Bay Rays

 (TV) (2008-2010)

2008 World Series: Philadelphia Phillies vs. Tampa Bay Rays Blu-ray offers solid video and great audio in this excellent Blu-ray release
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Narrator: Rob Schneider

2008 World Series: Philadelphia Phillies vs. Tampa Bay Rays Blu-ray Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov, December 25, 2008

Twenty five years after the City of Brotherly Love had its last major sport championship, there is a reason to celebrate – the Philadelphia Phillies are World Champions. Capturing some of the most memorable moments from the team's journey to becoming baseball's best "2008 World Series: Philadelphia Phillies vs. Tampa Bay Rays" arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Shout Factory.

Done!

Unlike other major American cities where every once in awhile sports fans would get a chance to celebrate the success of their local teams, Philadelphians had to wait a long time before they tasted the sweet euphoria of winning again. Twenty five years long to be exact. And it wasn't the 76ers, the Eagles, or the Flyers, it was the Phillies, the team no one expected could go all the way, that gave them a reason to celebrate.

Produced by Major League Baseball Productions and narrated by award-winning actor Terrence Howard, 2008 World Series: Philadelphia Phillies vs. Tampa Bay Rays is a nice collection of TV clips and original content highlighting the Phillies quest to success. The film focuses primarily on the clash between the Phillies and the Rays and the impact the World Series had on their home cities.

If you are not a fan of the Phillies, or the Rays for that matter, this film will impress you mostly as a historic account of a great sporting event. Obviously, 2008 World Series: Philadelphia Phillies vs. Tampa Bay Rays spends a great deal of time capturing the atmosphere before and after the World Series, the emotions and expectations in the two rivaling teams, and the enthusiasm amongst their fans. Excerpts from articles published in local newspapers also provide a glimpse at the manner in which the cities of Philadelphia and Tampa Bay approached the games.

If you are a fan of the Phillies, or their rivals, for you 2008 World Series: Philadelphia Phillies vs. Tampa Bay Rays is probably one of the most important films to be released this year. Divided into nine chapters, starting with the pre-season and running all the way to the post-World Series celebrations, the film effectively captures the magnificent year the Phillies and their opponents had. Furthermore, narrated beautifully by Terrence Howard 2008 World Series: Philadelphia Phillies vs. Tampa Bay Rays effectively recreates the electrifying atmosphere from the stands where fans were cheering their team as well.

Technically, 2008 World Series: Philadelphia Phillies vs. Tampa Bay Rays is a bit uneven, given that it offers footage from a number of different sources, but this is certainly something I expected to see. After all, it is nearly impossible to gather authentic footage from the actual games and blend it with post-WS original content without somewhat disrupting the sense of rhythm a non-documentary feature would have. The important thing to note is that, as presented, the content is incredibly convincing and, in my opinion, truthfully recreating the excitement from a sporting event of tremendous importance not only to local sports fans but to their cities' national image as well.

2008 World Series: Philadelphia Phillies vs. Tampa Bay Rays Blu-ray, Video Quality

 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC, and granted a 1080i transfer 2008 World Series: Philadelphia Phillies vs. Tampa Bay Rays arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Shout Factory.

This is a very, very interesting disc with plenty of footage that I am absolutely positive will thrill baseball fans from the City of Brotherly Love (I am sure there will be quite a few Rays fans that would want to pick this disc as well). As expected, the content is quite diverse – there is footage from the World Series games as well as pre-season and post-season original content. The portions of the footage that was shot with HD cameras look very good – colors are lush and vibrant, contrast impeccable, and detail absolutely flawless. It really feels as if you are watching the "live" games all over again. Furthermore, the World Series footage is also crystal clear without even a trace of dirt of damage. The "extra" footage Shout Factory have supplied, however, varies a bit (there is a great deal standard-def material for example). Some of the interviews for example do not exactly match the impressive footage from the World Series, but the overall video quality is still quite high (I must note that the most obvious discrepancies are between the HD-shot material and the footage done prior and after the World Series). This being said, I really do not have any major reservations with the manner in which this film is put together. Most everything looks healthy to my eyes and I was definitely pleased with the nice presentation courtesy of Shout Factory. (Note: This Blu-ray disc is actually Region-A "locked". Therefore, you will not be able to playback it on native Region-B hardware).

2008 World Series: Philadelphia Phillies vs. Tampa Bay Rays Blu-ray, Audio Quality

 

Unlike what the preliminary press release for 2008 World Series: Philadelphia Phillies vs. Tampa Bay Rays indicates - availability of Dolby True HD tracks - what the Blu-ray disc contains is: English PCM 2.0 and English: PCM 5.1 tracks. This being said, the audio treatment is rather similar to the video treatment I addressed above. There are large portions of the film where the PCM 5.1 reveals plenty of activity in the rear channels (this isn't an aggressive film mix), and then there is plenty of footage where most everything appears split between the two main channels. Furthermore, there are plenty of interviews, scattered comments, and crowd noise that somewhat affect the sense of balance you would get from an actual motion picture audio mix. The atmosphere from the ballparks, however, is definitely captured quite well and you could literally feel the excitement amongst the fans. Finally, I did not detect any disturbing pops, cracks, or hissings to report here.

2008 World Series: Philadelphia Phillies vs. Tampa Bay Rays Blu-ray, Special Features and Extras

 

There is a good amount of supplemental materials on this Blu-ray disc. First is the "NL East Clincher", a short segment highlighting the final few minutes of the clash between the Phillies and Washington. Next is a similar segment titled "NSDL Clincher" highlighting the final moments of the Phillies vs. Brewers series. Next is the "NLCS Clincher" highlighting the Phillies win over the Dodgers. Next is a short segment from This Week in Baseball titled "TWIB – Tour of Shane Victorino Home" which is a very short copycat version of MTV's Cribs series. Next is "Best Wire Bites of Shane Victorino During World Series" where you get to see and hear all sorts of hilarious bites (and yes, I get the feeling that some might have been left off on the cutting floor). Next is a memorable fragment containing the last three outs of the World Series. Finally, the producers of this Blu-ray disc have supplied the entire World Series Trophy Presentation.

2008 World Series: Philadelphia Phillies vs. Tampa Bay Rays Blu-ray, Overall Score and Recommendation

 

I enjoyed this disc quite a bit. Its content is informative, emotional, and very well put together. Frankly, given the wealth of interviews and original content, as well as the footage from the actual games, I don't see how you could pass on it should you consider yourself a Phillies or Rays fan. Simply put, it is a great gift for those who supported their favorite team throughout the entire season. Recommended.

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