Pride and Prejudice Blu-ray

Pride and Prejudice

 (TV) (1995)

Drama | Romance



The timeless themes of love and marriage in Jane Austen's superb romantic comedy 'Pride and Prejudice' have captured readers for generations; the novel has sold more than 20 million copies and has never been out of print. Now A&E and the BBC have brought this beloved classic to life in a compelling production directed by Simon Langton. This stunning production captures the celebrated beauty of the English countryside and its glorious stately manors. It features lavish costumes and an exquisite soundtrack from noted composer Carl Davis. 'Pride and Prejudice' is the story of the lively and rebellious Elizabeth Bennet, one of five unmarried daughters living in the countryside of 19th Century England. In a world where obtaining an advantageous marriage is a woman's sole occupation, Elizabeth's independent manner threatens her family's future. Will her romantic sparring with the mysterious and arrogant Darcy end in misfortune - or will love's true nature prevail?

For more details about Pride and Prejudice on Blu-ray, see the Pride and Prejudice Blu-ray Review

Pride and Prejudice Blu-ray, Video Quality

 


Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Pride and Prejudice arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of A&E Home Video.

It took me approximately a week to go through this magnificent set. Now, having seen all six episodes of the Emmy Award-winning TV series as well as the informative supplemental features A&E have supplied, I can comfortably state that Pride and Prejudice will become a “poster-child” for the Blu-ray format. The tech specialists at A&E have gone back to the original 16mm film negative and performed a frame-by-frame restoration of Pride and Prejudice that has produced something you have to see to believe (as clichéd as it may sound, I am convinced that my words will not provide you with an accurate idea as to the quality of this new HD transfer).

First of all clarity and contrast are staggering; there is an incredible amount of depth to the picture as well that I personally have never witnessed on previous releases. Obviously, this has to do with the fact - and this is very important to understand – that A&E have gone back to the original 16mm film negative instead of opting for for a secondary print. Next, the color-scheme is lush and well saturated yet unaffected by post-production enhancements. Furthermore, the image also reveals a light layer of grain that, again, no DVD release has ever been able to capture. This being said, the print also looks notably healthy – there are absolutely no scratches, debris, or stains that I could detect. To sum it all up, this is a fantastic presentation of Pride and Prejudice that belongs in every serious collection. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release which you will be able to play in your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location).

Pride and Prejudice Blu-ray, Audio Quality

 


Unlike the UK release of Pride and Prejudice, which apparently contains an English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, the US release boasts an LPCM 2.0 track. As expected, the audio presentation fully matches the terrific video treatment – the dialog is crisp and extremely easy to follow while the period soundtrack is simply fantastic (most of the key pieces are performed with replicas of period instruments). Furthermore, balance is also terrific, and I personally did not detect any issues to report in this review. Finally, there is a very convincing separation between the music and the dialog. For the record, A&E have provided optional English subtitles for the main feature.

Pride and Prejudice Blu-ray, News and Updates

• Pride & Prejudice (2005) Coming to Blu-ray - November 5, 2009


• Today on Blu-ray - April 14th - April 14, 2009


• Pride and Prejudice Announced for Blu-ray - December 19, 2008

Pride and Prejudice Blu-ray, Forum Discussions

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