With the slow release schedule of DVDs coming in spurts over six years, fans of the iconic CHiPs series had to wait until Summer of 2017 for the final 6th series to be released on DVD. The wait for HD has fortunately been much shorter with all six series now available on Amazon Prime. No BluRay has been announced as of February 2021.
Fans already know what to expect with the series, so I will take a look at the technical aspects and overall quality of the HD release, comparing it to the DVD release.
So how does it compare?
The Green Box – This is the standard Pal DVD (576p) release, with resolution of 720×576. If you had the NTSC (480p) DVD, the resolution would be a shorter 720×480.
The Red Box – This is the new 1080p Full HD video from Amazon Prime. As you can see, you get the most important parts of the picture, but do lose some of the detail at the top and bottom.
NB. In digital video, there is no differences between Pal and NTSC picture dimensions.
What am I missing?
It looks like they did a good job cleaning up and remastering the shows.
The cross-hatched sections (above picture) are what we lose on the HD version that appear on the DVD version. This accounts for nearly 23% of the total heighth. That seems like a lot! Nearly a quarter of the frame lost, but it isn’t really as bad as it sounds. All the crucial details are generally centred on the screen (in what’s called “safe zones”). Because of how analog CRT receivers display TV pictures, the outer edges are frequently not seen, so broadcast TV productions allowed for this and would never film anything important there.
Do I gain anything with HD?
You actually do!
The cross-hatched section (above picture) are what we gain on the HD version over the DVD version. This area is small at only 2.3% additional width. It’s not much, but in this example it lets us see John’s side mirror and most of the red and amber lights. The picture looks more balanced now, as we see the same details on Ponch’s bike.
How do the pictures compare (Outdoors)?
Compared to the DVD picture, you can see they brightened things up a bit. The picture appears more vibrant and some elements stick out more. Details are sharper with more color and a higher contrast. On this overcast day, you can make out the branches and individual leaves much better. The DVD picture isn’t bad, but in bright sun, some of the details and colors look washed out and a little dull in comparison (see the green shrubbery at the right).
How about Indoors?
The DVD picture looks fairly good in this example. My guess is when they tweaked the picture, they chose an average setting and let the program run. So this setting improves most scenes, but perhaps not all.
In Conclusion
I like the HD version that is now available. Some of my DVDs have scenes that are really washed out and the lack of detail and color is annoying. The HD version brings new life to these old scenes. I also really like the new sharpness. Being able to make out more road signs, details on cars and distant traffic is almost a requirement on my 50 inch screen. This isn’t my parent’s 20 inch Zenith anymore.
Is it worth it to replace to replace your DVDs that took so long to acquire? I’m sure all of you will have your own thoughts on that. I probably would if I could get it on BluRay. But not if it’s online streaming only. My friends know about my pet peeve about titles disappearing from streaming services and not being able to find older classic but lesser-known films or TV shows.
Available in HD on Amazon Prime:
US – $2.99/episode or $29.99/series.
UK – £2.49/episode or £19.99/series.
Also available at SD standard resolution at a lower price.