Sharpe Classic Collection [Blu-ray]

Well Sharpe itself has been reviewed at length over the years, and there is really not much I can offer that is new regarding this fantastic and iconic drama series, so this review will only compare the new Blu-ray set to the previous DVD release.So then, my Blu-ray set arrived today and the first thing I did was some paused screen comparisons between my old 1.66:1 (letterboxed in 4:3) ratio DVD's and the new Blu-ray's with a 16:9 full screen ratio as, being a fan of sticking to original ratios, I was concerned how the new widescreen ratio had been achieved. And once again I am completely mystified by the cinematography of Sharpe, and how it has been presented on home video over the years. On some scenes in my comparisons, a portion of top/bottom screen information (mostly bottom) is lost on the Blu-rays, which is what I expected, BUT on some scenes in later episodes there is actually the same and, in a handful of scenes, SLIGHTLY MORE top/bottom screen information on the Blu-rays than on the DVD's. In both cases, obviously, more picture on the sides is gained - ranging from a little (early episodes) to a lot (later episodes). The more top/bottom info in a handful of scenes has me totally perplexed though. Perhaps they were not using all of the image when they originally transferred certain later episodes to DVD? I'm certainly no expert on such matters, and only having a layman's knowledge, it has me perplexed. Apparently production crews in the early 90's were asked to be mindful of protecting the wider frame, by not having crew and equipment in the way, even though they were then shooting mostly for 4:3 broadcast. They did this with future proofing in mind, knowing the advent of widescreen TV was upon us. So perhaps this is why later episodes display the same or even slightly more screen information and the earlier episodes do not. I should note that the scenes I saw with a little more top/bottom picture information, and a lot more side of screen information, were all from the episodes on disc 7. Until I make more comparisons, I don't know how many episodes benefit the most. The earlier episodes are certainly not pokey/cramped though. Well, maybe in a handful of scenes...but not generally. The new wider frame definitely gives the films more of a cinematic quality though. So ultimately, I have to agree with some other people's assessments, that it doesn't look cramped or claustrophobic, like some of us were fearing, and that it has been treated as sympathetically as possible. This I am very pleased about. I have seen 4:3 to 16:9 hack jobs, and this [fortunately] is not one of them. However, if I had been presented with a choice...I think I would have chose to have kept the original ratio for the Blu-ray release. I am a purist in this respect. However, if this is what the-powers-that-be intend to do with a lot of my favourite older TV shows, I guess I must get used to it.All the grain structure has been left alone, too, which is good. However, in this they had little choice. Had they gone overboard with Digital Noise Reduction, it would have hampered the finer details. And so there is a fair bit more detail to be found. Obviously nothing like the detail improvements we would have got had they used 35mm film - but that was to be expected. However, the extra detail on offer impressed me a lot. In one comparison I made, the Irish intelligence officer, Hogan, was pointing directions out to Sharpe on a map. On the DVD, I could hardly read the larger text on the map, let alone the smaller text, but on the Blu-ray I could see large and small text and every last nuance of the map's details. In another comparison, I saw a scene with an advancing French cavalry in the distance. On the DVD, they had blank and featureless faces. On the Blu-ray, I could see their facial features clearly. There are also no longer any compression artefacts, as was on the DVD's, which is also good. One concern though is with the colour - it is an overall improvement over the DVD's, that is for sure, but it has left some indoor scenes with characters looking quite red/flushed. I think they just upped colour/contrast across the board, instead of doing it on a scene-by-scene basis, and it has brought out the sunburn that some characters must have had that was not as noticeable on the DVD's. After all, they were (mostly) English actors filming in hot countries, so sunburn must have been an issue. Maybe I noticed it more because I was doing side by side comparisons, so it might not bother others in a normal viewing situation, or bother those who do not own the DVD's. This particularly affected the dimmer indoor scenes, as did excessive grain.So yes, a general visual improvement...definitely. However, the visual side of things is only half the story - sound is also important. Now it is a pity they never went with lossless audio, it has to be said, but my god does the new Dolby Digital 5.1 mix sound better than the old 2.0 track. Skirmish and battle scenes just seem bigger and more epic. Again, this gives the films far more of a cinematic quality. The sound is very well mixed across all the channels...with very decent rear speaker action in all the right places. I was fearing a half-hearted 5.1 mix, but this is not the case.As regards extras, it is same as it ever was. So we have the 'Sharpe The Legend' episode once more...which is not really an episode at all, but rather a compilation look-back over all Sharpe and Harper's classic series adventures, narrated by Rifleman Cooper from a 19th century pub setting. 'Sharpe's Shooting', the documentary featurette from the DVD set is also still on offer. You also get the fact file info for each episode that was on the DVD sets, detailing what life was like for real soldiers back in the Napoleonic era, as well as the token photo galleries. The pity regarding extras is the fact there is nothing new on offer. In my opinion, Blu-ray should always offer something new over a DVD set. I particularly would have liked some audio commentaries from the lead actors, or at least from a producer or director. Alas, no such luck.All put together, the visual *and* audio improvements are worth the upgrade for me, and probably will be for you. I do have to knock a star off though, as the box itself is far flimsier than the old DVD set...it is now thin card that will not stand up to normal use, where previously it was hard board. You might be better off storing just the internal DVD cases on your shelf and putting away the box for safe keeping. And I do have to reflect the lack of new extras when knocking off this star. So four stars it is. If I was just reviewing the films themselves, it would easily be five stars. Sharpe is a fantastic series of films - but if you have read this far, you already know that.I should also add that I never had the dodgy 7th disc issue that others have mentioned. I play my Blu-rays on a PS3, and others have noted that PS3's, along with some standalone models, do not have a problem with the bad discs. I now have to wonder if my disc 7 will be OK should I upgrade to a standalone at a later date. Although I have to note that Amazon removed the Blu-ray sets from sale for a small while, while the issue was investigated (or so I read somewhere), so maybe they have new stock...as I ordered my set when it came back on sale. Hopefully this is an issue that has now been rectified.

Teriffic series. Great service. Very happy. Thank you.

I bought few years ago. Got free signing up to amazon mastercard. Was sealed etc. Every disc was smudged. Same as plastic inside. Must of not been stored properly. I haven't watched them untill today

I thought that it was a DVD, I bought a Blu-Ray by mistake, now I have to hook my player to the telly.That is going to be irritating

I had this boxset on my wish list for a while before taking the leap, and decided to spend a few days on a Sharpe spree, watching them all back to back (including Challenge/Peril, not included in this set).The set does lack the overall presentation that the original 15 disc collectors box has, which I have from years ago. There are, as mentioned before, no lengthy extras and a mash-up up clips to create Legend, which is more a taster than a full feature.For anyone who has not seen Sharpe, and I'd be very surprised if anyone has not seen even one in all these years, it is very similar to the Hornblower series in terms of low budget, but enjoyable performances. The sets, costumes and locations are easily appreciated despite being reused often. The scripts are amusing, sometimes a little cheesy but very "British". The Sharpe novels were my first adult level reading as a kid, and I enjoyed them very much and taped as many Sharpe's as I could off the TV - they led me into my continued interest in military history, especially early use of gunpowder weapons and tactics. Cornwell's books are similarly cheesy at times, although the battles are described on a larger scale very well, which I doubt ITV could afford back then. If you really want epic scale action, watch Sergei Bondarchuk's "Waterloo" or "War and Peace" and you won't be disappointed. The "Napoleon" miniseries, starring Christian Clavier, is also a very good series for those interested in the Napoleonic Era.Sharpe/Hornblower novels place fictional characters into history, perhaps steal a little glory but don't damage the name of real characters. They even go so far as to enhance the name of real people - the 95th Rifles, for example, gained greater respect and popularity from the Sharpe novels/series. Bernard Cornwell is a good author, who gave up a character as popular today in Britain as Ian Fleming's James Bond, or Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes, and set Sean Bean up with a better name. Whilst Sean Bean can be a little wooden at times, he takes up the role of Sharpe well - from a black haired Cockney in the novels to a rough Yorkshireman on TV - it is an interesting difference, but it's nicer to hear a Northern accent than another Londoner.The DVD's themselves have been nicely cleaned up - grainy only against some of the darker scenes. There are a couple of scenes where there appears to be no clean up at all, perhaps due to loss of the original footage? I noticed this most during the last few minutes of Waterloo, some of the shots of the Old Guard were severely fuzzy, then clean, during cuts. Not a great distraction, but noticeable. The series does end moments later, however and this fantastic series comes to a grand closure.If you enjoy this Classic "Napoleonic Era" set, get Challenge/Peril. They are a nice follow on, in their own right - familiar faces, new locations, similar budgets but lots of fun - it is hard to watch Sharpe and not feel on his side.Bit of Trivia: Sean Bean was not the original actor cast as Sharpe. Paul McGann was, but he suffered a knee injury 2 days into filming Rifles and had to be replaced. Makes one wonder if Sean Bean could also be the next Doctor Who... ;)Get those 40 shillings out, and make your mark! X

Excellent series in an excellently packaged collection, no complaints whatsoever.

When Sharpe came out in the 90's i was one of the millions who sat down to watch, rip roaring adventure it was, The rough Sharpe that seem to do as he pleased, and always gets the girl, i think in every story he was always wounded in some way musket shot or cut, i always think of Captain Kirk from the Star Trek doing the same. But watching this series now and knowing more about Napoleon and warfare than i did then, i feel let down, ok the budget for the series was on par with todays series computer graphics where never used, but the last one which was the battle of Waterloo was a big let down, Two hundred thousand men cut down to around a hundred and filmed in a forest

The Sharpe Blu Ray Collection is a great upgrade on the Origional dvd box set. The picture quality is a huge improvement with the Blu Ray transfer and the colour doesn't suffer as is often the case with these transfers. The aspect ratio is also now full screen unlike the large rectangle that had been the first for my normal dvd box set previously when player on a 50" inch screen.Overall a super quality transfer and I am enjoying watching Sharpe rise through the ranks once more in HD quality.