 | Another release
rating: 3
This is the fifth (count em FIVE) release of this series on DVD and what most people fail to comment on is the actual DVD release itself. Yes, Victory at Sea was one of the best naval warfare series presented with actual B&W footage with narration by Leonard Graves and the music by Richard Rodgers as in ALL the Victory at sea releases whether it is a DVD or VHS edition. St. Clair Vision (2007), Mill Creek Entertainment (2005), A&E Entertainment (the History Channel version) (2003), Emson (2004?) and now St. Clair Entertainment 2008 re-release re-packaged edition, all have versions out and EVERYONE comments on the series instead of the actual quality of the DVD set itself.
Emson is the company that sells 50 movies for $9.95 on 4 DVD and you get what you pay for. The same goes for their Victory at Sea version- unwatchable as the DVD's lock up or skip like crazy. Not bad considering I picked it up on a clearance rack for $5 at a discounter that sells mostly clothes. The audio video quality is better for the others but none have gone through (if any) restoration and one is just as good as another. A small bonus is the History Channel version that has a Peter Graves (no relation to Leonard) introduction overview for the uninitiated of the proceding episode. If you can't Peter Graves, then any other version would suffice but stay away from the el-cheapo versions out there as most of older series, movies and shows are public domain for any "studio" out there who is willing to put them on DVD and make a buck. Hence, the multiple versions of the same series of Victory at Sea that are floating around out there.
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A TIMELY CLASSIC
rating: 5
This "Victory at Sea" is an excellent re-mastering of an American classic. The video and sound quality must be close to the original, considering the extensive use of actual WWII film footage. The series still captures the immensity of the Nation's sacrifices needed to help win the war. This is more real history than Hollywood, and it makes one reflect on how relatively secure the United States has been since World War II. The Richard Rodgers soundtrack seems timeless. One might find oneself humming the melodies days after watching "Victory at Sea".
Highly recommended.
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Excellent DVD set of a classic TV series.
rating: 5
Of the "Budget" priced editions available on the market -the one produced by ST.CLAIR VISION is the best available quality.The transfer of 50 year old film footage to DVD was well done -GOOD picture and sound quality.Complaints from other reviewers about there being only 15 epidsodes on the DVDs are untrue - If you go into the epidsode selection Menu and look for the ARROW icon which is just to the right of where it says MAIN MENU-and CLICK on the arrow - you bring up another menu page with the "Missing Epidsodes" - Problem Solved! If you are a big fan WWII documentaries this DVD set is a "Must Have"!
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Vixtory At Sea
rating: 5
Very good DVD set. It was rated as one of the best versions and it was!! I would recommend this particular DVD to anyone who liked the program, Victory At Sea.
Gary Bacon
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The First Quality Edition since Laser Disc
rating: 5
This complete edition of all 26 hours of Victory at Sea is the first really well done remastering since the original release many years back in Laser Disc. It is superior to the current History Channel release (without the superfluous H-Channel introductions). It brings me back to Sunday afternoons over dinner in our den as we watched the original broadcasts on an exceptional (for its time) 21" B&W TV. Archival footage is just that, but the presentation appears quite well on a 52" rear-projection monitor. The music track (Richard Rodgers beautiful music) along with Graves excellent narration is nicely done in Dolby. This was a true pioneering effort in documenting WWII and, specifically, the war at sea. While somewhat dated in production values, the overall product is a must for any serious collector, student or enthusiast.
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