Shipping Wars: Season One - DVD Review

***SYNOPSIS***


Follow six independent shippers who have discovered that fortunes could be made transporting items that traditional carriers won’t touch in SHIPPING WARS. Each episode of A&E’s new original real-life series dives into the cutthroat world of rookie haulers and seasoned movers as they battle for the chance to transport the unshippable. The competition begins with uShip, the world’s largest online auction house for independent truckers. Every day, thousands of shipments are put up for auction. The battle is fierce as the movers have only minutes to bid, and the lowest bidder gets the load. From oversized loads and bulky packages to the truly bizarre, these shippers will haul anything if the price is right. The high-stakes race is on as they set out to deliver the loads in time, and any setback can cost big bucks.


DISC ONE - Shipping Wars: Pilot / Double Down and Bean Town / Bullship / Cash For Tanks / Pain in the Caboose / Camel in Tow

DISC TWO - Tavern on the Greenbacks / Jennifer’s Arch / Baja or Bust / May the Ship Be With You / Bonus

BONUS FEATURES - Additional Footage


***VIDEO QUALITY***


Shipping Wars: Season One arrives on DVD with a 480p transfer in the original aspect ratio of 1.78:1. I was pleased overall with the image on display here. Colors consist of natural hues and skintones. The strange and cool items these shippers have to haul really popped. Detail was consistently good. Contrast was well balanced. 8/10


***AUDIO QUALITY***


Audio is provided by a Dolby Digital Stereo 2.0 track. The on location dialogue is crisp and clean as well as the shipper interviews segments. The few moments of music cues in each episode were clear as well. Bass is virtually nonexistent, but of course I wasn't expecting explosions here.. The audio presentation was perfectly fine and what was expected for this type of program. 7.5/10

The Universe in 3D Set - Blu-ray Review

***SYNOPSIS***


Take an exhilarating, unprecedented 3D tour of the Universe in this amazing set. The planets of our solar system have experienced epic catastrophes throughout their long history, both raining down from outside and bubbling up from within. We'll voyage back in time to investigate the violent events that profoundly shaped the planets, including earth itself. We'll witness stunning revelations about what transformed Mars into a barren, hostile desert...The disaster that changed Venus from temperate to hellish...The impact that blew away Mercury's mantle, turning it into a planetary core...A colossal disturbance that rearranged the orbits of the gas giants...Titanic impacts on Jupiter...And how a lost moon may finally explain Saturn's rings. Explore the history of our planets for the first time in spectacular 3-D!


DISC ONE Sun & Moon
DISC TWO Jupiter & Saturn
DISC THREE Mars, Mercury & Venus


***VIDEO QUALITY***


The Universe in 3D arrives on Blu-ray with a 1080p 3D transfer in the original aspect ratio of 1.78:1. A superbly crisp transfer with beautifully saturated colors. Detail is quite strong. The darkness fo space was complemented well with rock solid black level performance. The 3D effects are tastefully done. Space objects stretch beyond the screen towards the viewer as well as subtle details to the side. When in deep space there was a wonderful sense of depth that surrounds your viewing area. Overall this is without a doubt one of the most fun 3d experiences to have in your own home to date. 9/10


***AUDIO QUALITY***
Audio is provided by a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. I highly enjoyed the full bodied sound from this track. Sound effects blast from back to front with strong dynamic range. The soundstage gave me sense of being in space with everything coming through crisp and clean. The LFE channel was utilized to great effect and really complements the nice musical score well. A solid overall presentation. 8.5/10

Duck Dynasty: Season One - DVD Review

***SYNOPSIS***


Ask anyone in Louisiana and they’ll tell you that the Bayou State’s favorite first family doesn’t live in the governor’s mansion but in the backwoods. Meet the Robertsons, who run Duck Commander, a homegrown mom-and-pop turned sporting empire selling top-of-the-line duck calls and decoys out of salvaged swamp wood. Their rags-to-riches story unfolds weekly on the hit show DUCK DYNASTY on A&E. There’s business-savvy Willie, brother Jase, their respective wives Korie and Missy, patriarch and Duck Commander founder Phil, and Uncle Si. Dressed in camouflage and bandanas, this crew shows the world how a family can work together and be a success at the same time. Their booming business employs half the neighborhood, and each day brings a new set of challenges, but this clan meets them with a special brand of Southern know-how and humor. At the end of the day, the whole family enjoys some down-home time at matriarch Miss Kay’s dinner table, ready to do it all again the next. See for yourself why DUCK DYNASTY has won millions of viewers and fans across America.


DISC 1: - Family Funny Business / CEO For a Day / High Tech Redneck / Frog in One / Redneck Logic / Too Close for Comfort / Leave it to Beavers / A Big Duck-ing Call

DISC 2: - Sauvignon Beard / Plan Bee / Daddy’s Got a Gun / Fishin’ For Business / Redneck Roadtrip / Winner, Winner Turkey Dinner / Willie Stay or Willie Go

DISC 3: - Bonus Additional Footage


***VIDEO QUALITY***


Duck Dynasty arrives on DVD with a 480p transfer in the original aspect ratio of 1.78:1. I was pleased overall with the image on display here. Colors were natural. Outdoor scenery looked great with the Louisiana bayou in all its glory. Black levels were above average. 8/10


***AUDIO QUALITY***


Audio is provided by a Dolby Digital Stereo 2.0 track. The on location dialogue is crisp and clean. The few moments of music cues in each episode were clear as well. Bass is virtually nonexistent, but of course I wasn't expecting explosions here.. The audio presentation was perfectly fine and what was expected for this type of program. 7.5/10

Top Shot: Season Four - DVD Review

***SYNOPSIS***


Colby Donaldson returns as host of TOP SHOT Season Four on HISTORY. The skill level is extraordinarily high as competitors vie for a $100,000 prize package, bragging rights for the title of “Top Shot,” and a professional shooting contract with Bass Pro Shops. Ranging in age from 21 to 50, the 18 competitors represent the widest scope of shooting backgrounds ever featured on the series. Sharpshooters include a 21-year-old world-champion pistol shooter and a hardworking high school custodian who makes his own ammunition and spends his spare time at the range. Some of the finest self-taught shooters in the country are also represented, including an IT specialist from California, a knife maker from Georgia, a chemist from Massachusetts, and a grass-fed cattle farmer from upstate New York. Season 4 is TOP SHOT at the top of its game, fully loaded with more twists and history-inspired challenges than ever before.


DISC 1: - Sweating Bullets / In The Trenches / Shotgun Showdown / Crossbow Crossfire
DISC 2: - Swing Into Action / Blast From The Past / Trick Shot Shoot Off
DISC 3: - The Mad Minute / The Longest Shot / SWAT Throwdown / Have Machine Gun Will Travel
DISC 4: - The Ultimate Prize/ Bonus

BONUS FEATURES: - Contestant Bios; Additional Footage; Behind the Bullet


***VIDEO QUALITY***

Top Shot: Season 4 arrives on DVD with a 480p transfer in the original aspect ratio of 1.78:1. The shot on location footage looks great with natural color reproduction and perfect skintones. Detail was sharp with clothing textures and the bright outdoor scenes coming across the best. An overall pleasing image. 8.5/10


***AUDIO QUALITY***


Audio is provided by a Dolby Digital Stereo 2.0 track. A front heavy track with little in the way of stereo separation which is a disappointment due to the nature of the show. Would have been great to have an LFE channel for the big gun blasts but the presentation overall was crisp and clear just not a stunner. 7/10