Well, thank’s to a sale at Best Buy this weekend, That AV Dude managed to snag a copy of Game of Thrones – The Complete First Season on UHD Blu-ray for around $29! We had been putting off purchasing this disc set because we felt that the price point was a little high, especially since the other 6 seasons of the show are only available on regular Blu-ray disc and DVD (you can also stream them from HBO Go and HBO Now).
Buy The Discs Here:
Game of Thrones: The Complete First Season [4K Ultra HD Blu-ray]
The Nitty-Gritty Specifications
While the pilot of Season One of Game of Thrones was filmed on 35mm film, most of the rest of the episodes for the season was filmed in 1080p and on digital cameras with CGI being rendered at the same resolution. So, what we’re looking at here are definitely upscales. That being said, here are the vital disc specs:
- 2160p Resolution (4K)
- HEVC/H.265 Encoding
- 1.78:1 Aspect Ratio
- HDR10 and Dolby Vision HDR
- Dolby Atmos Over Dolby TrueHD Audio
- Black 4K UltraHD keepcase with hinged disc trays
- Embossed, Thick Cardboard Slipcover
Picture Quality Review
Equipment Used to Review:
- LG Electronics OLED65E7P 65-Inch 4K Ultra HD Smart OLED TV (2017 Model)
- LG UBK90 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray Player with Dolby Vision (2018)
- Onkyo TX-SR373 5.2 Channel A/V Receiver with Bluetooth
- Klipsch R-51M Bookshelf Speakers – Black (Pair)
- Sony SS-CNK10ED Center Channel Speaker
- Sony SACS9 10-Inch Active Subwoofer
Picture Quality Score: 9/10
Again, this is an upscaled UHD Blu-ray set. The video was upscaled from its native 1080p resolution to 4K. The discs from this set output a native 2160p (4K) video stream, but the source material was originally filmed at 1080p. That being said, these discs are definitely must-owns for any fan of the series and of high-resolution home video!
Every moment of this disc set was a joy on the eyes. Even though these, again, are upscaled discs, they are severe upgrades over the standard Blueray version. Colors were lifelike, skin tones were natural, sharpness was detail revealing and free of visual artifacts.
The Dolby Vision presentation of these discs added a very noticeable level of detail in darker scenes without looking washed out. Light sources were incredibly bright and felt very realistic and natural. The expanded color gamut added to the picture and overall emotional tone of the show without sacrificing the gritty and borderline grim-dark universe in which the story takes place.
Sound Review
Sound Quality Score: 9/10
While we here at That AV Dude don’t quite have the highest-end home review setup, the sound mix in the Dolby TrueHD presentation of Game of Thrones over an entry-level 3.1 sound system was still house rattling and, well it just sounded “right.” Voices sounded natural, and like they were coming from the character delivering the lines on the screen. LFE (Low-Frequency Emissions) were very present and house-rattling while also not overbearing and unrealistic.
The score and music was honestly the best part of the whole sound mix for this season of Game of Thrones. Every instrument felt like it had its place on the recording studio floor. The presentation was forward where it needs to be and laid back where called for. Definitely turn up the volume for these discs and immerse yourself in the sounds and music of Westeros!
The Plot
Here at That AV Dude, we don’t do in-depth plot reviews of movies and shows because we want to foster a spoiler-free environment for our readers. That being said, we do like to give the plots of our review media a rating of 0 to 5 stars.
Since we don’t give in-depth plot reviews at That AV Dude, our rating for the plot of Game of Thrones: The Complete First Season is…
9.5 out of 10 stars!
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