The Wire
The Sopranos
Twin Peaks
Breaking Bad
Planet Earth
Muleyhaven is right.
I’d also suggest Six Feet Under, Angels In America and Arrested Development.
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Sorry: let me rephrase the question…does anyone have any recommendations with respect to the type of TV device (LCD vs plasma, etc.) that might be most faithful to the playing of existing Criterion films (both DVD and Blu-ray)?
HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!! I love it!
lol! whoops….
Sorry Randy, I watch all my Criterions on a big Sony screen with the PS3 hooked up with the HDMI. All that jazz. Can’t really give any pointers on the best TVs to watch them on, but I’m satisfied. This is a funny thread to read through.
LED HDTV 46" or bigger
I just saw the first season of Breaking Bad. Loved it, TV is much better than film in USA these days. There shouldn’t be made so much difference of TV and film anymore, when we list the top films of this decade in eight years I’m sure people will add TV series.
You’re watching the right TV and not the right movies.
Yeah, Breaking Bad is awesome, but TV lives and dies by two things: The strength of the script, and the connection you make with the characters. It’s rare that the production quality is as good in TV as it is in film, even for something like Breaking Bad. There’s Twin Peaks, there’s The Sopranos. Even great shows like The Wire aren’t quite on the same level, production wise.
I’m not sure, also, how you can compare a series designed to be viewed gradually over years to a film designed to be viewed in a couple hours.
Anyway, my 32" 720p is good enough for me.
Prime Suspect
The Larry Sanders Show
Though a super duper ooper TV wouldn’t so much improve those…
Well, I can confidently report that a LCD LED 55" is NOT the best television to screen Criterion…either DVD or Blu-Ray. I attempted to screen Wim Wenders’ PARIS, TEXAS, one of my all-time favorites, and this television made Robby Muller’s masterful cinematography look like a “making of” documentary for a 3rd-rate Hollywood film (even looked like it was shot on mini-DV). Added to that, random, sporadic light leaks emerged from the edges of the screen…extremely distracting. Still have yet to find a TV that allows these films to be, well, cinematic.
this was fun to read through lol
What do you mean about production quality? Cinematography, sound, editing etc?
Get an Epson 8350 projector and a Roku box. You’ll be glad you did!
Cheers!
Oh wait…
Samsung PN59D6500
If you watch tv in a home theater environment (meaning dim lights) and primarily watch things shot on film then a plasma TV is exactly what you want. Assuming you want a TV and not a projector.
The only worthy plasma TV makers are Panasonic and Samsung. The most expensive Panasonic is better than, and more expensive than, the most expensive Samsung.
But at any given price the Samsung at that price is the better than the Panasonic at the same price. And Samsung TVs look better, in terms of physical design.
Six Feet Under
I suppose in England it should have the wrong sort of plug.
The female is unfulfilled, though well grounded.
Thank you all for your responses—I am happy to report that a 50" plasma (Panasonic) is very good to the cinematic image. All my Criterion films look beautiful!
Projectors make all TVs look tiny. Very little compares to watching Le Bonheur on an 11 ft. screen!
Seriously, get a projector!
@Mubiuser
Acting, sound, editing, cinematography, anything that costs money and takes time. TV shows generally have less budget to work with, and have to keep up a specific production schedule, and since they’re plotting over long term, they are usually constrained by having to preserve the status quo or take contract issues into account. They have to make more compromises, reuse more sets, and in 99% of non-HBO cases they have to make sure any episode can be viewed with no knowledge of other episodes.
What TV shows are able to do really well is get you invested in the characters, and because they have more time, they can explore more elements of the story.
TV and movies are for sure different, but I think the quality of the acting in the best TV shows are much better than in most Hollywood and independent movies. American films no longer have any root in real life, but I feel the best TV series do. This is what makes TV more interesting in USA these days. More interesting ideas. For me this will always be more important than great cinematography. Also, most movies today are watched on tiny laptops, which is sad. But I could mention some good American films from the last years, absolutely.
I’ll second your choice on the Panasonic plasma Randy, as I’m very pleased with my own 42" Panny. Additionally, I might recommend a high quality upconverting disc player. I’ve been very, very pleased with my Oppo 983 (DVD) and its ABT processing, which does an excellent PAL=> NTSC conversion and presents a film-like image. While the newer Oppo players can no longer be rendered “region free” as a result of Blu-Ray license agreements, the 983 can be easily region modified by means of a code entered through the remote enabling access to many more films worldwide, often far in advance of their US release, if there is even a US release at all (re: Kinetta, Attenberg). The machines are great match for the Panny and are sometimes still available on eBay or through Oppo as refurbs. Enjoy your new panel and regards!
Friday Night Lights. Every season is fantastic.
The Twilight Zone
So: half the respondents are discussing the merits of particular high-tech TVs and half are weighing In on (non-Criterion) series that might hypothetically be played on those TVs. A fine thread!
Oh yeah, Arrested Development, too.
Randy Walker
Anyone have any recommendations as to the ideal TV suited for Criterion Collection viewing? What TV, in your opinion, is the most cinematic?f