NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Kino Blu-ray (July 2024): Kino have transferred the final 24 episodes of Columbo to Blu-ray, (labeled Columbo: The Return) after releasing the first seven seasons on Blu-ray - reviewed HERE, late in 2023. It is cited as being "Remastered in 4K by NBCUniversal". There were 67 episodes in total with 43 in Kino's Columbo: The 1970s (Seasons 1-7) Blu-ray set and the remaining 24-episodes are here. Each are 'feature-length' (1.5 hours) and all of Season 8 and one episode from Season 9 were marketed on DVD in the "Mystery Movie Collection, 1989" that we reviewed HERE. The issue for purists is that they are now in the 1.78:1 aspect ratio as opposed to how they wee originally displayed in 1.33:1 on TV starting in 1989. Only the very last episode, Columbo Likes the Nightlife, from January 2003 was broadcast in widescreen (1.78:1.) We lose information from the top and bottom but gain more substantially on the side edges. I never saw any composition loss in the 'widescreen-ification'. Other than that the 1080P presentations are a predictable bump over SD. Colors and contrast are more balanced. There is depth in the later episodes and it generally looks quite stellar without damage. The DVDs are slightly vertically-stretched and the Blu-ray transfers do not have that bias. There is also some pleasing sharpness not present on the DVDs. I appreciated the video upgrade. There are two episodes per Blu-ray disc.

NOTE: We have added 170 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Kino use a DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel tracks (24-bit) in the original English language The series would be better known for 'stealth' than 'action-violence' although there are incidents of aggression with a handful of sharp gunshots. The scores are by the likes of composers like James Di Pasquale, Steve Dorff (worked with Willie Nelson and Whitney Houston among others), Jeff Alexander (who was part of the music department for Singin' in the Rain and did episodes of The Twilight Zone as well as much more), Robert Prince (2 episodes of Mission: Impossible), Jonathan Tunick (Fort Apache the Bronx), Dennis Dreith (additional music for 1994's The Shadow), David Michael Frank (Black Widow Murders: The Blanche Taylor Moore Story), Richard Markowitz (9 episodes of Mission: Impossible), Ken Jordan (Species) and Jim Latham (Guillermo del Toro's Mimic), sounding clean and supporting the contemplative cerebral significance via the lossless transfers. Kino offer optional English subtitles on their twelve Region 'A' Blu-rays.

The Kino Blu-ray offers no extras aside from the optional "Music and Effects" tracks and an 'episode guide' booklet.

We are in the neighborhood of 40 hours of Columbo... and the bonus, for myself, is that there are many episodes that that I have not seen before. Fans will recognize Faye Dunaway, Rod Steiger, George Hamilton, favorite Columbo-villain Patrick McGoohan, William Shatner, Roscoe Lee Browne, Guy Stockwell, Dabney Coleman, Sally Kellerman, Rip Torn, Lindsay Crouse, Ed Begley Jr., Anthony Zerbe, Fisher Stevens, Nancy Walker, Robert Foxworth, Helen Shaver, Tyne Daly, Joanna Going, George Wendt, Billy Connolly, Matthew Rhys, Ian McShane, Brenda Vaccaro, Greg Evigan, Burt Young, Dick Sargent, Betsy Palmer, Rue McClanahan, Richard Kline, Bill Macy, Steven Hill, Little Richard, Janet Margolin, and Shera Danese (widow of actor Peter Falk) who was in four of these episodes and six in the series in total. I'm certain I have missed some. Some of the more memorable in my binge-watching; A Trace of Murder with a beautiful woman and her forensics expert boyfriend who try to frame her very rich husband for murder, Strange Bedfellows (with George Wendt and a brief Rod Steiger), It's All in the Game with two women killing their two-timing lover starring the hypnotic Faye Dunaway, Death Hits the Jackpot involving a winning lottery ticket... and murder, Columbo and the Murder of a Rock Star where Lt. Columbo matches wits with a defense lawyer who has never lost a case in his career. I thoroughly enjoyed Columbo Goes to College with Lt. Columbo teaching a class... in murder, Murder, a Self Portrait where the Lt. investigates the apparent drowning of a famous painter's first wife. Columbo Cries Wolf battling wits with the publisher of the men's magazine, Rest in Peace, Mrs. Columbo opens at the funeral of Columbo's, never-seen, wife, and is partially told in flashbacks. Agenda for Murder has nemesis Patrick McGoohan. Murder, Smoke and Shadows has an egocentric wunderkind director. Sex and the Married Detective has another favorite actress Lindsay Crouse intellectually sparing with our Detective. The very last episode, Columbo Likes the Nightlife, is kinda cool as it is somewhat different. I love Kino's Columbo: The Return Blu-ray package. Hours of entertainment and it can be watched at any time. Our highest recommendation to fans - and we're all fans.

Gary Tooze