Columbo - Season 2 Blu-ray

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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r

(aka 'Columbo: The Complete Second Season')

directed by Nicholas Colasanto, Boris Sagal, Jeremy Kagan, Richard Quine, Hy Averback, Edward M. Abroms and Robert Butler
USA 1972 - 73

The Kino Blu-ray set (Columbo - Seasons 1 - 7) is compared / reviewed HERE

In the detective series that inspired them all, acclaimed actor Peter Falk returns in his four-time Emmy-winning role as the wry and ruffled police lieutenant in Columbo Season Two.

John Cassavetes stars in the season premiere, Etude in Black, as a philandering symphony conductor, with Blythe Danner and Hollywood legend Myrna Loy in support; Oscar winner Ray Milland is a scheming orchid grower in "The Greenhouse Jungle," co-starring Bradford Dillman and William Smith; Robert Culp and Dean Stockwell are a football team manager and owner, respectively, whose disagreements blossom into murder in "The Most Crucial Game"; and Jeanette Nolan offers stellar comic relief in "Double Shock," which features Martin Landau as identical twins--one of whom has murdered their uncle. Performances by Richard Basehart, Laurence Harvey, Leonard Nimoy, Anne Francis, Anne Baxter, and Mel Ferrer also highlight the season. Magnificent television! out of

Television Premiere: February 20th, 1968 - USA and Canada

DVD Reviews

Comparison:

Universal (5 discs) - Region 1- NTSC vs. Madman (3-disc) - Region 'B' - Blu-ray

Box Covers

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DVDBeaver strongly recommends all the Universal Columbo Boxsets:

Season 1	Season 2	Season 3	Season 4	Season 5	Season 6-7	Mystery Movie Collection	Movie Collection 1989

Distribution	Universal - Region 1- NTSC	Madman - Region 'B' - Blu-ray
Runtime	Each episode is around 1 hour 20+ minutes each = over 12 hours of "Columbo"	Disc One (2 episodes) 2:50:10.408 Disc Two (3 episodes) 4:05:09.194 Disc Three (3 episodes) 3:41:29.234
Video	1:33:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 5.49 mb/s (sample) NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s	1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc One Size: 47,176,773,441 bytes First Episode: 32,714,360,832 bytes Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Total Video Bitrate: 22.49 Mbps
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate:
Bitrate:
Audio	English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Dolby)	LPCM Audio English 1536 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1536 kbps / 16-bit Dolby Digital Audio English 224 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 224 kbps / DN -4dB
Subtitles	English (close captioned), Spanish, French, None	None
Features	Release Information: Studio: UMVD Aspect Ratio: Original Aspect Ratio 1.33:1 Edition Details: • 8 Episode Indices • 8 Episode Summary DVD Release Date: March 8th, 2005 2 double slim double-lock Keepcases inside VHS sized carboard box Chapters: 4 in each episode X 8 = 32 in total	Release Information: Studio: Madman Aspect Ratio: Original Aspect Ratio 1.33:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc One Size: 47,176,773,441 bytes First Episode: 32,714,360,832 bytes Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Total Video Bitrate: 22.49 Mbps Edition Details: • Etude in Black - unreleased shorter version (720P 1:14:47) • Original Mystery Movie Titles (Columbo, Hec Ramsey, McMillan and Wife and McCloud) - 1:04 • Textless Credits (2:21) Blu-ray Release Date: March 10th, 2017 Standard (thick) Blu-ray Box Chapters: 20

Comments:

The Kino Blu-ray set (Columbo - Seasons 1 - 7) is compared / reviewed HERE

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

ADDITION: Madman - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - December 17': Firstly, there is a Japanese set of the entire Columbo Collection on Blu-ray HERE but it's pricey going for the equivalent of $259.77 USD, at the writing of this review. There are also some seasons being sold individually, in Japan, but I am unsure of the quality.

We've already reviewed Season One on Blu-ray HERE. This package of Season Two of Columbo, on Blu-ray from Madman in Australia is, obviously similar to their Season One offering - and they have not announced any more. Like the Universal DVD it also offers the eight features of the first season's, roughly, 1 1/2 hour films but it does add a shorter (1 1/4 hour), unreleased, version of Etude in Black in 720P - as well as the full broadcast episode. In short; it is reaching about 4 times the bitrate and looks quite pleasing in-motion. It is housed on three dual-layered Blu-ray discs. The superiority will, as always, be dependant on your system but it was very evident even on my 43" plasma. Lines tighten, contrast is more layered and there is a smidgeon more information in the frame on varying edges. They are in 1080P resolution and are advertised as "newly-restored from the original 35mm negatives". They are clean and I was pleased with the quality.

In the audio, Madman offer a linear PCM 2.0 channel at 1536 kbps (16-bit) or the option of a lossy Dolby Digital, effects and music, track. Effects are minimal but the scores are wonderful with Dick De Benedictis (who composed for over 23 episode of Columbo), Oliver Nelson, Billy Goldenberg (The Legend of Lizzie Borden, Spielberg's Duel, Smile Jenny, You're Dead etc.), plus Beethoven's 6th Symphony, 4th Movement and Chopin 's Etudes, Op. 25 in Etude in Black. It certainly advances over DVD and gives an improved representation in the viewing presentation. There are no subtitles offered on the three Region 'B' Blu-ray discs.

Extras are sparse with 'Textless Credits' for a couple of episodes and, on disc one, the aforementioned shorter (1 1/4 hour), unreleased, version of Etude in Black in 720P - as well as the full broadcast episode.

This remains endlessly revisit-able entertainment with some stellar episodes - Étude in Black with John Cassavetes, The Greenhouse Jungle with Ray Milland, The Most Crucial Game with Robert Cul, Dean Stockwell, James Gregory, Valerie Harper, A Stitch in Crime with Leonard Nimoy and Anne Francis, The Most Dangerous Match with Laurence Harvey, Double Shock with Martin Landau as the twins.... some of the best of the entire series.

James tells us in FB: "Sadly Madman decided to NOT continue releasing the remastered episodes on Blu-ray, so only seasons 1 and 2 were released on BD while the rest of the remastered seasons were on DVD only. But the other day Fabulous Films announced they will release Columbo in the UK on Blu-ray, most likely the entire series."

***

ON THE DVD: Like the other two Boxsest (Season 1 + 3) this is devoid of extras (interviews etc.). Image quality is as consistent as the other two Boxset releases - quite sharp with some of the episodes being a little darker than the standard. All are progressively transferred with chapter menus and summaries. The DVD contains some of my favorite episodes including 'A Stitch in Crime', 'Double Shock' and 'The Most Dangerous Match'. This is only a small notch behind the first boxset in content but still contains hours of pure entertainment. We strongly recommend! -out of