AVATAR
VIDEO QUALITY
The video is a 1080p AVC in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1. Because the video was probably transferred without much in the way of remastering, there are some ups and downs in the video. The colors are bright and look great. The details in the art style and texture of the animation a clean. Contrasting is done well. On the flip side, there is macroblocking, banding, and noise. Unfortunately, this is constant trouble through the series.
AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER
VIDEO QUALITY
The video is a 1080p AVC in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1. Because the video was probably transferred without much in the way of remastering, there are some ups and downs in the video. The colors are bright and look great. The details in the art style and texture of the animation a clean. Contrasting is done well. On the flip side, there is macroblocking, banding, and noise. Unfortunately, this is constant trouble through the series.
AUDIO QUALITY
The audio is a lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mix and it is slightly better than the video. The effects and voices are clear with prioritization done properly. As for the LFEs, the mix tends to use what is built into the speaker but not the subwoofer channel itself.
THE LEGEND OF KORRA
VIDEO QUALITY
The video is a 1080p AVC presentation that is much better than the AVATAR series. One important factor is that this is newer and it has a 1.78:1 aspect ratio. This also has a cleaner source for the series. The coloring is brilliant with prime colors. Contrast is strong with definitive lines and inky blacks. There is some pixelation and macroblocking that show up but not enough to takeaway from the entertainment.
AUDIO QUALITY
The audio is a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix. It does plenty with the given channels and moves nicely in the sound field. LFEs deliver the bass to get the effects across that can be easily felt. Effects are also clear and makes for a lively mix. The music from the score also adds to the overall tone of the series. There are no issues that I could hear or any real complaints.
SUPPLEMENTS & PACKAGING
AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER
Disc One:
-Behind the Scenes Kung Fu Featurette
-Credits
-The Making of AVATAR – From Real Life to Animation
Disc Two:
-Behind the Scenes: The Voices of AVATAR
-Ask the Creators Featurette
-Original Uncut Animatic — Episode #15: Bato of the Water Tribe
Disc Three:
-Audio Commentaries:
“The Northern Air Temple” Sound Designer Benjamin Wynn and Voice Actor Dee Baker.
“The Waterbending Master” Co-Creators Mike DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko and Head Writer Aaron Ehasz.
“The Siege of the North, Part 1” Co-Creators Mike DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko and Head Writer Aaron Ehasz.
“The Siege of the North, Part 2” Co-Creators Mike DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko and Head Writer Aaron Ehasz.
-Behind the Scenes with the Avatar Cast & Crew
-The Making of AVATAR — Inside the Sound Studios
-The Making of AVATAR — Inside the Korean Animation Studios
Disc Four:
-Original Uncut Animatic — Episode #21: The Avatar State
-Audio Commentaries:
“The Blind Bandit” Co-Creators Mike DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko and Director Ethan Spaulding.
“The Chase” Co-Creator Mike DiMartino, Writer Josh Hamilton, and Director Giancarlo Volpe.
Disc Five:
-Audio Commentaries:
“Episode #12, Journey to Ba Sing Se: Part 1 The Serpent’s Pass” Co-Creators Mike DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko and Co-Writer Josh Hamilton.
“City and Walls of Secrets” Co-Creators Mike DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko and Background Layout Supervisor Elsa Garagarza.
Disc Six:
-Audio Commentaries:
“Lake Laogai” Co-Creators Mike DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko and Writer Tim Hedrick.
“The Earth King” Co-Creator Mike DiMartino, Writer John O’Bryan, and Storyboard Artist Joaquim Dos Santos.
“The Crossroads of Destiny” Co-Creators Mike DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko.
-Interview with Creators and M. Night Shyamalan
-The Essence of Bending with Bryan Konietzko and Sifu Kisu
-AVATAR Super Deformed Shorts
-Escape from the Spirit World: Animated Graphic Novel
Disc Seven:
-Audio Commentaries:
“Sokka’s Master” Co-Creators Bryan Konietzko and Mike DiMartino and Martial Arts Consultant Sifu Kisu.
“The Beach” Co-Creators Bryan Konietzko, Director Joaquim Dos Santos, and Writer Katie Mattila.
“The Avatar and the Firelord” Co-Creators Bryan Konietzko and Mike DiMartino, Sound Designer Benjamin Wynn, and Composer Jeremy Zuckerman.
Disc Eight:
-Audio Commentaries:
“Day of Black Sun” Co-Creators Bryan Konietzko and Mike DiMartino, Sound Designer Benjamin Wynn, and Composer Jeremy Zuckerman.
“The Western Air Temple” Co-Creators Bryan Konietzko and Mike DiMartino.
“The Southern Raiders” Co-Creators Bryan Konietzko and Mike DiMartino, Voice Director Andrea Romano, and Actor Dante Basco.
Disc Nine:
Audio Commentaries:
“The Ember Island Players” Co-Creators Bryan Konietzko and Mike DiMartino and Actors Jessie Flower and Jack De Sena.
“Sozin’s Comet Part 1” Co-Creators Bryan Konietzko and Mike DiMartino.
-The Women of AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER
-Book 3 Finale Pencil Test Animation
-Into the Fire Nation at San Diego Comic-Con
THE LEGEND OF KORRA
Book One: Air
-Audio Commentaries: Every episode on this disc features an audio commentary with various creators and show runners.
-Animatics
-The Making of a Legend: The Untold Story
Book Two: Spirits
-Audio Commentaries: Every episode on this disc features an audio commentary with various creators and show runners.
-Scene Bending
-Inside the Book of Spirits
-Kindred Spirits: Tenzin’s Family
-Feuding Spirits: Korra’s Family
-The Re-Telling of Korra’s Journey
Book Three: Change
-Audio Commentaries: Every episode on this disc features an audio commentary with various creators and show runners.
-The Spirit of an Episode
Book Four: Balance
-Audio Commentaries: Every episode on this disc features an audio commentary with various creators and show runners.
-Remembrances
-The Making of a Legend: The Untold Story Part II
-Republic City Hustle
-Kuvira vs. Prince Wu
Disc Details
18 Blu-ray Disc Set
Edition Ratings
TV-Y7-FV
Region Coding
Region Free
AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER
Video Resolution
1080p AVC MPEG-4
Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
Audio Mixes
English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
French Dolby Digital 2.0
Spanish Dolby Digital 2.0
Subtitles
English
THE LEGEND OF KORRA
Video Resolution
1080p AVC MPEG-4
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Audio Mixes
English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Subtitles
English SDH
THE BOTTOM LINE
With such an elaborate series and characters, its no wonder that this is incredibly popular. The animation and story is also very cool with the ability to pull you in for the long haul. It is unfortunate that AVATAR wasn’t released a little later to get in on the 16×9 broadcast standard but the show holds up. The video and audio are average but no where near impossible to enjoy. As for KORRA, both the video and audio looks excellent. There are plenty of extras included and I think they cover most of what the fans want to know. This is an easy decision and a highly recommended pick up.
