The Year Without A Santa Claus: Review & Discussion
10-22-10, 07:34 PM
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The Year Without A Santa Claus: Review & Discussion
Some comments targeted towards the requirement of the PQ Tiers, but should be generally applicable.
The Year Without a Santa Claus
recommendation: Tier 2.75
A stop-motion classic from Rankin/Bass gets remastered for Blu-ray, and shows it in an impressive upgrade. Prepare for a revelatory experience, as no prior television or DVD viewing looks remotely close in picture quality for this special. As someone that grew up on these television specials around Christmas every year, I was frankly stunned at the substantial leap in video quality on BD for a television production from 1974. It was just released to Blu-ray in the past month, in a package that also includes the DVD for some reason.
Running slightly over 50-minutes, the video is encoded in Warner's typical codec of choice, VC-1. Correctly framed in in the original broadcast ratio of 4:3, only a BD-25 is used which apparently precluded the use of a lossless soundtrack. In a major disappointment that goes completely unmentioned anywhere on the packaging, even though the ad copy indicates all three have been remastered, the two other Rankin/Bass features included are in standard-definition. They are respectively: Nestor, The Long-Eared Christmas Donkey and Rudolph's Shiny New Year. It would have been wonderful to have seen them at greater resolution if they truly were remastered like The Year Without A Santa Claus.
While no BDInfo scan is currently available, video bitrates follow the usual course for a Warner-produced BD. Peak rates barely shoot over 26 Mbps, and the majority of the main feature stays under 20 Mbps. An estimated average would dwell slightly below that figure. Due to the nature of the production's stop-motion techniques for filming, and general lack of quick movement or shifting colors, compression artifacts are no problem at all. In this instance I did not find the compression encoding to have reduced possible fidelity and fine detail in any significant way, as the case usually is with a majority of Warner Bros. Blu-rays. Outside of two scenes purposely in soft-focus, there is a general crispness to the picture that helps showcase the puppets and background sets.
Colors show a nice and pleasing improvement over the faded prints of yesteryear. Various shades of Christmas reds paint the screen, offset by the lush green jackets of Santa's elves. The original elements look in fantastic shape, with little visible damage. Sure, a few minor and faint scratches pop up on occasion. But I have seen major films from the same period look much worse in comparison. The high-definition scan must be relatively new and fresh to produce such a fine image. I believe the claims of “remastering” in this instance, when that term has been thrown around so loosely by studios.
There are no indicators of edge enhancement or digital manipulation anywhere to be spotted. The very light grain pattern has not been scrubbed away or tampered with to any degree. If anything, the enhanced clarity and resolution reveal a few things from the original production that have all but been invisible on lesser formats. Sharp-eyed viewers will likely notice the thin, black wires holding up Santa's sleigh as Mrs. Claus uses it to fly through the air. But that is a small concern when you can marvel at the fine detail work of the animated puppets. Details like shoe buckles are visible for the first time, that show a level of craftsmanship I was frankly unaware of before viewing.
Having condemned many of Warner's Blu-rays in the past for less than impressive images, this BD shines in a manner thought impossible by myself. A cherished Rankin-Bass special gets the top-quality picture it deserves. The transfer is top-notch and an absolute gem, but limitations in the production confine the BD to a maximum ranking in Tier 2.75.
Watching on a 60” Pioneer KURO plasma at 1080p/24, fed by a 60GB PS3 (firmware 3.41) from a viewing distance of approximately six feet.
The Year Without a Santa Claus
recommendation: Tier 2.75
A stop-motion classic from Rankin/Bass gets remastered for Blu-ray, and shows it in an impressive upgrade. Prepare for a revelatory experience, as no prior television or DVD viewing looks remotely close in picture quality for this special. As someone that grew up on these television specials around Christmas every year, I was frankly stunned at the substantial leap in video quality on BD for a television production from 1974. It was just released to Blu-ray in the past month, in a package that also includes the DVD for some reason.
Running slightly over 50-minutes, the video is encoded in Warner's typical codec of choice, VC-1. Correctly framed in in the original broadcast ratio of 4:3, only a BD-25 is used which apparently precluded the use of a lossless soundtrack. In a major disappointment that goes completely unmentioned anywhere on the packaging, even though the ad copy indicates all three have been remastered, the two other Rankin/Bass features included are in standard-definition. They are respectively: Nestor, The Long-Eared Christmas Donkey and Rudolph's Shiny New Year. It would have been wonderful to have seen them at greater resolution if they truly were remastered like The Year Without A Santa Claus.
While no BDInfo scan is currently available, video bitrates follow the usual course for a Warner-produced BD. Peak rates barely shoot over 26 Mbps, and the majority of the main feature stays under 20 Mbps. An estimated average would dwell slightly below that figure. Due to the nature of the production's stop-motion techniques for filming, and general lack of quick movement or shifting colors, compression artifacts are no problem at all. In this instance I did not find the compression encoding to have reduced possible fidelity and fine detail in any significant way, as the case usually is with a majority of Warner Bros. Blu-rays. Outside of two scenes purposely in soft-focus, there is a general crispness to the picture that helps showcase the puppets and background sets.
Colors show a nice and pleasing improvement over the faded prints of yesteryear. Various shades of Christmas reds paint the screen, offset by the lush green jackets of Santa's elves. The original elements look in fantastic shape, with little visible damage. Sure, a few minor and faint scratches pop up on occasion. But I have seen major films from the same period look much worse in comparison. The high-definition scan must be relatively new and fresh to produce such a fine image. I believe the claims of “remastering” in this instance, when that term has been thrown around so loosely by studios.
There are no indicators of edge enhancement or digital manipulation anywhere to be spotted. The very light grain pattern has not been scrubbed away or tampered with to any degree. If anything, the enhanced clarity and resolution reveal a few things from the original production that have all but been invisible on lesser formats. Sharp-eyed viewers will likely notice the thin, black wires holding up Santa's sleigh as Mrs. Claus uses it to fly through the air. But that is a small concern when you can marvel at the fine detail work of the animated puppets. Details like shoe buckles are visible for the first time, that show a level of craftsmanship I was frankly unaware of before viewing.
Having condemned many of Warner's Blu-rays in the past for less than impressive images, this BD shines in a manner thought impossible by myself. A cherished Rankin-Bass special gets the top-quality picture it deserves. The transfer is top-notch and an absolute gem, but limitations in the production confine the BD to a maximum ranking in Tier 2.75.
Watching on a 60” Pioneer KURO plasma at 1080p/24, fed by a 60GB PS3 (firmware 3.41) from a viewing distance of approximately six feet.
