Well, it's... okay.
Spent the weekend binge-watching. Has some glaring flaws and if it were a dollar more I'd tell you it's a solid "No", but it's hard to pass up a complete set for this price.
Short version: If you want the complete series at an incredibly good price, and with slightly better video and much better audio than streaming offers, get this. Now. If you are a collector who wants a pristine example of the series, or a videophile who won't tolerate bare-bones packaging, regular bouts of iffy video quality and lack of substantive extras, then don't waste your money.
Longer version...
Viewing setup: Samsung Blu-Ray player, Yamaha RX-A1080 receiver (also used for video switching), Sharp Aquos 1080p tv.
VIDEO (C-): Mill Creek has done a "meh" job of porting the series to Blu Ray. I say "meh" because the video quality is noticeably inconsistent. Most scenes have some level of video noise and there are regular bouts of some of the most horrible video noise and compression strobing I've seen in years. It's most noticeable in darker scenes, especially in seasons 1 and 2. It gets better with later seasons but never completely goes away. I'm presuming it's a combination of source material and how the compression algorithm handles grain in darker scenes. The few scenes that are absolutely pristine - beautiful detail, no grain or over-smoothing, and vibrant, accurate colors - make the remainder an extreme disappointment. It would be absolutely unacceptable if this were a presentation- or collector-level set. As a sub $40 option for the entire series it's tolerable, but only because it's slightly better video quality than streaming offers. The pristine scenes are a solid A to A+. Unfortunately, the bad scenes are obvious and often.
AUDIO (B): Audio is presented in 5.1 and is clear and free of extraneous noise. Dialog is clear, music has clarity and depth, surround is used effectively, and action scenes engage LFE acceptably well for a made-for-TV series. However, LFE use is both sparing and a bit thin, definitely not used to its full potential. The same is true for surround channels. They are present and do an acceptable job of enveloping the listener but could certainly be used to much greater effect. My presumption is that LFE and surround deficiencies are the result of the show's original production limitations, both budget and schedule. As it stands, they are more than adequate so long as you don't expect reference-quality audio. Not bad for a budget release.
One notable issue with audio is Mill Creek's bombastic studio intro at the beginning of each disc. Audio levels are jarringly loud, almost painfully so. On my receiver, comfortable listening level for episodes is -15 db. To get the same perceived level during the intro I had to drop the level to -30.
EXTRAS (C): Extras are limited to a few podcasts, interviews, and gag reels. They were obviously thrown together in haste and look to be a direct port from the German-language box set release several years ago. Okay for the set but not substantive enough to add significant value.
PACKAGING AND MENUS (C+): The box is simple printed cardboard with minimal labeling. Discs come in two boxes, six discs per box. The discs feel noticeably flimsy and appear physically thinner than most Blu Ray platters, so much so that I am consciously careful when removing discs lest I crack one.
Menus are minimalist with a simple static background and plain-text choices. Nothing fancy but they work.
OVERALL: I love Eureka. It's been a guilty pleasure of mine from the day the pilot aired. I was thrilled to see it on a US-spec box set, especially for the price. I should have been leery of it coming from Mill Creek but I let that slide. Unfortunately Mill Creek has lived down to its reputation for iffy video and barest of bare-bones offerings. It's acceptable given the extremely modest price tag, but only because it's A) a complete set at my fingertips for under forty bucks and B) offers slightly better quality than streaming. I can only hope SYFI or Universal sees fit to issue a reference-quality set at some point in the future.
Brad
