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This thread is coming about as a result of the new Swedish Wallander series being DVD-only, but it's been due for a while.

The past few years I've been really into Arrow's Nordic Noir line. I'm mainly buying the Blu-rays, and simply taking the tact of waiting--possibly endlessly--for other series to come to English-friendly BD.

Now, Arrow gets a lot of love for their treatment of cult, horror and classic world cinema titles, but the contemporary world cinema titles--and especially world television and Nordic Noir--seem to get tossed aside a lot. For one thing, this forum is one of many that pays almost no attention to Nordic Noir releases, while Arrow themselves constantly neglect to announce proper specifications for pre-release titles on either their web site or social media.

Now, as I said, I concentrate on Blu-ray releases, and so far, there have been only a handful, which is understandable. However, many releases contain audio and resolution inaccuracies:

Borgen: Series One: 1080p, DTS-HD MA 5.1 (Nordic release apparently had DD 5.1 audio)
Borgen: Series Two: 1080/50i, DTS-HD HR 5.1 (No Nordic release)
Borgen: Series Three: 1080/50i, DTS-HD HR 5.1 (No Nordic release)

The Bridge Series One: 2 BDs, DTS-HD MA 2.0 (Nordic release is 3 BDs and has DTS-HD MA 5.1)
The Bridge Series Two: 2 BDs, DTS-HD MA 2.0 (Nordic release is 3 BDs and has DTS-HD MA 5.1)

The Killing Trilogy:
Series One: 1080/50i, DTS-HD MA 2.0 (No Nordic release)
Series Two: 1080p, DTS-HD HR 5.1 (No Nordic release)
Series Three: 1080/50i, DTS-HD HR 5.1 (No Nordic release)

Jägarna AKA The Hunters: Released on DVD only (Nordic BD is English-friendly)
Jägarna 2 AKA False Trail: Released on Blu-ray and DVD (Nordic BD is not English-friendly)

Finally, Sebastian Bergman AKA Den fördömde 1 and 2, which is a single BD-50 with lossless 5.1 and 2.0 audio, was released as two separate discs in Nordic countries, but I have no idea if the discs are superior (TRT is 176 minutes). A second series of two discs (Den fördömde 3 and 4) was just released in Nordic territories in April.

I might be missing one or two releases, but this is certainly most, if not all, of the Nordic Noir series issued on Blu-ray.

Obviously, there are either some encoding issues, or issues with delivery of materials, as to why shows in 5.1 are presented in 2.0, and why some series are incorrectly presented in 1080p, while other series of the same program are presented in the proper 1080/50i format. The loss of the audio channels is grating, but at least we are getting Blu-ray releases.

Now, however, I am seeing that the plan is to release the 2013 Swedish Wallander films on DVD-only. Now, there are Blu-rays of these films in Nordic territories, but of course, since Yellow Bird licensed the series to Arrow, their BDs do not have English subtitles, just like their Blu-rays of the earlier Krister Henriksson Wallander films are also not English-friendly (though the Nordic DVDs of those films are).

I get that Arrow doesn't want to bother releasing the older Henriksson films on Blu-ray, even though HD masters exist. After all this is a niche market. But it really pisses me off that a brand new Wallander series is going DVD-only, especially when Arrow are the only option to watch this series with English subtitles. Of course, if SF/Yellow Bird's releases had been English-friendly, you would get no argument from me, but again, they aren't. And this series is the only one so far to film the last Wallander book, The Troubled Man, which is an episode I was really looking forward to seeing.

In light of Arrow's many other terrific releases, I don't get why the Nordic Noir division is so overlooked and neglected. I really enjoy these programs, and I understand that most of them have a small but devoted following in the UK. I only hope that, at the very least, we can get the new Wallander series on Blu-ray, in 1080/50i, with the DTS-HD MA 5.1 tracks on the Nordic discs. I believe the films are released on 6xBD-25 by Svensk Filmindustri, so a 3xBD-50 set would be fine for Arrow.

Simple curious question without any malice about the wish to have 1080i50 and not 1080p : how these TV shows were shot ? Because currently, I thought TV shows were more and more shot, even digitally, at 24 fps.

tenia wrote:Simple curious question without any malice about the wish to have 1080i50 and not 1080p : how these TV shows were shot ? Because currently, I thought TV shows were more and more shot, even digitally, at 24 fps.

My understanding is that most everything shot for European TV in any country is native 1080/50i, but it's been very difficult to get a clear answer. I would think, for instance, that most UK TV is now shot with the US in mind, but does that mean it is native 1080/50i, or native 1080p23.976? Which Blu-ray is correct? I have found myself going for the 50Hz versions, where applicable.

As to this Nordic content, I would hazard it's less likely to be shot and finished in 1080p, but I could be wrong.

Given that you're in the US, I'm surprised you're clamoring for more 50i releases, as almost all of us schmucks on this side of the pond can't display Europeans Blu-rays with that format, regardless of region-free capability of players

domino harvey wrote:Given that you're in the US, I'm surprised you're clamoring for more 50i releases, as almost all of us schmucks on this side of the pond can't display Europeans Blu-rays with that format, regardless of region-free capability of players

I have multisystem equipment, but in any event, the number of people who don't have a multi-region player with a built-in 50Hz-60Hz converter is small.

I just want to watch this content in the purest way possible (i.e. native frame rate, whatever that may be).

I'm sorry, but it is not small at all

domino harvey wrote:I'm sorry, but it is not small at all

You are right, I do forget those bargain-bin players many buy. And I suppose some of those who choose to modify their own players do not indulge. It does seem dense not to get some type of converter though. There is plenty of material worth having that is in PAL SD format as well as other HD 50Hz releases, and PAL-Land has been enjoying 60Hz formats for years now.

Still, this is not the main point.

I agree that the Nordic Noir series has been really haphazard technically. That said, take a look at how many BD-only exclusives they actually have in UK territories, so it's not all bad. Also, FYI, the Nordic Bridge Series 1 used to have English subs, but a subsequent printing has removed it (presumably contractually obligated).

Zot! wrote:I agree that the Nordic Noir series has been really haphazard technically. That said, take a look at how many BD-only exclusives they actually have in UK territories, so it's not all bad. Also, FYI, the Nordic Bridge Series 1 used to have English subs, but a subsequent printing has removed it (presumably contractually obligated).

Don't get me wrong, I really appreciate what the Nordic Noir line has given us on Blu-ray, but I still think that the 2013 Wallander series should be part of that offering, since it is brand new, and contains the first filmed version of the latest and last book in the series.

I only brought up the technical issues to highlight the idea that whoever is in charge of these releases might not be paying the material proper attention. I'd expect it with some other labels, but with Arrow, it's confusing and upsetting, at least for me.

I want to pleased when I hear that Arrow has the rights to a world television program, not nervous.