Victory at Sea

Rating:
Summary: But for the sound, this series would have garnered a 5.
Review: Series exemplary in every way, except sound. To balance the music with the narration, I purchased a "TV Volume Regulator". This has returned the sound to approximately what it would been in 1952, when the series was made. This an added expense, but at least can watch segments now without constantly using volume control. I pipe the DVD player through the "volume regulator" before attaching through the amplifier.

Rating:
Summary: Too MUCH Music
Review: Thanks goodness for this review system !! I rented this set on DVD and was very disappointed because of the sound mix problem. The great music is TOO LOUD most of the time. I thought ( or was hoping) that it was just the "rental copy" and was here at Amazon to buy the "good copy" but I now reasd that there is NO goog copy of the DVD version. I have a lot of videoand audio software and I'm going to give it a try to lowering the volume of the music, at least durring the speach patterns.

Rating:
Summary: Video is great; Audio is HORRIBLE
Review: The History Channel and NBC NEWS should be ashamed of themselves for putting out this long awaited DVD version of Victory at Sea. I watched these shows as a kid back in the 50s and waited for the DVD version. I was warned by someone that the sound wasn't great, but I bought the set anyway. Big mistake. You have to watch some of them with a remote in your hand to constantly raise and lower the sound. The narration is too low and the music is too loud. A review on another website defending the DVD set said that there is a warning on the box that says "audio levels may vary". Yeah, right, but the sites that sell the DVDs don't point that out. This was very disappointing. I can't, and won't, recommend this set to anyone.

Rating:
Summary: A Classic Documentary
Review: The History Channel has packed all twenty six episodes of the classic World War II documentary Victory at Sea onto four DVDs in this excellently reproduced collection. Narrated by Leonard Graves and featuring a fine musical score by Richard Rodgers, this series offers a remarkable look at naval warfare and the challenges faced by the Allies.

Every major naval engagement of World War II is covered, from the devastating U-Boat attacks on Allied shipping to the great carrier battles of the Pacific Theatre. Developed from over 13,000 hours of footage shot by the U.S., German, British, and Japanese navies, this documentary presents a unique perspective on the war at sea.

I've been a fan of this series since I was a child watching it on public television, and I was thrilled that it has finally been released on DVD. Every aspect has been faithfully reproduced; from the opening ocean and waves scene to Rodgers' classic musical introduction. The sound quality could have been a little better, but that is a minor detail in my opinion. The episodes still contain the same great action footage and excellent narration by Leonard Graves. In addition, Peter Graves (no relation to Leonard) has been added to provide more analysis in this set.

I highly recommend this fine collection. The DVD quality is great, and every major naval battle of World War II is covered. Watch this fine series and relive the classic naval engagements between the Axis and Allies.

Rating:
Summary: Very bad sound
Review: The sound is terrible. It is not possible to hear the narration when the level is set for the music score. With the level set for the narration, the music track is too loud for the music-only passages.
The narration is thin and reedy, as if was fed through a telephone line.
I have this series on laser disc. The audio on them is fine when played through the same sound system that I use for DVD. I returned the DVD for a refund.

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding Historic Video with the poorest sound possible
Review: The story of WWII on DVD. I saw the original broadcasts on early TV, saw 16mm films of the series while in the service, own the VHS and have just made the error of buying the DVD. The Series is outstanding, even though four years of warfare around the world is condensed into 26 episodes of approximately 30 minutes each. The graphic pictures, the running commentary, and the tantalizing backround music make for an OUTSTANDING historical documentary of the times, but this DVD version with it's poor audio recording detracts greatly from the viewers enjoyment. Buy the VHS, by all means.

Rating:
Summary: An All Time Favorite
Review: There is not much I can add about how great this series is. It's definitely the best of all the WW II history films, both in content and music. I found no audio problems using Dolby Digital 5.1 or stereo.

Rating:
Summary: BEST WWII DOCUMENTARY EVER!
Review: THIS 1952 WWII DOCUMENTARY IS ABSOLUTELY THE BEST EVER DONE.I BELIEVE IT WON A PEABODY AWARD AND MAYBE SEVERAL OTHER AWARDS. THE MUSIC SOUNDTRACK BY RICHARD RODGERS IS SOME OF THE BEST WORK HE EVER DID, EVEN INCLUDING HIS MUSICALS WITH OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN.THE FOOTAGE IS SOME OF THE BEST EVER PUT TOGETHER FROM WWII CAMERAMEN. IF YOU WATCH ONLY ONE DOCUMENTARY ON WWII, THIS SHOULD BE THE ONE! IT HAS NEVER BEEN TOPPED!

Rating:
Summary: The sound reflects its time!
Review: This complete compilation of Victory at Sea in DVD took a long in time coming. This is a collection to be had for the quality of production and historical significance. The sound quality may not be up to par when viewed using the current AV equipment. But this was produced in 1952 with the mono technology of that era. Enhancing it to 5.1 would have been a travesty. It should be seen and heard the way it was presented then. Some materials could be refurbished. This is not one of them. This is a great collection that merits 5 stars!

Rating:
Summary: I don't know why people are complaining...
Review: This series was originally released in 1952...there was no such thing as "DTS" or "Dolby Digital" and DVD's were decades away. This reflects the quality of the time...mono sound. I was a little leery of purchasing the set because I too am an audiophile with a fairly high end home entertainment system. However, I got it home and have watched 2 discs so far and have been nothing but happy. Sound quality is fine for me...music and narration are clear and crisp, just need to turn an A/V receiver up a little louder than most other DVD's. It's a classic documentary from 1952...don't expect 5.1 surround with this as it was never intended to be released as such (and never should be in my opinion). If you want dazzling sound effects get Band of Brothers or Saving Private Ryan...if you want a documentary showing some fantastic footage get Victory at Sea.