DVD Movie Guide @ dvdmg.com Awards & Recommendations at Amazon.com.
.
Review Archive:  # | A-C | D-F | G-I | J-L | M-O | P-R | S-U | V-Z | Viewer Ratings | Main
SHOUT!

MOVIE INFO

Director:
Various
Cast:
Los Angeles Dodgers, Tampa Bay Rays
Writing Credits:
None

Synopsis:
Complete broadcasts of all six 2020 World Series games between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Tampa Bay Rays.

MPAA:
Rated NR.

DISC DETAILS
Presentation:
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Audio:
English DTS-HD MA 2.0 (TV)
English Dolby 2.0 (Radio)
Spanish Dolby 2.0
Subtitles:
None
Closed-captioned
Supplements Subtitles:
None

Runtime: 981 min.
Price: $74.98
Release Date: 2/9/2021

Bonus:
• NLCS Game 6 Broadcast
• NLDS Game 3 Broadcast
• Booklet


PURCHASE @ AMAZON.COM

EQUIPMENT
-LG OLED65C6P 65-Inch 4K Ultra HD Smart OLED TV
-Marantz SR7010 9.2 Channel Full 4K Ultra HD AV Surround Receiver
-Sony UBP-X800 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Player
-Chane A2.4 Speakers
-SVS SB12-NSD 12" 400-watt Sealed Box Subwoofer


RELATED REVIEWS


2020 World Series Champions Los Angeles Dodgers: Collector's Edition [Blu-Ray] (2020)

Reviewed by Colin Jacobson (February 15, 2021)

More than three decades after their last championship, the Los Angeles Dodgers won their seventh World Series. We relive this event in a massive package called 2020 World Series Champions: Los Angeles Dodgers.

A smaller set entitled 2020 World Series offered a documentary overview of the pandemic-shortened season and the Dodgers’ path to their seventh MLB championship, their first since 1988. This set gives us every game of the 2020 World Series in its entirety.

Each disc details a game, and by “detail”, I mean that Champions offers complete Fox broadcasts. Or mostly complete – we don’t get pre-game material and the games tend to start somewhat abruptly, as we get no title cards or introductions.

Instead, we enter the broadcasts right as the first batter comes to the plate. This isn’t a major issue, but it seems more abrupt than it should be – the package’s producers surely could’ve found a smoother way to launch the games. We do find post-game summaries from MLB Network analysts, though.

Transitions between half-innings can also be awkward. Sometimes the games cut to/from commercials in a smooth manner, but on other occasions, the games fade in/out in a strangely sudden way.

These “complaints” remain minor, though, as Champions does what it needs to do 99 percent of the time. The Blu-rays give us all the game action as we would’ve seen it on TV, and that’s a fun way to re-experience the contests.

If you’re a big fan, that is. Let’s face it: even most of the LA faithful aren’t going to sit down and watch more than 16 hours of old baseball games, so Champions comes with limited appeal.

That said, I really like the concept. Sure, a highlight package or a documentary offer a more efficient capsule, but it feels less “honest”. Here we can experience every pitch and swing in real time and not be subject to choices made by others.

Champions offers a cool option that expands its versatility: multiple audio tracks. In addition to the default Fox TV announcers, we can listen to the local LA radio broadcasters.

While they comment on the same action, they offer differing perspectives and stories, so this audio addition boosts the package’s value. Unfortunately, unlike earlier releases, the 2020 set lacks the losing team’s radio announcers, so we don’t hear from the Rays’ crew.

As for the games themselves, they varied in terms of competition. Games One and Three offered blowouts, as LA took Game One 8-2 and then won Game Three 6-2.

The other four events provided tighter affairs, though. Two runs separated winner from loser in three of those contests, and Game Four became the most exciting of the whole Series, as the Rays came from behind to win 8-7 with two runs in the bottom of the ninth.

Speaking of top/bottom of innings, the 2020 World Series got played on neutral territory to negate the risks of COVID transmission. MLB treated LA as the “home team” for games 1, 2, 6 and 7 (if they’d needed the latter) whereas Tampa was “home” for games 3, 4 and 5.

However, the 2020 World Series took place entirely in Globe Life Field outside of Dallas, the Texas Rangers’ home field. Due to the pandemic, MLB also limited crowd size, which meant about 11,500 fans per game rather than the park’s usual capacity of 40,300.

This may make this package more appealing to LA fans, as so few could see the Dodgers play in the Series. Granted, only a fraction of their boosters would’ve gone to the games anyway, but with the contests 1400 miles away and with relatively small crowds allowed, TV became even more important as a viewing option.

Personally, I don’t’ think the 2020 World Series offered a great event, especially after the insanity of the 2019 Nationals/Astros battle. The overall story of the 2020 MLB season remains the most interesting due to all the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.

That won’t matter to Dodgers fans, as they’ll enjoy the chance to relive their 32-years-in-the-making championship. Despite some minor quibbles, this package becomes a fun way to rewatch all six games.


The Disc Grades: Picture B+/ Audio C+/ Bonus C+

2020 World Series appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 1.78:1 on these Blu-ray Discs. Taken straight from the TV broadcasts, the games consistently looked good.

Overall sharpness seemed strong. Due to the nature of the live production, a few slightly soft shots emerged, but those remained modest. No signs of jagged edges or moiré effects appeared, and I witnessed no edge haloes or source defects.

Colors thrived, as the bright stadium lights meant the various hues showed up well. We got bold tones throughout all the games.

Blacks were deep and dense, and the smattering of shadowy elements came across with good clarity. The Blu-rays reproduced the games well.

I felt less excited about the bland DTS-HD 2.0 audio, mainly because it showed little form of soundfield. Crowd noise spread to the side speakers but everything else felt monaural.

Audio quality seemed fine. The announcers offered clear, concise comments without edginess or other issues.

Game sounds – hits, the crowd, etc. – all showed reasonable realism. They lacked great oomph but they worked well.

Occasional splashes of music – usually related to Fox themes – were also lackluster but acceptable. The games came with ordinary soundtracks.

In terms of extras, we find two video bonuses: Game Seven of the NLCS (2:56:10) and Game Three of the NLDS (3:07:03). Both offered the final contests that allowed the Dodgers to move to the next round.

Both reside on their own discs and offer complete game broadcasts. The NLDS contest offers a snoozer, as LA trounced the San Diego Padres 12-3 to finish a largely non-competitive three-game sweep.

Game Seven of the NLCS offers a more exciting affair. Obviously this became a tighter series since it went the maximum games, and LA also needed to come back from two games to zero and three games to one deficits to win. Add to that a tight 4-3 win and Game Seven becomes a lively affair.

The set also contains a booklet. It shows us game recaps and various facts/trivia.

In addition to the six World Series games, it also offers notes about the NLDS and NLCS games found in the set. The booklet finishes the package with some useful info.

One nuisance: the same slew of advertisements opens each of the set’s eight discs. These are tolerable for Disc One but become tiresome when repeated seven more times.

After 32 years, the Los Angeles Dodgers returned to the top of the MLB heap, and 2020 World Series Champions gives fans a chance to re-experience this triumph. With all six games in their entirety, the set offers a cool way to relive the playoffs. The Blu-rays present very good picture with dull audio and decent supplements. Serious Dodgers fans will enjoy this package.

Viewer Film Ratings: 3 Stars Number of Votes: 1
05:
04:
1 3:
02:
01:
View Averages for all rated titles.

.
Review Archive:  # | A-C | D-F | G-I | J-L | M-O | P-R | S-U | V-Z | Viewer Ratings | Main