• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Video Codec: AVC/MPEG-4
• Resolution: 1080p/24 (23.976Hz)
  
• Audio Codec: English Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital 2.o Stereo
  
• Subtitles: English SDH, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish
  
• Subtitles Color: White
  
• Region: ABC (Region-Free)
  
• Rating: NR
  
• Discs: 5 (5 x Blu-ray )
• Digital Copies: N/A
  
• Run Time: 985 Mins.
  
• Studio: Paramount Home Media Distribution/CBS Home Entertainment
  
• Blu-ray Release Date: September 18, 2012
• List Price: $72.99

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Overall
[Rating:4/5]
The Series
[Rating:4/5]
Video Quality
[Rating:5/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:3.5/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:3/5]

Click thumbnails for high-resolution 1920X1080p screen captures

(All TheaterByte screen captures are lightly compressed with lossy JPEG at 100% quality setting and are meant as a general representation of the content. They do not fully reveal the capabilities of the Blu-ray format)

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The Series

[Rating:4/5]

This reboot of the classic 70s crime series continues in its Second Season with more of what made it a popular go-to the first time around. Hawaii Five-O distinguishes itself from being lumped in with its brethren in the crime solving genre on television by being a completely escapist, action-fueled romp loaded with lavish shots of beautiful Hawaii, conspiracies, and Jason Bourne-esque technology. The second season, while picking up from the first’s cliffhanger, mixes things up a bit by shaking up what you thought you knew about the Five-O. Is the disgraced Kono (Grace Park; TV’ Battlestar Gallactica) turning bad? Steve (Alex O’Loughlin; Whiteout; TV’s Moonlight), is out of prison, but he still can’t find his father’s killer. A father figure from his past, Joe White (Terry O’Quinn; TV’s Falling Skies; TV’s Lost), shows up bringing new mysteries and connections to his father’s death. A new member, Lori Weston (Lauren German), is forced onto the team by the new governor. And Wo Fat’s (Mark Dacascos; TV’s The Legend of Bruce Lee; TV’s Iron Chef America) connection to the death of Steve’s father and the previous governor becomes ever more clear and dangerous for the members of Five-O.

The season, as to be expected, sees its fair share of spectacle as well. There are mid-air rescues of victims via parachute, car chases too numerous to count, even incursions into North Korea. Still not convinced that this isn’t your ordinary cop shop show? How about the search for the killer of a mysterious mummy corpse or a hunt for sunken treasure — that do the trick?

Video Quality

[Rating:5/5]

For the Second Season, Hawaii Five-O maintains its all HD production, but has apparently switched from the Sony CineAlta F35 (HDCAM SR (1080p/24) to the Arri Alexa with Panavision Primo Lenses (ProRes 4:4:4, 1080p/24). Whatever the case may be, this AVC/MPEG-4 1080p/24 encodement from CBS Home Entertainment/Paramount looks awesome. The series has a slightly gritty tinge to it, so there is a bit of heightened video noise that gives the image a textured look that doesn’t look too electronic, thank goodness. However, the real strength to this transfer, and the series in general, is the in the color palette. Hawaii is captured with a hyper-saturated, tropically infused color palette that makes everything seem more sunny and colorful than I ever recall Hawaii being when I was actually there. The waters are azure and crystalline, primaries like yellows and reds leap from the screen, and pastels are like a shimmering cocktail on a warm summer day. Of course, some of this saturation doesn’t always result in the most natural flesh tones, which tend toward the bronze and reddish side, but it all seems fitting in this sunny wonderland. Also of note is the strong detail and wonderful extension in the darker scenes that make this a perfect upgrade over the broadcasts.

Audio Quality

[Rating:3.5/5]

Unfortunately, as good as the video quality is, the audio doesn’t line up. While the packaging for Hawaii Five-O advertises a DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack, the actual discs only contain two lossless English Dolby Digital mixes in 5.1 and 2.0 stereo. While they very well might be a slight improvement over the broadcast Dolby Digital versions, they in no way offer the kind of clarity, distinct soundfield and dynamics of a lossless mix. With that being said, the 5.1 mix itself is one of the better ones for a television series, fully utilizing all channels of an engulfing soundscape. It places you in the breezy Hawaiian surroundings, gun fights, and gives you big explosions. Some of the high frequencies don’t sound quite as natural nor do the ambient effects as they could have.

Supplemental Materials

[Rating:3/5]

The set comes with a pretty good selection of HD extras, including a couple of audio commentaries and a few deleted scenes. My favorite thing on here, however, is the interactive guide, which not only offers a little background on the various locations, but gives a few interviews with cast members and crew as well.

The supplements:

• Selected Episode Deleted Scenes (1.78:1; 1080p/24)
• Audio Commentaries:
  • Episode 201 – Ha ‘I’ ole (Unbreakable) by Alex O’Loughlin, Daniel Dae Kim, Grace Park, and Peter M. Lenkov.
  • Episode 210 – Ki’ilua (Deceiver) by Peter M. Lenkov and Paul Zbyszewki.
• Shore Lines: The Story of Hawaii Five-O, Season 2 (1.78:1; 1080i/60; 00:30:36) – The cast and crew discuss the evolution of the series’ storyline in its second season.
• Aloha Action! Season 2 (1.78:1; 1080i/60; 00:23:29) – Take a peek at season’s two’s explosive action sequences in the making.
• Hawaii Five-O’Ahu: An Interactive Guide to Season 2 Locations – Video clips and interview sequences explore the locations featured in Hawaii Five-O: The Second Season.
• Becoming a Seal: An Insider’s Guide to the World’s Toughest Training (1.78:1; 1080i/60; 00:08:46) – A look at the grueling task of becoming a real life Navy Seal is revealed in this brief featurette.
• Gag Reel (1.78:1; 1080i/60; 00:10:08)

The Definitive Word

Overall:

[Rating:4/5]

Hawaii Five-O may be an iconic franchise, but this reboot is proving itself to be a worthy series in its own right. It sets itself apart from the usual humdrum of crime procedurals, such as the various incarnations of CSI, NCSI, etc., etc. and creates its own little action filled world of eye candy and escapism every week.

Additional Screen Captures

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Purchase Hawaii Five-O: The Second Season on Blu-ray at CD Universe

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Purchase Hawaii Five-O: The Second Season on Blu-ray at CD Universe

Shop for more Blu-ray titles at Amazon.com

Overall
[Rating:4/5]
The Series
[Rating:4/5]
Video Quality
[Rating:5/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:3.5/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:3/5]

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