Posted in: DVD/Blu-ray, Netflix, TV | Tagged: arrow video, stranger things

Stranger Things: The Complete Series 4K Set Is A Must Buy (REVIEW)

We take a look at the brand new Arrow Video release of The Complete Stranger Things 4K Blu-ray deluxe set, hitting stores as we speak.

Stranger Things fans have gotten the short end of the stick when it comes to collecting the series on physical media. Netflix is notoriously picky about what original series and films it releases, and while the first couple of seasons of the breakout hit were released at first, it quickly abandoned that strategy. The releases also left much to be desired in terms of quality. Those days are over, though, as Arrow Video, a steward of physical media and one of the best labels out there, has teamed with Netflix to put out the complete series on 4K Blu-ray. A basic set is available, and we are happy to bring you a look at the blown-out set today. We unboxed it the other day, and now we will dive in.

Stranger Things Fans: You Must Own This

First off: the packaging. The series is housed in a gorgeous box with a removable top featuring artwork by Juan Ramos. Once you remove that, you see the contents of the set. I almost had a heart attack right off the bat. How could Arrow Video, a company that cares so much about presentation, screw up the set so that the spines didn't line up correctly? That is not like them to make such an error. Thankfully, they didn't. The seasons have slipcases over the individual seasons, and when removed, they line up perfectly. Whew. Each season gets its own case, with the full series fitting across 25 discs. Each features reversible artwork, so you can have the key art for each season by Kyle Lambert or commissioned artwork by Ramos.

Also included for fans are a plethora of extras to make Stranger Things fans drool. These include trinkets like a Hellfire Club patch, a D20 die and character sheet, a Palace Arcade coin, a Scoops Ahoy punch card, a Camp Nowhere postcard, numerous art cards from across the series, stickers, and a 148-page book featuring season overviews, a brand new essay from The Duffer Brothers, behind-the-scenes pics, concept art, and all sorts of other things. Finally, five double-sided posters are included, one for each season, as well as a fold-out, double-sided map of Hawkins. This stuff is premium quality, as is the standard for any Arrow release.

As for the discs themselves, this is a new gold standard for what these labels should aim to accomplish with their releases. Each season is presented in 4K UHD with HEVC/H. 265-encoded 2160p transfers in 2.00:1. These are jaw-droppingly gorgeous to look at, with particular detail given to making sure the first three seasons look better than they ever have. Everything looks seamless, from people just standing around talking to each other to when you mix in endless amounts of CGI effects. It all blends together perfectly. These HDR/Dolby Vision releases bring a new depth and level of quality to the series that, frankly, should be the only way it should be watched. I will never be streaming it again. That extends to the audio, which features DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround and stereo audio for all episodes. The real speaker-shakers are the fourth and fifth seasons, as they get Dolby Atmos tracks that literally had my neighbor ask why my living room was shaking the next day. Again, everything just blends together so nicely.

Where I think the set lacks, and this is not Arrow's fault at all, or really Netflix's either, is in the special features department. Sure, there is a bunch of the standard stuff like deleted scenes and such, but it's all short and has been released before. I was really hoping for a new featurette or something with the cast now that it is the series's 10th anniversary, but alas, nothing.

The reason for getting this is the series itself, and in that regard, this set delivers on spades. Stranger Things fans or those coming to the series for the first time, this is as good as these complete series sets can get. These became show-off discs, the ones you put on when someone comes over and you want to melt their face with your set-up. This deluxe set is expensive, but it is so worth every dollar, especially for fans. Buy this before it dries up. It is available in stores and online right now.

*This set was provided for review by Arrow Video, and we thank them for sending it our way

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