Agatha Christies Poirot - Series 1-13: The Definitive Collection [DVD]

FULL SERIES OF PIOROT

Together at last, the 'definitive' Poirot collection, though some may cavil at that. As the series was produced over a number of years, to be able to view all the episodes closer together does give a better overview of the development of the various characters and see how they interact with each other and the plot lines. The producers haven't gone over the top with the supplemental material, which makes it all the more interesting and enlightening. Given that some of the earlier episodes were shot using 16mm film format, which was supposed to be a preparation for 16:9 transmissions, its a pity that these episodes were not delivered in 16:9 on the disks. It also a shame that a Blu-Ray option was not available.A couple of downsides. First is the packaging which makes it awkward to fish out individual disks/episodes. Multi stacking disks increases the possibility of damage and I found it quite difficult to remove many disks from the spindle, the disks really bending quite a lot before they lift off. Secondly, the opening banner on many disks gives a 'collection number' that differs from that on the disk itself. A bit confusing until one learns to ignore it. One annoyance; after the usual copyright warning, many of the early disks in the set have an obnoxious, noisy, flashy, overly indulgent, crass anti-piracy video quite out of character/place with the DVD content. It is right producers should be concerned with the protection of their intellectual property, but a better and effective way than this crass invention is not difficult to imagine.

I've seen every episode when it was Originally on ITV Many years ago.I wanted to watch the hole series again but ITV only seem to Continuously show the same two or three episodes over and over again?So I decided to buy this wonderful complete series 1- to -13 dvd box set, and I'm so glad that I did.It arrived the same day of ordering it, the packaging is of good quality, the two plastic dvd cases are a very good design you just need to know how to use them properly and yes that's a dig at those who have complained about it in their reviews.The video quality is very good and to those of you who say it is of poor quality here is some good advice for you, update your TV to an HD one and dvd player to an HD Blu-ray player and set them both to 1080p or 1080p-50Hz and you will get HD quality play back regardless of the recording format on the dvd.The sound quality is good but you have to remember the sound format on these discs or in mono/1-channel and stereo/2.0-channel ony, so my advice to you would be to invest in a 5.1 surround sound system no less than a 1000w system if you want Excellent sound quality.

This is brilliant! I grew up watching poirot, therefore, it's only natural that I get the entire collection of Agatha Christie's famous Belgium detective who done its. Each murder mystery is divine. David suchet is my favourite poirot. He brings such sensitivity, finesse and class to the little Belgium detective. The last few episodes are momentous in their story lines. The plots thicken from the get go, there is never a dull moment. Although in murder mysteries, the audience as a rule are more inteligent than the side kicks e.g captain Hastings, we are always kept in the dark with each little twist with the story line, for instance when poirot in the very last episode "sorts" the perpetrator out (trying not to say too much for those who haven't as yet viewed the episode) it's an unexpected great twist, which keeps the conventional rule of murder mysterues, still in play; the detective is always a shade more intelligent than the audience.The costumes, locations, props etc are good. The cast are brilliant. I would recommend that this be your buy, if you are looking to have a collection of Agatha Christie 's poirot in in your collection.

Satisfactory

It's a treat to own every Poirot episode on DVD, so that would be a five star experience. The image quality is as well as can be expected for the era and medium. No complaints there either. I doubt whether a Blu-ray version would make real sense - except for the last series perhaps - that's why I bought the DVD set instead of waiting for a Blu-ray version that may or may not come out later. I wanted this for a holiday home (which didn't have a Blu-ray player anyway) and was chuffed to bits whilst watching my old friends solve one crime after another, during the rainy and stormy days last December.The 'Poirot era' has its own appeal, it shows you a world you maybe heard your parents or grandparents talk about. I love how it sweeps you away into another world. It feels very realistic, and for me it adds an extra dimension. The (now classic) cars and trains, the clothes and how polite people behaved back then... What a joy. And last but not least the beautiful settings, from luxury hotels and stately mansions to Poirot's own gorgeous apartment. It's a feast for the eyes, yes? ;-) I think the antebellum would be a great era to live in, despite the threat of another war looming overhead. But while the series make the viewer acutely aware of the past and coming war from time to time, it doesn't dwell on it too much, fortunately.Most cases involve murder, or a jewel theft here and there, which are all delicate puzzles to solve of course, but Poirot and companions solve all crimes with a positive attitude and ample use of "the grey cells". Most buyers will probably be fans, so I won't dwell on the contents too much, but for the interested viewer who's less familiar with the series this will hopefully help you find out what to expect. Personally, I find it a very entertaining series, ideal if you want to escape for a little while from your busy daily life and dwell into a calmer, kinder world. That may sound strange for a series with so many murder cases, but in a lot of ways it's much less violent and graphic compared to modern detective series. (I like those too, but Poirot makes a nice change every now and again, if you know what I mean).I've read some very negative comments about the packaging, but that's to harsh in my view. Sure, for the price it could have been a lot nicer, but it's basically OK. It's not the most elegant or luxurious box set, but it works. In fact it's rather ingenious if you want to save space, and definitely a whole lot better than the annoying spindle packaging you get with some box sets, where you have to take out the entire stack to find one single disc. Here they made a cardboard box containing two plastic, book like cases, where every 'page' of the 'book' holds 3 or 4 discs on each side. It's really not hard to figure out, and the release/hold mechanism works well, I have to say. The discs themselves simply list the episodes, and that's basically it. On the back (or front rather) of each of the two books is another simple episode list. There are no leaflets, booklets or what have you. If you want to know more about an episode you'll need to look up Wikipedia, IMDb etcetera on the Internet. I don't mind that. I often check my smartphone before, after or during an episode when I want some background details (Wikipedia really rocks for this!). Again, it's basic plastic and cardboard, but it works. It is a bit silly though that the 'book' covers are in fact on backwards / front to back. But hey, this way you'll see the episode list right away when you pull a book out of the box. ;-)So why four stars and not five?Because ITV apparently saw fit to put not only a WARNING but also a very LOUD and OBNOXIOUS anti-piracy video on EACH AND EVERY DISC! It's a wannabe hip (i.e. government style 'hip') video-clip showing several thieves, whilst visually shouting at you what you wouldn't steal, at the tones of some abrasive, droning wannabe 'music'. I know perfectly well what I would and wouldn't do, so therefore ITV really, really doesn't have to SHOUT it at me thank you very much ever so kindly...First of all I have paid a solid £92.86 for this set when it first came out, so why should I have to watch this garbage every single time I put a disc in the player? Secondly, it's clearly targeted at teenagers, and let's be honest, they are probably not the biggest Poirot fan-base. And last but not least, this pestering ONLY strikes at PAYING customers! The download-community will simply delete the entire scene before sharing. So they will never watch it, or maybe once to have a laugh. This method is so last century, and proven ineffective and counter-productive. It'll only annoy your legitimate viewers! There are much better - and less intrusive - ways to protect one's earnings, like audio coding f.i., but you'll have to spend some to make some, ITV. This method is as CHEAP as it is ineffective (maybe even free) so that's probably why we, the paying customers, have to put up with this c.r.a.p. for as long as we own this box set!!I can live with ONE (1) written 'nag screen' on something I bought and paid for. NOT with an abrasive barrage of sound and flickering images on every single disc!A lady friend, who suffers from epilepsy, has to leave the room every time during this video-clip, because of the violent flickering of the screen. The noise is equally obnoxious. Especially if you watch several episodes in a 'marathon' fashion. Put a disc in the player and it'll be the first thing you see - and hear! The worst part is the fact that you can't skip it either, so you'll have to sit through it every time and again - or leave the room. In my opinion this is pure and utter SPAM. Unwanted and unsolicited garbage, stuck on something I bought and paid for. The BBC never pulls stunts like this, at least not on any series I have bought. It's not on any film disc I bought lately either, Blu Ray or DVD. So why ITV? Shame on you for pestering your customers this way. Next time I will think twice before buying anything ITV.Frankly, there should be a warning on the box (and website) if they put any unwanted video/audio material on items you're about to purchase. We wouldn't allow the dealer to screw a 'safe driving' billboard on our brand new car, now would we? Sorry about the rant, but I really feel this policy by ITV is very, very rude, to say the least. And unnecessary.Poirot gets five stars every time though. For everyone who loves to watch this series it will be a treat to own it in its entirety.FIY: the episodes in the box are not in the same order as the books came out. (I'm not sure about the TV broadcasts, we don't receive ITV here). Either way, the time line is off. "The Mysterious Affair at Styles" for instance, Poirot and Hastings first case in the UK, is somewhere half-way the first box. By that time you'll have seen 19 episodes already. It doesn't really bother me, but be aware you will be doing some time travelling in this series. ;-)Summarising, is it worth the money to own the full Poirot series? For me, YES, without a doubt. If you can live with the SPAM intro on every disc, by all means buy this set. If not, it could be worthwhile to look around for another box set, or a collection of individual series if they are without SPAM. In hindsight I would have looked elsewhere, given the opportunity of buying a 'clean' collection.