The Video: How Does The Disc Look?

Disappointingly, Seth MacFarlane’s Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy is presented in its original 1.33:1 aspect ratio compressed with the AVC video CODEC. Since all of the collected shorts here were originally created for dissemination via the Internet, very little care or attention was paid to delivering the best possible image quality and the resulting Blu-ray points up these deficiencies. As if the lack of an anamorphic or high-def transfer wasn’t enough, the colors here seem drab and washed out, without the vibrancy and definition we’ve come to expect from BD. MacFarlane’s animation style doesn’t necessarily lend itself to intricate details and is on par with the broad lines and pastel palette of The Simpsons, but comparatively speaking The Simpsons Movie offered a sumptuous and vibrant experience in high definition. Here the animation looks blurred and indistinct — just a notch better than something recorded on a VHS tape. While I didn’t detect any compression problems or artifacts, color balance was sorely lacking, with black levels that often drifted into dark gray, while saturation appeared uniformly bland and bright. This would be one of the last BDs I’d consider to show off the capabilities of the format. It begs the question as to why this would even be a candidate for BD release. Overall, a disappointing and drab video presentation.

The Audio: How Does The Disc Sound?

Likewise, the lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track on this BD seems like overkill, since the soundtrack was clearly designed for a flat, two-channel stereo presentation. The rear surround channels here remain dormant throughout, save for the occasional bleed-through echo from the front stereo presentation. Although dialogue does come through the center channel and is clear and concise, it reminded me of a processed, three-channel Dolby Pro-Logic track in terms of quality. The only time I detected a full and ambient aural experience was during the occasional musical interlude — mostly reserved for the opening and closing credits. Otherwise, this remains a front-and-center-heavy affair, and a rather anemic one at that. Like the underused surround channels, there’s little to no use of the discrete LFE channel and even directional cues are kept to a bare minimum. Overall, a lifeless and lackluster audio presentation.

The optional subtitles are in English SDH, French and Spanish.