4/5 Excellent release on blu-ray, poor packaging
  by Adam (Franciscan University, Steubenville, OH USA)
For the kind of money customers fork over for movies it is mind boggling that distributors fail to create good packaging, especially for a series like Rome. They got it right the first time with the previous dvd release, in the wooden cases. This time they did a good job with the size of the boxes, but the discs are held in cardboard sleeves with plastic underneath the disc. They are extremely difficult to get out of the case without tearing the case or scratching the discs.

Apart from that, this series looks and sounds as good as it ever has on blu-ray. For an upgrade if you own the dvds, I would wait for it to drop form $85.00. For a first time buy, I think its worth it.

5/5 Blu-ray edition finally does HBO's Rome series justice!
  by M. Block (Chicago Towne)
I just received my pre-ordered copy of Rome: The Complete Series on Blu-ray. I was absolutely amazed at the quality of the picture and sound. There is no TV series in the history of TV that rivals the scope and quality of this series on Blu-ray. You will be stunned at how good the sets look in full HD. For those of you who haven't seen the Rome series yet I envy you...trust me, it's that good.

5/5 Witness the spectacle of the Roman Empire in it's prime
  by Monkdude (Hampton, Virginia)
It's too bad that Rome couldn't have made it at least one more season, but the production cost was way to high, even for HBO. After The Sopranos (seasons 1-3 especially), Rome and Deadwood are tied for my second favorite series from this network, although I really enjoy True Blood and Carnivale too. The characters are all interesting and well acted, the action scenes are brutally realistic, the production design is epic and the storylines are captivating. What's not to love? I do think that the first season is better than the second, but that's not saying it's not worth five stars as well. If you liked the film Gladiator or just history in general, you will learn much more about Rome and the many colorful characters who live in it. Now if only HBO would stop getting rid of classic shows like Rome, Deadwood and Carnivale after two or three seasons.

The regular DVDs that I own look like they are almost HD quality anyway, so I don't know if the extra money for the Blu-ray is going to be worth it or not. I'm not going to upgrade, but those buying Rome for the first time will have to decide if the slight improvements in picture and sound is worth the extra dough.

5/5 At Last!
  by G. Smith (Arlington, Virginia, USA)
I am absolutely ECSTATIC to see HBO's nonpareil series "Rome" scheduled for release on Blu-Ray! This is one of the four essential Blu-Ray series releases that will ensure that the great unwashed public will FINALLY invest in Blu-Ray players. We still await two of these seemingly made-for-Blu-Ray series -- we are still patiently waiting for Indiana Jones and Star Wars, but at least the Harry Potter series is being released in a timely (and most entertaining) fashion. And Rome is the fourth.

If any of you who actually have working brains have not yet seen Rome, I suggest that you do so forthwith. It is, to state it quite bluntly and unequivocally, the very best television show ever made by anyone throughout the entire history of the medium. Indeed, if you use a scale of zero-to-ten, and you give Rome a ten, the second-best television show ever produced will score no better than a six.

It excels on all levels. The part that pertains to historical events is factual and illuminating. The parts that are historical fiction are contextually accurate and rivitingly engaging. The characters are compelling and become your friends and foes. The stories are thrilling, edge-of-your-seat nailbiters. The acting is worthy of the very best of the legitimate stage. The cinematography is rich and flawless, every scene just as you would wish your eyes to view it. The sets are utterly exquisite, stunning, glorious. The costumes actually serve in an active way to enhance the viewing experience. And to add a delightful frosting to an already incredibly delicious cake, you get to see the gorgeous, voluptuous English actress Polly Walker (among others) running around naked a lot (or, for you girls and alternative lifestyle sorts, you get a good view of James Purefoy).

The only thing to criticize about this show is that it was canceled too soon. It leaves us craving so much more. While the wonderful PBS production of "I, Claudius" (the show that would have gotten the rating of six that I mentioned above) pretty much picks up where "Rome" left off, historically speaking, they could have gone on to do Nero into Vespasian in the same style the following year and provided just as compelling a story, and then gone on right through the rest of the Flavians, the Antonines, and the fall of the Western empire in subsequent seasons. Elagabalus (among many others) would have made a GREAT character!

5/5 A really GREAT reason to buy a series in Blu Ray
  by Astroboy (Baltimore)
As I upgrade my DVD collection to Blu Ray I have not thought to upgrade any of my series. Not Battlestar Galactica, not Smallville, not Supernatural. Now I thought about getting True Blood but just couldn't bite the bullet. However, with Rome soon to be released, that is going to change. Rome is not only a great series but it follows the rise of the Republic in Roman history to the letter. It does it with two fictional characters as the protagonists and interweaves them with the key players in the first and second Triumvirate and in the process makes what was boring in Western Civilization a joy to watch. I heartily recommend this series to anyone who has never seen it and encouraging anyone with a HDTV to make this their first HD series purchase.