"When arrived on HBO Max earlier this week, after years languishing on the less-subscribed-to AMC+ service, the streamer's parent company, Warner Bros., heralded it as a triumph. Finally, the much-acclaimed Emmy magnet would be available to watch in glorious 4K resolution; viewers would now have "the opportunity to enjoy the series in a fresh way," as the WB executive Royce Battleman trumpeted."
"The visually upgraded version presents Mad Men in the now-standard widescreen format, something all modern TVs, laptops, tablets, and phones are geared toward, as opposed to the boxy televisions of old. But the team behind the image conversion seemingly used footage without a bunch of the usual postproduction edits-hence the appearance of inessential elements like those dutiful barf wranglers and, in the background of a different shot, contemporary store signage."
"Mad Men ran during a transitory era of TV. The series was one of the last entries in the medium's "golden age," which kicked off with HBO hits such as The Sopranos. These were the kinds of provocative water-cooler sensations that had cable subscribers tuning in weekly at an appointed hour (10 p.m. on Sunday, in Mad Men's case)-an experience that has mostly vanished in the streaming era."
HBO Max began streaming Mad Men in a new 4K widescreen presentation after the show's move from AMC+. Warner Bros. promoted the upgrade as a fresh viewing opportunity. The conversion used footage that lacked some customary postproduction edits, exposing behind-the-scenes technicians and contemporary storefront signage in certain shots. The visible mistakes reportedly resulted from incorrect files delivered to HBO and are slated for correction. The incident illustrates that updating period TV for modern formats can reveal production artifacts and alter intended aesthetics. Mad Men originally aired during a cable "golden age" when weekly appointment viewing was common, a practice largely diminished by streaming.
Read at The Atlantic
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