Although I've watched the series since its early days, my interest has waned from time to time. Had it not been for the Ross and Rachel romance, then Monica and Chandler affair, I might not have kept coming back to the show. Every episode looks a whole lot better on DVD than they did on broadcast television. Colors are vibrant and the flesh tones are right on the money. There are no signs of chromatic distortion or smearing of the more intense hues.
Blacks are accurate and the picture has a good level of depth.
Digital compression artifacts are nicely concealed on these dual layer DVDs. The Dolby Digital 5.0 channel soundtrack is surprisingly good for a television sitcom. There are some mild directional sound effects, but don't expect split surrounds from a television mix. Dialogue reproduction is excellent, with all of the voices sounding natural and maintaining full intelligibility. Music is well recorded and well balanced in the mix, taking advantage of both the forward and rear soundstages.