The DVD

Disc 1: Volume 1
"One Night on the Bayou"
"Killer in the County"
"Frozen in Time"
"A Map to Murder"
"The Zodiac Killer"

Disc 2: Volume 2
"The Green River Killer"
"Weepy-Voiced Killer"
"The Lady Killer"
"Kidnapped"
"Love Triangle"

Video:
Cold Case Files: The Most Infamous Cases is presented in a 1.33:1 full frame format that does a fine job of improving upon the original broadcast quality of the show. Each episode looks just as good, if not better, than they originally appeared on television. Colors are nice, detail is fairly intricate, and blacks are pretty solid. Flesh tones and lighting also appear natural, even though the overlook of the show does tend a bit flat at times. The archival footage fares the worst here, as there are some signs of slight flicker, shimmering, and grain to be found. They are minor on the whole, however, and the transfers on these discs are probably as good as the show will ever look.

Sound:
The audio on these discs is presented in a Dolby 2.0 Stereo format that doesn't really have any surprises. The track sounds just like what you might expect from a true-crime television drama. Dialogue is always clear, crisp, and discernable. Spatial separation across the front channels is just fine as the sound effects and music simply add to the drama while never overshadowing any of the show's dialogue. There's nothing groundbreaking to be found on this track, but it does exactly what it sets out to do in reproducing the original broadcast quality of the show.

Extras:
There are no extra features to be found anywhere on either disc of this DVD, which is a real shame because A&E Home Video has missed a great opportunity to use the DVD format to their advantage. In every episode of Cold Case Files, there is at least one pop-up on the screen that tells the viewer to go to the A&E website to find out more about the case (whether it be in the form of an interview transcript, police sketches, reproductions of letters from the killers, or other items from the investigation). I would have been a completely happy reviewer if A&E had simply put those items somewhere on these discs as extra features. They already have them on their website, so how hard could this have been? I'm not asking for much here, but the simple inclusion of those items would have made this DVD set seem infinitely more complete and informative.

Final Thoughts:
If you're wondering how the people in my dorm and I got along after that first meeting, I should probably tell you that I'm still friends with most of them. Some of them were a little scared, but it was nothing that a little explanation couldn't remedy. As for me, I may not be the same encyclopedia of serial killer knowledge that I once was - it only took two semesters for me to realize that Psychology was too much Biology for me and Criminal Justice was too much Politics. Nonetheless, I still love a good serial killer tale (especially one that results in a capture and conviction). Cold Case Files is a show that combines so many elements of true-crime, investigation, lurid individuals, and technology to produce an excellent little stew of knowledge and entertainment. It may not always be perfectly compelling drama, but it is always at least highly informative and intriguing. Cold Case Files: The Most Infamous Cases is a no-brainer recommendation for me. If only A&E had seen fit to add at least a few extra features, this DVD release would be a highly recommended one.