COURTESY ABC / BUENA VISTA HOME ENT The second season of "Lost" stars, from left, Harold Perrineau, Maggie Grace, Matthew Fox, Terry O'Quinn, Yunjin Kim, Jorge Garcia, Evangeline Lilly, Daniel Dae Kim, Naveen Andrews, Emilie de Ravin, Dominic Monaghan, Josh Holloway and newbie Michelle Rodriguez.

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At last month's press party for the "Lost: The Complete First Season" DVD at the Turtle Bay Resort, cast member Daniel Dae Kim said that the seven-disc collection "rewards people who watch the show actively." As one of those active viewers captivated by this adventure-mystery TV drama, I found the rewards of watching the first season all over again -- without commercial interruption -- outweighs the promise of the special-features disc.

"Lost: The Complete First Season" Buena Vista Home Entertainment $59.99

With the exception of the actors' audition tapes, a couple of un-aired flashback scenes and the short documentary "Welcome to Oahu: The Making of the Pilot," the special-features disc -- while enjoyable overall -- hardly lives up to its billing: "Essential Lost."

But for the series itself, do yourself a favor. If you haven't yet invested in one of those humongous home entertainment systems, this DVD set is a good enough excuse to do so -- a reason to fully immerse yourself in the high-definition, surround-sound experience.

Besides being an engaging and tightly scripted series, "Lost" is one of the most well-crafted dramas on television. Of the multiple Emmy nominations the series has received, it's no surprise that about half are for technical excellence. And it's no wonder that the bulk of the nominations are due to the superior work done on the ambitious two-part pilot. (Considering the quick casting process, and getting the jetliner parts flown to Oahu, it seems nearly miraculous that the pilot was pulled off in the first place.)

One of the neat things about watching the pilot episode with commentary by executive producers J.J. Abrams, Damon Lindelof and Bryan Burk is that Abrams occasionally halts a particular scene, and the DVD branches to a behind-the-scenes home-video look at that same scene, offering further explanation. A very cool move.

Another notable feature is a script scanner (accessible when the DVDs are played on a PC) that lets viewers follow along with the script.

Only three other commentaries round out this first set, highlighting the fine writing on the episodes "Walkabout," "The Moth" and "Hearts and Minds," as well as the featured acting of Emmy nominee Terry O'Quinn, Dominic Monaghan (whose easy demeanor was probably helped by having done multiple commentaries for "The Lord of the Rings' " home video sets), Maggie Grace and Ian Somerhalder.

More would've been great, but considering how quickly this DVD set is hitting store shelves -- just months after the first season was pau -- oh, well.

Everyone else in the cast is given a moment to shine, and it's a pleasure to re-evaluate their work. This is especially true of Kim and Yunjin Kim in the "House of the Rising Sun" episode, co-Emmy nominee Naveen Andrews in "Solitary," Evangeline Lilly in "Whatever the Case May Be," Monaghan again in "Homecoming" and Josh Holloway in "Outlaws."

So whether a purchase or a rental, your money's well spent on "Lost: The Complete First Season."

And second season, here we come!