UHD New Releases, Reissues and Upgrades

[Stefan Andersson]

Detailed technical discussion about problematic The Third Man 4k UHD Combo:
https://www.hometheaterforum.com/commun ... 908/page-2

We're not talking about the UHD, as pretty much nobody so far has it, but about the 2015 BD soundtrack as included on the Studio Canal BD. I reminded there that it'd be good, rather than discussing about the merits of including or not including a cut version, to focus on actual issues like possibly fixing the 2015 soundtrack, that has several issues, and it seemed (like too often on HTF) that nobody knew about this issue in the first place.
However, while it's very likely that Canal is only upgrading the 2015 work to UHD, it has yet to be confirmed.

Hi tenia, thanks for update and clarification!

[nicolas]

(La Femme) Nikita Gaumont and Studiocanal 4K review + screenshots & technical analysis. These two virtually identical releases belong to the Good in DV category compared to the red category Sony US release. The SC wins extra-wise and is fully English subtitled whereas the Gaumont only has the feature subtitled.

[tenia]

I'm not sure why the SC wins extra-wise (except if it wins because it has the same extra features but with subtitles), as the Gaumont release has 2h35 of extra features.

[nicolas]

I'm not sure why the SC wins extra-wise (except if it wins because it has the same extra features but with subtitles), as the Gaumont release has 2h35 of extra features.

Yes, the subtitles were the reason why I mentioned it.

[tenia]

This is why I'm not bothering with HTF but in truth, bubbles like that are the ones that need valid arguments like you provided the most in order to see what's really going on instead of focusing on non-issues.

They're becoming a joke at this point. They're mostly outdated when it comes to this kind of things, and when bringing them stuff that's been a known quantity for years, they keep grilling you because it's not that they're in the blind, but you're the one probably making things up. The long sophistic post against blah-ray.blogspot is laughable : can you imagine bringing it down because the owner doesn't use his real name ? They do.

To your question: If you're referring to PQ, it's already confirmed that SC ported over the 2015 restoration and someone on the other forum mentioned that the audio also sounds the same.

I read about the PQ but wasn't sure about the AQ. Oh well.

[nicolas]

This is why I'm not bothering with HTF but in truth, bubbles like that are the ones that need valid arguments like you provided the most in order to see what's really going on instead of focusing on non-issues.

They're becoming a joke at this point. They're mostly outdated when it comes to this kind of things, and when bringing them stuff that's been a known quantity for years, they keep grilling you because it's not that they're in the blind, but you're the one probably making things up. The long sophistic post against blah-ray.blogspot is laughable : can you imagine bringing it down because the owner doesn't use his real name ? They do.

To your question: If you're referring to PQ, it's already confirmed that SC ported over the 2015 restoration and someone on the other forum mentioned that the audio also sounds the same.

I read about the PQ but wasn't sure about the AQ. Oh well.

At least it's a Fidelity in Motion encode but they can't work with that they aren't given. And it isn't that Canal rushed The Third Man to 4K - they could've comfortably released it 5 years ago.
For the long wait I think this is quite the disappointment.

[nicolas]

All of Us Strangers is an astonishingly beautiful red category release despite minor issues. More details and screenshots in the encoding thread.

[Fus1on]

Just watched Criterion's All of Us Strangers 4K and I'd honestly say it's fantastic. Very deserving of going into the red tier. I'm kind of sad not to see it discussed on here, because I think it might be one of the best UHDs of the year so far.

[Fus1on]

All of Us Strangers is an astonishingly beautiful red category release despite minor issues. More details and screenshots in the encoding thread.

Oh shoot, I didn't realize you had already commented on this before me. Apologies for that. Thanks for going into more detail on the other thread.

[Maladroit Aggregator]

I'm still confused about the recommended upgrade titles being colored red, which is the universal stop or warning color. Green would make more sense.

[domino harvey]

Red has actually been the color of recommendation on the forum for well over a decade

[Fus1on]

WB's Friends UHD is apparently a complete disaster in almost every way possible. I don't personally own it, but I might make a more thorough post on the Encodes thread just compiling some of the info that other users have found. Just know that for now, it's looking really bad.

Somehow, it's a mix of AI upscaling, noise reduction, fake grain insertion, bad HDR, and weaker encoding than the streaming release. Basically anything that someone living in their mom's basement could complain about is there in this release.

[midnitedave]

Curious if there's any consensus on the Godzilla Minus One 4K Deluxe Edition ? I watched it last week and thought its presentation was amazing (both visually as well as the Atmos mix) but curious what others thought.

[Fus1on]

Curious if there's any consensus on the Godzilla Minus One 4K Deluxe Edition ? I watched it last week and thought its presentation was amazing (both visually as well as the Atmos mix) but curious what others thought.

I did see an analysis of it on r/4Kbluray a while back that was also very positive on the 4K transfer. I don't own a copy, but I would be very surprised if it wasn't a reference disc at this point.

[Fus1on]

Criterion's UHD of Happiness is really good overall. Very well-encoded, although I did notice a little bit of macro-blocking during a scene about an hour in. It's nothing too bad, though. I'd still say it's one of Criterion's better releases this year, though I wouldn't say it's as good as La Haine, Risky Business, or All of Us Strangers. I'd probably say it's a blue tier disc just because the supplemental material is really disappointing for a Criterion release.

[Finch]

I'm only focusing on image and sound for my list. Extras only get considered if two competing releases are equal in image and sound quality. If someone released Happiness with comparable video but better audio, then I'd feel like the Criterion deserved to be "relegated" to the blue tier.

[pistolwink]

I have a general question about releases (like most of the recent ones from major studios) that package together a 4k UHD disc and a standard Blu-Ray. For older films, do these typically have the new transfer/"restoration" on the Blu-Ray as well as the 4k disc, or do they usually just plop a copy of an older transfer on the Blu-Ray?

I'm curious specifically about the 2018 release of The Big Lebowski--I'm told the color timing on this version is much better than previous discs but I don't know if that's actually what I'll getting on the Blu-Ray..... But I'm curious about this in general. Does it just depend?

[Fus1on]

I'm only focusing on image and sound for my list. Extras only get considered if two competing releases are equal in image and sound quality. If someone released Happiness with comparable video but better audio, then I'd feel like the Criterion deserved to be "relegated" to the blue tier.

Ok fair. If we're not considering the extras, then I would consider it reference quality. I do think it's worth noting when a release isn't quite satisfactory in every way, but that's just me personally.

[therewillbeblus]

Ideally people can look up the extras for themselves when choosing to buy, since it's factual information that's available either in threads on this forum or elsewhere on the internet, but it's much more difficult to determine reputable reviews for the quality of image/sound. Plus, if there are different supplements, the value is far more subjective. I'll often ask about preferences for extras if I'm stuck on a purchase, and people will offer their opinions if they have them

[Fus1on]

I have a general question about releases (like most of the recent ones from major studios) that package together a 4k UHD disc and a standard Blu-Ray. For older films, do these typically have the new transfer/"restoration" on the Blu-Ray as well as the 4k disc, or do they usually just plop a copy of an older transfer on the Blu-Ray?

I'm curious specifically about the 2018 release of The Big Lebowski--I'm told the color timing on this version is much better than previous discs but I don't know if that's actually what I'll getting on the Blu-Ray..... But I'm curious about this in general. Does it just depend?

It kinda just depends. Some 4K releases decide not to include the new transfer on their added BD, and instead just repurpose on older disc. I remember the Pirates of the Caribbean UHDs do this (thank god too, because CotBP looks horrendous). On the other hand, there are many releases that do include a remastered BD. The dreaded Holy Trinity of James Cameron 4K releases from last March all had remastered BDs inside of their releases (and were worse off for that). The Matrix Trilogy also included remastered BDs. In regards to The Big Lebowski UHD, no, it doesn't include a remastered BD. It instead has a repurposed disc from an older Blu-ray release. However, unless you don't have a 4K player/screen, I wouldn't worry too much about it at all. The Big Lebowski's 4K disc is unbelievably fantastic, so I don't think you really need a good BD at all.

[Fus1on]

Ideally people can look up the extras for themselves when choosing to buy, since it's factual information that's available either in threads on this forum or elsewhere on the internet, but it's much more difficult to determine reputable reviews for the quality of image/sound. Plus, if there are different supplements, the value is far more subjective. I'll often ask about preferences for extras if I'm stuck on a purchase, and people will offer their opinions if they have them

Fair enough. I'll make sure to keep the discussion closer to video/audio quality, unless there's anything noteworthy about the extras, like if there's absolutely zero extras (i.e. Tar and Evil Dead Rise standard release), there are missing legacy bonus features (i.e. LOTR), or if they do something interesting like with Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes where they include a separate version of the film that's just the theatrical cut without VFX.

[therewillbeblus]

Oh I appreciate it when people discuss extras in these threads - it’s helpful to know what we’re giving up or getting in return for a given release! I just meant that it shouldn’t affect the actual tiers for releases. Sorry for the confusion.

[tenia]

I have a general question about releases (like most of the recent ones from major studios) that package together a 4k UHD disc and a standard Blu-Ray. For older films, do these typically have the new transfer/"restoration" on the Blu-Ray as well as the 4k disc, or do they usually just plop a copy of an older transfer on the Blu-Ray?

I'm curious specifically about the 2018 release of The Big Lebowski--I'm told the color timing on this version is much better than previous discs but I don't know if that's actually what I'll getting on the Blu-Ray..... But I'm curious about this in general. Does it just depend?

Indeed sadly a case-by-case basis. Most of the time, it's label/studio policy related : some upgrade the BD too, some don't (and some have evolved on this matter, being one way or the other).

[pistolwink]

Thanks for the responses.

FWIW, I was asking about Blu-rays b/c we don't have a 4k TV and probably won't get one until our current plasma TV dies. This is partly b/c we don't have a lot of funds (either to buy a nice new TV or to upgrade many of our Blu-Rays and DVDs to UHD), but mostly because I'm not convinced the upgrade is entirely worth it for us, especially considering the declining quality of my eyesight. (But I can still be attentive to different color timings and such!)

[Fus1on]

Oh I appreciate it when people discuss extras in these threads - it’s helpful to know what we’re giving up or getting in return for a given release! I just meant that it shouldn’t affect the actual tiers for releases. Sorry for the confusion.

Sounds good! Thanks for the clarification.