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Can we assume that the Blu-ray will be remastered as well, and not just a repackaging?

Cremildo wrote: Wed May 15, 2019 7:37 pm Can we assume that the Blu-ray will be remastered as well, and not just a repackaging?

That was the case for 2001, so I would assume so

mfunk9786 wrote: Wed May 15, 2019 8:13 pm

Cremildo wrote: Wed May 15, 2019 7:37 pm Can we assume that the Blu-ray will be remastered as well, and not just a repackaging?

That was the case for 2001, so I would assume so

That's right, I kept thinking about stuff from other distributors like Predator (the BD reissue was the old DNR'd master) and forgot about 2001.

In the end, it seems to me Warner are amongst the rare studios (maybe the only one) to include remastered BDs with their UHDs. They also did it for Unforgiven, the Matrix trilogy, 2001, and possibly others.

In the case of 2001, it's because they also sold a new non-bundled Blu-ray remaster at the same time - if a studio isn't selling a new standalone Blu-ray remaster, why would they press one just to include it with the UHD? Should they include an updated DVD too?

mfunk9786 wrote: Wed May 15, 2019 9:31 pm In the case of 2001, it's because they also sold a new non-bundled Blu-ray remaster at the same time - if a studio isn't selling a new standalone Blu-ray remaster, why would they press one just to include it with the UHD? Should they include an updated DVD too?

I don't know, but I don't think they did a stand-alone remastered BD release for Unforgiven or The Matrix trilogy.

flyonthewall2983 wrote: Thu May 16, 2019 1:42 amI think Sony did with the recent release of Black Hawk Down. They at least upgraded the audio to DTS from PCM on their Blu from over 10 years ago.

I'm not sure the audio has been changed actually, but in any case, the PQ is the same than the old disc with no picture remaster. I'd also argue that switching from PCM to DTS HD MA isn't so much an upgrade.
Sony has otherwise been very poor in offering remastered BDs following UHD upgrades. While some of their UHDs are based on previously-released 4K masters, it's not too much of a problem, but Starship Troopers, Groundhog Day, Christine, Karate Kid, Hook, A Few Good Men, Philadelphia, The Quick and the Dead, Cliffhanger (though you can import this one from Europe on BD - because it's not Sony here), Air Force One and The Patriot are all coming with the old BD. Pretty much, that's a studio who doesn't do a remaster BD except if they're doing a stand-alone BD release : Jumanji, CE3K, The Dark Crystal and Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. Which isn't the majority of them as you can see.

Right, but it still begs the question: why should they press a special extra disc if all they're trying to do is release the film in UHD?

To get people that haven't converted to UHD but may one day to buy the disc (e.g. me?)

mfunk9786 wrote: Thu May 16, 2019 12:39 pm Right, but it still begs the question: why should they press a special extra disc if all they're trying to do is release the film in UHD?

To give those of us who haven't upconverted the opportunity to own the new restoration.

Then why would you ever upgrade, in that case? I think the idea is to try to sell people on the new format, not on the new restoration itself. Including a Blu-ray at all is the way of bridging that gap, but I have to expect pressing a disc that you're not even going to give a separate SKU is needlessly expensive.

I wanted to make the thread title "So you want a brand new transfer of the previous format thrown in for free...as long as Criterion isn't doing it...and want it swarming with magic robots?" but it seemed too long



Still amazed by this forum sometimes, though.

That's not very different than BD/DVD DF discussions, and you can see how that went. They're just stuck really : when they don't include a remastered BD, they're losing the BD-customers, and when they do, they might prevent people from upgrading because it's just comfortable for them that way.
That's what I currently do for a few movies : I'm not equipped for UHDs, but in some cases, I bought the UHD combo when it wasn't that much more expensive and I didn't have the movie on BD yet. If one day I'm equipped, then fine. Otherwise, I have the remastered BD so I'm fine too.

mfunk9786 wrote: Thu May 16, 2019 2:33 pm I wanted to make the thread title "So you want a brand new transfer of the previous format thrown in for free...as long as Criterion isn't doing it...and want it swarming with magic robots?" but it seemed too long. Still amazed by this forum sometimes, though.

The principle is indeed the same than for DF, but the technical baseline is different. The DVD isn't just perceived by some as the previous format but as an objectively "obsolete" one, while BD isn't. I'm going to use a BD myself, for instance, but DVD ?

I think that's just a perception thing based on whether someone has the equipment in their home vs. whether they don't. Once you've got a nice HDR television and the means to play UHD Blu-rays, the difference is pretty significant. It's not as big as the gulf between Blu-rays and DVDs, perhaps, but it's not far off. I can't imagine watching the Blu-ray of a film that's also available in UHD at this point, if I knew I had the option, which is exactly how I felt about DVDs at about this point in Blu-ray's life cycle.

For me personally, UHD is a format too far. I've already spent the last few years slowly upgrading
my collection (originally VHS) from DVD to Blu-Ray. I don't think I'll be inclined to spend yet another
decade upgrading all my discs again for those few extra pixels.

But then again, if the only way to upgrade 'The Shining,' is to buy a UHD along with the
blu-ray...who knows?

mfunk9786 wrote: Thu May 16, 2019 2:54 pm I think that's just a perception thing based on whether someone has the equipment in their home vs. whether they don't. Once you've got a nice HDR television and the means to play UHD Blu-rays, the difference is pretty significant. It's not as big as the gulf between Blu-rays and DVDs, perhaps, but it's not far off. I can't imagine watching the Blu-ray of a film that's also available in UHD at this point, if I knew I had the option, which is exactly how I felt about DVDs at about this point in Blu-ray's life cycle.

Yes, there might be biases at play here, and agree with you on this matter, but I nevertheless believe the DVD to BD to UHD (to 8K ?) is following the law of diminished returns, and that the DVD-to-BD gap was bigger than the BD-to-UHD one. That's why I understand this might generate a difference in what people want to see on the market.

This being written, I certainly imagine UHD-equipped people unwilling to watch the related BD when they can, just like I haven't watched a DVD in years, except if absolutely stuck with it (last ones were in 2015, for French TV shows that were never released on BD). And I also understand this might seem like a silly turn regarding what is roughly the same situation than BD/DVD DF. But hey, since when people are consistent over time ?

JSC wrote: Thu May 16, 2019 3:11 pmFor me personally, UHD is a format too far.

I'd say so for HDR, but not UHD. UHD definitely is the upgrade for BD, just like BD was for DVD, and always seemed there for me to accompany the industry's wish to create another wave of monitors upgrade at a point where the switch to HD is pretty much over and the sales are thus starting to stagnate. It doesn't have a direct competitor (though one could argue it's streaming), but it doesn't do itself any favor by having a terrible rollout of the various HDR iteration (HDR10, DV and now HDR10+). I originally thought getting a UHD player in order to access new restoration not released through remastered BDs, but decided to wait to get a cheap one that also do DV, and now, I chose to wait to get a cheap one that does both DV AND HDR10+. I hope they won't also try and implement HLG on top of these (though this one should be better, it seems, to implement)...

tenia wrote: Thu May 16, 2019 8:45 am While some of their UHDs are based on previously-released 4K masters, it's not too much of a problem, but...Philadelphia...

The Blu-ray in the Philadelphia release is actually a new disc. Philadelphia never had a Blu-ray released in the US by Sony, only Twilight Time. The disc bundled with the UHD has a different set of bonus features than either the previously-released Twilight Time or European Sony discs. I don't know whether the transfer is new or not (I don't own it yet), but the disc is.

Might be a new disc, but not a new movie presentation (which is what I was aiming at).

Missed this, but it was announced two weeks back that Beetlejuice will be getting a 4K UHD release with a new Dolby Atmos soundtrack. There will also be a gift set version, which as expected is an overpriced package, but at least the souvenirs make more sense here - they're more or less replicas of key props.

Has anyone picked up the Unforgiven combo set? I have not gone UHD but am interested in the bluray. WB used a restoration for the bluray as well. How much better does it look than the older version? If it is like night and day I will spend the money to pick up the UHD/bluray. Maybe one day I'll get a UHD player and TV but in meantime have the bluray

FrauBlucher wrote: Sat Sep 19, 2020 11:44 pm Has anyone picked up the Unforgiven combo set? I have not gone UHD but am interested in the bluray. WB used a restoration for the bluray as well. How much better does it look than the older version? If it is like night and day I will spend the money to pick up the UHD/bluray. Maybe one day I'll get a UHD player and TV but in meantime have the bluray

If memory serves, MichaelB thought the UHD was great, having seen the film himself when it played in theaters and comparing it favorably to that. This was within the context of making an argument in support of HDR's merits.

Has anyone picked up the Unforgiven combo set? I have not gone UHD but am interested in the bluray. WB used a restoration for the bluray as well. How much better does it look than the older version? If it is like night and day I will spend the money to pick up the UHD/bluray. Maybe one day I'll get a UHD player and TV but in meantime have the bluray

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Unforgiv ... 22/#Review


https://caps-a-holic.com/c.php?d1=10409&d2=10410&c=4168


The sound on the new Blu-Ray is DTS-HD MA 5.1, the old has Dolby Digital 5.1. And the picture on the new Blu-Ray is significantly better.

The Blu-ray looked great to me. I seem to remember one transitional scene looking bad but it went by so quick it didn't bother me too much.

Well I just ordered Unforgiven UHD/bluray. Rest assured that now Warner Archive will release the bluray