Topic: I'm Amazed

[Najemikon]

As much as I have enjoyed the Blu-ray's I have watched and I have a large HD Collection, I have to admit that I still love DVDs.... its like the way some people buy vinyl and refuse to move to CD 

 

No, Emma, it really isn't! Vinyl, even now, is higher quality than CD. Heck, some MP3s bought direct are better quality than CD. CD is the ultimate consumer product, where technology was used only to sell units and audio reproduction was marginalised.

Anyone who understands music, seeks out vinyl.

[Critter]

Anyone who understands music, seeks out vinyl.

Just as anyone who is interested in film seeks out blu-ray?

[Najemikon]

Anyone who understands music, seeks out vinyl.

Just as anyone who is interested in film seeks out blu-ray?

Possibly. Much as I love Blu-Ray, it isn't essential yet and with film there are so many factors to consider, because it's still a digital reproduction and you are at the whim of the producers to make sure it is as close to source as possible (aspect ratio, transfer quality, etc).

The key thing about vinyl is that it is analogue in production and playback. Obviously still a reproduction and still subject to TLC during production, but the very fact it is vinyl instantly raises the potential.

In other words, a basic vinyl release of a decent recording will still kick a CD version in the nuts, even if it's a "Digitally remastered gold anniversary special limited edition in a moleskin sleeve and delivered to you by fairy dust". 

This should all be moot. Recently The Gadget Show did a "Pepsi Challenge" between CD, Vinyl and MP3 (Ipod) played on a stage with the best quality speakers, amp, etc. The MP3 bloody won! The bitrate was huge and obviously taken from a master recording, not just ripped from a CD in Windows Media Player! It proved the potential is there, but still MP3s are too much for a convenience market rather than an audiophile one for distributors to give a damn.

By the way, vinyl came second at least.

Much of it is quality of equipment as well. If I rip a CD to lossless FLAC, it should be identical, but because I'm playing back through my Audigy soundcard and not relying on the CD laser, it's better.

[snowcat]

I like DVDs and I like HD DVDs however, I collect DVDs and Blu-ray are an occasional thing I buy when I see them cheap.

Anyone who understands music, seeks out vinyl.

Just as anyone who is interested in film seeks out blu-ray?

...Anyone who's interested in music hates MP3 even though they are (as you said) by far the best quality.
Obviously, quality does not relate to the buying trends of major fans?

Critter, I disagree with you completely. If someone likes a film, they can like a DVD a VHS hell they can even like the cam rip its the same film. why should picture quality effect it?

The way I see it is a film is like a potential partner, the way it looks is what you are attracted to but the story is what you all in love with

Maybe I like DVD for the reason some music fans like Vinyl, its great to go searching for a rare gem.

Here is what really drives me mad about Blu-ray

 "OMGZ DID YOU SEE HOW SHIT ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK LOOKS ON BLU-RAY! TOTALLY CRAP FILM!" ...

...When a film gets converted "poorly" everyone is all "That films crap"

anyway  ...I will stop hijacking the topic.

Carry on.

[Najemikon]

You're not hijacking the topic, but you are wrong!

Anyone who judges a film by the quality of its presentation is a pillock, but I haven't met a film fan yet who doesn't want to see it presented as well as possible.

The person who said that about Escape from New York or any such title, clearly wouldn't have liked the film anyway and is ignorant of anything that isn't brand new and shiny. The very fact it is available on Blu tells some people it must be brand new and shiny.  But that isn't the formats fault, so why would it drive you mad?

I'm not a fan-boy apologetist (is that even a word?), I just like to see a film in whatever format it is currently considered to be the best in. As Jimmy has said many times, the sort of genre he likes is unlikely to benefit all the time from Blu-Ray and if I was him, I wouldn't consider it yet.

[Jimmy]

No, Emma, it really isn't! Vinyl, even now, is higher quality than CD.

Agree with you Jon, nothing beat the sound quality of the vinyl. The only that I can qualify as worst than the cd are the audio cassette and mostly because of the loss of quality everytime you listen to them.

But of course I was a music dj at my father club for 2 years, so it evident that I have a positive bias for the vinyl. I've great memory of my weekly trip to the music store to buy the new 45 rpm single records

And a vinyl disc was easy to repair...

[snowcat]

You're not hijacking the topic, but you are wrong!

Anyone who judges a film by the quality of its presentation is a pillock, but I haven't met a film fan yet who doesn't want to see it presented as well as possible.

The person who said that about Escape from New York or any such title, clearly wouldn't have liked the film anyway and is ignorant of anything that isn't brand new and shiny. The very fact it is available on Blu tells some people it must be brand new and shiny.  But that isn't the formats fault, so why would it drive you mad?

I'm not a fan-boy apologetist (is that even a word?), I just like to see a film in whatever format it is currently considered to be the best in. As Jimmy has said many times, the sort of genre he likes is unlikely to benefit all the time from Blu-Ray and if I was him, I wouldn't consider it yet.

  Jon! Im not wrong  its my opinion!

No, the person who said that love Escape from New York on DVD... I stood and stared at him with my mouth open after he said that. Whilst its nice to see a film in amazing quality, I don't mind the standard quality of a DVD its doesnt effect my viewing at all 

Ok maybe its not what drive me mad about Blu-ray but on mass Blu-ray buyers who insist on talking about the quality and not the film ;P

[karmesinrot]

Tbh, Bluray at the moment is for me extremely expensive and not particularly worth it for the quality increase. I only purchase nature documentries e.g. Plant Earth, Life or combi-packs at the moment. I can definately see where people are coming from with older films where Bluray dramatically increases the quality of viewing, but for many recent releases I just don't see enough of an improvement to justify shelling out the extra £5-£15.
As Emma says, the majority of my enjoyment of films comes from the storyline, and I don't really spend that much time scrutinising picture/sound quality. Unless of course the DVD transfer quality is awful

[Dragonfire]

I watched Up on Blu-ray last night.  Wow.
I think I need to get Monster's Inc on Blu now.

[Taro]

I'd just like to add that I respect everyone's opinion. I can understand that for some people upgrading to isn't worth the money. And I can also understand some people buying virtually exclusively Blu-ray. It all depends on what you value most, what you look for in a film or TV series and what kind of budget and equipment you have. So I'd never dismiss anyone's opinion on the matter as it's all very personal.

I also agree that bad technical quality (e.g. Escape from New York) doesn't make a movie a bad movie. It just means that either the original VFX were poorly done, or the remastering was poorly done or both. Doesn't take away that a movie can be a good movie.

My personal opinion on the matter is that half of my enjoyment of a movie is story and acting, the second half is technical proficiency (VFX, picture quality, audio quality). For that reason, when mastered or remastered correctly, I prefer to buy Blu-ray if available and when the price is affordable enough. Perhaps I'm shallow for attaching 50% of the value to technical proficiency, but that's just how I am  But like I said, I respect just as much people who attach no importance to the technical quality or people who attach 100% importance to it, so to speak. In the end, we all weigh the added value a new edition offers, the price and our own expectations when deciding to purchase or not.

Back to technical demo material Blu-rays, I can suggestion these:
- Any Pixar movie (PQ and AQ)
- Gakue no Ponyo (for handdrawn anime, perfect AQ and PQ provided you get the Japanese release)
- Terminator Salvation (PQ but especially AQ)
- Transfromers movies (PQ and AQ)
- Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy (especially AQ)
- Iron Man (PQ, AQ)
- Armageddon (AQ)
- Evangelion 1:11 (perfect anime AQ and PQ)
- All Ice Age movies
- Red Cliff (for AQ and PQ)
- Braveheart (for AQ and PQ)
Those are just a few that popped into my head but there are many more

[Najemikon]

Taro, I note you haven't listed any old movies. If you have any interest in stuff like It's A Wonderful Life, you must look them up.

You aren't shallow for attributing 50% appeal to the technical side. Film is a visual medium! It can only improve with a fine transfer.

That said, Emma hits upon the idea of nostalgia. It is possible to clean a film up too much that you have been used to seeing on lesser formats because then it doesn't feel like the film you "discovered".

[Najemikon]

I watched Up on Blu-ray last night.  Wow.
I think I need to get Monster's Inc on Blu now.

You know, Monsters Inc might be the best of the bunch. I reviewed it here and specifically commented on the transfer: http://www.dvdcollectorsonline.com/index.php/topic,5593.msg96150.html#msg96150

[Taro]

Taro, I note you haven't listed any old movies. If you have any interest in stuff like It's A Wonderful Life, you must look them up.

I'm ashamed to admit my current library of old movie Blu-rays is rather limited. I did get the original 'The day the earth stood still' which I thought had a very solid transfer on Blu: lots of details, no dirt or debris as far as I could tell. I had never seen a black and white movie looking so crisp.

Even though I don't have a lot of old movies on Blu for the time being, there's quite a few I'm looking forward to buying, such as most of Kurosawa Akira's movies which have been beautifully restored it seems on Blu-ray by Criterion.

I also loved 2001: A Space Odyssey, although I don't know if that counts as an old (enough) movie.

But you're right, a lot of old movies are getting a second life on Blu-ray. Although I can understand some people might miss the nostalgic feeling where the little errors add to the charm of the movie for them.

[Dragonfire]

I watched Up on Blu-ray last night.  Wow.
I think I need to get Monster's Inc on Blu now.

You know, Monsters Inc might be the best of the bunch. I reviewed it here and specifically commented on the transfer: http://www.dvdcollectorsonline.com/index.php/topic,5593.msg96150.html#msg96150

I remember reading that when you first posted it..I just read it again..I'm convinced..I need Monsters Inc.  I think I will be making an order soon.

[Achim]

I remember reading that when you first posted it..I just read it again..I'm convinced..I need Monsters Inc.  I think I will be making an order soon.

I just watched it recently as well and was amazed by the quality of the transfer all the way through. Almost to the point that it distracted from the movie

Blu-ray is where Sully's and the Yeti's hair really shine!