The Likely Lads 1976 (Network)

[newgen2005]

[Agent Kay]

Yes please

[newgen2005]

My copy arrived on Tuesday.

Disc Title: THE_LIKELY_LADS
Disc Size: 24,581,443,436 bytes
Protection: AACS
BD-Java: No
Playlist: 00002.MPLS
Size: 16,877,137,920 bytes
Length: 1:30:28.875
Total Bitrate: 24.87 Mbps
Video: MPEG-4 AVC Video / 21953 kbps / 1080p / 24 fps / 16:9 / High Profile 4.1
Audio: English / LPCM Audio / 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1536 kbps / 16-bit
Subtitle: English / 42.067 kbps

Here are some screen caps.

[Show spoiler]








































[img]https://i.imgur.com/CKlE6hx.png[/img

TV episodes

A Star is Born

[Show spoiler]

Far Away Places

[Show spoiler]

[Agent Kay]

Not as bad as expected.
Will wait on a sale

[RossyG]

It looks absolutely stunning, way better than I expected. I’ve seen it on TV a couple of times and had no idea it was such a well-shot film.

[Witchfinger Generous]

It's nice to see my home town in some of those 1970s shots. I used to play in those streets as a kid. It looks... exactly the same as it does today. A bombed-out sh*thole.

[CompleteCount]

Be sure to keep an eye out for Ian "The Emperor" McDiarmid as a vicar. He doesn't get a full close-up, but it's still cool to see him.

[steve dubbleyoo]

Okay, let's keep this civilised.
In the original cinema version and when it was first shown on BBC1 Rodney Bewes says the word 'B*llocks' but the DVD versions have replaced that word with 'knackers'.
Does the Blu-Ray have the original version or the dub?

[oddbox83]

Originally Posted by Agent Kay

Not as bad as expected.
Will wait on a sale

???

Are you seeing the bit of film damage in one of the early caps and blaming the restoration/Network?

That "damage" is stylistically intended on that sequence.

[Agent Kay]

Originally Posted by oddbox83

???

Are you seeing the bit of film damage in one of the early caps and blaming the restoration/Network?

That "damage" is stylistically intended on that sequence.

I didn't say anything bad did I?

[oddbox83]

Originally Posted by Agent Kay

I didn't say anything bad did I?

You expected it to be bad though. Which I don't get because Network restorations, while not perfect (stop the DNR and improve your encoding, Network!), aren't bad.

[Agent Kay]

Originally Posted by oddbox83

You expected it to be bad though. Which I don't get because Network restorations, while not perfect (stop the DNR and improve your encoding, Network!), aren't bad.

Um look at what you put in the brackets.
I expected it to be ok, not this good.

[oddbox83]

So that's what you meant? That's OK then, we are in agreement.

[newgen2005]

My only criticism of these network releases is the lack of grain, sadly DNR is present in all of the recent releases I have purchased.

The transfers do look stunning on these releases, without the heavy DNR they would look even better. I guess we are lucky these films are even getting Blu-ray releases!

Being brought up in the VHS days, and knowing how bad these films have looked before I am truly grateful to Network releasing them.

Lets hope they release other titles like;

Steptoe & Son, the On The Buses films, and maybe even The Boys In Blue and the Alf Garnett Saga

[oddbox83]

They tend not to use heavy DNR most of the time*, least not the ones Jonathan Wood does, but there always seems to be some present.

They are good but yes, I always get the impression they are not quite as good as they should be. Fine detail always looks a bit subdued. I don't know if this is applied at mastering or encoding level. Sometimes DNR, used right, can be useful but I personally don't want it anywhere near pristine 35mm OCNs.

*The Nightcomers is one such where a shocking number of DNR artefacts are on display and sadly ruined the disc for me. I don't know what they were thinking there.

[RossyG]

Originally Posted by newgen2005

Lets hope they release other titles like;

Steptoe & Son,

Yes, definitely.

the On The Buses films,

Ooh, yes, definitely those.

and maybe even The Boys In Blue

Now, now, let's not get silly...

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by oddbox83

They tend not to use heavy DNR most of the time*, least not the ones Jonathan Wood does, but there always seems to be some present.

They are good but yes, I always get the impression they are not quite as good as they should be. Fine detail always looks a bit subdued. I don't know if this is applied at mastering or encoding level. Sometimes DNR, used right, can be useful but I personally don't want it anywhere near pristine 35mm OCNs.

*The Nightcomers is one such where a shocking number of DNR artefacts are on display and sadly ruined the disc for me. I don't know what they were thinking there.

I've not seen everything Mr Wood has restored but the stuff I have seen all has a certain amount of grain reduction going on, he even mentions using it in his notes for Space 1999 I think? It's not ruinous for the most part but I do wish he'd leave the DNR knobs alone and just restore it as best it can be (not always a fan of his colour grading either).

[Dickieduvet]

Network's recent release of Death Line was a huge leap in quality compared to the also fairly recent US disc from Blue Underground. I believe this was an in-house restoration, very filmic with little to no manipulation at all.

[TarPot1]

Originally Posted by Dickieduvet

Network's recent release of Death Line was a huge leap in quality compared to the also fairly recent US disc from Blue Underground. I believe this was an in-house restoration, very filmic with little to no manipulation at all.

I found the encoding pretty poor on Death Line. Which was a shame.

[Dickieduvet]

Originally Posted by TarPot1

I found the encoding pretty poor on Death Line. Which was a shame.

The Network release?