Euro Steels getting inferior PQ?

[richieb1971]

I noticed that the UK edition of Fight Club will be fully restored and David Fincher will be overlooking the print for that version. I don't think the German Steelbook got all that. I am to believe the studios that release the steelbooks in Germany are releasing their USA movies a bit prematurely and using the steelbook format to get more business. If this trend continues I might just hold back on getting the steels.

Of course Canadian steels get the real deal so no worries there.

What do you think?

[jw]

i believe you have made a very bad assumption

[roach_rch]

German Fight Club is definitely not perfect, but it was the first Fight Club edition ever released on BD, probably using the only masters available there at the time. French Pulp Fiction isn't perfect neither, but it also was there, while region A release was being countlessly postponed. Why some region A release dates are different than region B - it depends on the studio deals, incomprehensible for us, mortals.

It works that way - you can either get the European release before the American release, and sometimes get a Steelbook with it, or you can wait for a region A release that might use different master and have different extras - to each his own.

[richieb1971]

I don't think its a bad assumption at all. Some of the steels from Europe have inferior versions of the movies because they were released before the directors got their time to do a proper version with more extras and a restored print.

Lets say for example Hero came out in Steelbook in Germany. Its got a crap print right? Then of course the USA version would have had all the bells and whistles making the German version look a mess, well it is a mess.

You can't tell me you would prefer a hypothetical German release in steelbook than the US version? Well, some of you probably would.

So far i'm happy with my steels, just a little surprised that Fight club will be getting a better print from the UK version. I don't want a trend of getting steels when they pop up in Germany and then find out a much better release comes out in the UK. I'm not a double dipper type person.

[jw]

different studios do different techniques. Fight Club was released early in the format and another studio chose to rework it. Happens. Whats the excuse for Gladiator, Universal did the transfer for the WW release, including the US one. SteelBooks are manufactured in europe, Thus there is very little shipping charge vs NA. That was disclosed in the Futureshop deal. SteelBooks in Canada are done by the retailer and approved by the studio.
For the record Leon looked just as good as the French version and its kinda hard to make a better appeal to something that wont play in a US BD player

[American Baron]

I'm gonna chime in here and agree with jwbbud. What you are describing has actually absolutely nothing to do with Steelbooks! Some Films are distributed by different Companies in different Countries. It is indeed a Fact that some Distributors do better work than others. It has nothing to do with the Packaging be it Steelbook or another type of Collectors Edition.

Just my 2 Cents....

AB

[victors]

I usually buy UK amarray blu-ray edition.. and oh boy.. always has lots of problem because some studios produce low quality of audio

[richieb1971]

Your totally missing the point.

My point is that you might be succumbed to an inferior quality product that has a Steelbook casing and then an amaray case version comes out in a different region which is a better product.

This may cause you to regret your steelbook purchase if you don't double dip.

[Kynch]

Originally Posted by richieb1971

Your totally missing the point.

My point is that you might be succumbed to an inferior quality product that has a Steelbook casing and then an amaray case version comes out in a different region which is a better product.

This may cause you to regret your steelbook purchase if you don't double dip.

Of course. You're right about that.

Like said, it all depends on the release date.

European releases have often been that of catalogue releases which are rocketed to Blu-ray in order to be the first on the market and sometimes suffer inferior transfers.
But if you look at new releases, then I gotta say they're spot on.
Regarding TF1 release, despite their forced French subs, have always been very very good, in my opinion.

[victors]

richieb1971 but that's happen all the time
Studio rerelease movies anytime they have an opportunity..

This is just a SteelBook casing, you are not buying the "Ultimate Edition". And as the times goes all your SteelBook will have inferior quality disc, one day or another the studio will decide to release a new version of the movie. This suc* but it's inevitable.

How many T2 you have? You really thought it was the last one?
For instance Terminator 1, in US they rereleased one with a lenticular while using the same old disc..
And everyone knows they are planning to release a new version months later (by the way does it already released?)

Most of the upcoming FS Disney will not be an upgrade of the disc.. so you will be completely double dip the disc.

[jw]

What hes talking about has nothing to do with the shell its put in.
Fight Club in Germany is released by a different studio(Kinowelt)
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment is releasing the UK version. Each studio does their own thing as far as restore, etc. Obviously they want you to know its better so you 'double dip' for the new one

Assuming something is half @$$ed just to get a steelbook release is obsurd. SteelBook is very common in Europe as thats where Scanavo is located and produces the product for the entire world, so of course the 'shell' is much cheaper there than say Canada. From what I read, in Canada the retailer sets up the steelbook, not the studio. Not sure how it works in Europe but based on the number of Media Mkt exclusives I am safe to guess they employ the same tactic

[mr. b]

I'm sure steelbooks are cheaper to produce in Europe, but there is a steelbook plant in the US, so I would think that they are cheaper to produce here than getting them made in Europe and shipped overseas for a US/Canada release.

[Wreck]

Originally Posted by mr. b

I'm sure steelbooks are cheaper to produce in Europe, but there is a steelbook plant in the US, so I would think that they are cheaper to produce here than getting them made in Europe and shipped overseas for a US/Canada release.

canton, ohio to be exact.

[American Baron]

Originally Posted by richieb1971

Your totally missing the point.

My point is that you might be succumbed to an inferior quality product that has a Steelbook casing and then an amaray case version comes out in a different region which is a better product.

This may cause you to regret your steelbook purchase if you don't double dip.

Oh, I understand your Point perfectly. I'm just looking at it at a different angle

There are many other factors involved here:

- What you are describing only pertains to Films with different Distribution Rights per Country.
- Alot of these locally distributed Releases are Region Locked.
- Most people in non-english speaking Countires prefer to watching the Film in their local language making them bound to their local Releases.


It's been that way through the life cycle of DVD and it will continue to be that way with Blu-Ray.

The Baron

[potraiz]

Originally Posted by richieb1971

I noticed that the UK edition of Fight Club will be fully restored and David Fincher will be overlooking the print for that version. I don't think the German Steelbook got all that. I am to believe the studios that release the steelbooks in Germany are releasing their USA movies a bit prematurely and using the steelbook format to get more business. If this trend continues I might just hold back on getting the steels.

Of course Canadian steels get the real deal so no worries there.

What do you think?

Is there a difference between IAL or Iron Man Canada against German releases regarding PQ ?
Many movies has same transfer all over the world. Look at Gladiator, bad transfer everywhere. Don´t see that the release beeing a steelbook (or coming from europe) has anything to do with it.

[richieb1971]

I never said at any point that because a Euro release of a movie is in Steelbook that its automatically an inferior product. I just said its possible. I then gave an example of my argument using Fight club.

So now I already own Fight Club and now realize that the print of the UK release should be much better I am in two minds if buying a steelbook from Germany that is of a distribution company like Kinowelt is advisable. Given that I prefer the print to be the best it can be. If given a choice I take the print over the packaging. But thats just me. Or of course, buy 2 lots of everything and put the better print in steelbook and offload the other print on ebay

[halamadrid]

Is this even a Steelbook discussion . The OP's argument is not very scientific (one sample) and he's really talking about one release. There are tons of movies that have been re-released after the first run's print was not as good as it could be. As AB mentioned this is more an issue of distribution rights on a particular country or region and who gets to produce the master for a particular release. It has nothing to do with packaging (as jw mentioned) or Steelbooks for that matter. The OP's sample just happens to be packaged in a Steelbook, but there is no evidence nor does he provide any proof that this is a Steelbook specific issue or that it is widespread. He's really talking about one movie. What am I missing.

[American Baron]

I actually get the jist of what he's saying. In a nutshell, he's saying that if you concentrate purely on the Packaging, you may be missing out on a better transfer from elsewhwere in the world.

It makes sense (in a way). He's just not factoring in the points above plus most collectors leave their Steels sealed which also makes the point mute.

[victors]

point or not this always an issue.
Before I only collect Portuguese Edition DVD (with portuguese subtitle) and sometimes double dip to adquire the "Ultimate Best Limited Collector's Edition" with the best packaging + the best disc content + DTS Audio. This would be in the perfect world, and if you're luck enough also include portuguese subtitle.

Japan edition usually have the best disc but in Species Trilogy + Statue DVD(Species 2 doesn't comes with DTS), so I was completely buying for the Statue. Because for me to be a perfect disc it must have the best extras, DTS Audio and portuguese subtitle.

I mentioned before, in Portugal some animations gift set only includes the Single disc edition.. so in order to adquire the 2 disc edition you'll have to double dip. Or now, most of the time they're only in DVD format, not blu-ray.

This also happen frequently in USA, how many Transformers set have? So many and some of them are only in single disc edition..

[halamadrid]

Originally Posted by American Baron

I actually get the jist of what he's saying. In a nutshell, he's saying that if you concentrate purely on the Packaging, you may be missing out on a better transfer from elsewhwere in the world.

It makes sense (in a way). He's just not factoring in the points above plus most collectors leave their Steels sealed which also makes the point mute.

I believe we all get the point, but the OP makes a huge generalization in his thread title and argument based on one title, which is about <1% of the European Steelbooks produced. His whole argument is based Fight Club, which is really an old release that just happened to be packaged in a Steelbook. One movie folks