My Review Of Eagle Home Video's English Titles

[divyansh]

DISTRICT 9

guyz i just got this district9 blu ray in india by EAGLE HOME VIDEO
my quick verdict on the disk

Movie
well the movie is released quite a while ago so no point me writing its review now.....two groups are already formed the one's who like it and the one's who don't....well i liked the movie but am not a huge fan of this.

Picture Quality
well the indian version (authored by digital entertainment) its a really strong transfer.this is near reference quality.we here in india dont get much too see a movie in 1.85:1 aspect ratio so iam quite hungry for these movies which make the full use of my screen this movie shot on red one HD camera yields excellent results and details the close up shots pop out of the screen. the colour timing is near perfect and there is no hint of contrast boost and the movie has quite a vibrant colour pallete and there is no visible artifacts or any amout of DNR applied. pure demo worthy material out here

Sound Quality
the movie has a english DTS HD-MA (48KHZ,24 bIT) as well as an AC3 track.i did'nt listened to the ac3 track while reviewing this movie. now comming to the dts track it sounds pretty good.the track has a good dynamic range is very powerfull and effective in presenting the movie and matches the picture frame by frame. though its not the best mixes i've listened to (iam biased towards INdian (bollywood) movies...beacuse every bollywood movie is musical mostly all (approx 99%) movies have excellent audio mix with great use of all the speakers and discrete surround effects....despite the genre of the movie....many drama bollywood movies sound much better than many hollywood action flicks)....anyways the track is quite satisfactory

summing it up

Movie 7.0/10
Picture Quality 9.5/10
Sound Quality 7.5/10
Extras ??/10 (did'nt get the time to watch them)

overall 8.0/10 (Recommended)

[sanjay0864]

My personal experience with Eagle blu-rays has been with the blu-ray of 'The Reader'. All I can say is, based on the quality of that blu-ray I have always thought that we are better of with them not making any blu-rays at all.

[divyansh]

i got 2 of these blu rays district 9 and the hurt locker.....will review hurt locker later but both of them are amazing in terms of PQ they are fantastic and district9 comes loaded with many spl features as in US version....but both of these blu rays are amongst the best ones ive seen so far...and they are both authored by DIgital Entertainment (Mr Chandna)...ill say give it a try

[divyansh]

THE HURT LOCKER

MOVIE
well frankly speaking its not my type of a movie. i just cant get into this type of stuff.my dad likes this movie.to me it was just another movie....so i wont won't be rating the movie as of now beacuse maybe my mind at this stage of time is not capable of fully understading the movie

now comming to the technical aspect which I understand fully

Picture Quality
The first thing i noticed while watching this movie was The HEAVY amount of grain . i suspected it was shot in 16 mm ANd then i googled it and it is....it is shot in 16 mm which gives it such huge amount of grain...guyz the grain is like the black swan. it looks natural and no tampering has been done to the source like i mentioned huge amount of grain is present so no DNR the details are quite good ...the colours ...aah...the movie is shot in desert kinda set-up its bright and sunny during most of the movie so it does looks good....the grain may look too much to some but folks its natural and iam happy they did'nt messed it up by applying DNR .....no hints of contrast boost either....the PQ is very good but cinematography is constantly shaky and the cameras used here are all handheld....the movie is not shot in areas which are picture perfect like in bond films or movies firected by mr yash chopra subhash ghai etc so i cant say it is picture perfect but it suits the theme of the film and the encode is absolutely perfect

Sound Quality
well no offences here the sound is powerful with good use of surrounds .the dialogue is clearly presented throughout the movie and it creates a good soundfield and you do feel that you are in that place the guns firing all around your theater room and bass deep enough that my mother downstairs thought its an earthquake so the track is pretty good and yes the default track is DTS HD MA 5.1(48KHZ,24BIT) na d an ac3 track and audio commentry as well

Extras
there is a small documentary which covers the behind the scene footage and is not that interesting it is in 1080i and i forgot to mention the menus(layout,design) in both
THE HURT LOCKER AND DISTRICT 9 are too good and better than any bollywood movie's menu

summing up

Movie 05/10(ive already discussed why)
Picture Quality 10/10(encode) 9/10(general because of heavy grain)
Sound Quality 09/10
Extras 02/10
Overall 7/10
recommended to those who like the film and others may just rent it

[anibap]

Nice review Divyansh.

Originally Posted by divyansh

THE HURT LOCKER
well frankly speaking its not my type of a movie. i just cant get into this type of stuff.my dad likes this movie.to me it was just another movie....so i wont won't be rating the movie as of now beacuse maybe my mind at this stage of time is not capable of fully understading the movie

You you watch this movie after 5-10 years, you will definitely appreciate it. Certain movies are meant for a somewhat mature audience and everyone needs to give them some time in life to get there. It is quite normal.

If I had watched hurt locker at 18 years of age, my thoughts would perhaps have been the same as yours.

How many more Hollywood titles have you bought from Eagle home video release?

I normally buy all UK release for my brother in India. If the Indian releases are good, I can ask him to pick up some titles without waiting.

Look forward to more reviews from you.

[divyansh]

Originally Posted by anibap

Nice review Divyansh.



You you watch this movie after 5-10 years, you will definitely appreciate it. Certain movies are meant for a somewhat mature audience and everyone needs to give them some time in life to get there. It is quite normal.

If I had watched hurt locker at 18 years of age, my thoughts would perhaps have been the same as yours.

How many more Hollywood titles have you bought from Eagle home video release?

I normally buy all UK release for my brother in India. If the Indian releases are good, I can ask him to pick up some titles without waiting.

Look forward to more reviews from you.

i got just these two releases from eagle home video (the hurt locker and district 9) both of these are authored by mr chandna (digital entertainment)
and if he is handling the blu rays of eagle then we can be assured about their quality

[sanjay0864]

One major reason I would be wary of Indian blu-rays of English/Hollywood movies is 'censorship'. 'The Reader' was heavily cut in the Eagle blu-ray. I had done a comparison of the Universal blu-ray with the Eagle release and had found the Eagle version to be totally crap and this was even without taking into account the excellent quality of the 'Universal' BD. The picture in the Eagle version, was not only cropped to a 16:9 ratio, but it was also mastered from a very used & scratched print. The audio too was Dolby Digital only. Add to all this the fact that the Eagle BD was heavily censored and I totally swore off all Eagle blu-rays. I have not seen the Eagle blu-rays of 'Hurt Locker' or 'District 9' and thus I cannot comment on them, but I will say this. The US releases of both these blu-rays are quite awesome and I find it hard to believe that any Indian blu-ray could actually compare to them. Not saying that it's not possible, but just that I have serious reservations regarding this.

[divyansh]

both of these movies are completely uncensored and district9 is filled with F**K words without the beep....and even subtitles have all the explicit words...(switched on the subtitles for understanding the alien language)

[divyansh]

Originally Posted by sanjay0864

One major reason I would be wary of Indian blu-rays of English/Hollywood movies is 'censorship'. 'The Reader' was heavily cut in the Eagle blu-ray. I had done a comparison of the Universal blu-ray with the Eagle release and had found the Eagle version to be totally crap and this was even without taking into account the excellent quality of the 'Universal' BD. The picture in the Eagle version, was not only cropped to a 16:9 ratio, but it was also mastered from a very used & scratched print. The audio too was Dolby Digital only. Add to all this the fact that the Eagle BD was heavily censored and I totally swore off all Eagle blu-rays. I have not seen the Eagle blu-rays of 'Hurt Locker' or 'District 9' and thus I cannot comment on them, but I will say this. The US releases of both these blu-rays are quite awesome and I find it hard to believe that any Indian blu-ray could actually compare to them. Not saying that it's not possible, but just that I have serious reservations regarding this.

sir you just give them a try and i guarantee that they are in no means inferior(if not better) to the US version.....

[saiparsad]

What Sanjay Grow up now. If you feel that by bashing the titles you will get JUSTICE FOR ALL then you are wrong. The end result will be JUSTICE FOR NONE. Just for publicity sake you bash titles on the basis of ScreenShots and other members reviews.Go watch these titles and bash them as much as you like.If one title of Eagle is not good it does not mean that all of their titles will be bad. Eagle has learnt lesson from their past mistakes. And the result is evident from their recent titles. I have seen both these titles yesterday evening to late night and in my opinion PQ and AQ is superb . Let others also enjoy the titles. Negativity never pays.

[sanjay0864]

Originally Posted by saiparsad

What Sanjay Grow up now. If you feel that by bashing the titles you will get JUSTICE FOR ALL then you are wrong. The end result will be JUSTICE FOR NONE. Just for publicity sake you bash titles on the basis of ScreenShots and other members reviews.Go watch these titles and bash them as much as you like.If one title of Eagle is not good it does not mean that all of their titles will be bad. Eagle has learnt lesson from their past mistakes. And the result is evident from their recent titles. I have seen both these titles yesterday evening to late night and in my opinion PQ and AQ is superb . Let others also enjoy the titles. Negativity never pays.

Wow, you surely have some personal issues to work on. Can't help but think what your personal agenda is. Aren't you the same person who has in the past always defended the crappy Indian video companies? Oh yeah, you are also the one who justified the use of 'watermarks' on Indian blu-rays. It is very clear from some of your posts, that you have a personal agenda to promote. As for your comprehension of my posts, I suggest you read them again and this time read more slowly and carefully. For, I have not stated anything negative about either of these two titles, let alone "bash" them. In fact, I have very clearly and in so many words stated, that "I have not seen the Eagle blu-rays of 'Hurt Locker' or 'District 9' and thus I cannot comment on them". My comments are limited to the Eagle blu-ray of 'The Reader' and they are not based on screenshots or anyone else's review, rather the comments are based on my own personal viewing of the blu-ray and that too based on the very exhaustive analysis of the BD. Thus my statement, that the blu-ray is "totally crap" stands and is well deserved.

As for Eagle having learn't their lesson, that's good if true, but I still have serious reservations. After all, it is not easy to believe that a company with such a long standing history of only crappy DVDs and BDs will all of a sudden start producing blu-rays of quality. But even then, I have again very clearly and in so many words stated, that "Not saying that it's not possible, but just that I have serious reservations regarding this". If companies are actually concerned about their image and consumer reactions and expectations of their products, then don't you think they ought not to release such 'crappy' blu-rays, such as the blu-ray of 'The Reader'. It is always quite easy to create a negative image, but very difficult to reverse it and Eagle will have to release some very good blu-rays consistently, to erase the 'negative' image that they themselves have created over the years.

Regarding my comments on the censorship issue, it is not a comment on Eagle, but rather an inherent problem with all Hollywood movies released in India and which is a fact. The post was made in response to 'anibap' stating that "I normally buy all UK release for my brother in India. If the Indian releases are good, I can ask him to pick up some titles without waiting." I still strongly suggest, that if one has the option to source 'Hollywood' blu-rays from the US or UK, they should prefer them over the Indian releases. By the way, there are many, many 'Hollywood' blu-ray titles from the US, that I have compared with the Indian release and almost always, I have found the India 'specific' releases to be quite inferior. This does not include titles that are simply imported and marketed in India.

PS: This forum is for consumers and not for the propoganda of video companies. Members here are all entitled to state their opinions, without having to worry about offending the sensibilities of companies or people with vested interests. Specially so when the comments are nothing but the 'truth'.

[Harvey Dent]

Well, I own the US versions of the movies and have seen the Indian versions. The Hurt Locker particularly is a difficult movie to judge based on the basis of PQ because of the intended look of the film. But i still remember fine object detail was far better in the Summit Entertainment version. For District 9 there was quiet a long gap between watching the two versions so no comment on that one. But i would definitely recommend the Summit Entertainment version of The Hurt Locker

[mrbrat_Boy]

Originally Posted by sanjay0864

Wow, you surely have some personal issues to work on. Can't help but think what your personal agenda is. Aren't you the same person who has in the past always defended the crappy Indian video companies? Oh yeah, you are also the one who justified the use of 'watermarks' on Indian blu-rays. It is very clear from some of your posts, that you have a personal agenda to promote. As for your comprehension of my posts, I suggest you read them again and this time read more slowly and carefully. For, I have not stated anything negative about either of these two titles, let alone "bash" them. In fact, I have very clearly and in so many words stated, that "I have not seen the Eagle blu-rays of 'Hurt Locker' or 'District 9' and thus I cannot comment on them". My comments are limited to the Eagle blu-ray of 'The Reader' and they are not based on screenshots or anyone else's review, rather the comments are based on my own personal viewing of the blu-ray and that too based on the very exhaustive analysis of the BD. Thus my statement, that the blu-ray is "totally crap" stands and is well deserved.

As for Eagle having learn't their lesson, that's good if true, but I still have serious reservations. After all, it is not easy to believe that a company with such a long standing history of only crappy DVDs and BDs will all of a sudden start producing blu-rays of quality. But even then, I have again very clearly and in so many words stated, that "Not saying that it's not possible, but just that I have serious reservations regarding this". If companies are actually concerned about their image and consumer reactions and expectations of their products, then don't you think they ought not to release such 'crappy' blu-rays, such as the blu-ray of 'The Reader'. It is always quite easy to create a negative image, but very difficult to reverse it and Eagle will have to release some very good blu-rays consistently, to erase the 'negative' image that they themselves have created over the years.

Regarding my comments on the censorship issue, it is not a comment on Eagle, but rather an inherent problem with all Hollywood movies released in India and which is a fact. The post was made in response to 'anibap' stating that "I normally buy all UK release for my brother in India. If the Indian releases are good, I can ask him to pick up some titles without waiting." I still strongly suggest, that if one has the option to source 'Hollywood' blu-rays from the US or UK, they should prefer them over the Indian releases. By the way, there are many, many 'Hollywood' blu-ray titles from the US, that I have compared with the Indian release and almost always, I have found the India 'specific' releases to be quite inferior. This does not include titles that are simply imported and marketed in India.

PS: This forum is for consumers and not for the propoganda of video companies. Members here are all entitled to state their opinions, without having to worry about offending the sensibilities of companies or people with vested interests. Specially so when the comments are nothing but the 'truth'.

I wholly agree with Sanjay, if not here, where else do you make mention of the goods, the bads and the uglies. This forum is to help us make better decisions. If that means a certain disc is inferior, that is not our fault and i dont see why we should pay even a minumum amount for an inferior disc. Blu Ray has allowed for us to be choosy!! And this forum even Choosier!!

Thanks Sanjay..... Thanks Divyansh for the reviews

Keep your views coming.... Much appreciated

[divyansh]

Originally Posted by sanjay0864

As for Eagle having learn't their lesson, that's good if true, but I still have serious reservations. After all, it is not easy to believe that a company with such a long standing history of only crappy DVDs and BDs will all of a sudden start producing blu-rays of quality. But even then, I have again very clearly and in so many words stated, that "Not saying that it's not possible, but just that I have serious reservations regarding this". If companies are actually concerned about their image and consumer reactions and expectations of their products, then don't you think they ought not to release such 'crappy' blu-rays, such as the blu-ray of 'The Reader'. It is always quite easy to create a negative image, but very difficult to reverse it and Eagle will have to release some very good blu-rays consistently, to erase the 'negative' image that they themselves have created over the years.

well sanjay...i seriously think that watching these two blu rays will seriously change your perception about indian hollywood releases.....they are that good....i recomend both of them to you and ensure you you'll be SHOCKED AND SURPRISED(pleasantly of course)

Originally Posted by mrbrat_Boy

I Thanks Divyansh for the reviews

Keep your views coming.... Much appreciated

welcome

[kailashu]

Originally Posted by sanjay0864

wow, you surely have some personal issues to work on. Can't help but think what your personal agenda is. Aren't you the same person who has in the past always defended the crappy indian video companies? Oh yeah, you are also the one who justified the use of 'watermarks' on indian blu-rays. It is very clear from some of your posts, that you have a personal agenda to promote. As for your comprehension of my posts, i suggest you read them again and this time read more slowly and carefully. For, i have not stated anything negative about either of these two titles, let alone "bash" them. In fact, i have very clearly and in so many words stated, that "i have not seen the eagle blu-rays of 'hurt locker' or 'district 9' and thus i cannot comment on them". My comments are limited to the eagle blu-ray of 'the reader' and they are not based on screenshots or anyone else's review, rather the comments are based on my own personal viewing of the blu-ray and that too based on the very exhaustive analysis of the bd. Thus my statement, that the blu-ray is "totally crap" stands and is well deserved.

As for eagle having learn't their lesson, that's good if true, but i still have serious reservations. After all, it is not easy to believe that a company with such a long standing history of only crappy dvds and bds will all of a sudden start producing blu-rays of quality. But even then, i have again very clearly and in so many words stated, that "not saying that it's not possible, but just that i have serious reservations regarding this". If companies are actually concerned about their image and consumer reactions and expectations of their products, then don't you think they ought not to release such 'crappy' blu-rays, such as the blu-ray of 'the reader'. It is always quite easy to create a negative image, but very difficult to reverse it and eagle will have to release some very good blu-rays consistently, to erase the 'negative' image that they themselves have created over the years.

Regarding my comments on the censorship issue, it is not a comment on eagle, but rather an inherent problem with all hollywood movies released in india and which is a fact. The post was made in response to 'anibap' stating that "i normally buy all uk release for my brother in india. If the indian releases are good, i can ask him to pick up some titles without waiting." i still strongly suggest, that if one has the option to source 'hollywood' blu-rays from the us or uk, they should prefer them over the indian releases. By the way, there are many, many 'hollywood' blu-ray titles from the us, that i have compared with the indian release and almost always, i have found the india 'specific' releases to be quite inferior. This does not include titles that are simply imported and marketed in india.

Ps: This forum is for consumers and not for the propoganda of video companies. Members here are all entitled to state their opinions, without having to worry about offending the sensibilities of companies or people with vested interests. Specially so when the comments are nothing but the 'truth'.

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