Remasters and Digital Copies

[seannyd]

So I was wondering if anyone had any insight as to how remasters typically work on digital copies? The reason I ask is because someone was giving away Spartacus from their remastered Blu-Ray copy. I currently have Spartacus in my UV collection, but haven't yet taken a look to see if it's the remastered version or the original version.

But then you have things like Star Trek: TNG on Netflix where they're literally fixing mistakes that they didn't feel strongly enough about to issue a disc recall and uploading the fixed version back to Netflix for people to stream - almost making it a living platform where fixes can be implemented as they're found.

I guess my question is whether or not anyone has seen digital copies they've owned be automatically updated to whatever transfer is currently being pressed on disc. Would stuff like Spartacus be updated? Or would they just stick to the old transfer, expecting that people who really want to see the better quality will just go buy the disc?

[Wooden Lens]

Honestly, I think the easiest way to figure this out is if you do a search on whatever platform you use.

When seller's list "from SteelBook", "from 3d Bluray" or "from 4K Remastered Verison" 99.9% that means nothing. Because the provider (Vudu, Amazon, iTunes) usually only has one version and that's the one that the code will redeem (Unrated/Extended Cuts are a different story).

ITunes, actually, seems to update your old version (see: GoodFellas, The Iron Giant, etc) with whatever newest version they have; which is nice.

But yeah, I wouldn't put too much stock into which version of the Bluray the code comes from unless there's a specific confirmation that it redeems a New Remaster that you can't get otherwise.

Other then Disney Titles, where the DMR points change with each version, I honestly don't understand why people list the which version of the disc the code came from. Seems almost like a way to get someone to buy something only to find out the one on Vudu is just the same old remaster they always had for sale.

[seannyd]

Originally Posted by Wooden Lens

Honestly, I think the easiest way to figure this out is if you do a search on whatever platform you use.

When seller's list "from SteelBook", "from 3d Bluray" or "from 4K Remastered Verison" 99.9% that means nothing. Because the provider (Vudu, Amazon, iTunes) usually only has one version and that's the one that the code will redeem (Unrated/Extended Cuts are a different story).

ITunes, actually, seems to update your old version (see: GoodFellas, The Iron Giant, etc) with whatever newest version they have; which is nice.

But yeah, I wouldn't put too much stock into which version of the Bluray the code comes from unless there's a specific confirmation that it redeems a New Remaster that you can't get otherwise.

Other then Disney Titles, where the DMR points change with each version, I honestly don't understand why people list the which version of the disc the code came from. Seems almost like a way to get someone to buy something only to find out the one on Vudu is just the same old remaster they always had for sale.

Yeah. I typically don't. It was more of a curiosity than anything else - wondering how each provider typically handles when a new transfer is put into circulation. Whether or not they put any changes in on their back end to reflect the existence of this new transfer or if they just figure people buying digital copies don't care.

It's cool to know that iTunes does it though.

[Scarface32]

The first episode of the 1966 Batman TV show on UV added the intro narration about a month or two before WB started shipping out corrected discs. You mean stuff like that?

[Scarface32]

Originally Posted by Wooden Lens

(Unrated/Extended Cuts are a different story).

Not really. When I redeemed the code for my copy of BluesBrothers directors cut, the digital version I got was the theatrical cut.

[Greyman]

Originally Posted by Scarface32

Not really. When I redeemed the code for my copy of BluesBrothers directors cut, the digital version I got was the theatrical cut.

I believe he is saying that providers may have unrated, directors and extended cuts of a movie in their catalog and they will be different versions, but movies like Spartacus or Dracula that have a new re-master but no edits, providers usually have just one version, not the original and the remaster.