PQs so bad I half expected a replacement disc program....

[dbduece]

Just ordered a couple digibooks to replace the DVDs of movies I really, really liked. Turns out I should have saved myself the effort and expense after checking out the blu rays. No "pop" whatsoever. Really disappointed. I honestly wouldn't have double-dipped to the current blu PQ if I had known this was going to be the result. What blus in your collection disappoint and bring you down? Which blus would you half expect partial amnesty from having to purchase a remastering? I have three which immediately come to mind:

Master and Commander
Malcolm X
Goodfellas

I,for one, am confused and flabbergasted at the corporate indifference toward these important and significant films....

[Race Bannon]

This confirms some of my fears -- I almost never upgrade a DVD to blu-ray unless it is a killer, well-reviewed edition (perhaps a special anniversary edition, etc.), or if it's dirt cheap, like bargain bin.

[blu-ray_girl_fan]

Originally Posted by dbduece

Just ordered a couple digibooks to replace the DVDs of movies I really, really liked. Turns out I should have saved myself the effort and expense after checking out the blu rays. No "pop" whatsoever. Really disappointed. I honestly wouldn't have double-dipped to the current blu PQ if I had known this was going to be the result. What blus in your collection disappoint and bring you down? Which blus would you half expect partial amnesty from having to purchase a remastering? I have three which immediately come to mind:

Master and Commander
Malcolm X
Goodfellas

I,for one, am confused and flabbergasted at the corporate indifference toward these important and significant films....

Read the reviews here at BD.com before buying?

[Doctor Jack]

Originally Posted by blu-ray_girl_fan

Read the reviews here at BD.com before buying?

Never buy a blu before I check out the reviews on this site. Even on impulse buys. Still stop and check the reviews to see if it's worth it.

[Kirk Out]

Originally Posted by dbduece

Just ordered a couple digibooks to replace the DVDs of movies I really, really liked. Turns out I should have saved myself the effort and expense after checking out the blu rays. No "pop" whatsoever. Really disappointed. I honestly wouldn't have double-dipped to the current blu PQ if I had known this was going to be the result. What blus in your collection disappoint and bring you down? Which blus would you half expect partial amnesty from having to purchase a remastering? I have three which immediately come to mind:

Master and Commander
Malcolm X
Goodfellas

I,for one, am confused and flabbergasted at the corporate indifference toward these important and significant films....

master and commander ? the audio alone is worth the upgrade as for pq looks good! yea goodfellas needs a remastering.

[motorheadache95]

Yeah, I heard Master and Commander was pretty bad, not sure about the others.

For me, I have a few:

12 Monkeys-- I know it was shot with diffusion filters to make it look softer and hazier, but the Blu-Ray doesn't look much better than the Special Edition DVD I had.

The 40-Year-Old Virgin-- Terrible transfer full of DNR and EE. Luckily, I got it for cheap, but still, I might as well have not bothered and kept the DVD.

Mission: Impossible-- an early Paramount release that looks like it needs remastering.

[Canada]

Master and Commander I remember being really good but WB has to remaster Goodfellas A.S.A.P it's really bad and lossless audio would be a good idea also.

[RyanPom]

I thought the upscaled DVD of Predator looked better than the blu ray.

[lilboyblu]

Never seen the other two, but I think Goodfellas looks very good! The lossy audio is the only drawback on that one, and even that's a minor quibble. I'd say turn off your sharpness and DNR settings, so you can see how they're truly supposed to look.

Now Tremors on the other hand...yikes.

[charlieray1]

I haven't seen any of those particular titles, but they all have excellent reviews: 4.5 stars for MaC, and MalX, 4 stars for Goodfellas.

The problem may be in something you said: "No "pop" whatsoever." Again I haven't seen those particular discs, but NOT all movies "pop." Some people (not necessarily you) expect blu-ray to make all movies look smooth, clean, glossy and new. It doesn't, nor was it intended to. Blu-ray is designed to make a film look as close to the theatrical experience as possible. If a movie's look was dark, grainy and grungy looking -- you'll see all the grain and grunge all the more clearly. The truth is, if a blu-ray disc makes a film look exactly like it was intended by the director and like it did in theaters, it's a good disc.

Blu-ray is designed to present a film as close as possible to it's original film elements -- not to make them look "hi-def" glossy.

[Clark Kent]

Near Dark has an awful transfer nearing DVD quality.

[ultlife2013]

Check reviews before you buy a bluray.

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by dbduece

Turns out I should have saved myself the effort and expense after checking out the blu rays. No "pop" whatsoever. Really disappointed..

[dbduece]

Originally Posted by blu-ray_girl_fan

Read the reviews here at BD.com before buying?

As a matter of fact, yes. And all of them are complimentary of the video quality. Which brings to mind the subjective slippery slope in critique writing. To me, the bottom line is this: does the the blu ray "pop" or not? Does it provide a different, better visceral experience than watching the DVD counterpart? In the matter of the 3 films I mentioned, the answer is a resounding, NO.

We can talk about halos and grain and bitrates and color timing until we're all blu in the face but for me, "pop" comes first..everything else is negotiable. There's no reason why any given BD, even in black and white, doesn't provide this over a standard DVD. "Pop", in terms of critic-speak I suppose, would best be described as the color vibrancy and dimensionality of the film.

[xander]

Stay far away from the joke that is the Weird Science disc.

[ultlife2013]

Nysnc - Pop is an awesome old school jam.

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by ultlife2013

Nysnc - Pop is an awesome old school jam.

It was of the dirty variety

[Another_Dude]

Maybe you could tell us a bit about your display?

[prkprkprk]

Originally Posted by dbduece

Master and Commander
Malcolm X
Goodfellas

Ummmmmm....

What?

No. Absolutely not. They look great. Especially Malcolm X.

[bsweetness]

Originally Posted by dbduece

As a matter of fact, yes. And all of them are complimentary of the video quality. Which brings to mind the subjective slippery slope in critique writing. To me, the bottom line is this: does the the blu ray "pop" or not? Does it provide a different, better visceral experience than watching the DVD counterpart? In the matter of the 3 films I mentioned, the answer is a resounding, NO.

We can talk about halos and grain and bitrates and color timing until we're all blu in the face but for me, "pop" comes first..everything else is negotiable. There's no reason why any given BD, even in black and white, doesn't provide this over a standard DVD. "Pop", in terms of critic-speak I suppose, would best be described as the color vibrancy and dimensionality of the film.

Not every film is intended to "pop."

Malcolm X and Goodfellas certainly were never intended to "pop" visually, but the Blu-rays are definitely a big step up from the DVDs in the picture quality department. They're not perfect, but they're not as bad as you're making them out to be either. And while there could be some improvement with Master and Commander, it looks much better than DVD, and it still holds up quite well for being an early Blu-ray release. Plus the audio is fantastic.

Maybe you should just jack up the contrast on your TV to get some extra "pop" if it's that important to you. You'll often lose the intended look of the film, but maybe it will help your personal enjoyment.

...and I see you have the Ultimate Hunter Edition of Predator in your collection. I was going to recommend that one for you and tell you to avoid the first, far more faithful to the theatrical presentation Blu-ray release. One you don't have in your collection that I would highly recommend is the first release of Patton. You'll love that one.