Ask questions to The Digital Bits team (Bill Hunt, Jeff Kleist et.al.)

[hollywoodguy]

Burn Notice is shot on 16mm. Maybe the experts here can elaborate on how that affects its look on Blu-ray.

And, yeah, people with LCDs in torch mode are going to be thinking their discs are defective. It makes "300" look like the Discovery Channel.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by hollywoodguy

Burn Notice is shot on 16mm. Maybe the experts here can elaborate on how that affects its look on Blu-ray.

And, yeah, people with LCDs in torch mode are going to be thinking their discs are defective. It makes "300" look like the Discovery Channel.

Ohhhhhhh. That explains a lot.

Would you happen to know how the TV show "Damages" is captured?

[Alan Gordon]

Originally Posted by Michael.Schinke

I think you can be assured that any grain or noise is there intentionally to add visual texture to scenes in order to emphasize their intensity. Another show doing this right now is Mental over on FOX, and House M.D. has been know to do it as well.

"Burn Notice" looks closer to "Chuck", "Monk", or "Psych" in terms of PQ than "Mental" or "House". "House" looks VERY good on my TV, and "Mental" doesn't look half bad.

Originally Posted by hollywoodguy

Burn Notice is shot on 16mm. Maybe the experts here can elaborate on how that affects its look on Blu-ray.

And, yeah, people with LCDs in torch mode are going to be thinking their discs are defective. It makes "300" look like the Discovery Channel.

My TV is certainly not in "torch mode", but the comparison is fitting. I can only imagine what it would look like otherwise.

~Alan

[hollywoodguy]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Ohhhhhhh. That explains a lot.

Would you happen to know how the TV show "Damages" is captured?

Per imdb it's shot on HDCAM (the Sony HDW-F900R). I'm sure others here can elaborate.

[Alan Gordon]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Ohhhhhhh. That explains a lot.

Would you happen to know how the TV show "Damages" is captured?

According to IMDB, it was shot with a Sony HDW-F900R.

I know I've heard complaints about the PQ of "Damages", but I personally find the PQ fine on it...

~Alan

[Eastkhan]

Originally Posted by Jeff Kleist

I've heard many a scuttlebutt on the GI Joe film along those lines, but no idea if it's actually true, as I'm unfamiliar with any GI Joe movie coming out. There IS a movie with Dennis Quaid and a bunch of people in power armor vs Doctor Who that shares a few proper nouns, is that what you're talking about? GI Joe the movie came out 20 years ago, and never even hit theaters

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DN034sBeF4c

see?

I'm sure Bay's new robot movie will be critic proof anyway

This is a 10/10.

Jeff, since you're the samurai of this forum (both your respect/protective attitude towards classic franchises and your japanese connection ), Geneon is releasing The Crow BD next week;

Do you know anything about this release? there's a Crow BD from UK/EiV, which is not worth mentioning here (mpeg2, 1080i etc). I'd appreciate any info about The Crow on BD, will there be a US BD soon?

I wanted to go for the japanese Geneon disc, because I was really satisfied with their version of T2, the guys seem to make the effort in their releases. I've heard their other StudioCanal releases were good too (Rambo, Cliffhanger etc.).

thank you.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by hollywoodguy

Per imdb it's shot on HDCAM (the Sony HDW-F900R). I'm sure others here can elaborate.

Thank you

Originally Posted by Alan Gordon

According to IMDB, it was shot with a Sony HDW-F900R.

I know I've heard complaints about the PQ of "Damages", but I personally find the PQ fine on it...
~Alan

I like it as well. Now where is season 2? I have a funny feeling we are not going to get a Blu for the 2nd season.

[Alan Gordon]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

I like it as well. Now where is season 2? I have a funny feeling we are not going to get a Blu for the 2nd season.

It's coming out in the UK in August. I asked Jeff about the chances of getting one here in the US... and I was happy with his answer. Hopefully, it's only a matter of time...

~Alan

[Braktastic]

Jeff, et al

First, I wanted to be sure Sony is aware that I appreciate the special Digibook packaging they choose for their Dr. Strangelove release; however I think if they emulated Warner Bros. in one more respect it would make for a more pleasant experience.

Please do not affix the security sticker to the Digibook itself on subsequent Digibook releases. It is a real pain to remove and the entire time I was worried I was going to take the artwork off the packaging along with the sticker. Warner has astutely placed the security sticker over the shrink wrap, and I, and I am sure many other Blu-ray fanatics, would appreciate it if Sony followed suit.

Thanks!

[Azyiu]

Originally Posted by Paul Arnette

Jeff, et al

First, I wanted to be sure Sony is aware that I appreciate the special Digibook packaging they choose for their Dr. Strangelove release; however I think if they emulated Warner Bros. in one more respect it would make for a more pleasant experience.

Please do not affix the security sticker to the Digibook itself on subsequent Digibook releases. It is a real pain to remove and the entire time I was worried I was going to take the artwork off the packaging along with the sticker. Warner has astutely placed the security sticker over the shrink wrap, and I, and I am sure many other Blu-ray fanatics, would appreciate it if Sony followed suit.

Thanks!

I agreed with you completely on this.

[Jeff Kleist]

Do you know anything about this release? there's a Crow BD from UK/EiV, which is not worth mentioning here (mpeg2, 1080i etc). I'd appreciate any info about The Crow on BD, will there be a US BD soon?

I wanted to go for the japanese Geneon disc, because I was really satisfied with their version of T2, the guys seem to make the effort in their releases. I've heard their other StudioCanal releases were good too (Rambo, Cliffhanger etc.).

I can tell you the people who encode their releases have high standards, and that their catalog stuff has been great across the board thus far

I actually saw them encoding the Cliffhanger menus

I have heard nothing about a domestric Crow release, or The Prophecy which I want quite a bit myself.

[GORT]

Originally Posted by Jeff Kleist

I've heard many a scuttlebutt on the GI Joe film along those lines, but no idea if it's actually true, as I'm unfamiliar with any GI Joe movie coming out. There IS a movie with Dennis Quaid and a bunch of people in power armor vs Doctor Who that shares a few proper nouns, is that what you're talking about? GI Joe the movie came out 20 years ago, and never even hit theaters

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DN034sBeF4c

see?

I'm sure Bay's new robot movie will be critic proof anyway

Right on Jeff

[awx]

Originally Posted by Alan Gordon

I'm waiting for the complaints today about the Season Two release of "Burn Notice" on Blu-ray...

Here's an audio one: Very low volume for the menu background music but the menu sound effects come through at full blast. The episode volume seems too low also, but much louder than the menus.

[Bullseye]

Originally Posted by Jeff Kleist

Bonds are going to slow down a bit because theyre not selling as well as they'd like.

How much of a slow down?? Will we see more this year?

[Nutbunnies]

Originally Posted by Alan Gordon

I watched Season One and Season Two on USA-HD, and the PQ is VERY "grainy," which isn't normally an issue with me, but the show's "grain" comes off looking less like "grain"... and more like "noise." By that, I mean that it becomes "distracting"... and not "stylized".

Personally, I find the colors to be quite muted on the show... weird for a show based in "Miami" after seeing the lush colors showcased on "CSI: Miami".

Still, PQ issues aside, I have no doubt the Blu-ray disc set is the way to go... with PQ sure to be superior to the DVD and USA-HD airings, not to mention SQ with the "lossless" track, and I look forward to checking it out once my Amazon order ships and I receive it, but I'm sure there will be complaints about the PQ of the BD.

~Alan

The only thing I've seen about this is a post on AVS saying it looks like broadcast and has tons of compression artifacts. Can you confirm/deny when you get it?

Also w/r/t digibooks, I would have little problem with them if they were the same height as Blu-Ray cases. Dr. Strangelove's width is fine, but with all the empty spaces on the pages and unnecessary screengrabs, it easily could have been knocked down to BD case height.

But Sony and Warner want to jack up prices and con people into thinking they're getting their money's worth, and honestly it's good business. I can't believe how many people fall for it.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by Alan Gordon

It's coming out in the UK in August. I asked Jeff about the chances of getting one here in the US... and I was happy with his answer. Hopefully, it's only a matter of time...

~Alan

Thats great to hear. Thanks.

I watched 3 episodes of Burn Notice on Blu last night. Blu-ray may not be a good thing for stuff shot on 16mm. It doesnt look like it was overprocessed in an effort to clean it up, which is a good thing, or maybe not. It's some pretty rugged PQ. It sure looks like film though.

[Jeff Kleist]

How much of a slow down?? Will we see more this year?

can't say for sure, probably a few more

[Doctorossi]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Blu-ray may not be a good thing for stuff shot on 16mm.

I think Blu-ray is fantastic for 16mm. BD has the capability of doing 16mm OCN's real justice, especially with black & white 16mm. Perhaps you just don't really like the look/aesthetic of 16mm film.

[Doctorossi]

Originally Posted by Jeff Kleist

can't say for sure, probably a few more

I only need them to release two, as long as they're the right two.

[kefrank]

Originally Posted by Nutbunnies

But Sony and Warner want to jack up prices and con people into thinking they're getting their money's worth, and honestly it's good business. I can't believe how many people fall for it.

Your phrasing suggests that all of us who actually like and purchase the digibooks are somehow being manipulated or duped by the studios. You leave no room for the fact that some people might actually prefer the classier look of the digibooks, particularly for classic films that deserve to be set apart, such as Dr. Strangelove.

With a little patience and/or bargain hunting, the digibooks can easily be had for prices comparable to other catalog titles. I got Strangelove for 17.49 on release week (thanks to a coupon from Sony, no less) and a number of the WB digibooks will be on sale at Best Buy next week for 14.99. At those prices, I don't think I'm falling for anything or getting conned in any way.