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

[Jeff Kleist]

Care to expand on that? My understanding is that Snow White had a lot of dust and dirt in the original photography, never mind from age and use. It was a lot of work to clean up, so doing it again will have a high cost. Will a new 4K scan be sharper, add more detail, or better color fidelity?

???

I'm just not cognizant of how much scanning of animated material has changed in 15 years.

Scanning has changed drastically in the last 5 years. In 1993 it would have been done on a telecine instead of a datacine. Essentially an HDTV camera that shoots the movie as it goes by. A datacine actually scans each frame like the one you have at home. 15 years in computer time is total quantum leap in technology.

With the Gladiator PQ war in full swing, a question comes to mind. Paramount is distributing the film, yet, as you mentioned, Universal did the transfer. Why does this arrangement exist? On the surface, it appears risky to have a competitor handle a transfer. I am sure I am missing something, can you help me to better understand this?

Universal has the assets and controls the film outside of North America (Like Fox does with Braveheart and Titanic). It makes much better economic sense to produce one disc for the world and then just swap out language tracks. A good example of this was every New Line disc while they were independant, Alliance would just change the logos and ship it, and so did a bunch of other companies worldwide. So they partner on production costs, both companies save money, and (in theory) get a good product to sell. This kind of thing happens all the time.

Squid, I think it was an international distribution-split deal. In other words, Universal is not a competitor, but an investor/foreign rights-holder.

bingo

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by Jeff Kleist

Universal has the assets and controls the film outside of North America (Like Fox does with Braveheart and Titanic). It makes much better economic sense to produce one disc for the world and then just swap out language tracks. A good example of this was every New Line disc while they were independant, Alliance would just change the logos and ship it, and so did a bunch of other companies worldwide. So they partner on production costs, both companies save money, and (in theory) get a good product to sell. This kind of thing happens all the time.

I knew I was missing something. Thank you.

You too Doc

[DMC86X]

Jeff, any word on what titles will be in the next Saphire Edition?? Do you know if this will be a one time thing or if they will put out more??

[Jeff Kleist]

It's Gump

[DMC86X]

Jeff I was talking about any others besides the three that are coming out in the next monthg (gladiator , braveheart, forrest gump). I was just wondering if there will be more sets of the Saphire Editions.

[Penton-Man]

Jeff, check you P.M. box

re: a new line of communication for an old General.

[Ernest Rister]

Snow White is a new re-scan -- Disney had to retrieve the original negatives from the archive at the Library of Congress in order to perform the new resoration.

[Deciazulado]

Looks great

[SquidPuppet]

Jeff and Bill...

Thanks for the hard work tracking down a copy of Gladiator and getting to the bottom of this. Also Greatly appreciated was Bills comment on hoping/urging Paramount for a re-do.

Hats off.

[Jeff Kleist]

Well, between the two of us we FOUND quite a few copies, letting us leave the store with them was another matter entirely

I was about ready to slip a kid at Borders a five to fetch it out of the basement Luckily Bill scored first

[Moonlight Shadow]

Yeah, thank you, Bill!
I'm glad I could read a GLADIATOR review that I can trust before the Disc was shipped.
Based on your review I have cancelled my preorder and I will wait if they will make a new transfer. If not I'll get the Disc in a year or two when it will be cheaper.

[frank_t]

Originally Posted by Moonlight Shadow

Yeah, thank you, Bill!
I'm glad I could read a GLADIATOR review that I can trust before the Disc was shipped.
Based on your review I have cancelled my preorder and I will wait if they will make a new transfer. If not I'll get the Disc in a year or two when it will be cheaper.

bummer. i really like both movies but will stick with braveheart for now.

maybe paramount will pull a sony and do a "fifth element"?

[NL197]

With Titanic currently undergoing a 3-D upgrade, that's possibly the next big Sapphire title for next year. What better way to debut the film on Blu-ray than in a new 3-D home presentation in addition to the usual High Definition quality?

[Help]

Originally Posted by NL197

With Titanic currently undergoing a 3-D upgrade, that's possibly the next big Sapphire title for next year. What better way to debut the film on Blu-ray than in a new 3-D home presentation in addition to the usual High Definition quality?

Yeah but not every body likes 3D I don't and will not buy any blu that is release with a 3D verison.

[DMC86X]

Originally Posted by Help

Yeah but not every body likes 3D I don't and will not buy any blu that is release with a 3D verison.

Wow really?? Im not a fan of 3d either but it wouldnt stop me from buying a bluray just because it had a 3d version along with it. i dunno but your comment seems pretty ridiculous lol

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by Help

Yeah but not every body likes 3D I don't and will not buy any blu that is release with a 3D verison.

Well, if you’re not a watcher then maybe you’re a reader so, for the low, low price of only $20 dollas………
http://store.smpte.org/product-p/tf3d.htm

[Jeff Kleist]

Titanic 3-D will almost certainly look horrible frankly, just like every other 2-D film they attempt to 3D artificially. Except of course computer efffects they redo in 3D

[DenonCI]

Originally Posted by Jeff Kleist

Titanic 3-D will almost certainly look horrible frankly, just like every other 2-D film they attempt to 3D artificially. Except of course computer efffects they redo in 3D

Agree 100%. It's a wast of time and money IMHO.

[TanukiCR]

Hello!
I have always had a question in regard of subtitles and i will illustrate it with this example. Warner Bros is releasing soon Fringe season 1, and it has come to my attention that the Dvd version comes with multiple subtitle options and the blu-ray comes only with English subtitles . What's behind this kind of decisions? Thanks for the answer DB team!

[Blu Titan]

Originally Posted by Jeff Kleist

Titanic 3-D will almost certainly look horrible frankly, just like every other 2-D film they attempt to 3D artificially. Except of course computer efffects they redo in 3D

100% with you on this. In addition, Titanic is a movie about character development and story line. Other than the scene where the ship is sinking, where's the 3D effect supposed to take place?