The Criterion Collection

[oildude]

Originally Posted by jw007

And I think I'll pass on any region-free player after reading about the Oppo 105 player. It's nearly perfect.

Do any of you Criterion collectors in this forum own one of these?

I have the Oppo 103. It is exactly the same as the 105 when it comes to video and HDMI audio, including the same Marvell video processor and dual HDMI output ports. It is pretty darn sweet. It is unequaled as a 3D capable blu-ray player and for its ability to upconvert DVDs. It also has the capability to be modifed via an easily installed 3rd party custom chip to play Region B discs, although I have yet to do this upgrade. If I were in a hurry to watch Region B, I wouldn't wait, but I have plenty of Region A to keep me occupied. The Oppo 105 also can be modified in the same way.

What sets the 105 apart from its baby brother is top of the line analog audio and a few extra bells and whistles (like a headphone jack in the player and extra external device connectivity options). The 105's superior analog is a big selling point for audiophiles who can take advantage of it. I decided I didn't need to spend the $700 difference for the 105 at this point in the life of my home system.

And I can definitely say it makes my Criterions look fantastic

[jw007]

Originally Posted by oildude

I have the Oppo 103. It is exactly the same as the 105 when it comes to video and HDMI audio, including the same Marvell video processor and dual HDMI output ports. It is pretty darn sweet. It is unequaled as a 3D capable blu-ray player and for its ability to upconvert DVDs. It also has the capability to be modifed via an easily installed 3rd party custom chip to play Region B discs, although I have yet to do this upgrade. If I were in a hurry to watch Region B, I wouldn't wait, but I have plenty of Region A to keep me occupied. The Oppo 105 also can be modified in the same way.

What sets the 105 apart from its baby brother is top of the line analog audio and a few extra bells and whistles (like a headphone jack in the player and extra external device connectivity options). The 105's superior analog is a big selling point for audiophiles who can take advantage of it. I decided I didn't need to spend the $700 difference for the 105 at this point in the life of my home system.

And I can definitely say it makes my Criterions look fantastic

Yes, the Oppo 103 is basically the same quality for video, but only audio is further enhanced with the 105 model. Pretty cool you have the 103 though. I first thought about buying that one, but since my old receiver is over 20 years old, rather than buying that and connecting it to my old receiver, I could just bypass the receiver altogether and go for the 105 and just hook up an amplifier for my passive 5 speaker setup. Currently I have a Sony Blu-ray player that I got for about $60 at Costco a few years ago. I feel it would be a great investment with the Oppo 103 OR 105 though. As a person who appreciates high quality films (Criterion Collection), I feel that in order to really get the most out of them, my system should be top notch too. Only problem is that I'm broke most of the time and cannot justify seeing myself pay over a grand for a Blu-ray player (unless I buy a refurbished 103 model for $400). However, I do appreciate quality when I see it. And I love that it already has 4k upscaling (which will become the standard in 2015 or so). As for modifying the Oppo player, I have zero soldering experience, so I'd consult a professional to put in that chip to make it play region-free.

[Mansinthe]

And I love that it already has 4k upscaling (which will become the standard in 2015 or so).

thats kinda useless acutally.. it does not have H265 and h264(part 10 10bit support and stuff) , and no hdmi 2.0
and it does not support 4k upscaling in the way sonys reality creation does on 4k devices...
spending NOW 700-1200 $ on a bluray player is bad idea since it wont support the upcoming standarts anyway



==============================

watched Sanjuro for the second time yesterday and will probably watch it a third time soon with the commentary track.

[jw007]

Originally Posted by Mansinthe

thats kinda useless acutally.. it does not have H265 and h264(part 10 10bit support and stuff) , and no hdmi 2.0
and it does not support 4k upscaling in the way sonys reality creation does on 4k devices...
spending NOW 700-1200 $ on a bluray player is bad idea since it wont support the upcoming standarts anyway

So if its a bad idea to buy a high end Blu-ray player now, will there ever be a good time to buy one or is that still a bad idea? I'm just trying to figure out the logic in this.

Two years from now people will still say "no, you should wait another year until there is improvement" and then 2 years after that someone else will say the same thing. Eventually, Blu-ray will be abandoned and then all of my Blu-ray discs will become outdated in favor for a new format and after all this time I'll have never bought the Blu-ray player I wanted. Why wait? Now is the only time that matters, not next year.

But hey, I guess I'm still wrong.

[Mansinthe]

not everyone has the money to spend 700-1200$ every 2 years on a bluray player. i just said i wouldnt do it with h265 and hdmi 2.0 right in front of us.

[jw007]

Originally Posted by Mansinthe

not everyone has the money to spend 700-1200$ every 2 years on a bluray player. i just said i wouldnt do it with h265 and hdmi 2.0 right in front of us.

In that case, maybe this time next year the price will have gone down a trifle, with the new h265 and hdmi 2 out, so then I can justify buying this for a bit less money, even though it isn't as "up to date" (because the newest technology is always the most expensive after all).

Still, its not like its going to make a difference with my Criterion BDs because the only thing that matters is that they look kick ass and sound kick ass on my system. I don't need h265 and hdmi 2 for that.

[hoytereden]

The Sony 790 seems to be a good alternative to the Oppo 103. Half the price and it gets good reviews. I'd love to get an Oppo but the Sony's a more realistic option for me, budget wise.

[shortmartin]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

It may have carried over a bit...but considering I have seen him in a whole bunch of contrasting roles, it didn't detract too much.

Have you seen Owning Mahowny by the way? That's another PSH film that would make a decent fit in the Criterion Collection.

never seen it, looks interesting, i like minnie driver, will check it out

[White Dang]

Originally Posted by Mansinthe

not everyone has the money to spend 700-1200$ every 2 years on a bluray player. i just said i wouldnt do it with h265 and hdmi 2.0 right in front of us.

I'm just curious if you're name is from the Marilyn Manson absinthe and if you would recommend it...??

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by shortmartin

never seen it, looks interesting, i like minnie driver, will check it out

Minnie Driver literally gets the short end of the stick, but she's great in the role- but then again, has she ever been bad?

Although its about a gambling addiction, I really felt Dan's insatiable need to roll. That said, it actually feels like more of a thriller than a character study. The screenplay is just really tight and enthralling from the get go.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by jw007

Two years from now people will still say "no, you should wait another year until there is improvement" and then 2 years after that someone else will say the same thing. Eventually, Blu-ray will be abandoned and then all of my Blu-ray discs will become outdated in favor for a new format and after all this time I'll have never bought the Blu-ray player I wanted. Why wait? Now is the only time that matters, not next year.

I'm personally happy avoiding the newest top-of-the-line technology in all aspects of my life, because everything becomes obsolete in a big hurry these days, and I prefer enjoying something that is functional, but not insanely expensive.

I jumped on the Blu-ray wagon late last year, after my 27'' tube television that I had owned for over 13 years started to malfunction. I got my $70 Blu-ray player when I bought my 32'' LG brand LCD television.
(Fortunately, I jumped in at a time when I could still get some good money for streamlining my DVD collection to fund buying a lot of Blu-rays.)

It's a minimalist setup, compared to what most people have on this website, but it's such a vast improvement over my old setup with the tube television and DVD player that I'm still in awe of how amazing all of my movies look on the screen.

At the time when I bought the television, I admittedly underestimated how much I would fall in love with watching Blu-rays, and I probably would have bought a 42'' screen if I had it to do over again, but the 32'' fits nicely in my living room and looks great.

I sit about seven feet away from the television most of the time, and I have to sit closer if I want to get the full 1080p effect, as per the distance chart. I think that a lot of this is subjective, though, because, after all, some of people like sitting in the front row of theaters while others, like me, prefer to sit in the back. I can see the movie well enough to appreciate the benefits of the Blu-ray-over-DVD improvement (I've tested this with Blu-ray/DVD combo movies.), but my screen is sized so that I do not get my butt in blender over a lot of the digital noise reduction/edge enhancement/etc. complaints that seem to hit around here with certain movies (although I prefer movies with print specks and scratches to movies with obnoxious digital touch-ups). I can tell when certain Blu-rays (Near Dark, The Last Starfighter) have a lesser presentation, but they're still very much watchable to me.

My situation with my setup, however, is the main reason why I do not go into technical jargon or in-depth analysis of video and audio on my user reviews. I'm cognizant to the fact that a movie that looks incredible on my 32'' screen may not look quite as incredible on someone's 110'' screen.

My post is way off topic for this thread, except to say that most of my Criterion movies look outstanding on my setup. Three Colors: Red looked downright spectacular when I watched the Blu-ray yesterday.

[Mansinthe]

Originally Posted by White Dang

I'm just curious if you're name is from the Marilyn Manson absinthe and if you would recommend it...??

hi you are right. yes it is from the absinthe. tastes fine. tastes like a more simple version of the "duplais verte", from the same company. maybe you know that one. but dont drink it with sugar and DONT burn sugar on top of it ^^



Night of the Hunter gets a UK release soon, but i will probably get the criterion. somehow i dont trust Arrow that much.

[bluesilo]

This might be the first time in a while I've had two misses in a row with my Criterion buys.

Finished Medium Cool and then half way through Life and Death and just don't care for either of them very much. It's a damn shame too since I really enjoy Black Narcissus and Red Shoes.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by bluesilo

This might be the first time in a while I've had two misses in a row with my Criterion buys.

Finished Medium Cool and then half way through Life and Death and just don't care for either of them very much. It's a damn shame too since I really enjoy Black Narcissus and Red Shoes.

I too was a bit cold on Medium Cool, but "Blimp" blew me away when I caught it a while back on TCM.

Have you seen A Matter of Life and Death? That one may be more up your alley.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by bluesilo

Finished Medium Cool and then half way through Life and Death and just don't care for either of them very much. It's a damn shame too since I really enjoy Black Narcissus and Red Shoes.

The most emotionally resonant scenes take place during the final third of The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp, so I encourage you to stay the course and don't give up. Eye of the tiger, man, eye of the tiger.

After seeing The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp for the first time a week ago, I instantly placed it highly on my Criterion rankings.

I really like Medium Cool, although not as much. It captures the sense of the era with surprising immediacy. If you own the Planet of the Apes box set, then you should watch Medium Cool back to back with Conquest of the Planet of the Apes. That's the best way to experience it, and the double feature will provide a bracing insight into the volatile climate of those years.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

T
I really like Medium Cool, although not as much. It captures the sense of the era with surprising immediacy. If you own the Planet of the Apes box set, then you should watch Medium Cool back to back with Conquest of the Planet of the Apes. That's the best way to experience it, and the double feature will provide a bracing insight into the volatile climate of those years.

You are insane! "Conquest" is not a very good movie...at least endorse one of the good sequels like "Escape." No need for bad movies Donnie.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by dannyfriar

You'll have to let us know what the picture quality is like as the review on here wasn't brilliant.

The video presentation of Hitchcock's Family Plot is the worst that I've ever seen on Blu-ray. The first 10 minutes, in particular, are absymal.

This is not keeping me from thoroughly enjoying the movie, though. The PQ shortcomings are not quite as apparent in other scenes, and they don't distract from what is a fun, albeit lesser, Hitchcock offering.

Keeping this Criterion-related, I find it interesting that Bruce Dern and Karen Black, two actors who are featured prominently in the America Lost and Found BBS movies from a few years earlier are both in Family Plot. I wonder if it was coincidence.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

You are insane! "Conquest" is not a very good movie...at least endorse one of the good sequels like "Escape." No need for bad movies Donnie.

Grrrrr. Conquest of the Planet of the Apes is my second favorite movie of the series behind the first film. It's awesome.

Besides, I'm recommending Conquest as a double feature with Medium Cool because both movies feature intense footage of violent riots. Conquest is fictional, but the uprising in the conclusion has a similar documentary feel to it that the real riot footage in Medium Cool has. The scenario in Conquest was inspired by race riots and protests from the late 1960s, and the filmmakers were given a pass on some disturbing political themes by veiling them with a science fiction storyline.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Grrrrr. Conquest of the Planet of the Apes is my second favorite movie of the series behind the first film. It's awesome.

Besides, I'm recommending Conquest as a double feature with Medium Cool because both movies feature intense footage of violent riots. Conquest is fictional, but the uprising in the conclusion has a similar documentary feel to it that the real riot footage in Medium Cool has. The scenario in Conquest was inspired by race riots and protests from the late 1960s, and the filmmakers were given a pass on some disturbing political themes by veiling them with a science fiction storyline.

Between this and John Carter, you are losing serious art house cred

As for my wacky Criterion /B-movie recommendation, in gonna go with World on a Wire and Gamer as a double feature.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

Between this and John Carter, you are losing serious art house cred

As for my wacky Criterion /B-movie recommendation, in gonna go with World on a Wire and Gamer as a double feature.

Ha! I'll defend John Carter to the grave. I love that Blu-ray.

I need to see World on a Wire one of these days.