The Criterion Collection

[dsman71]

You mean that clue wasnt for The Man on the Eiffel Tower ???

(damn film elements!)

[oildude]

Originally Posted by jw007

If I ever have the money I'm gonna have one of those high end OPPO region-free blu-ray players someday. Just need $500 or however much they run these days. I think the model BDP-103 one is what I'm thinking.

Anyone here have an OPPO ?

I have that exact player, but not the region free version (bought it at Best Buy). It is worth it, IMO. I have had the Oppo 103 for two years. In addition to being a high quality brand, it also plays just about every type of disc media you throw at it, including SACD which was a big selling point for me since I had also been looking for a separate SACD machine. The audio DACs are outstanding. Also, the player is one of the best - if not THE best - at upscaling DVDs.

The 103 is no slouch when it comes to audio output; played through the HDMI connection it makes sound come alive. My condo neighbors are convinced that I have gangsters, dames, film noir private eyes, gunfighters, Japanese samurai, lots of French and Italian people, Vincent Price, Toshiro Mifune, Burt Lancaster, and Clint Eastwood all paying me regular visits, along with The Pretenders, The B-52s, AC/DC, The Kinks, ZZ Top, Joe Ely, Tito and Tarantula, The Stones, and dozens of other bands holding regular jam sessions in my living room. I am treated with respect.

I chose the 103 over the much more expensive Oppo 105 not only because of price, but also because I currently lack the high end stereo capable of taking advantage of the 105's fantastic analog capabilities. I figure by the time I have enough money for my dream sound system, the next generation of Oppos will be available, in 4K I am sure (NOTE: the 103 upscales blu-ray to 4K if you have the TV to take advantage of it).

I say go for it when you have the funds. Criterion and Oppo go together like peas and carrots.

EDIT: Also, it may just be coincidence, but since I have had my Oppo I have become a lot more popular. People pester me for autographs. Men fear and admire me. Kids constantly want to introduce me to the their older sisters or their hot single moms. Who is this Charlize Theron person that keeps calling me to go out for drinks?

[pedromvu]

Originally Posted by oildude

I have that exact player, but NOT the region free version (bought it at Best Buy). It is worth it, IMO. I have had the Oppo 103 for two years. In addition to being (IMO) the best brand player on the market, it also plays just about every type of disc media you throw at it, including SACD which was a big selling point for me since I had also been looking for a separate SACD machine. The audio DACs are outstanding. Also, the player is one of the best - if not THE best - at upscaling DVDs.

The 103 is no slouch when it comes to audio output; played through my digital connection it makes sound come alive. My condo neighbors consistently think I have gangsters, dames, film noir private eyes, gunfighters, Japanese samurai, lots of French and Italian people, Vincent Price, Toshiro Mifune, and Clint Eastwood all paying me regular visits, along with The Pretenders, The B-52s, AC/DC, The Kinks, ZZ Top, Joe Ely, Tito and Tarantula, SRV, The Stones, and dozens of other bands holding regular jam sessions in my living room. I am treated with respect.

I chose the 103 over the much more expensive Oppo 105 not only because of price, but also because I currently lack the high end stereo capable of taking advantage of the 105's fantastic analog capabilities. I figure by the time I have enough money for my dream sound system, the next generation of Oppos will be available, in 4K I am sure (NOTE: the 103 upscales blu-ray to 4K if you have the TV to take advantage of it).

I say go for it when you have the funds. Criterion and Oppo go together like peas and carrots.

I thought the only way of using the internal DACs was with analog connection, for example directly to a dedicated Amplifier or via Analog inputs on a Receiver.

What do you mean by Digital connection? I see it has optical and Coaxial outs, but I think using hdmi is still better than those since it has higher bandwidth needed for loss-less audio formats.

[oildude]

Originally Posted by pedromvu

I thought the only way of using the internal DACs was with analog connection, for example directly to a dedicated Amplifier or via Analog inputs on a Receiver.

What do you mean by Digital connection? I see it has optical and Coaxial outs, but I think using hdmi is still better than those since it has higher bandwidth needed for loss-less audio formats.

My apologies, but I am not going to derail this thread discussing the particulars of the Oppo 103. There is a specific thread in the equipment section of this forum detailing and dissecting the unit ad nauseum. By digital, I meant using the second HDMI port for audio.

Let's just say The Thin Red Line sounds like I have Japanese and American soldiers fighting in front of my couch. I duck and cover so often I have yet to see the whole movie.

[Meek12345]

In the middle of watching A Matter of Life and Death for a second time from a TCM DVR recording. I really hope that Criterion will add this film to their collection soon. AMOLAD is probably my favorite Powell and Pressburger film followed closely by The Red Shoes. Is it just me or are the visual effects for this film quite advanced for 1946? I love how P&P transition between Heaven and Earth by going back and forth between B&W and color, respectively. The central love story works better for me the second time around. June and Peter fall in love so quickly because of the extreme circumstances of their first and second encounters. I thought their relationship moved too quickly during my first watch, but everything makes more sense now. I have now decided that if I am on the fence about a film, I should try to give it a second watch ASAP.

Also, hasn't there been a recent theatrical run and restoration for AMOLAD? That makes me belive that maybe Criterion will release this film in 2016.

[CriterionBlues]

Originally Posted by oildude

My apologies, but I am not going to derail this thread discussing the particulars of the Oppo 103. There is a specific thread in the equipment section of this forum detailing and dissecting the unit ad nauseum. By digital, I meant using the second HDMI port for audio.

Let's just say The Thin Red Line sounds like I have Japanese and American soldiers going at it in front of my couch. I duck and cover so often I have yet to see the whole movie.

Yes, the visual effects are astounding. I have not heard of a restoration. All of the P&P work will get restored at some point or another, and I thought that A Canterbury Tale and I Know Where I'm Going. were on the docket next. AMOLAD is the one I'm most anticipating because I think it'll get the most mileage from the restoration.

[Ray Jackson]

You people know you want it.

...don't try to deny it.

[jw007]

Originally Posted by oildude

I have that exact player, but not the region free version (bought it at Best Buy). It is worth it, IMO. I have had the Oppo 103 for two years. In addition to being a high quality brand, it also plays just about every type of disc media you throw at it, including SACD which was a big selling point for me since I had also been looking for a separate SACD machine. The audio DACs are outstanding. Also, the player is one of the best - if not THE best - at upscaling DVDs.

The 103 is no slouch when it comes to audio output; played through the HDMI connection it makes sound come alive. My condo neighbors are convinced that I have gangsters, dames, film noir private eyes, gunfighters, Japanese samurai, lots of French and Italian people, Vincent Price, Toshiro Mifune, Burt Lancaster, and Clint Eastwood all paying me regular visits, along with The Pretenders, The B-52s, AC/DC, The Kinks, ZZ Top, Joe Ely, Tito and Tarantula, The Stones, and dozens of other bands holding regular jam sessions in my living room. I am treated with respect.

I chose the 103 over the much more expensive Oppo 105 not only because of price, but also because I currently lack the high end stereo capable of taking advantage of the 105's fantastic analog capabilities. I figure by the time I have enough money for my dream sound system, the next generation of Oppos will be available, in 4K I am sure (NOTE: the 103 upscales blu-ray to 4K if you have the TV to take advantage of it).

I say go for it when you have the funds. Criterion and Oppo go together like peas and carrots.

EDIT: Also, it may just be coincidence, but since I have had my Oppo I have become a lot more popular. People pester me for autographs. Men fear and admire me. Kids constantly want to introduce me to the their older sisters or their hot single moms. Who is this Charlize Theron person that keeps calling me to go out for drinks?

Thank you for your detailed opinion and review! This player is definitely on my shortlist for future technology purchases. I don't think any of my friends would really notice a difference in me if I suddenly bought an OPPO, so no worries about the celebrity/likability factor, but yes, a good personal holiday present this would make.

[jw007]

Originally Posted by Akijama

The first thing I thought about was The French Connection. Maybe because they were holding hands and "connecting".

Since its been confirmed as the Rivette film, this makes a lot of sense.

[Arawn]

Originally Posted by oildude

sounds like I have Japanese and American soldiers going at it in front of my couch.

[Sifox211]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

It's a hint for Le Samouraï ... The happy people at the base of the tower are all of the movie fans who are overjoyed and elated that Le Samouraï is coming out on Criterion Blu-ray at long last.

But it misses out the army of peasants with pitchforks who are outraged that the video bitrate of the new release is lower than on the French BD!

[adamhopelies]

Really excited about the Rivette hint. Paris nous appartient had a really interesting production, so here's hoping the supplements delve in to that (the film is probably best known for being the movie that Antoine Doinel and his family go and see in The 400 Blows, some two years before Rivette finally finished it!).

[callahan09]

Originally Posted by oildude

I have that exact player, but not the region free version (bought it at Best Buy). It is worth it, IMO. I have had the Oppo 103 for two years. In addition to being a high quality brand, it also plays just about every type of disc media you throw at it, including SACD which was a big selling point for me since I had also been looking for a separate SACD machine. The audio DACs are outstanding. Also, the player is one of the best - if not THE best - at upscaling DVDs.

The 103 is no slouch when it comes to audio output; played through the HDMI connection it makes sound come alive. My condo neighbors are convinced that I have gangsters, dames, film noir private eyes, gunfighters, Japanese samurai, lots of French and Italian people, Vincent Price, Toshiro Mifune, Burt Lancaster, and Clint Eastwood all paying me regular visits, along with The Pretenders, The B-52s, AC/DC, The Kinks, ZZ Top, Joe Ely, Tito and Tarantula, The Stones, and dozens of other bands holding regular jam sessions in my living room. I am treated with respect.

I chose the 103 over the much more expensive Oppo 105 not only because of price, but also because I currently lack the high end stereo capable of taking advantage of the 105's fantastic analog capabilities. I figure by the time I have enough money for my dream sound system, the next generation of Oppos will be available, in 4K I am sure (NOTE: the 103 upscales blu-ray to 4K if you have the TV to take advantage of it).

I say go for it when you have the funds. Criterion and Oppo go together like peas and carrots.

EDIT: Also, it may just be coincidence, but since I have had my Oppo I have become a lot more popular. People pester me for autographs. Men fear and admire me. Kids constantly want to introduce me to the their older sisters or their hot single moms. Who is this Charlize Theron person that keeps calling me to go out for drinks?

As someone who is a total PQ/AQ novice (and nearly blind & deaf to boot), I don't know what the difference is between one blu-ray player & another. To me, it seems an awful lot of money for a device that essentially plays the same discs. I mean, I can generally tell differences from one TV to another, and sometimes even one surround sound receiver to another (though not to nearly as distinct a degree as I can TV screen PQ), and I can certainly tell the difference between DVD and Blu-Ray. But I've never been able to tell the difference between my PS3, my PS4, my Xbox One, or my parents who have a Sony stand-alone player (the only folks I know who don't happen to use a videogame console as their blu-ray player). I keep hearing how awesome these Oppo's are, but what is the real difference that makes it worth so much more money? I was thinking of getting a region-free Sony BDP-S5200 because it's an inexpensive region-free player, but I'd be interested in learning more about what makes these more expensive options worth getting? As someone who has never been able to tell the difference between players, would I be able to tell the difference if it was THIS player that I was comparing to (since I've never seen one before, maybe the increase in quality really is just that obvious)?

[I KEEL YOU]

It doesn't have to mean that it has to do with Paris or France. Maybe it's about a tower.

[callahan09]

So it looks like Amazon's Criterion sale is over. I didn't realize how appealing those prices were until this morning when I look and they're gone. I was planning on waiting for B&N's next 50% off sale to buy any more Criterions, but now that the sale is over I'm like, well damn I should have bought The Brood, Kwaidan, and the Apu Trilogy now. And maybe more! Oh well. I guess I'm REALLY going to have to wait for the B&N sale now!

[monorail91]

Just watched The Uninvited for the first time - pretty entertaining, felt less like a horror film and more like a drama with ghosts.

The real treat though is the supplemental feature "Giving up the Ghost," a visual essay by Michael Almereyda. Provided great context for The Uninvited both as a Hollywood horror film, plus fascinating background on two of its stars Ray Milland and Gail Russell. Definitely recommend watching if anyone's on the fence for this title, made me appreciate the film much more.

[lordmorpheus72]

Originally Posted by pro-bassoonist

Paris Belongs to Us

[Show spoiler]

Pro-B

Thanks Pro-B! That looks so nice.

[lordmorpheus72]

Originally Posted by oildude

[Show spoiler]I have that exact player, but not the region free version (bought it at Best Buy). It is worth it, IMO. I have had the Oppo 103 for two years. In addition to being a high quality brand, it also plays just about every type of disc media you throw at it, including SACD which was a big selling point for me since I had also been looking for a separate SACD machine. The audio DACs are outstanding. Also, the player is one of the best - if not THE best - at upscaling DVDs.

The 103 is no slouch when it comes to audio output; played through the HDMI connection it makes sound come alive. My condo neighbors are convinced that I have gangsters, dames, film noir private eyes, gunfighters, Japanese samurai, lots of French and Italian people, Vincent Price, Toshiro Mifune, Burt Lancaster, and Clint Eastwood all paying me regular visits, along with The Pretenders, The B-52s, AC/DC, The Kinks, ZZ Top, Joe Ely, Tito and Tarantula, The Stones, and dozens of other bands holding regular jam sessions in my living room. I am treated with respect.

I chose the 103 over the much more expensive Oppo 105 not only because of price, but also because I currently lack the high end stereo capable of taking advantage of the 105's fantastic analog capabilities. I figure by the time I have enough money for my dream sound system, the next generation of Oppos will be available, in 4K I am sure (NOTE: the 103 upscales blu-ray to 4K if you have the TV to take advantage of it).

I say go for it when you have the funds. Criterion and Oppo go together like peas and carrots.

EDIT: Also, it may just be coincidence, but since I have had my Oppo I have become a lot more popular. People pester me for autographs. Men fear and admire me. Kids constantly want to introduce me to the their older sisters or their hot single moms. Who is this Charlize Theron person that keeps calling me to go out for drinks?

Another thank you for the review! I keep looking at these when I have enough best buy bucks... currently I need a new dishwasher for the wife. Happy wife, happy life, right? But these just sound so amazing. I hear so much about them and even looked at one in a BB Magnolia store. I thought about the 103 for the same reasons, glad to hear I'll be happy with it. Thanks again!!

[jmclick]

Originally Posted by monorail91

Just watched The Uninvited for the first time - pretty entertaining, felt less like a horror film and more like a drama with ghosts.

The real treat though is the supplemental feature "Giving up the Ghost," a visual essay by Michael Almereyda. Provided great context for The Uninvited both as a Hollywood horror film, plus fascinating background on two of its stars Ray Milland and Gail Russell. Definitely recommend watching if anyone's on the fence for this title, made me appreciate the film much more.

The Uninvited is one of my favorite films. The neat thing is, it's one of those films that remains enjoyable over multiple viewings, even when you know the "twist" at the end. Superb performances, excellent cinematography, and I love the song "Stella by Starlight" which has become something of a standard over the years.

Paramount made a sort of companion film to The Uninvited, also directed by Lewis Allen and starring Gail Russell, which was released the following year. Co-starring Joel McCrea (in one of his last non-Westerns) and Herbert Marshall, it's called The Unseen, and unfortunately, that title applies to its availability on cable and home video. I've been wanting to watch it for years, but it remains "unseen", as do so many of the Paramount classics ...

[bugsnest]

Originally Posted by callahan09

So it looks like Amazon's Criterion sale is over. I didn't realize how appealing those prices were until this morning when I look and they're gone. I was planning on waiting for B&N's next 50% off sale to buy any more Criterions, but now that the sale is over I'm like, well damn I should have bought The Brood, Kwaidan, and the Apu Trilogy now. And maybe more! Oh well. I guess I'm REALLY going to have to wait for the B&N sale now!

I know the feeling
I had been pondering over "Thief" and as soon as I saw your post, I just went ahead and ordered since it was still on sale on Amazon.

However, for the Apu Trilogy, I am quite certain it may be back on sale when it's release in November... if not Amazon, the BN sale would be around that time.