Gladiator (2000)

[bluRazor]

i think the 10$ off both deal is dead though.

[KilloWertz]

Originally Posted by blu/razor

i think the 10$ off both deal is dead though.

It is. That was just for release week at Best Buy.

[Blu Myers]

I have no regrets about buying Gladiator for the special features alone. I still haven't gottent through all of them (I work). There are some really great documentaries. I thought the one about Proximo was pretty interesting.

Also, I just love this movie, even if it isn't the greatest HD picture.

[David Forbes]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

I hear ya.
Spelling aside, I’m just wondering.
Given the recent news………
https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=3393

Are you (and the other unhappy PQ activists who are cross-posting across several forums on the internet) going to now plan a frontal assault or are you going to try to surround ‘em (i.e. Paramount Studios)?

Or perhaps, maybe you should go door to door thru neighborhoods to Blu-ray enthusiasts………starting with this guy (quoted below), who I would bet money has been watching movies at home in a high-end theater set-up for years in every thinkable home media incarnation (analog TV, VHS, Laser disc, DVD, Blu-ray) for as long as you have been living on this earth……or at least, out of the embrynonic stage of development.

You know, Penton, your continued defense of a very sub-par release of a Sapphire Series product is somewhat mind-boggling. Is Blu-ray about quality or not? This release is not what it should be, by any measurable standard.

Btw, Jeff "the Bland" has said many times over he's more interested in the audio side of things than the video side. Not that he doesn't want the best, but in the past he's certainly been more forgiving of sub-par titles than others.

Why not just stick to DVD if we're not going to get the best from Blu?

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by blu/razor

i think the 10$ off both deal is dead though.

It is dead....AND the price at BB is back to $29.99

[benjiedude]

Originally Posted by D1-2005

There is a $10 mail in rebate for each movie if you have the DVD's

I was excited about this too until I opened Braveheart to find that the rebate form said only one discount per household so I only sent in Braveheart's rebate. That still was good deal though. $10 off for buying BH and G at Best Buy along with the rebate and I ended up paying approx. $14 for each.

[banned user105]

Originally Posted by benjiedude

I was excited about this too until I opened Braveheart to find that the rebate form said only one discount per household so I only sent in Braveheart's rebate. That still was good deal though. $10 off for buying BH and G at Best Buy along with the rebate and I ended up paying approx. $14 for each.

It says "one per title per household." You can still send in multiple rebates as long as they're all for different movies.

[Gremal]

Originally Posted by David Forbes

You know, Penton, your continued defense of a very sub-par release of a Sapphire Series product is somewhat mind-boggling. Is Blu-ray about quality or not? This release is not what it should be, by any measurable standard.

And what measurement is that? A bunch of people whining on the internet?

Why not just stick to DVD if we're not going to get the best from Blu?

That's a cut-off-your-nose-to-spite-your-face attitude. We've all agreed that the Gladiator BD far surpasses the DVD versions, so let's not lose our heads. If you don't want the Gladiator BD, no one is forcing you to keep it.

Again, it would be nice if every BD was of reference quality. But to expect that--even with marketing gimmicks like "Sapphire Series"--is unrealistic.

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by David Forbes

You know, Penton, your continued defense of a very sub-par release of a Sapphire Series product is somewhat mind-boggling. Is Blu-ray about quality or not? This release is not what it should be, by any measurable standard.

Let’s get this straight.
I am not defending a sub-par release of this or any other Blu-ray.

What I am defending is the notion for people to stop with the hyperbolic rhetoric “worse than Patton”, “worse Blu-ray ever”, stop with the coercive verbal attempts to change each others’ opinions on whether this Blu-ray is good or bad.

This thread (and others expressing a similar sentiment on other forums) read like –
“How can I say I hate something in 1000 different ways in an attempt to try to convince/shame others to share my opinion.”
It’s tiresome and boring and if anything, alienating to the people that are providing the content (Paramount)……the same people that you are attempting to influence.

If people want to be truly positively productive with a Blu-ray product, without driving away other enthusiasts that don’t come to this forum to read constant whining about this particular title or that particular title, then state your case in one post, or perhaps a follow-up or two in terms of constructive criticism and then e-mail Bill Hunt who has proven to be the only person you guys are actually familiar with that has access to Paramount’s home video dept. and who can (and is) willing to be an advocate on your behalf.

I gawd-damn guarantee you that Paramount is not reading this thread and by now you should realize how ineffective *the internet campaign* fared after the Neilson First Alert sales came in.

This is not about one Blu-ray title.
This is about mature online behavior.
And you guys wonder why so many studio/content provider people stopped reading the forums/boards shortly after the format war, in fact, I think Bill answered that very question several months back on the Digital Bits Insider thread.

P.S.
The Steelers won last night, no?
Why so glum?

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by David Forbes

Btw, Jeff "the Bland" has said many times over he's more interested in the audio side of things than the video side. Not that he doesn't want the best, but in the past he's certainly been more forgiving of sub-par titles than others.

Similar to Bill Hunt, Jeff Bland hit the nail on the head in regards to his comments about screenshots and viewing Blu-ray content in real-time….that’s really all I care about regarding his review.

I will defer his opinion(s) regarding the audio and video quality of the Blu-ray Gladiator to you fellows. I haven't viewed the motion picture in the Blu-ray format yet.

[JamesKurtovich]

I'm disappointed with what's been said with this release. I figured since Braveheart got such great reviews, this would too since they were side-by-side and on the same level as far as anticipation..

I won't be buying it, because according to most it isn't what it could've been. I just bought Braveheart. If another Gladiator release doesn't come out for a while, then I'll get it. But I got the DVD anyway.

[David Forbes]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

Let’s get this straight.
I am not defending a sub-par release of this or any other Blu-ray.

What I am defending is the notion for people to stop with the hyperbolic rhetoric “worse than Patton”, “worse Blu-ray ever”, stop with the coercive verbal attempts to change each others’ opinions on whether this Blu-ray is good or bad.

This thread (and others expressing a similar sentiment on other forums) read like –
“How can I say I hate something in 1000 different ways in an attempt to try to convince/shame others to share my opinion.”
It’s tiresome and boring and if anything, alienating to the people that are providing the content (Paramount)……the same people that you are attempting to influence.

If people want to be truly positively productive with a Blu-ray product, without driving away other enthusiasts that don’t come to this forum to read constant whining about this particular title or that particular title, then state your case in one post, or perhaps a follow-up or two in terms of constructive criticism and then e-mail Bill Hunt who has proven to be the only person you guys are actually familiar with that has access to Paramount’s home video dept. and who can (and is) willing to be an advocate on your behalf.

I gawd-damn guarantee you that Paramount is not reading this thread and by now you should realize how ineffective *the internet campaign* fared after the Neilson First Alert sales came in.

This is not about one Blu-ray title.
This is about mature online behavior.
And you guys wonder why so many studio/content provider people stopped reading the forums/boards shortly after the format war, in fact, I think Bill answered that very question several months back on the Digital Bits Insider thread.

P.S.
The Steelers won last night, no?
Why so glum?

I'm not glum at all. I'm also not whining about this. I also not part of an Internet campaign/write-in campaign/holding my breath campaign to get the studio to change things. I know those things (mostly) don't work, and I quite frankly have better things to do.

But you seem oddly defensive of this title. You were pretty harsh with Grubert somewhere in this thread. (No, I'm not going to go find the exact quote -- again, better things to do). I'm simply surprised that you haven't said, "Yeah, this transfer could have and really should have been better for the inaugural launch of a so-called 'Sapphire Series' of 'best-of-the-best' releases." It's not like this was an old, obscure film whose elements were in such disrepair that the time and expense to spiffy them up would have been completely cost prohibitive.

As you pointed out, Gladiator is the top-selling Blu-ray. I've also seen the screen shots (and yes, while the screaming ninnies at AVS almost always go too far overboard with their rants, there is some validity to using screen shots to determine some flaws -- or highlight the excellent aspects -- of transfers).

I've seen most of the BD of Gladiator, so I based my opinion on what I saw rather than just screen shots (though some of what they said was largely shown to be accurate, and yes, I'm discerning enough that I would have noticed it -- the EE especially -- without having read a single word about it).

Is there far too much hyperbole about how bad the release is? Absolutely. Is this a good release, especially for the premier of a premium line? Absolutely not.

[Russell_L]

If anyone cares any more, DVD Talk has finally posted their review:

http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/38453/gladiator/

Quote:

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.35:1 in 1080p high definition, Gladiator looks good, though not nearly as good as many videophiles had hoped. Much virtual ink has been spilt already about the video quality of this release. Internet forum posters point to noticeable edge-enhancement, DNR and other digital manipulation of the image designed to minimize blemishes. While these criticisms are generally true, it's also true that Gladiator has never looked better for the home video market. Ridley Scott's blue-grey and sepia color pattern is vividly rendered, and there's more detail and texture to be found here despite the manipulation than in any of the prior DVD releases.

[Gremal]

Thanks Russell, I agree with everything you quoted there.

Originally Posted by David Forbes

I'm not glum at all. I'm also not whining about this. I also not part of an Internet campaign/write-in campaign/holding my breath campaign to get the studio to change things. I know those things (mostly) don't work, and I quite frankly have better things to do.

Yeah, ok, but you are part of the contingent that has been whining about the PQ and badmouthing this BD...how is what you're doing not whining?

But you seem oddly defensive of this title.

Using the pretext of EE and DNR, folks in this and other threads have made it impossible for anyone to say they enjoy this BD without "seeming oddly defensive". That is the real travesty here, AFAIC. Yes, it would be nice if the picture was reference quality but it isn't. There is still plenty of room for enjoyment of sequences of video and for the entire audio track. Given that some of us spent 10 times more on our audio gear than our display because some of us consider the emotional impact of films to be highly weighted to audio performance, I think you are selling this BD short!!!

As you pointed out, Gladiator is the top-selling Blu-ray. I've also seen the screen shots (and yes, while the screaming ninnies at AVS almost always go too far overboard with their rants, there is some validity to using screen shots to determine some flaws -- or highlight the excellent aspects -- of transfers).

Maybe, but taking a screenshot from a motion picture is like taking a single note from a song or composition and judging it out of context. You admit the AVS nutters have gone overboard...why follow them off the side of the ship?

Is there far too much hyperbole about how bad the release is? Absolutely. Is this a good release, especially for the premier of a premium line? Absolutely not.

In terms of audio it is, and the picture could be better but so could any number of BDs that I enjoy.

[Grubert]

Like participants in an internet forum to just state their opinion and move on.

Over at the Movie Discussion forum, there's a thread on whether The Dark Knight is overrated. It was started today and as we speak it has over 250 replies.

What do you expect, really?

Forum member A: I think The Dark Knight is overrated.

Forum member B: I think it's a masterpiece.

Forum member A: I guess we'll agree to disagree then.

Forum member B: I guess so. Good day.

Forum member A: Good day.

[MCT]

LOL! Yeah, in a cyber utopia, it would be like that. Welcome to the internet. When someone is wrong, it becomes serious business.

[blu2]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

This is not about one Blu-ray title.
This is about mature online behavior.
And you guys wonder why so many studio/content provider people stopped reading the forums/boards shortly after the format war, in fact, I think Bill answered that very question several months back on the Digital Bits Insider thread.

You've made a good (if a little idealistic/unrealistic) case for responsible/balanced behavior on forums.

What responsibilities do you think studios have, to consumers, when they create and promote their products, especially for tier 1 titles like Gladiator?

When/how should a studio acknowledge "mistakes"?

[Swede]

Originally Posted by blu2

You've made a good (if a little idealistic/unrealistic) case for responsible/balanced behavior on forums.

What responsibilities do you think studios have, to consumers, when they create and promote their products, especially for tier 1 titles like Gladiator?

When/how should a studio acknowledge "mistakes"?

Exactly, I don't see the studios coming out waving the flag out of the goodness of their hearts saying "I'm sorry, we realized this blu-ray really isn't as good as we could have made it, so we're going to issue a remaster of this title to anyone who wants it" without as much as a peep from reviews and forums reporting about the problem.

Look at the original Fifth element BD, Pirates of the caribbean and the many other examples I could bring up on DVD, like Back to the future. None of those would ever have been fixed if it were not for enthusiasts on forums and review websites.

Like David Forbes said, and I 100% agree with his last couple of posts: "Why not just stick to DVD if we're not going to get the best from Blu?". I already have the DVD of Gladiator. It has one of the most AWESOME DTS soundtracks I've ever heard on DVD, great PQ and a lot of GREAT extras, so why again should I upgrade to the blu-ray?

Oh and Penton-Man, have you ever watched a political debate, or any other heated debate for that matter? They can often get far worse than any forum threads on bad dvd/blu-ray releases I've ever seen anyway

[Mr. Cinema]

Originally Posted by Gremal

Again, it would be nice if every BD was of reference quality. But to expect that--even with marketing gimmicks like "Sapphire Series"--is unrealistic.

Shouldn't a popular catalog title, Best Picture winner be reference quality? Especially from the director of Alien and Blade Runner?

[benricci]

Originally Posted by Mr. Cinema

Shouldn't a popular catalog title, Best Picture winner be reference quality? Especially from the director of Alien and Blade Runner?

Shouldn't every film be given the best transfer possible?