Gladiator (2000)

[roco]

Here in the UK gladiator will be released the 7th September by Universal , does anyone think that Universal will use a better transfer or we here in the UK will get same crapy transfer that Paramount offers in USA.

[Swearengen]

Originally Posted by ONE_DAY_AS_A_LION

i have a question

i didn't follow this thread for 37 pages but how do you guys know
that the PQ is not going to look good?

i've seen that review from another site that someone posted

blu-ray.com hasn't done a review

so why is everyone up in arms?

how do we know that the PQ is not a 4.5 or 5 rating?

I've seen it. Received both discs friday last week. Watched it on a 104" screen. 6/10 rating PQ wise and 0/10 if you take into account that the release is actually defect.

Releases that molesters the directors intentions, like filtering away fast moving objects from the movie, is a mistake and can thus not be rated.

[surfdude12]

Originally Posted by OARmaster

How is that different than anything else? There is risk as a consumer in purchasing anything.

my point is you can't see the product that you're purchasing, at the time of purchase. unless one is able to haul his theater system down to best buy? the product isn't the BD case, its the PQ/AQ (at least to me it is). other products can be seen and experienced upon purchase. also, throw in the "no refund or exchange for other title" policy, and this compounds the issue.

[P@t_Mtl]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

and how do you know what the PQ is UNTIL you've bought it?!?!? you don't!


and how did you figure out that the PQ was better than DVD prior to buying it? from renting it?

my point is simply: we don't have much to go on, the reviews do help but we still take a risk in purchasing. even renting costs money prior to buying. thus the notion "if you don't like it, don't buy it" is really not true with BD's as it is with other products we can touch and feel on the shelf.

It is very true even for BD, you can rent, read review, check out what others have to say, wait for the price to drop......saying there is no option is not really true. Plus, are you telling me that your DVD of these movies are 100% much better then the BD releases coming out? When in every other thread on this forum we keep hearing that no matter how bad a BD is its in everyway much better then any DVD release?

[roco]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here in the UK gladiator will be released the 7th September by Universal , does anyone think that Universal will use a better transfer or we here in the UK will get same crapy transfer that Paramount offers in USA.

[Philnerd]

Quickie comparo between extended and theatrical. Actually the Extended scenes appear to be quite well done, presumably these were scanned later and were not manipulated like the previous scan of the theatrial cut footage. I think if the entire film had been scanned again with the Extended edition footage we'd be looking at a solid 4.5-5 star release similar to Braveheart.

As for actually owning/renting this I'd guess if Star Trek III and up looked OK to you this release would probably look just fine, probably better to be honest.

[Big Z]

Can someone clarify for me....

Seamless branching, how does it apply to Gladiator?

And...

Are both versions bad, but one has a couple shots that look good? Or is one version bad, and the other good?

[P@t_Mtl]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

no actually, i never said there is no option, just no option consistent with "if you like the PQ, buy it", as you don't know the PQ prior to buying it. sure, renting it gives that information to you, but then its not true consumer choice.

as far as my DVD's? Yeah, the BD's are better, but some better than others, and thus some not worth the upgrade.

Yes like I mention in a previous thread and as such I do not buy them, I made my research, look at what was said about them and decided it wasn't worth it for me to buy them, nothing very tricky about it

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by Philnerd

Honestly, we are talking about a film that won 5 Oscars including Best Visual Effects and Best Picture. Oscar nominations included Best Art Direction and Best Cinematography. Directed by the legendary Ridley Scott. Made 187+ Million Dollars at the domestic box office. Nearly 270 Million Dollars in Foreign markets. Was given an IMax release. Its DVD release broke sales records. An undeniable modern classic in every respect and by all accounts should be a feather in Blu-Ray's cap with majestic, oscar worthy high definition images.

Obviously Paramount is capable, as we see from Braveheart, they just didn't want to in this instance.

This is what bothers me. (If the disc is in fact poop) Seems like a film like this would have someone who really understands the home theater enthusiast mindset watching over it, CLOSELY.

Personally, I hope everything I have read turns out to be wrong. I was really looking forward to this.

[OARmaster]

The AVS screenshot fools have taken up a letting writing and phone call campaign regarding Gladiator. I hope they remember to mention their forum and thread dedicated to this so these folks will know where to go when they want to point and laugh.

I'm all for getting the best release possible, but these silly boys and girls pull the same stunt over every single BD release...and almost always based on still shots rather viewing the actual disc in motion.

[JinxDMC]

Originally Posted by P@t_Mtl

It all come's down to each person choice, buy on don't buy if you do not like the picture quality.

I face the same trouble a few months back with Robin Hood Prince Of Thieves. Everyone was complaining that it was a very bad BD release. For me it came down to the fact that while it wasn't a reference BD, it was way superior in picture quality then the horrible DVD transfert I had and it's a movie I truly enjoy and had not been watching for sometime because of the horrible quality of the DVD. So I bought it and I am quite happy with it.

It will be the samething with both Braveheart or Gladiator for the fans of these movies. In the end the BD transfert might not be what it is for Iron Man or TDK but it is still way superior then the DVD were and it will be a joy for them to watch it or BD.

+1 I couldn't agree more!

[sharkcohen]

Originally Posted by Big Z

Can someone clarify for me....

Seamless branching, how does it apply to Gladiator?

And...

Are both versions bad, but one has a couple shots that look good? Or is one version bad, and the other good?

The disc uses seamless branching to insert the extended edition scenes into the movie when you are watching it when you choose to watch the extended edition. What that means is that only the pertinent scenes of the extended edition are saved on the disc, not the whole extended edition film.

[MCT]

Originally Posted by Philnerd

Quickie comparo between extended and theatrical.

wow. Horrible.

[Mr. Cinema]

Originally Posted by OARmaster

The AVS screenshot fools have taken up a letting writing and phone call campaign regarding Gladiator. I hope they remember to mention their forum and thread dedicated to this so these folks will know where to go when they want to point and laugh.

I'm all for getting the best release possible, but these silly boys and girls pull the same stunt over every single BD release...and almost always based on still shots rather viewing the actual disc in motion.

This is one case where it's probably necessary. It's not just AVS ripping the PQ. I'm reading this on HDD as well. The fact that Paramount's filtering software actually erased some of the flying arrows near the beginning is an absolute disgrace. Removing objects from the movie is a complete joke. Based on the evidence, Paramount was lazy on this one and used an old master and then botched it with DNR and edge enhancement. A highly anticipated title like this should have been treated better.

Remember, this is part of their "Sapphire Series". Their top of the line releases. The data we've gotten is saying the complete opposite.

[J.Cornelius]

I have been reading through the thread regarding the merits of the Gladiator release and find it most comical. So let me get this straight, a couple of people receive the blu-ray early and report there is some manipulation, for not a better word, performed on the transfer. DVD Beaver reports and I quote “ Paramount’s MPEG4 AVC transfer seems to have improved in every single facet of the visuals although it’s not without it’s digital manipulations with some minor edge-enhancement and some DNR.” Now there is panic from some people, OMG there is DNR the transfer must be crap, I am not buying this, F Paramount they suck, I can’t believe they screwed up the transfer, bla. bla. bla. bla….. I think rushing to judge the merits of the release from such limited information is down right foolish. It is akin to the saying “Don’t believe everything you read in the papers” or better yet DON”T BELIEVE THE HYPE!

[OARmaster]

Originally Posted by Mr. Cinema

This is one case where it's probably necessary. It's not just AVS ripping the PQ. I'm reading this on HDD as well. The fact that Paramount's filtering software actually erased some of the flying arrows near the beginning is an absolute disgrace. Removing objects from the movie is a complete joke. Based on the evidence, Paramount was lazy on this one and used an old master and then botched it with DNR and edge enhancement. A highly anticipated title like this should have been treated better.

Remember, this is part of their "Sapphire Series". Their top of the line releases. The data we've gotten is saying the complete opposite.

The outcry will carry much more weight if it comes from anywhere other than AVS. Their antics long ago relegated them to the sidelines.

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by Grubert

What we, from our subservient position, can do is merely raise awareness of the issue. Maybe the studios will listen, maybe not.

lol
In cases like this, there are other more pragmatic options that have geometrically greater chances of success.
Get into another hobby where you will not feel so unfulfilled all the time with the products not meeting your expectations or get a smaller display and sit further back from it!
It amazes me how much time and effort some nerds put into trying to negatively influence others in regards to what they ‘consider’ to be for the ‘greater good’.

Translation – I want Gladiator to look as great as Braveheart, not just better than the DVD, and if it doesn’t for whatever reason, I’m going to do my damdest to try to convince every fence sitter on the internet that was contemplating a purchase, not to buy the product………and every purchaser of the movie, not to thoroughly enjoy their home viewing by planting the physiological seeds of doubt, missed opportunity, etc.

Did all the whining from the *screenshot* nay-sayers about Patton or Gangs of New York prevent Paramount from releasing the Star Trek stuff, as is?
Grow up!

Honest to God, I think there is more pragmatism shown amongst grade-schoolers at my niece’s school than there is among some people that post on some internet forums.

[Big Z]

Originally Posted by sharkcohen

The disc uses seamless branching to insert the extended edition scenes into the movie when you are watching it when you choose to watch the extended edition. What that means is that only the pertinent scenes of the extended edition are saved on the disc, not the whole extended edition film.

Ok, that is what I thought. Then my next questions are these...

Are the images of good/bad gladiator bluray caps from the last second of the theatrical and the first second of the extended? Cause they look generally close to the same frame.

Does it go from crappy frame then all of a sudden it looks like someone hit a clarity switch mid scene?

[benricci]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

lol
In cases like this, there are other more pragmatic options that have geometrically greater changes of success.
Get into another hobby where you will not feel so unfulfilled all the time with the products not meeting your expectations or get a smaller display and sit further back from it!
It amazes me how much time and effort some nerds put into trying to negatively influence others in regards to what they ‘consider’ to be for the ‘greater good’.

Translation – I want Gladiator to look as great as Braveheart, not just better than the DVD, and if it doesn’t for whatever reason, I’m going to do my damdest to try to convince every fence sitter on the internet that was contemplating a purchase, not to buy the product………and every purchaser of the movie, not to thoroughly enjoy their home viewing by planting the physiological seeds of doubt, missed opportunity, etc.

Did all the whining from the *screenshot* nay-sayers about Patton or Gangs of New York prevent Paramount from releasing the Star Trek stuff, as is?
Grow up!

Honest to God, I think there is more pragmatism shown amongst grade-schoolers at my niece’s school than there is among some people that post on some internet forums.

Well said. I swear, it seems like some of you don't even enjoy movies half the time, because you're too busy with your score cards grading picture quality and noting the time code where a speck of dust appeared in the print.

Get over yourselves. If you truly love Gladiator as much as you say you do, you'd buy the damn blu-ray and quit worrying over whether a freaking tiny arrow is less defined than it could be.

[OARmaster]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

lol
In cases like this, there are other more pragmatic options that have geometrically greater changes of success.
Get into another hobby where you will not feel so unfulfilled all the time with the products not meeting your expectations or get a smaller display and sit further back from it!
It amazes me how much time and effort some nerds put into trying to negatively influence others in regards to what they ‘consider’ to be for the ‘greater good’.

Translation – I want Gladiator to look as great as Braveheart, not just better than the DVD, and if it doesn’t for whatever reason, I’m going to do my damdest to try to convince every fence sitter on the internet that was contemplating a purchase, not to buy the product………and every purchaser of the movie, not to thoroughly enjoy their home viewing by planting the physiological seeds of doubt, missed opportunity, etc.

Did all the whining from the *screenshot* nay-sayers about Patton or Gangs of New York prevent Paramount from releasing the Star Trek stuff, as is?
Grow up!

Honest to God, I think there is more pragmatism shown amongst grade-schoolers at my niece’s school than there is among some people that post on some internet forums.

^^^ My nomination for post of the year ^^^