Lawrence of Arabia 4K UHD (1962)

[Wabbit Season]

Are there any problems with the 4k Limited Edition reprint?
It's listed on Amazon as a "Frequently Returned Item".

[teddyballgame]

Originally Posted by Wabbit Season

Are there any problems with the 4k Limited Edition reprint?
It's listed on Amazon as a "Frequently Returned Item".

Nope, that's just people changing their mind or getting a damaged copy. No disc replacement or anything like that

[Law212]

Yeah I have a feeling people were buying them and trying to sell them for more , and if they couldnt they would return them. I would see these on marketplace for over 100 dollars pretty frequently

[Leonardo Varotto]

I've randomly found this comparison on slowpics. How is the Movies Anywhere encode better than the UHD Blu-ray?
It's literally half the size. Is it possible for it to be that more efficient and better-encoded than one on the Sony UHD Blu-ray Disc?

[Connoralpha]

Originally Posted by Leonardo Varotto

I've randomly found this comparison on slowpics. How is the Movies Anywhere encode better than the UHD Blu-ray?
It's literally half the size. Is it possible for it to be that more efficient and better-encoded than one on the Sony UHD Blu-ray Disc?

It is possible, file size isn't everything. Encode settings used and where the bitrate is being spent matter just as much.

Plus the UHD space wasn't all that well optimized. The video is just a little over 100GB which is a shame since it's across two discs.

[stvn1974]

Anakin Skywalker really hates this film.

[Leonardo Varotto]

Originally Posted by Connoralpha

It is possible, file size isn't everything. Encode settings used and where the bitrate is being spent matter just as much.

Plus the UHD space wasn't all that well optimized. The video is just a little over 100GB which is a shame since it's across two discs.

I'll source the Movies Anywhere encode and I'll do a proper comparison in PQ and post it here.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by Leonardo Varotto

I've randomly found this comparison on slowpics. How is the Movies Anywhere encode better than the UHD Blu-ray?
It's literally half the size. Is it possible for it to be that more efficient and better-encoded than one on the Sony UHD Blu-ray Disc?

Said the moment I saw it that the UHD wasn't encoded all that well *and* we already knew that it'd been filtered a wee bit which shaved off some fine detail. Even in the betterer encoded MA stream the filtering is still there, the SDR version of this transfer has much finer grain and that extra lil' bit of detail, it actually LOOKS like how I'd expect 65mm of this vintage to look while the HDR transfer looks more like a 35mm reduction. (It's not, but that's what the filtering and mediocre encoding makes it look like in comparison to the 4K SDR stream.) Such a shame, it should've been a slam dunk but Sony decided to fiddle with it.

[Wintermute]

So Geoff, which source would you recommend as the best overall PQ? I still haven't gotten around to watching the discs, so I'd like my first viewing of the film to be tops.

[Leonardo Varotto]

UHD vs. Movies Anywhere HDR WEB (PQ): https://slow.pics/c/QiBv04xE

[HeavyHitter]

Of all major studios, it seems like Sony would have been the least likely to F around with a title like this on UHD BD. Go figure.

[apricissimus]

Maybe I'm a simple person, but I thought the 4K discs looked great.

[HeavyHitter]

Originally Posted by apricissimus

Maybe I'm a simple person, but I thought the 4K discs looked great.

It does look rather good (especially the color and HDR usage). The point being, it should have looked even better in terms of detail and natural grain.

[Caprica_U-87]

when can I buy a copy that is not $60+ ?

I don't need the steelbook, I just want the movie.

[trespoochies]

Only the steelbook exists at this time. The only non-steelbook version is in the Volume 1 Columbia Classics set, which would set you back about $500-$800 or so.

Just keep an eye out on Amazon where it goes from $40+ to $100+ to sold out in the blink of an eye.

[Caprica_U-87]

anybody got any tips to get one? this is ridiculous how they aren't making enough.

[James Luckard]

Originally Posted by Caprica_U-87

anybody got any tips to get one? this is ridiculous how they aren't making enough.

Ridiculous but intentionally planned:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_scarcity

[CrimsonLegionVMCXIX]

These were available quite readily from September or so until a little after the holidays, and it was usually going for less than $35 on Amazon. Now no one can find one for a reasonable price. I wonder if they will reprint it again.

[Special Feature]

Originally Posted by James Luckard

Ridiculous but intentionally planned:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_scarcity

Excluding boutiques and lesser known films, is the Lawrence of Arabia 4K release the most cynical example of this? It's a well known beloved film released by a major label, but only on steelbook in limited numbers. I can appreciate that the restoration would've cost a lot of money and they'd want to recoup that. No standard release after nearly 3 years seems ridiculous. Granted it did get a reprint eventually...

By the by it didn't even get a proper release in the region where I am - it was a Zavvi website exclusive.

[peppapigstan]

Honestly the existing 4K scan doesn't do the film justice tbh, alot of scanner noise that shouldn't be there on a 65mm movie, but doubt Sony will do a new remaster