Lord of the Rings Trilogy (Theatrical Versions) - April 6, 2010

[joenostalgia23]

I though The Dark Knight looked pretty good throughout. It wasn't Casino Royale, but it was definitely watchable(4/5). The IMAX scenes were just phenomenal(6/5).
Gladiator was disappointing(2.5/5), but the Extended Edition parts were fantastic(5/5).
Judging from screenshots, FOTR looks far better than the DVDs, but are definitely soft in comparison to other BDs. The next two films look great from their screenshots. When I watch them, I definitely won't go "MAN THIS LOOKS BAD. I HATE THIS." To say it looks BAD, is outrageous. It doesn't look perfect, but it's not the worst transfer of all time.

That's my opinion. You all can call me an idiot because you guys all sit five inches away from your TVs when you watch Blu-ray. I don't care.

[joenostalgia23]

I feel bad for all the forum posters who were expecting to talk about their favorite moments or something only to be greeted by all this talk of Extended Editions, DNR, screenshots etc. It must feel awkward, like being a kid trying to talk to his parents about dinosaurs while they're arguing over politics.

[neo78956]

Originally Posted by joenostalgia23

I feel bad for all the forum posters who were expecting to talk about their favorite moments or something only to be greeted by all this talk of Extended Editions, DNR, screenshots etc. It must feel awkward, like being a kid trying to talk to his parents about dinosaurs while they're arguing over politics.

QFT. Any chance we can turn to more positive things?

[Brandon]

Originally Posted by neo78956

QFT. Any chance we can turn to more positive things?

What else do you want us to talk about, how good the movies are? We all know how good they are, the current topic is the PQ, which I for one am interested in hearing about.

[Grand Bob]

Originally Posted by joenostalgia23

I feel bad for all the forum posters who were expecting to talk about their favorite moments or something only to be greeted by all this talk of Extended Editions, DNR, screenshots etc. It must feel awkward, like being a kid trying to talk to his parents about dinosaurs while they're arguing over politics.

I'm with you, Joe. I don't know how people who take criticality to that level can enjoy anything. Looks like it's up to you and me to watch the BD's and have fun!

[ryan11]

Originally Posted by 42041

I'm viewing on my old Samsung LN40A650 1080p TV which I set up as my computer monitor when I replaced it with a plasma.

I'm not telling anyone they shouldn't buy these or enjoy them, but i do wish people would stop insulting my (and their own) intelligence by saying I can't judge PQ from stills. I judge every movie from stills before I buy/rent, the playing field is completely even... and I'm holding these to the standard as other movies of similar financial ilk: Dead Man's Chest, Transformers, Iron Man, Casino Royale, I Robot, take your pick.

How am i insulting you? All im saying is its hard to see the difference between the screen shots when you are using a older monitor. I can say this from experience because i just upgrade my monitor yesterday to an HD one. Before both pictures look like crap. Also there was not much of a difference between the screen shots of the DVD version to the Blu Ray version with my old monitor. Now with my new monitor it is like day and night. I never said you can't judge PQ from stills but i am saying to is more difficult with an old crapy monitor like i had.

[Brandon]

Originally Posted by Grand Bob

I'm with you, Joe. I don't know how people who take criticality to that level can enjoy anything. Looks like it's up to you and me to watch the BD's and have fun!

I'm all for enjoying the movies too, and I am still probably going to buy them no matter what, but you're not just a liiiiiiitle bit disappointed at the possibility that the quality is not as top notch as we all hoped for and looked forward to?

[42041]

Originally Posted by Grand Bob

I'm with you, Joe. I don't know how people who take criticality to that level can enjoy anything. Looks like it's up to you and me to watch the BD's and have fun!

I greatly enjoy 95% of new discs that come out. My criticality is reserved for older movies that deserve and need extra-extra-special treatment and don't get it. Especially at this point in the format, when almost every studio has figured out how to do things right. If no one makes it heard that reusing masters made in the stone age is unacceptable, studios will just keep using them.

[Stinky-Dinkins]

Originally Posted by Grand Bob

I'm with you, Joe. I don't know how people who take criticality to that level can enjoy anything. Looks like it's up to you and me to watch the BD's and have fun!

I don't really take criticality to all that high of a level; I'd say I'm very pleased with the majority of Blu Ray presentations. Sometimes I'm really blown away - like with Braveheart... sometimes I'm really let down, like with Gladiator.

That being said, given the importance of this release it's ridiculous to expect people NOT to be disappointed when it's obvious they didn't even bother remastering it. If Fellowship doesn't merit that kind of treatment then what the Hell does?!? Seeing the fact that the old broadcast TV versions look better than the BluRay release and saying "that sucks" isn't being overly critical - it's being justifiably disappointed.

This is one of the best (in my opinion) and most popular film trilogies of all time. To not remaster it and vastly improve it for BD release is absurd. It's like they've re-released the broadcast version with added DNR. That sucks, plain and simple. The reason I don't piss and moan here often is because much of the time I don't see anything to complain about. But something like this is pretty black and white. Other than this and Gladiator I don't think I've ever complained about the quality of a release here, and I've been a member for almost 3 years.

[OrlandoEastwood]

I think everyone should be happy that Lord of the Rings does not look like Lord of the Streets.

[42041]

Wouldn't everyone rather have Saving Private Ryan look like this:http://www.luangh.com/up/files/33/SPR_720/4-s.png
than this? http://img710.imageshack.us/img710/6...ryan720phd.png

that could be a distinct possibility if no one raised a stink about stuff like Gladiator...

[Clark Kent]

Guys, it is simple to understand. Believe very little of the reviews you read anywhere. Many reviewers are simply unwilling to criticize a popular Blu-ray and critically analyze it, because they love the movie and for various other sundry reasons. I imagine that many of the reviews written after this knowledge gets around will not be so favorable to LOTR.

[GlenR]

Originally Posted by Stinky-Dinkins

What do you mean "proper" "HD" computer monitor?
Yeah, if they're using a phone it won't really work.

Hell, I can set my old CRT PC monitor to 800X600 and while it'll make those pics pretty friggin' big I can still compare 'em just fine - and not one person in the world is still using 800X600. Most people aren't even using CRT's anymore, they're using fixed pixel displays with high native resolutions.

CRT actually still has better color rendition, contrast and black level than flat panels so its not a bad device for comparison.

[Grand Bob]

Originally Posted by 42041

I greatly enjoy 95% of new discs that come out. My criticality is reserved for older movies that deserve and need extra-extra-special treatment and don't get it. Especially at this point in the format, when almost every studio has figured out how to do things right. If no one makes it heard that reusing masters made in the stone age is unacceptable, studios will just keep using them.

I'm with you on that. You can take my word for it when I say that I am just as interested in the PQ of this release as I ever have for any movie. Some reasons: I have read the books 30+ times, I have seen the movies at least 20 times each (they are my favorites along with 2001 and Star Wars), I have been an A/V hobbyist for over 35 years, and I am somewhat a "techie" as I am an electronics engineer. That being said, the TE has been transferred to BD. It is done. There is nothing I can do about it. It may not have been mastered to the degree that matches my value of the movie and the story (that is almost certain). Perhaps they will remaster and re-release it in the future, but for now it is done; until the EE is released, I will have to settle for this release. In either case, this BD will be the best format currently available to the consumer - and, is it really that bad? Realizing that there is nothing I can do to make it better, I will put aside my "what if's" and enjoy it. It is certainly not worth getting upset about to the point of insulting others; you can be certain there are much larger issues in life to worry about.

[Stinky-Dinkins]

Originally Posted by Grand Bob

That being said, the TE has been transferred to BD. It is done. There is nothing I can do about it. It may not have been mastered to the degree that matches my value of the movie and the story (that is almost certain).

That's the thing though - if enough people complain and demand better there's a good chance it'll happen.... so it isn't really "Done."

It happened with Gladiator.

It wasn't "mastered" to any degree of quality recently, they just re-used the old master. Mak
ing this movie look much, much better would not be hard for them.

Originally Posted by GlenR

CRT actually still has better color rendition, contrast and black level than flat panels so its not a bad device for comparison.

I know, I was just using my PC monitor as an example because it being a CRT (in other words - no native resolution) I could crank it way low (800 X 600) and still make the screen comparison just fine....

I love CRT's. I still sometimes use my old xbr960 to watch certain things.

[Beta Man]

OH, if they only knew then.... what we know now........

Originally Posted by SkillzthatKillz

idk i dont think WB is dumb enough to **** up this BD release...i think they would do a very good transfer and include at least 5.1 HD audio(hopefully 7.1) and they would almost certainly release the EE, as those are considered the definitive versions of the films. they know that if they release a high profile trilogy like this and its of the highest quality that it can do a lot for the BD format and thus make those greedy bastards richer in the long run

Originally Posted by richieb1971

I'm not worried about this release. Its not Warners say how it gets released its Peter Jacksons say. Warners bad boys only touch what the directors can't be arsed to do themselves by the sounds of it. I'm sure Peter Jackson will over see all the production values of each movie.

Originally Posted by GSX600F

OLD NEWS!!!

This has been posted long time ago, PJ allready gave an statement that he will also work on the blu-ray release to make sure the blu-ray version gets the threatment it deserved.

DNR?? not needed for LotR!! Everyone who has the SEE on DVD agree with me that the PQ of those DVDs are on of the best (for DVDs)

Originally Posted by LORDs_angellos

I'm not talking about the PQ because I know without a doubt it's gonna be drop dead gorgeous.

Last night I was watching Return of the King EE using WinDVD 9 set to All2HD 1080p upscaling, and the movie looked utterly fabulous! Not Blu-ray quality, of course, but A++ by DVD standards. It's obviously a direct transfer from the digital master, resized and compressed for the DVD. By the way, from what I've heard, the extended DVD transfers use higher bitrates than the theatrical ones.

Oh wait, I thought I wasn't talking about the PQ.

Originally Posted by mredman

There is no doubt about it. Warner MUST go all out with TLOTR trilogy. It is the biggest movies of all time both critically and boxoffice. These movie are EVEN bigger then The Dark Knight. These movies are HUGE
Wouldn't you agree?

Originally Posted by bases1616

The LOTR trilogy is better than Dark Knight as a whole, but not just one of the movies. Warner will not mess it up. Just like Matrix they will make a ton of money on LOTR as well. The bad thing is you know if it was just New Line you know they would have 7.1 DTS-HD MA and top notch video.

Originally Posted by suspiria10

This would look phenomenal on BD. I'm drooling already.

Originally Posted by Doughoef

Day 1 purchase for me. I just watched these a couple months back. I find I watch them at least once a year and they never get old. They're going to look amazing on blu!

Originally Posted by dreyno72

I know we are looking forward th the day these are available in my house. PJ is probably one of the few that will have everything to push Blu to the limits. It will be a must own.

Originally Posted by BigADevry

I sure hope that when they release this on Blu-ray they really do it right with lossless audio 7.1 and stunning picture quality! Please do it right!

Originally Posted by ajmrowland

It seems inevitable for such a highly anticipated release.

Originally Posted by Blu-Buddha

The LOTR trilogy is all about quality so I don't think you have to worry about seeing issues with the bigatures or with Gimli's makeup, etc. Every so often at my theatre we have a trilogy festival running 35mm prints. At 40' wide and an estimated 4k(+) resolution (the estimated rez of 35mm film) everything looks awesome. These are near-perfect movies IMHO only marred by a few glaring continuity errors.

I just wonder if in the Blu-Ray release we'll be able to see the dust trail and the reflections of the sun off the car in the background near the beginning of Fellowship. Jackson denies it's there but it's visible in the 35mm print.

[Stinky-Dinkins]

That makes me sad.

[Beta Man]

Originally Posted by Stinky-Dinkins

That makes me sad.

This part made me chuckle.....

DNR?? not needed for LotR!! Everyone who has the SEE on DVD agree with me that the PQ of those DVDs are on of the best (for DVDs)

[adamhopelies]

I'm sorry, but going through two year old posts in an attempt to make others look foolish really is pathetic. These past few days on this this thread actually makes me feel embarassed to be a part of this community. So yeah, well done for achieving that.

[billzfan]

Does anyone else agree that most of the people praying the transfers suck on this board are people that desperately want to buy these but don't want to double dip. It's easier to pass up if you think it's terrible.