Arrow Video UHD discussion thread

[Scottishguy]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

I know you're not saying this but I'll say it anyway: Arrow, like most indies, don't grade stuff in their basement. They use professional post-houses to restore and colour grade their in-house stuff and I reckon they've had dat access to HDR/DV for a while - but as they were adamant about not getting into 4K UHD then it made no sense for them to finish stuff in HDR, they didn't even finish many recent "4K scans" in 4K for similar reasons.

It does raise the question of what they're going to do with their new restorations going forward, that if they're not going to release something in UHD - and they ain't gonna be doing it for everything, no sir - will they still restore them in 4K HDR for dat future proofing aspect? Or will that still come down to "we're not releasing it in 4K HDR so why finish in 4K HDR"?

I think it depends on resources and return. Like I tried to bring up a few posts back, I think they will start as mainstream as possible. Then maybe get Prince Of Thieves next year.

The main thing is though Arrow have planted their flag firmly in UHD ground. And they aren't going away. It will, I think, be a slow and evolving process. The wheels though are in motion.

[Geoff D]

Resources and return at are the heart of virtually every decision that the indies make. Weird that Arrow haven't actually done Arrow-style releases of that Morgan Creek stuff though, they've just crapped out the tired masters they've been given and haven't done any new extras for them. Very odd.

[Scottishguy]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

Weird that Arrow haven't actually done Arrow-style releases of that Morgan Creek stuff though, they've just crapped out the tired masters they've been given and haven't done any new extras for them. Very odd.

Indeed. Why would they invest in that library just to do that? Unless they are saving them for UHD.

[LMFAObros]

Originally Posted by Scottishguy

Indeed. Why would they invest in that library just to do that? Unless they are saving them for UHD.

I would love a 4K release of True Romance and The Last Of the Mohicans as Arrow might actually get these films to look good.

[Charlie_C]

Originally Posted by Scottishguy

Indeed. Why would they invest in that library just to do that? Unless they are saving them for UHD.

Could be a case of getting something (£££) out of the existing masters in the short term whilst they do the work on new scans/restorations for future/better releases. That's just pure speculation though.

[Pyoko]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

I know you're not saying this but I'll say it anyway: Arrow, like most indies, don't grade stuff in their basement. They use professional post-houses to restore and colour grade their in-house stuff and I reckon they've had dat access to HDR/DV for a while - but as they were adamant about not getting into 4K UHD then it made no sense for them to finish stuff in HDR, they didn't even finish many recent "4K scans" in 4K for similar reasons.

I hear ya. I have of course no idea what kind of facilities Arrow have or utilize, but there are post-houses and there are post-houses. The one I work at does not have any HDR grading capability whatsoever, and these days a few of them might not be that far from souped-up basement operations. On behind-the-scenes Hollywood features you always see these humongous suites and screening rooms with 4K projectors and rows and rows of monitors and panels, but the difference in result you get from that and a skilled colorist with some prosumer gear in their basement doesn't necessarily have to be that great depending on what you need.

Presumably renting time in a 4K/DV-capable suite would come with a hefty premium that may not have been worth it at the level they operate on, or unless they worked out some kind of discount or deal with the understanding they'd come back for a number future projects for example. By "access" I meant more "financially viable access" since technically anyone could have their home movies graded on a Dolby Pulsar if they just paid for it.

[Marv Inc.]

I hope we see The Thing and American Werewolf.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by Pyoko

I hear ya. I have of course no idea what kind of facilities Arrow have or utilize, but there are post-houses and there are post-houses. The one I work at does not have any HDR grading capability whatsoever, and these days a few of them might not be that far from souped-up basement operations. On behind-the-scenes Hollywood features you always see these humongous suites and screening rooms with 4K projectors and rows and rows of monitors and panels, but the difference in result you get from that and a skilled colorist with some prosumer gear in their basement doesn't necessarily have to be that great depending on what you need.

Presumably renting time in a 4K/DV-capable suite would come with a hefty premium that may not have been worth it at the level they operate on, or unless they worked out some kind of discount or deal with the understanding they'd come back for a number future projects for example. By "access" I meant more "financially viable access" since technically anyone could have their home movies graded on a Dolby Pulsar if they just paid for it.

I understand. But people only have to look in the booklets to see where Arrow are restoring their stuff and they're not using basement randos. I'm not making this up.

They've used the services of Deluxe - one of the premier post-houses on the planet - many times, plus Pinewood Studios, L' Immagine Ritrovata, Silver Salt in London - who, in case people didn't know, have done several of StudioCanal's 4K recent restorations, including Dolby Vision deliverables. Even when the scans are being done locally in the US and said houses are being given the data to work on, those raw scans are being done by EFilm, FotoKem, NBCUniversal Post et al. Those people are no mugs, and they charge for their work accordingly!

While Arrow were getting their new restorations of Heathers and 12 Monkeys and Ronin done at Silver Salt, that place was working on Deer Hunter et al for SC at around the same time, so even the timescales for Arrow having access to at least one UK 4K DV-capable post house works out. But as they didn't need/want 4K HDR deliverables then they didn't pay for them, it's about that simple.

[Scottishguy]

Well Old Boy certainly was done in 4K/HDR. As it's on the Apple store.

[Scottishguy]

Originally Posted by Charlie_C

Could be a case of getting something (£££) out of the existing masters in the short term whilst they do the work on new scans/restorations for future/better releases. That's just pure speculation though.

I think it's a solid theory.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by Scottishguy

Well Old Boy certainly was done in 4K/HDR. As it's on the Apple store.

That was done by Capelight. Arrow got it as part of their licensing deal and as they weren't yet releasing UHD disc they flogged it to Apple instead.

[Scottishguy]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

That was done by Capelight. Arrow got it as part of their licensing deal and as they weren't yet releasing UHD disc they flogged it to Apple instead.

Whatever happened. I still think an Oldboy UHD could have been a massive seller for them.

[ste71]

I hope Videodrome and Zombie Flesh Eaters will be given the UHD treatment, as well as the Argentos. Candyman and The Thing would be most appreciated too

[Scottishguy]

Originally Posted by ste71

I hope Videodrome and Zombie Flesh Eaters will be given the UHD treatment, as well as the Argentos. Candyman and The Thing would be most appreciated too

I'm starting to think we got bots on this board, such is the similarity of these posts

(Jokes)

[bigeviljimmy]

I'd love arrow to put out a 4K of tremors!

[David M]

Originally Posted by Scottishguy

I'm starting to think we got bots on this board, such is the similarity of these posts

(Jokes)

10 print "We need Flash Gordon on MCA Discovision"
20 goto 10

[Cholly]

Originally Posted by Marv Inc.

I hope we see The Thing and American Werewolf.

You can guarantee that those and Fear and Loathing will come in 4k, if not by Arrow by Universal themselves. They all have 4k restorations and DCP's and they're among the catalog titles that Universal constantly reissues which have all been getting upgrades so far. Now the Hitchcock's have started getting announced so its only a matter of time before we hear about those mentioned above.

[dwk]

Thing about Arrow's American Werewolf is, according to the booklet, all the post scan work was done in 2K.

[Agent Kay]

Who has Highlander in the states? Would love a flash situation with that as the BD encode is so damn fragile

[Agent Kay]

Originally Posted by David M

10 print "We need Flash Gordon on MCA Discovision"
20 goto 10

The Universal widescreen disc is miles better!
I mean, fake news!