King Kong '76 - January 2017

[jra166]

https://www.amazon.de/King-Kong-Blu-...king+kong+1976

Studio Canal will be releasing the '76 Kong in January. The French release (also Studio Canal) came out in 2009. Perhaps a new transfer or additional features?? It is currently a bit cheaper than the French release.

[DMRI2006]

Should be an AVC encode which alone would reap some benefits:

http://www.bluray-disc.de/blu-ray-fi...6-blu-ray-disc

I have the Australian disc which is AVC and even working from the same master, it is an appreciable improvement on the old VC-1 release Studio Canal released around the world.

[Swissangel4616]

Cover Looks cheap/lousy. Might be a Copyright issue

[RD1973]

Did anyone buy this new version?

I'm wondering if it's the same Studio Canal version that was available everywhere a few years ago, or if it's a new remaster.

[shukocarl]

I'm wondering the same thing? New Transfer?
BTW does it have English audio?

[geckoman31]

I just ordered this off the Amazon DE site. Will let you know how it looks when I get it in about a week. This is my ultimate guilty pleasure movie. Jessica Lange is a honey.

[Patsfan123]

It's not the same disc but it's unknown if its a new transfer or just new encode. I pulled these specs from Studio Canal's website:

Audio
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
German: DTS-HD Master Audio Mono

Subtitles
German

[geckoman31]

The umbrella release which as also AVC endcoded only had DTS MA 5.1 This new disk is only 2.0 Curious why this was omitted.

[Patsfan123]

Originally Posted by geckoman31

The umbrella release which as also AVC endcoded only had DTS MA 5.1 This new disk is only 2.0 Curious why this was omitted.

I think Umbrella does their own 5.1 mixes and doesn't license them out

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

[Brett C]

Originally Posted by Patsfan123

I think Umbrella does their own 5.1 mixes and doesn't license them out

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

The 5.1 included on the Umbrella BD release was created by Studio Canal back in 1999. It was also featured on the R1 Paramount DVD, first released the same year.

[Brett C]

Originally Posted by DMRI2006

Should be an AVC encode which alone would reap some benefits:

http://www.bluray-disc.de/blu-ray-fi...6-blu-ray-disc

I have the Australian disc which is AVC and even working from the same master, it is an appreciable improvement on the old VC-1 release Studio Canal released around the world.

Really? I would not say that from looking at these,

http://caps-a-holic.com/c.php?go=1&a...=64549&i=4&l=0

[DMRI2006]

Originally Posted by Brett C

Really? I would not say that from looking at these,

Yes, really.

I have both discs, seen them in motion and there's no question the AVC encode, as it ought to be, is appreciably superior to the ancient VC-1 encode on the initial SC European release. The image isn't as washed out, and what you might be seeing on the VC-1 screencaps that you might think is added detail, is actually more noise. You would see that in motion. The AVC encode on the Australian is less noisy and a touch darker, making for a better balanced transfer of a movie that does need a thorough remastering.

But, believe what you want and watch a 10-year-old (or older) master with an inferior codec if you'd rather. Doesn't matter to me, lol.

[CinemaScope]

Originally Posted by Brett C

The 5.1 included on the Umbrella BD release was created by Studio Canal back in 1999. It was also featured on the R1 Paramount DVD, first released the same year.

And it's also on the French Blu-ray, but I see the poor old Germans only get mono, so they probably weren't too bothered about the English option. I'm sure the new encode looks better, but I've had the French Blu for a few years now & it'll do for me, I don't know when I'll watch it next - I only had a few Blu's when I bought it, I have loads now.

[Brett C]

Originally Posted by DMRI2006

Yes, really.

I have both discs, seen them in motion and there's no question the AVC encode, as it ought to be, is appreciably superior to the ancient VC-1 encode on the initial SC European release. The image isn't as washed out, and what you might be seeing on the VC-1 screencaps that you might think is added detail, is actually more noise. You would see that in motion. The AVC encode on the Australian is less noisy and a touch darker, making for a better balanced transfer of a movie that does need a thorough remastering.

But, believe what you want and watch a 10-year-old (or older) master with an inferior codec if you'd rather. Doesn't matter to me, lol.

We will agree to disagree for sure.

The Umbrella is just a re-encoded port of the same transfer and the AVC encode is irrelevant, because the encode itself is inferior.
Yes, I own both and every disc release dating back to the Laserdiscs.

The transfer has noise, but the Umbrella has mushed that noise from crappy encoding. There is more to a transfer than whether one is VC-1 or AVC. Not sure why you would call VC-1 ancient, when they were both developed around the same time! Does AVC yield better results, sure it does, but the compressionist also has to know what he/she is doing. Just because one uses AVC, does not translate automatically to instantly better results. People see the labellings and assume that though.

I think what we can agree about, is that the film does need a new transfer.

[DMRI2006]

Not sure why you would call VC-1 ancient, when they were both developed around the same time! Does AVC yield better results, sure it does, but the compressionist also has to know what he/she is doing. Just because one uses AVC, does not translate automatically to instantly better results. People see the labellings and assume that though.

Now that I've seen the new German release, the Australian disc compression is lacking, I do agree with you. I still would take it over the old Studio Canal release any time (I mean, that master was released basically at the start of both Blu-Ray and HD-DVD formats, and looks it), but I can see where the compression is problematic.

The new German disc and its AVC encode has a much higher bit-rate than the Australian release. The compression is much better than the Australian release as well, nearly 10 mpbs higher on average (topping over 30 mbps in many instances whereas the Aussie disc is barely over 20 mbps for the most part), and it shows in motion.

One small letdown is the German disc has 2.0 English DTS MA stereo and it is clearly not as robust as the 5.1 DTS MA track on the Australian disc, but it's still decent. It also has the deleted scenes and trailer, but drops off the "Making Of" (no great loss IMO) which was mostly a couple of historians blathering about.

Region B locked as well for those who are interested. For now, and until we get a genuinely remastered release, I'd say this is the best release out there.

[jerclay]

Originally Posted by DMRI2006

Now that I've seen the new German release, the Australian disc compression is lacking, I do agree with you. I still would take it over the old Studio Canal release any time (I mean, that master was released basically at the start of both Blu-Ray and HD-DVD formats, and looks it), but I can see where the compression is problematic.

The new German disc and its AVC encode has a much higher bit-rate than the Australian release. The compression is much better than the Australian release as well, nearly 10 mpbs higher on average (topping over 30 mbps in many instances whereas the Aussie disc is barely over 20 mbps for the most part), and it shows in motion.

One small letdown is the German disc has 2.0 English DTS MA stereo and it is clearly not as robust as the 5.1 DTS MA track on the Australian disc, but it's still decent. It also has the deleted scenes and trailer, but drops off the "Making Of" (no great loss IMO) which was mostly a couple of historians blathering about.

Region B locked as well for those who are interested. For now, and until we get a genuinely remastered release, I'd say this is the best release out there.

Something to look forward, perhaps?

https://www.amazon.co.jp/ã‚*ングã‚...g+kong+blu-ray

[Galactus123]

I ordered this from Amazon. This is one of my favorite movies so can't wait to watch it in HD. This remake is much better than people say. I like all the remakes expect Kong: Skull Island. That was terrible.

[kong73]

I really don't understand why this has not gotten a special USA release...or just a release period! For god sacks they just announced Galaxy of Terror!!! So frustrating

[TheOneWithThePrize]

Originally Posted by kong73

I really don't understand why this has not gotten a special USA release...or just a release period! For god sacks they just announced Galaxy of Terror!!! So frustrating

Because it is with Paramount in the US and they don't give a hoot about most catalogue titles.

[Galactus123]

I watched this again. One of my favorite movies. I like every Kong movie expect Kong: Skull Island and King Kong Lives. The quality is great.