The Official Network Thread

[HotRats]

Has anyone seen any reviews of the Peter Whitehead box? It was supposed to have been released on the 17th but Network's own page still doesn't say exactly what the discs contain

[malcy30]

Originally Posted by HotRats

Has anyone seen any reviews of the Peter Whitehead box? It was supposed to have been released on the 17th but Network's own page still doesn't say exactly what the discs contain

If you mean this one
https://networkonair.com/all-product...ities-blu-ray-

I thought it had been cancelled. Although it’s still listed on the Network site you can’t buy. Read back through the thread.

They obviously got very few pre-orders at the price as seemed very pricey to me. IIRC they said they would go back and reconsider in what format they could release it later in the year.

[HotRats]

Missed that. I'm not surprised it didn't get many orders when they didn't give a full description of contents

[johnpaul2]

3.0 for the extras of Some Girls Do ? It has to be a mistake.

I understand a reviewer might enjoy a ton 1 trailer, a leaflet and some still galeries, but it's hard to understand how it might be scored higher than, say, Anti-Worlds' Holiday, Indicator's The Devil is a Woman, or MoC's The Son of the Sheik, or only 0.5pt lower than Indicator's Endless Night.

[Fnord Prefect]

Originally Posted by HotRats

Missed that. I'm not surprised it didn't get many orders when they didn't give a full description of contents

Poorly marketed and on the face of it over-priced for two films, one of which is a dated quasi-mondo period piece that thanks to Barrett era Pink Floyd's involvement has been bootlegged to high heaven since at least the early 80's (and I would love to own on blu-ray) Also as you said a fuller description of contents would have helped.

I still think Network missed a trick by not including a 12" vinyl EP of the Pink Floyd tracks (the only ones not owned or controlled by Floyd themselves)

[Yami]

I'm definitely in for The Man In Grey, maybe the definitive Gainsborough melodrama with a terrific early career performance from James Mason.

Network continue their eclectic title selection though. I'm sure someone will be interested in all of these, but it seems odd that they would prioritise them over the remaining ITV Hitchcocks or Powell/Pressburgers.

[Modman]

Originally Posted by Yami

I'm definitely in for The Man In Grey, maybe the definitive Gainsborough melodrama with a terrific early career performance from James Mason.

Network continue their eclectic title selection though. I'm sure someone will be interested in all of these, but it seems odd that they would prioritise them over the remaining ITV Hitchcocks or Powell/Pressburgers.

I am not even sure that Network has any of the Powell/Pressburgers, all of their blu-ray releases to date have come from either ITV or Studio Canal haven't they?

[Yami]

Originally Posted by Modman

I am not even sure that Network has any of the Powell/Pressburgers, all of their blu-ray releases to date have come from either ITV or Studio Canal haven't they?

Network have released Black Narcissus and Oh Rosalinda. I've never really understood whether Network's relationship with ITV involves them licensing select / a batch of titles or if they have near carte blanche with the catalog.

Either way, ITV surely wouldn't play hardball on something like The Spy in Black of The Battle of the River Plate.

[Modman]

Originally Posted by Yami

Network have released Black Narcissus and Oh Rosalinda. I've never really understood whether Network's relationship with ITV involves them licensing select / a batch of titles or if they have near carte blanche with the catalog.

Either way, ITV surely wouldn't play hardball on something like The Spy in Black of The Battle of the River Plate.

I stand corrected, of course ITV did release Black Narcissus on blu-ray many moons ago.

[johnpaul2]

Though Svet writes it in a way that makes it look quite negligible ("A few minor minor encoding optimizations could have been made"), Play It Cool's subpar compression issues are actually quite noticeable and frequent (as shown by the fact his own caps arere more often than not show obvious a blockiness that wouldn't feel alien to some discs' LegoVision) :

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/scree...685&position=1
https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/scree...685&position=2
https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/scree...685&position=5
https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/scree...85&position=13
https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/scree...85&position=15
https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/scree...85&position=17

While Network has a habit of using BD-25, thus overcompressing their movies, many of their titles are relatively short and thus fit in there with a good-enough bitrate. Play It Cool fors instance has a 25 Mbps AVB, which would be plenty enough in many hands for this material. And yet.
However, it certainly doesn't help that the BD-25 is here only used up to 75% of its capacity, with the movie weighing only 16.5 Gb.

This isn't the first Network disc with a problematic encode, and I really wish Network would do something about it, especially for their newer restorations. It shouldn't be as blocky as this.

[Modman]

Originally Posted by johnpaul2

Though Svet writes it in a way that makes it look quite negligible ("A few minor minor encoding optimizations could have been made"), Play It Cool's subpar compression issues are actually quite noticeable and frequent (as shown by the fact his own caps arere more often than not show obvious a blockiness that wouldn't feel alien to some discs' LegoVision) :

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/scree...685&position=1
https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/scree...685&position=2
https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/scree...685&position=5
https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/scree...85&position=13
https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/scree...85&position=15
https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/scree...85&position=17

While Network has a habit of using BD-25, thus overcompressing their movies, many of their titles are relatively short and thus fit in there with a good-enough bitrate. Play It Cool fors instance has a 25 Mbps AVB, which would be plenty enough in many hands for this material. And yet.
However, it certainly doesn't help that the BD-25 is here only used up to 75% of its capacity, with the movie weighing only 16.5 Gb.

This isn't the first Network disc with a problematic encode, and I really wish Network would do something about it, especially for their newer restorations. It shouldn't be as blocky as this.

Clearly I am missing what you're seeing!

[oddbox83]

Network's encoding has never been great. They're about the same as Shout, Kino, some BFI titles, etc. I'd guess they just run them through automated settings and don't make manual optimisations.

[johnpaul2]

Originally Posted by Modman

Clearly I am missing what you're seeing!

It's easier this way, so here are non-zoomed extract of (some of) the problematic areas from the caps above. The blockiness of it, visible through how grain crumbles into splotches of macroblocks, hopefully will be clearer to you

Originally Posted by oddbox83

Network's encoding has never been great. They're about the same as Shout, Kino, some BFI titles, etc. I'd guess they just run them through automated settings and don't make manual optimisations.

I'm quite sure that's indeed it. Otherwise, they would at least make the most of their BD-25 instead of leaving 25% space unused. My guess : they set the target up for around 25 Mbps AVB and left it at that.

[Aclea]

Network have announced the Nigel Kneale adapted 1989 TV version of The Woman in Black for 25th May:

https://thewomaninblack.networkonair...eid=09920608fd

Remastered in original ratio and widescreen.

[BarnDoor]

I almost fell out of my chair when I saw that e-mail. Can't believe it. This will take some beating as release of the year for me.

[Ste7en]

Same here! Stunning announcement!

[Richard A]

Yes, excellent news. Details:

After many years, indeed many decades, in the wilderness, we're proud to reveal the 1989 TV adaptation of Susan Hill's chiller. Adapted by Nigel Kneale and directed by the great Herbert Wise, this is the ultimate ghost story, rightly regarded as a master class of the genre.

The Blu-ray, which is stunningly restored in high definition, includes:

• Standard and Widescreen versions
• Exclusive commentary with Kim Newman and Mark Gatiss
• Booklet by Andrew Pixley
• Limited-edition special packaging.
  

Pre-order for £15.

[AnnThrope]

The Woman In Black release is definitely great news, but I don't think I'll be buying it. It absolutely terrified me when I was 19 - I don't think my poor old 50 year old heart could take it. But enjoy, those who dare.

[Dickieduvet]

Originally Posted by AnnThrope

The Woman In Black release is definitely great news, but I don't think I'll be buying it. It absolutely terrified me when I was 19 - I don't think my poor old 50 year old heart could take it. But enjoy, those who dare.

This features one of the best scares I think I've ever seen on TV, remember letting out a big scream

[PhilipWW]

Five new blu-rays have just been announced for May release

LOOKING ON THE BRIGHT SIDE (1932) Basil Green
CONVOY (1940) Pen Tennyson
THE OVERLANDERS (1946) Harry Watt
ANOTHER SHORE (1948) Charles Crichton
LADY GODIVA RIDES AGAIN (1951) Frank Launder