Predator 3D Blu-ray (1987) [Region Locked]

[filmmusic]

Originally Posted by The Fallen Deity

If it's a new, properly done transfer than great but if it isn't I'll be sticking with the original '08 BD.

Well, if it was indeed a brand new transfer I'm sure they would advertise it all over the place with Neon lights!

Since they are very careful about what they're saying, I guess it's not!

[raygendreau]

Originally Posted by HeavyHitter

It's very irritating with the word games used. Why doesn't he just be honest about it - the truth is eventually going to come out.

To be fair, I don't know Finn's technical background. He may not be completely familiar with the process (OCN to DI to final digital master). He is, after all, a marketing spokesman, and I still maintain that he did exactly what he was supposed to do, under the circumstances.

This is from his promotion press release: "Finn has been at the company for 13 years, previously helping to oversee publicity for Fox Searchlight Pictures and working on the campaigns for films such as "The Namesake" and "Slumdog Millionaire." He also worked at Twentieth Century Fox's theatrical unit, participating on the promotion of films like "Minority Report" and "Ice Age."

Seems to me, his experience at Fox has been in marketing communications and Public Relations for his entire tenure.

Originally Posted by The Fallen Deity

Wasn't it confirmed somewhere that the UHE's transfer was sourced from the same HD master as the original BD and the reason it looks so different is because it was processed to death?

Who confirmed that the same scan was used for the 2008 and 2010 release?

The official term used for the Ultimate Hunter Edition was "all new digital restoration".

[HeavyHitter]

I speculate they used the same film elements for the 2008 and 2010 release, but a different scan of those elements was used for each.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by HeavyHitter

I speculate they used the same film elements for the 2008 and 2010 release, but a different scan of those elements was used for each.

I don't think so. The geometry and framing of the two versions is far too close (nigh-on identical aside from the UHE shifted up by a few pixels) for them to have been entirely different film-to-video transfers. If you meant that they were different masters of the same underlying transfer, then I agree 100%. Fox brought up the brightness, tweaked the colour here and there, and dialled the DNR to 11 for the "digital restoration". The UHE so smooth and grainless, it's a perfect candidate for a 3D makeover because it'd be that much easier to work with.

[tylergfoster]

The UHE transfer was a new scan done for that release.

[jlk5844]

If they're being vague and ambiguous about the details and not stating it outright, which would generate more interest and sales, don't you think it's likely not a remaster?

[HeavyHitter]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

I don't think so. The geometry and framing of the two versions is far too close (nigh-on identical aside from the UHE shifted up by a few pixels) for them to have been entirely different film-to-video transfers. If you meant that they were different masters of the same underlying transfer, then I agree 100%. Fox brought up the brightness, tweaked the colour here and there, and dialled the DNR to 11 for the "digital restoration". The UHE so smooth and grainless, it's a perfect candidate for a 3D makeover because it'd be that much easier to work with.

It just seemed like the differences were too drastic of using an identical scan for both even if going crazy on the processing as they did. The color between the two is far more than just "tweaked here and there". Then you have very large gamma differences, re-encoding, etc. But, I am just speculating.

[Bukax42]

Originally Posted by tylergfoster

The UHE transfer was a new scan done for that release.

I will never believe that. Ever.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by HeavyHitter

It just seemed like the differences were too drastic of using an identical scan for both even if going crazy on the processing as they did. The color between the two is far more than just "tweaked here and there". Then you have very large gamma differences, re-encoding, etc. But, I am just speculating.

As am I. But all the stuff you mentioned doesn't automatically mean 'new scan'. They could just as easily be applied to an extant transfer and, IMO, they were. The UHE was a cash-in timed to promote Predators, nothing more, so Fox tarted up the old transfer and hoped no-one would notice.

[HeavyHitter]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

As am I. But all the stuff you mentioned doesn't automatically mean 'new scan'. They could just as easily be applied to an extant transfer and, IMO, they were. The UHE was a cash-in timed to promote Predators, nothing more, so Fox tarted up the old transfer and hoped no-one would notice.

It doesn't, nor did I say it was "automatic" but seeing how drastically different the two look and given there still is at least some cropping differences albeit very minor, I would be a bit surprised they could have achieved all of that with the same transfer. If it was the same transfer, there should be zero cropping difference and I am not aware of such stark color differences using the same transfer happening before (but maybe it does).

http://caps-a-holic.com/hd_vergleich...ss=0#vergleich

[HeavyHitter]

Originally Posted by Bukax42

I will never believe that. Ever.

Why not? It could have been and my guess it is was, but just badly processed with DNR and gamma/contrast/color boosting. Had none of that been done, it would have been noticeably better than the 2008 version just for having AVC encoding alone.

[RyanPom]

It's weird how nothing has been said about this since comic con. No new extras, whatever.

[DetroitSportsFan]

Originally Posted by jlk5844

If they're being vague and ambiguous about the details and not stating it outright, which would generate more interest and sales, don't you think it's likely not a remaster?

Given the overall critical and collector reaction to the UHE, you would think that Fox would be yelling from the rooftops that they have a new remaster if that were the case. The secrecy and vagueness tells me it's just a 3D conversion of the UHE.

[HeavyHitter]

Originally Posted by DetroitSportsFan

Given the overall critical and collector reaction to the UHE, you would think that Fox would be yelling from the rooftops that they have a new remaster if that were the case. The secrecy and vagueness tells me it's just a 3D conversion of the UHE.

Yup.

[The Rider]

Originally Posted by raygendreau

Asked and answered: https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.p...&postcount=114

Ask yourself why the final question in this twitter conversation was not publicly answered by Finn. Anyone with the most rudimentary powers of deductive reasoning knows the answer.

Good question. But Fox say in the past nothing about the scans(except Alien and Aliens). For example Terminator, why they never promote the disc with the new scan ?

The only information come from a guy from the hidefninja forum, Wreck.

[The Rider]

Originally Posted by tylergfoster

The UHE transfer was a new scan done for that release.

Where you have this informations ?

Why should Fox make all this digital corrections on a brand new, clean print ?
On new prints grain is visible finer, contrast and colors a way stronger.

Traditionally studios use DNR and other digital tools for old masters.

[Kirk Out]

Originally Posted by DetroitSportsFan

Given the overall critical and collector reaction to the UHE, you would think that Fox would be yelling from the rooftops that they have a new remaster if that were the case. The secrecy and vagueness tells me it's just a 3D conversion of the UHE.

Originally Posted by HeavyHitter

Yup.

Right on the nose.

[tylergfoster]

Originally Posted by The Rider

Where you have this informations ?

Why should Fox make all this digital corrections on a brand new, clean print ?
On new prints grain is visible finer, contrast and colors a way stronger.

Traditionally studios use DNR and other digital tools for old masters.

I was told directly by Finn that the UHE was a fresh scan. Obviously, they then went and screwed it up with DNR, but I don't see why people are shocked that they started fresh. I suppose maybe it seems more outrageous that they would ruin a nice new scan, but if they believe the UHE contains acceptable levels of DNR (which they must, considering they released it), nothing can really be that surprising.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by tylergfoster

I was told directly by Finn that the UHE was a fresh scan. Obviously, they then went and screwed it up with DNR, but I don't see why people are shocked that they started fresh. I suppose maybe it seems more outrageous that they would ruin a nice new scan, but if they believe the UHE contains acceptable levels of DNR (which they must, considering they released it), nothing can really be that surprising.

Given how Mr Finn appears to be wrong about the 3D version getting a new transfer, I wouldn't put much faith in his prior comments about the UHE. Was it a new master? 100% yes - by definition it's a new master because of all the changes that were made. But a new transfer? I would say no.

As for changes to colour/contrast/gamma etc, you only have to look at something like They Live to see the difference between an old unmolested transfer (Italian version) and what it looked like once Universal got their hands on it (Shout! version). The Shout! does have a slightly wider aspect ratio, granted, but the geometry is so similar between the two I firmly believe that they both use the same underlying transfer.

[The Fallen Deity]

Originally Posted by HeavyHitter

It just seemed like the differences were too drastic of using an identical scan for both even if going crazy on the processing as they did. The color between the two is far more than just "tweaked here and there". Then you have very large gamma differences, re-encoding, etc. But, I am just speculating.

It's amazing what you can do with digital tools these days.

The Star Trek movie BD box sets are a perfect example of this:

Most of the films in the set were sourced from the same HD masters as the DVD editions but they were heavily tweaked in regards to colour timing, contrast, brightness etc that you wouldn't think that they came from the same scans.

http://www.avsforum.com/t/1146477/st...on-pix-reviews

Look at the first pic of the Enterprise, it's amazing how different you can make the transfer look with digital tools.