Physical & Digital EST: The Future of Home Video Discussion Thread

[Wendell R. Breland]

Originally Posted by cheez avenger

I watched the Total Recall 4K disc and was not impressed by the video or audio.

Have you watched the UHD BD of The Beastmaster? If so and you have the BD version, how does it compare?

[sapiendut]

Originally Posted by cheez avenger

I watched the Total Recall 4K disc and was not impressed by the video or audio.

Thanks for the info. This way I saved $40 in Canada.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by cheez avenger

I watched the Total Recall 4K disc and was not impressed by the video or audio.

Nor me. It looked good but not as good as I expected. Mildly disappointed would describe it.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Wendell R. Breland

Have you watched the UHD BD of The Beastmaster? If so and you have the BD version, how does it compare?

Still waiting for mine. Will let you know ASAP.

[gotmule]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

£7.99 on Amazon. Worth picking up by the sound of it?

Sorry for the late response as I was at work today. Krampus is a fun dark comedy and at times pretty bizarre and twisted. Love the audio on it as it is very dynamic and a great one to upmix. I would definitely recommend it especially at that price.

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by Wendell R. Breland

Where are you with sub-woofer selection?

REL is the main contender, but I am undecided upon which model. I have time to ponder it as I do not expect to add a subwoofer until about March. A pair of rear height speakers is planned for next month and that will be it until I decide upon an exact REL model.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by gotmule

Sorry for the late response as I was at work today. Krampus is a fun dark comedy and at times pretty bizarre and twisted. Love the audio on it as it is very dynamic and a great one to upmix. I would definitely recommend it especially at that price.

Cool, thanks

[bhampton]

Hey,

I love Apple computers including my ATV4K. It’s not perfect but it gets a lot of updates so maybe it’s evolving and a new model next year may better in some way. I beta test Apple software on my ATV4K, my IPhone and my Apple Watch. I may enroll my laptop and Mac mini for beta as well. I would rather experience the bugs and help report them when possible. I also beta test new updates for Windows 10 via the insiders program.

I do consider myself an audiophile. I go by the definition of audiophile as someone who thoroughly enjoys audio and will go out of the way for higher quality reproduction. I do appreciate the higher quality audio and video that my Panasonic UB 420 provides. It doesn’t suffer from any network issues either. (It’s not even connected to the network)

I can’t imagine “the future “ currently. So much has changed so quickly. And it’s not always clear that newer tech is better. Some newer tech is rather awful esp when it’s objectively worse performance than the old school. Example MP3

I’m old so maybe this future doesn’t matter as much to me. If my kids would rather watch people fall down in 30 second clips on tic tok then sit still and invest two hours to experience ET, that’s just the way things are now.

I don’t think I’ll ever stop buying physical media. For the moment it remains the most capable format in terms of delivering the best experience.

[Lee A Stewart]

https://www.mediaplaynews.com/resear...ended-12-5-20/

[bhampton]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Yeah, the 3D was very decent.

Ive been watching 3D again. It's fun and the Sony 4K projector I currently use (VW285) is the best 3D setup I've had so far. Looks great.

I want to look through and inventory my 3D Blu because I haven't in a while. I think it's time to store those separate for the most part. Except for UHD with 3D BD ... like Alita and Passagers. Those are nice.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by bhampton

Ive been watching 3D again. It's fun and the Sony 4K projector I currently use (VW285) is the best 3D setup I've had so far. Looks great.

I want to look through and inventory my 3D Blu because I haven't in a while. I think it's time to store those separate for the most part. Except for UHD with 3D BD ... like Alita and Passagers. Those are nice.

I just have mine included with my main Collection. Most have a regular Blu-Ray copy also.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by bhampton

Hey,

I love Apple computers including my ATV4K. It’s not perfect but it gets a lot of updates so maybe it’s evolving and a new model next year may better in some way. I beta test Apple software on my ATV4K, my IPhone and my Apple Watch. I may enroll my laptop and Mac mini for beta as well. I would rather experience the bugs and help report them when possible. I also beta test new updates for Windows 10 via the insiders program.

I do consider myself an audiophile. I go by the definition of audiophile as someone who thoroughly enjoys audio and will go out of the way for higher quality reproduction. I do appreciate the higher quality audio and video that my Panasonic UB 420 provides. It doesn’t suffer from any network issues either. (It’s not even connected to the network)

I can’t imagine “the future “ currently. So much has changed so quickly. And it’s not always clear that newer tech is better. Some newer tech is rather awful esp when it’s objectively worse performance than the old school. Example MP3

I’m old so maybe this future doesn’t matter as much to me. If my kids would rather watch people fall down in 30 second clips on tic tok then sit still and invest two hours to experience ET, that’s just the way things are now.

I don’t think I’ll ever stop buying physical media. For the moment it remains the most capable format in terms of delivering the best experience.

I’m still in touch with my old workplace and friends and there are plenty of students still passionate about filmmaking/films. The courses are as popular as ever. We even have a local hero who has graduated and is now working on broadcast tv including some top shows.

I do share your concerns about the future though. As everyone knows by now!

Hopefully film will be here until I die.

On that happy note, I’m taking a break. All the best guys!

[Wendell R. Breland]

Originally Posted by Vilya

REL is the main contender, but I am undecided upon which model. I have time to ponder it as I do not expect to add a subwoofer until about March. A pair of rear height speakers is planned for next month and that will be it until I decide upon an exact REL model.

A just in case, regardless of brand or model I would select one(s) with balanced audio input. Both of my subs have balanced audio as well as the AVP but in my setup there was no hum so I used the unbalanced connection. The longest run is 35 feet. As mentioned before I have a dictated 30 amp service for the equipment racks and semi-dictated 20 amp for the subs.

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by Wendell R. Breland

A just in case, regardless of brand or model I would select one(s) with balanced audio input. Both of my subs have balanced audio as well as the AVP but in my setup there was no hum so I used the unbalanced connection. The longest run is 35 feet. As mentioned before I have a dictated 30 amp service for the equipment racks and semi-dictated 20 amp for the subs.

My AVR does not support XLR connections, but one of the REL subwoofers that I am considering does- not that it will do me any good. The distance between AVR and subwoofer will be a short distance, so standard RCA connection it will be.

After that, I will be contemplating an upgrade of my front three speakers, but that will be a longer term goal as the expense will be considerable.

I am continuing my nightly viewing of two Christmas movies. It is so nice to have the use of my speakers again. I recently watched the 1951 A Christmas Carol starring Alastair Sim (aka "Scrooge" in the U.K.); it is an excellent adaptation.



https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/A-Chr.../29223/#Review

I noticed also that it is not available on Vudu, but thankfully I own it on blu-ray. Just another example of a classic film that appears to be unavailable digitally.

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by Lee A Stewart

https://www.mediaplaynews.com/resear...ended-12-5-20/

That's the first average year over year price increase that I have seen in quite awhile. Even so, discs are still a bargain in my book.

[Wendell R. Breland]

Originally Posted by Vilya

After that, I will be contemplating an upgrade of my front three speakers, but that will be a longer term goal as the expense will be considerable.

I believe you will be pleasantly surprised how things sound once you add a sub(s).

Originally Posted by Vilya

That's the first average year over year price increase that I have seen in quite awhile. Even so, discs are still a bargain in my book.

Too bad not many can appreciate title vs cost of BD's and UHD BD's like you, I and a few others here can. Todays crowd would faint at the cost of $50 to a $100 for titles in NTSC (PAL) LaserDisc. Paid $37 to $40 each for most of my HD D-VHS D-Theater titles.

[JohnAV]

What’s at Stake in Christmas’s Big Streaming Showdown - Decider

CAN NETFLIX RAISE AN ARMY OF ROMANCE FANS WITH BRIDGERTON?

Bridgerton | Official Trailer | Netflix - YouTube

With COVID-19 pushing back production on The Witcher Season 2, Netflix needed to find another show to fill its Christmas slot. Enter Bridgerton.

While Bridgerton does have, uh, duels, most of its action is reserved solely for the bedroom. Based on the best-selling romance novels by Julia Quinn, Bridgerton is a lush and sensual Regency fantasy about a wealthy (and good-looking) family navigating the scandalous social season of 1813. Soapy, swoon-y, and full of sex scenes, the show embraces the tropes of the romance genre. Though romance is arguably the single most lucrative literary genre out there, very few major romance titles have been adapted for film or TV. (And they’re usually in the realm of YA fantasy.) This means that Bridgerton‘s already ardent fanbase is an underserved market chomping at the bit for some dreamy romances to watch.

CAN WONDER WOMAN SAVE WARNERMEDIA’S HBO MAX?

Wonder Woman 1984 - Official Main Trailer - YouTube

With Warner Bros. bearing the financial brunt of COVID-19’s effect on the film industry, WarnerMedia needs to drive up activation numbers on HBO Max fast. Which is one reason why they’ve decided to stop delaying the theatrical release of Wonder Woman 1984 (and all subsequent 2021 films) in favor of limited theatrical release and a direct-to-HBO Max premiere strategy.

The hope is that by sacrificing expected box office profits, WarnerMedia can leverage interest in these films to drive up subscriptions and activations. It remains to be seen if Wonder Woman (and the Roku deal) will be enough to push HBO Max into the big leagues of streaming with Netflix and the uber-successful Disney+…

WILL SOUL BE ENOUGH TO KEEP DISNEY+ ALIVE?

Disney and Pixar’s Soul | Official Trailer 2 | Disney+ - YouTube

Arguably the least of the big three, but only because Disney+ isn’t betting everything on Christmas Day like HBO Max is. That’s because Disney+ doesn’t need to. On December 10’s earnings call, Disney chief Bob Chapek revealed that in just one year, Disney+ had hit 86.8 million subscribers. That’s not only way more than HBO Max, but Disney+ hit its four-year goal in just one.

Place your bets on who will do well this Christmas.

[CV19]

Originally Posted by Vilya

I am continuing my nightly viewing of two Christmas movies. It is so nice to have the use of my speakers again. I recently watched the 1951 A Christmas Carol starring Alastair Sim (aka "Scrooge" in the U.K.); it is an excellent adaptation.

I'm sure you have already seen it, but in case you haven't, I would also recommend A Christmas Carol (1984) with George C. Scott. This and the version you mentioned with Alastair Sim are my two favourites which I always watch this time of year. I've no idea how well the soundtrack will test out your home theatre set-up but it's a great film nevertheless.

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/A-Chr...Blu-ray/16008/

[JohnAV]

MGM Enlists Advisors to Explore Sale (Report) - Hollywood Reporter 12/21/2020

MGM appears to be getting closer to formally exploring a sale.

The Hollywood giant has enlisted Morgan Stanley and LionTree LCC to serve as advisors in the process, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing unnamed sources. A studio spokesperson declined to comment on the article.

MGM's top shareholder is Anchorage Capital, run by former Goldman Sachs exec Kevin Ulrich, who leads the studio’s board of directors. An Anchorage Capital rep did not respond to a request for comment.

The company has gone without a single CEO since March 2018 when Gary Barber, the Spyglass Entertainment founder who joined MGM after it emerged from bankruptcy in 2010, was abruptly fired.

The studio touts that it has a film library of around 4,000 titles and 17,000 hours of TV programming, including the James Bond, Rocky and The Hobbit film franchises. That vast library could be a key asset as studios increasingly bet on direct-to-consumer streaming platforms to win over Wall Street investors as global box office grosses slide amid COVID-19 shutdowns.

The streaming wars escalated when Warner Bros. revealed plans on Dec. 3 to send its entire 2021 slate — 17 films — directly to its parent company's streaming service, HBO Max, the same day the titles hit theaters. The fallout of that plan was discussed in banker LionTree's year-end letter. On Dec. 17, LionTree CEO Aryeh B. Bourkoff remarked on the "opportunities for (re)invention" in the year ahead for global businesses, noting that WarnerMedia's plan "poses many challenges by creating disruptions and opportunities for content creators, theatrical distributors but also highlighting the need for IP even for the most scaled of streaming platforms."

MGM's 25th installment in the Bond series, No Time to Die, was delayed from its Nov. 12 release date to April 2, 2021 as the pandemic has kept many theaters shuttered domestically. The studio had held talks with Apple about picking up the title, with the tech giant said to have considered an offer in the $350 million to $400 million range for the 007 film, sources told The Hollywood Reporter for an Oct. 27 story.

Over the past decade, MGM’s film hits include the billion-dollar grossers The Hobbit and Bond entry Skyfall in 2012, a blockbuster revival of the Rocky franchise with 2015’s Creed ($173 million globally) and last year’s animated reboot of The Addams Family ($203 million).

[bhampton]

I love my ATV4K so much.

I always go to bed at half time when there's a night football game and when I got up this morning and opened the NFL app they were replaying the game so I watched the forth quarter. (Also the best NFL game of the year if not the best game I've ever seen.)

It's like this little gizmo read my mind or something. (Or a total coincidence)


-Brian