3D Blu-ray Disc You LAST BOUGHT or WATCHED Thread

[Just_Discovered_3D]

Originally Posted by cdx47

It's funny how some on here are complaining about 3D movies being too bright after some studios did this. Now you are complaining that they are too dim? I don't use 3D glasses so I should be seeing the difference but so far I've never had a major issue. But either way, GvK is beautiful and the action scenes look like they were designed for 3D.

I'm holding that they're often objectively too dim. For fun I tried a retina-searing high gain screen that, without glasses, stung like staring into the projector lens itself. Viewing angles were too narrow for practicality.

With a traditional screen, I had the "Ship Seesaw" sequence in Pirates of the Caribbean 4 lose DLP-Link sync due to excessive scene darkness.

Too many movies are too dim even for 2D. Dune 2024 was a bit of a disaster due to this when I saw it theatrically, the 3D conversion would have required a Wolverine treatment. Dune 2024 might have overcorrected as Dune 2021 had some very dark scenes too, maybe none so stygian as the sequel, but it also cut between pitch black scenes and blinding bright scenes (eg: Paul's dreams in the desert of Zendaya), for which the 3D glasses were a retina-saver, but I don't recall there being the blindingly bright scenes in 2024.

[the13thman]

Along with mumbly indistinct dialogue, excessively dim lighting is one of the worst things about modern cinema and TV.

[Elsinore]

Originally Posted by the13thman

Along with mumbly indistinct dialogue, excessively dim lighting is one of the worst things about modern cinema and TV.

Agree. My amateur theory about mumbly TV is that back in the day there was a screen and a speaker. Today there are multiple speakers and many different audio broadcast formats.

[Show spoiler]If I set my TV sound to “Bypass,” it plays exactly what the broadcast includes. Some shows have center speaker dialog, surround effects, etc. Then a commercial pops to totally different sound and another show pops to everything coming out of stereo front speakers only. Short of readjusting audio repeatedly for every night’s viewing, I’ll just use the PCM audio output setting for regular TV watching to mush everything into 2 channels for consistent volume and recognizable dialog. For my blu-rays, I’ll use Bypass for Dolby surround when I want the best sound. But some dialog is still so mumbly I have to turn on subs. For some reason, British accents are the hardest for me to understand.

[the13thman]

Originally Posted by Elsinore

Agree. My amateur theory about mumbly TV is that back in the day there was a screen and a speaker. Today there are multiple speakers and many different audio broadcast formats.

[Show spoiler]If I set my TV sound to “Bypass,” it plays exactly what the broadcast includes. Some shows have center speaker dialog, surround effects, etc. Then a commercial pops to totally different sound and another show pops to everything coming out of stereo front speakers only. Short of readjusting audio repeatedly for every night’s viewing, I’ll just use the PCM audio output setting for regular TV watching to mush everything into 2 channels for consistent volume and recognizable dialog. For my blu-rays, I’ll use Bypass for Dolby surround when I want the best sound. But some dialog is still so mumbly I have to turn on subs. For some reason, British accents are the hardest for me to understand.

Mono and stereo were simple, everything else since is an unnecessary complication. I use subtitles more than ever these days but that's partly because I am getting old.

[Active3D]

Originally Posted by the13thman

Mono and stereo were simple, everything else since is an unnecessary complication. I use subtitles more than ever these days but that's partly because I am getting old.

Stereo 2.0 with headphones works perfectly for me.

[cdx47]

Originally Posted by the13thman

Mono and stereo were simple, everything else since is an unnecessary complication. I use subtitles more than ever these days but that's partly because I am getting old.

For modern movies, a good multi-speaker mix can make the difference between it being watchable or not. For older movies, if it is in mono or stereo and I bought it, then it's usually a classic that don't need no stinkin' fancy audio But the exception does not prove the rule because there are few entertainment experiences more immersive than a great movie (or even just a good one) with a great multi-speaker audio mix.

[Joe D.]

Originally Posted by the13thman

Mono and stereo were simple, everything else since is an unnecessary complication. I use subtitles more than ever these days but that's partly because I am getting old.

Hi 13th,

I quite often turn on the subtitles not because of a problem with Dolby or DTS clarity but because actors today not only mumble words but speak their dialogue too quickly. And I just got the wax cleaned out of my ears as well.

[Joe D.]

Just again watched Blood of Ohma, an independent horror film released in 2011.

The side by side 3D is unfortunately accompanied by eyestrain. But because this was such a low budget production can put that aside thanks to some very strong depth and spatial separation.

[Emoto]

When I miss a bit of dialogue, I tend to back up the film and watch that section until I get it. (I am also getting old, and missing a few db of hearing in the human voice range.) I find that more expedient than turning on subtitles then turning them back off. But, I should probably spend some time looking at all the options for turning subtitles on and off, because maybe I've overlooked an easy one that doesn't involve working through menus.

[Elsinore]

My BR player’s remote has a Subtitles button that quickly turns them on and off. I didn’t realize it was there for years.

[the13thman]

Originally Posted by Emoto

When I miss a bit of dialogue, I tend to back up the film and watch that section until I get it. (I am also getting old, and missing a few db of hearing in the human voice range.) I find that more expedient than turning on subtitles then turning them back off. But, I should probably spend some time looking at all the options for turning subtitles on and off, because maybe I've overlooked an easy one that doesn't involve working through menus.

Originally Posted by Elsinore

My BR player’s remote has a Subtitles button that quickly turns them on and off. I didn’t realize it was there for years.

Some brands are better than others, Sony players are the worst for 4K playback (or at least mine is) but do have subtitle buttons on the remotes. My Panasonic and LG players don't. If there are no subtitles it's not uncommon for me to rewind a scene several times to catch a line. Sometimes when I watch film with subtitles there are subtitles appearing for lines I am not hearing at all.

Anyway, my last 3D Blu-ray arrivals have been:

Parasite (Wicked Vision)
Silent Madness (Wicked Vision)
Fast X
Puss In Boots The Last Wish
Trolls Band Together

while on order I have:

Frankenstein's Bloody Terror
Thunderbolts*

[Emoto]

Originally Posted by Elsinore

My BR player’s remote has a Subtitles button that quickly turns them on and off. I didn’t realize it was there for years.

I'm afraid to look at mine, since it may have the same thing, LOL.

I'll check it.

[Jlardonio]

Movies nowadays use a lot of bass in the dialogues.

If you have a sound equalizer set it for speech or the most near setting for speech that doesn't mute the other sfx. That way movies dialogues are more crisp.

[Elsinore]

Arriving next:
Fast & Furious 10
Thunderbolts
Frankenstein’s Bloody Terror

Awaiting:
Robot Monster Comic Anthology
The Bubble Roadshow Edition
Magnificent Bodyguards

Lotsa 3D goodies in the pipeline!

[Bernardo A.]

[cdx47]

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So besides the faulty disc, Fast X surprised me in some ways and the 3D definitely makes a difference. Small review incoming.

[C.C. 95]

Originally Posted by the13thman

Of course discs are just storage mediums but but CDs are not the same as DVDs which are not the same as Blu-rays.

And then there are different types of each disc and different materials used in making them, as evidenced by the discs that have rotted over the years.

Ultimately a disc with a single layer of data is going to be more reliable than one with several layers of data.

So there are lots of differentials really.

Their difference is mainly how they read/write (laser color and nanometer size) and the size of pits and lans, and the speed of the reading/writing. But basically the same with incremental improvements.
I can put video on CD-Rs, I can put audio on DVD-Rs, I can put 4k video on DVD-Rs, etc
The main difference is size and codecs. (Yes, there are rules governing each medium that the playback device enforces- but it does not change the fact that they are just storage mediums)
Also- Disc rot has nothing to do with layers. Disc rot is a manufacturing error that can happen to any type of disc. (A triple layered disc is no more susceptible to disc rot manufacturing error than a single layer disc)

[the13thman]

Originally Posted by C.C. 95

Their difference is mainly how they read/write (laser color and nanometer size) and the size of pits and lans, and the speed of the reading/writing. But basically the same with incremental improvements.
I can put video on CD-Rs, I can put audio on DVD-Rs, I can put 4k video on DVD-Rs, etc
The main difference is size and codecs. (Yes, there are rules governing each medium that the playback device enforces- but it does not change the fact that they are just storage mediums)
Also- Disc rot has nothing to do with layers. Disc rot is a manufacturing error that can happen to any type of disc. (A triple layered disc is no more susceptible to disc rot manufacturing error than a single layer disc)

Poor materials used to manufacture discs is usually what causes rot. Reaction with chemical in the packaging can cause it too, I have some discs that were ruined by the fancy cases they came in.

But discs with multiple layers can have issues switching between them, whether you call it rot or just failure, it happens. Discs with single layers can't have those same issues.

[Emoto]

Last night, I watched my Japan-sourced Captain America: Brave New World

I liked it. Of course, that has something to do with expectations. Going into any movie like a Marvel film, I expect nothing more than a big, loud, dumb, blockbuster with tons of special effects and fighting, etc., requiring significant suspension of disbelief.

I was not disappointed.

The 3D was decent, although not strong, but seemed present most of the time.

One thing of note was that the disc case had separate holders for all 3 discs that were setup in such a way that they could not rub against each other. I had not seen that before.

[Jlardonio]

Originally Posted by Emoto

The 3D was decent, although not strong, but seemed present most of the time.

The lack of IMAX AR is the culprit for that feeling.

In those shots it was really strong. Believe me.