Sony Black Crush on late-2014 / early-2015 BDs

[bruceames]

Originally Posted by Pecker

Is this what you're referring to?

Answer, almost certainly yet.

As Robert Harris and Roger Deakins have both pointed out, a 4K scan is a complete waste of money unless you're going all the way back to the OCN, and scanning at 4K is substantially more expensive than scanning at 2K.

So, as these come from 4K masters, it's 99.9% certain they scanned the OCNs.

Nonetheless, all of this is irrelevant to the discussion. there are any number of stages at which a film is printed down and altered post-OCN, sometimes with a presumption that the levels of degradation will change the look of the film, sometimes when this is done so deliberately.

The point remains, just because any one early copy of a film has visible detail does not mean that every bit of that detail was intended to be seen.

Steve W

FWIW, the 4K download version from the 4K Unlimited site has similar shadow detail to the U.S. BD.

[Clark Kent]

Originally Posted by grrrarg

This thread has me worried for the future. Imagine Sony finally fires whoever is responsible for all these discs... and then Universal hires this individual?

Maybe we can get some catalog titles from Universal from 12+ year old HDTV broadcast masters encoded with Universal's patented, unobtrusive DNR techniques combined with black crush!!

The fix for these issues shouldn't be overly difficult.

[Pyoko]

Originally Posted by Poya

Fair point. Though, I find it extremely ironic how Quentin Tarantino is the biggest lover of film out there, yet his recent films have been through a DI.

It's not that ironic, there's nothing wrong with using the strengths of each medium to your advantage. The strength of film is capturing greater dynamic range, detail and a more "organic" image. The strength of digital is retaining that image all the way to the end viewing. It's not like a DI suddenly makes your film look like it was shot on RED, and if you don't do a DI all you achieve is a fuzzier image (which is fine if it's what you want.)

[amoergosum]

So I sent three emails to Sony...finally I received a reply >>>

"Thank you for your interest in Sony Pictures Home Entertainment products.

We have forwarded the email to our management. This issue is still being looked into.



Thank you for you patience in this matter."

[James Luckard]

The review for ANNIE is up here at the site, with captures. I didn't see this film in theaters, had no interest in it, but it looks like it also has the black crush. All the darker captures look similar to the affected titles so far. Half the frame in each is just murky, flat, detail-free black.

[Show spoiler]

[Show spoiler]

Obviously, we should wait until we get some comparison caps from the UV or DVD or a foreign BD, but it looks like we have another victim.

[James Luckard]

The review for TROOP BEVERLY HILLS also mentions the black crush in the darker scenes:

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Troop...122611/#Review

That film is like MY BEST FRIEND'S WEDDING, a comedy made up almost entirely of bright daytime exteriors and well-lit interiors, so the effect of the black crush should be minimal, at least.

[ryanmj1993]

Originally Posted by amoergosum

So I sent three emails to Sony...finally I received a reply >>>

Hopefully if we keep bit*hing threy will do something about this.

[jscoggins]

Originally Posted by James Luckard

The review for ANNIE is up here at the site, with captures. I didn't see this film in theaters, had no interest in it, but it looks like it also has the black crush. All the darker captures look similar to the affected titles so far. Half the frame in each is just murky, flat, detail-free black.

[Show spoiler]

[Show spoiler]

Obviously, we should wait until we get some comparison caps from the UV or DVD or a foreign BD, but it looks like we have another victim.

Yup, Annie is definitely affected.

[mzupeman]

Well, the evidence keeps adding up. I guess I'll have to stay away from Sony Blu's, at least for the newer films.

[sjconstable]

I don't want Chappie to be affected

[James Luckard]

Originally Posted by mzupeman

Well, the evidence keeps adding up. I guess I'll have to stay away from Sony Blu's, at least for the newer films.

Yep, seek out foreign discs from other distributors. Sadly many of the titles are Sony-only. THE INTERVIEW is the one I want most, but I think Sony distributed it in all territories, unlike FURY. The French and German INTERVIEW BDs coming later this year are both Sony.

[sjconstable]

Originally Posted by James Luckard

Yep, seek out foreign discs from other distributors. Sadly many of the titles are Sony-only. THE INTERVIEW is the one I want most, but I think Sony distributed it in all territories, unlike FURY. The French and German INTERVIEW BDs coming later this year are both Sony.

The problem with that is Sony will probably just send out their compromised transfers to the other distributors, you often get straight ports.

[James Luckard]

Originally Posted by sjconstable

The problem with that is Sony will probably just send out their compromised transfers to the other distributors, you often get straight ports.

Actually, FURY has already been released on BD in Poland in Taiwan with normal-looking transfers that match Sony's DVD and UltraViolet. You can find more details and ordering info in the FURY thread.

Sadly THE INTERVIEW, the film I'm focused on, appears to be Sony in all territories.

[ryanmj1993]

So I received MY Girl today and decided to skim through it to see what it looked like and I have to say the transfer would be PERFECT if it wasn't for the black crush. I really wish Sony would replace the discs or put new discs in further pressings so you could at least buy them again. I hope they really are looking into this and not just bsing us.

[Liquid_Swords]

Originally Posted by ryanmj1993

So I received MY Girl today and decided to skim through it to see what it looked like and I have to say the transfer would be PERFECT if it wasn't for the black crush. I really wish Sony would replace the discs or put new discs in further pressings so you could at least buy them again. I hope they really are looking into this and not just bsing us.

That sucks I will hold off

[James Luckard]

Originally Posted by ryanmj1993

So I received MY Girl today and decided to skim through it to see what it looked like and I have to say the transfer would be PERFECT if it wasn't for the black crush. I really wish Sony would replace the discs or put new discs in further pressings so you could at least buy them again. I hope they really are looking into this and not just bsing us.

MY BEST FRIEND'S WEDDING is the same. It's a staggeringly beautiful 4K transfer, but then it's mangled by the black crush. Luckily I kept my UK BD, with the older HD transfer. Just so unimaginably silly that Sony is doing all these 4K scans, but then releasing butchered versions of them.

I just got TROOP BEVERLY HILLS in the mail today, and it also says "mastered in 4K" on the back. Of all titles, I have to admit this is the last one I expected to get this lavish treatment, lol. Yet this title also looks to have the "crush", based on caps here and the review.

I really hope we succeed in stopping this insanity soon, before more titles get ruined. Of course these titles were mastered months ago, so there's no telling how many already be finished and awaiting a (flawed) release.

[jscoggins]

Originally Posted by ryanmj1993

So I received MY Girl today and decided to skim through it to see what it looked like and I have to say the transfer would be PERFECT if it wasn't for the black crush. I really wish Sony would replace the discs or put new discs in further pressings so you could at least buy them again. I hope they really are looking into this and not just bsing us.

I was at Target today and saw the DVD for $5. I almost bought it just to send Sony a message but decided to boycott all of their movies indefinitely until they fix this nonsense.

[filmmusic]

Originally Posted by James Luckard

MY BEST FRIEND'S WEDDING is the same. It's a staggeringly beautiful 4K transfer, but then it's mangled by the black crush. Luckily I kept my UK BD, with the older HD transfer. Just so unimaginably silly that Sony is doing all these 4K scans, but then releasing butchered versions of them.

Just curious because I love the film and it's the one I'm interested in more (+ My Girl):
Watching it in motion do you prefer seeing the old copy with less detail but no black crush, or new copy with more detail and black crush?

[James Luckard]

Originally Posted by filmmusic

Just curious because I love the film and it's the one I'm interested in more (+ My Girl):
Watching it in motion do you prefer seeing the old copy with less detail but no black crush, or new copy with more detail and black crush?

It's honestly a tossup. The new 4K transfer of MY BEST FRIEND'S WEDDING is much more detailed, less pixely, and the colors are richer and more accurate. However the key moment passing under the bridge on the riverboat is ruined, in my mind, by how dark it is, and other scenes also look odd with their dark areas crushed.

It's not as disastrous as THE INTERVIEW but, honestly, it's more distracting to me than the mild digital noise on the old 2008 UK BD, which still looks quite good for its age (I suspect it's the same master used for the SE DVD in 2001).

Personally, I'll be watching the old UK BD until I get a corrected US BD.

[filmmusic]

Originally Posted by plopplop00

y not make a list of all titles affected in your OP ?

There is a list in the first post:

Affected titles:
Fury
The Interview
My Best Friend's Wedding (BD and UV taken from different masters, but BD still has Black Crush)
My Girl

Annie (2014) (possible)