The Sweeney Series 1

[orac1971]

Originally Posted by Number 28

What do you think of the other DVD - Blu-Ray comparisons?

IMO the colour grading is off. The DVD colours and contrast look more correct and better.

looks good to me - but a compressed YouTube video is only a basic indication.

[Number 28]

Originally Posted by orac1971

looks good to me - but a compressed YouTube video is only a basic indication.

I hope I am wrong about this, orac1971, but I can't see why that would cause such colour differences of the DVD and Blu-ray examples as they are side by side??? Why should Regan have grey hair in in the series 4 DVD scenes and the BD scenes he does not have grey hair or the other issues due to video compression. The video is supposed to show how great the upgrade is. They even state to view it in 1080p. I was overjoyed at this new video, but the more I looked at it the more I am disappointed.

I am fully prepared to pay good money for these releases and have waited a long time. If this is the finished product of series 2, 3 and 4 I can't watch it. I am watching the DVD and the Network S1 BD.

[orac1971]

Originally Posted by Number 28

I hope I am wrong about this, orac71, but I can't see why that would cause such colour differences of the DVD and Blu-ray examples as they are side by side??? Why should Regan have grey hair in in the series 4 DVD scenes and the BD scenes he does not have grey hair or the other issues due to video compression. The video is supposed to show how great the upgrade is. They even state to view it in 1080p. I was overjoyed at this new video, but the more I looked at it the more I am disappointed.

I am fully prepared to pay good money for these releases and have waited a long time. If this is the finished product of series 2, 3 and 4 I can't watch it. I am watching the DVD and the Network S1 BD.

Don't agree at all.

Just watched it again on 55" OLED. The colours look far more natural on the HD remaster, the skin colours on the DVD are far too red. Also on the HD remaster film grain is present (and correct).

Series 4 - Regan does have grey hair on the blu ray... you are seeing far more detail than the blurred mess that is the dvd!

Lastly I just compared the Series 1 clip compared to the Network blu ray - same scene, like someone else did a few posts back and it looks very very similar.. difference being compression of the YoutTube.

[Martyghost]

I just cast this to my TV and it looks good to me also. I loved the DVDs back in the day but the PAL video-ness is so obvious now. The office scene in particular looks overblown in SD, far better in HD. Also the clarity boost on the bottles of drink and paperweight on the table is night and day.

As for Regan's jacket, it looks like it's supposed to be grey to me and it seems there was a slight blue bias on the old SD, so HD is closer.

[Number 28]

Originally Posted by orac1971

Don't agree at all.

Just watched it again on 55" OLED. The colours look far more natural on the HD remaster, the skin colours on the DVD are far too red. Also on the HD remaster film grain is present (and correct).

As far as Regan having grey hair.... he had grey hair for all of The Sweeney.

It doesn't look like he has much grey hair by series 4 going by the BD version and still these colour oddities of the clothing and the black crush.

[orac1971]

Originally Posted by Number 28

It doesn't look like he has much grey hair by series 4 going by the BD version and still these colour oddities of the clothing and the black crush.

Due to the higher resolution and the grading it will look different. For me its looks far more natural. If you remember those milk crates, then maybe the grading is a bit off with them.

All in all, its a massive improvement over the DVDs and not like the grading on the network UFO set which really was way off and far too much grain removed.

[spacecadet]

Originally Posted by Number 28

What do you think of the other DVD - Blu-Ray comparisons?

IMO the colour grading is off. The DVD colours and contrast look correct and better.

For example, at 1.31 in the DVD Regan has greying hair in the Blu-ray his hair is dark, it looks like he has applied Just For Men hair dye. Also the complete colour change of his jacket and tie from grey and blue to brown.

At 0.17 the Orange Unigate milk crates as they were in real life and in the DVD become red in the BD. Also Carter's suit goes from dark blue to brown.

Yes you're right the colours have changed a lot but looking at the video Network posted for series 1 12 years ago it looks darker as well in the shadows.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMlAyZsY7GA

[grahams76]

Remember that magenta overload was still very much the norm when Network released series 1 in 2012. So comparing the 2025 version directly alongside the 2012 version will make the 2025 colours seem like a major shift they may not in fact be. Also, as has already been said, this is a super-compressed YouTube clip. Anyway, fingers crossed.

[Number 28]

Originally Posted by grahams76

Remember that magenta overload was still very much the norm when Network released series 1 in 2012. So comparing the 2025 version directly alongside the 2012 version will make the 2025 colours seem like a major shift they may not in fact be. Also, as has already been said, this is a super-compressed YouTube clip. Anyway, fingers crossed.

Me too, fingers crossed.

There is the scene from Hard Men when the Flying Scotsman crashes through the door and lands flat on his face. When he gets up he has a gash on his nose, on the DVD there is a very, very light shadow on the left hand side of his face on the BD the shadow is much darker and lessens the prominence of the injury. Also the corridor/stairwell back wall and ceiling have more shadow.

When Regan and James Cosmo/Sgt. Davey Freeth go into the lounge one can see the drastic change in Regan's jacket and tie, with Freeth there is far less change, just darkening. On the positive side the HD does show a pleasing upgrade of textures of Regan's jacket.

I like the definition improvements of the office scene with Chief Supt. Maynon, look at the bottles and their labels on the drinks cabinet and the black and white photo on the wall, nice! Again the colour of the office decoration is darker than the DVD, it does not fit with the lighter shades of the office decorations throughout the series on DVD, BD and the BD films. The grey also looks too dark for what the Met Police would use. Regan's jacket is darker, the same one can be seen at the start of the episode Jigsaw of the old series 1 BD and it's lighter which fits with my memory of the 1970s, just like the orange Unigate milk crates (now red in the new BD) in the Golden Fleece.

[Martyghost]

It's surprising how close they are really, considering the transfers must be virtually 20 years apart. I'm not sure what film masters were used for the DVDs either. Factor in the change in technology over the years and usually an old dvd transfer and a new HD master have a vastly different balance.

[DavidRoylance]

It will be interesting to see how well they have improved "Ringer" this time round. The youtube video won't remotely be an example of the quality on the disc. In many ways it seem publishing this comparison video is counter-productive.

[Martyghost]

I don't see that at all. I was more than satisfied watching the YT video on my main television. So as you say, the blu-ray itself will be even better. Surely anyone bothering with physical media at this stage of the game will be well aware of that.

[DerryJammers]

If I watch the comparison YouTube video through my tv, it looks way better than on my 4K monitor.

There's a lot more detail and clarity on the HD versions, basically it looks in focus and makes the old SD versions look soft and blurry. Colour wise the HD version looks less saturated in comparison to the SD version - the Unigate milk crates look overly saturated on the old SD version and have a more natural colour balance on the HD. The white balance on the old SD examples look cooler, but on the HD versions they have a slightly warmer tone.

The examples from series 3 & 4 seem to stand out more and the close up head shots have a lot more detail with more natural looking skin tones in comparison to the overly pink and saturated skin tones on the old SD version. The shadows do look darker and perhaps lose some detail in the blacks, but overall I'm satisfied with what I've seen and it's way better than anything I've currently got.

[Number 28]

Originally Posted by DerryJammers

If I watch the comparison YouTube video through my tv, it looks way better than on my 4K monitor.

There's a lot more detail and clarity on the HD versions, basically it looks in focus and makes the old SD versions look soft and blurry. Colour wise the HD version looks less saturated in comparison to the SD version - the Unigate milk crates look overly saturated on the old SD version and have a more natural colour balance on the HD. The white balance on the old SD examples look cooler, but on the HD versions they have a slightly warmer tone.

The examples from series 3 & 4 seem to stand out more and the close up head shots have a lot more detail with more natural looking skin tones in comparison to the overly pink and saturated skin tones on the old SD version. The shadows do look darker and perhaps lose some detail in the blacks, but overall I'm satisfied with what I've seen and it's way better than anything I've currently got.

Taking the milk crates as reference point they, do look more crisper and detailed but really should still be orange. Just after that shot there is Carter getting into car and there is a Pepsi Cola sign on the wall in the background and the red in the logo looks right and does not change in the DVD and BD versions. Aside the milk crates and the change in Carter's suit colour??? the whole shot there with the shops and the shop assistant is a very impressive upgrade and is a taste of what is to come with these exterior London scenes.

The shot of Regan's face at 1.53, the jacket is too dark, the white shirt is not as white. The lighting and make up people on the BD shot need to be given their cards. I love my gothic Hammer films, but I am not watching The Sweeney for monsters and gouls. The pink faces in The Sweeney, well they all been down the boozer.

Saying all that I do like the improvement upgrade on the Golden Boy clip with Anthony Morton's face, playing the drunk Harry Fuller.

There seems to be a fashion to increase contrast and shadows to the detriment of details, but as I have said before on here, we will be seeing more deatils of things that we have not seen or noticed before, especially in the backgrounds and be able far more to read street and shop signs, car number plates and destinations on buses etc.

[orac1971]

Originally Posted by Number 28

Saying all that I do like the improvement upgrade on the Golden Boy clip with Anthony Morton's face, playing the drunk Harry Fuller.

Golden Boy is series 1, it looks very very similar to the Network release.

[ghostof82]

That latest YouTube video is clear: the Blu-ray is absolutely superior compared to the DVD by a huge margin, more detail, better colour grading, as one would expect. Looking forward to this boxset and hope season 2 etc are here by Christmas.

[Paul4films]

Box art is up at HMV looks really nice https://hmv.com/store/film-tv/blu-ra...e-first-series

[GlacierTuba]

Originally Posted by Number 28

Why should Regan have grey hair in in the series 4 DVD scenes and the BD scenes he does not have grey hair

Just For Men Commercial 1993 - YouTube

[harry o]

Prefer the network art to be honest ( maybe its just the slip cover) definitely doesn't feel gritty retro to me.

[drush9999]

I don't mind the cover, but it is a bit bland