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

[The Fallen Deity]

Isn't the UHE basically just the first Blu-Ray transfer with a crap load of digital manipulation done to it?

[rickah88]

I heard this release comes with:

1) A can of gasoline
2) A match

I sense another thread explosion on the horizon!

[bsweetness]

Originally Posted by The Fallen Deity

Isn't the UHE basically just the first Blu-Ray transfer with a crap load of digital manipulation done to it?

No. While there were others that had overuse of DNR, the original release for Patton from 2008 was one of the first that really went so incredibly overboard with it that there was a sizable uproar. One would think that Fox would have learned a thing or two from that, but two years later, they released the UHE of Predator with the same overuse of DNR.

Since Patton did get a proper remaster last year, I'd like to think there's hope for Predator at some point.

[HD Goofnut]

Originally Posted by bsweetness

No. While there were others that had overuse of DNR, the original release for Patton from 2008 was one of the first that really went so incredibly overboard with it that there was a sizable uproar.

Yep, Patton and The Longest Day.

[HeavyHitter]

One can sense while watching the UHE that the source has good potential minus all of the manipulation done to it. It could have been a solid release.

[brian9229]

Originally Posted by HD Goofnut

Chances are they'll take the 2010 DNR disaster and convert it. As I said earlier, another cash grab just like I, Robot. They know some people will buy anything with 3D on it. That's why bastardizations such as The Avengers 3D, Top Gun 3D, and Clash of the Titans 3D exist.

Nice,

[retablo]

Originally Posted by fitprod

Yeah, but will they...

fitprod

I believe they will, but I think they are afraid to. Even with a 4K scan, the film still won't look that great. It will still be grainy, and any new disc with no manipulation will resemble the original blu-ray that's already out. Even if they scan it at 4K and add No DNR, legions of people will still complain because of the grain or whatever else that's inherent in the negative due to film stock, filming conditions, composite effects shots and the optical blowups used throughout the film.

So my question is, with everyone constantly complaining, why should Universal (or any film studio) even care anymore to try and please fans, when they know they can't? To be honest, the uHE WAS an attempt to please all the fans who said the film was too grainy. Yes, they overdid it, but, at the end of the day, they did it based on fan backlash to the original disc, and look how that turned out.

[HeavyHitter]

Originally Posted by retablo

To be honest, the uHE WAS an attempt to please all the fans who said the film was too grainy. Yes, they overdid it, but, at the end of the day, they did it based on fan backlash to the original disc, and look how that turned out.

Exactly.

[Ill_Be_Back]

Originally Posted by HD Goofnut

It already received a new master in 2010, but then Fox DNRed the crap out of it. I what that new master unmolested on a BD-50 with an AVC encode as do most of us here.

+1

[raygendreau]

Well, if you are using Patton as a benchmark for a remaster of Predator, you only have one year and nine months more to wait. It isn't going to happen for this cheap 2D/3D conversion.

@retablo
"So my question is, with everyone constantly complaining"

Who is everyone? On the Predator thread, around 51% of those polled voted for the 2008 edition, and 30+% voted for UHE. On Amazon the 'likes' for the UHE are over 4,600 and the likes for the 2008 are 18 in the last 6 months. The studio has no complaints about the sales of the UHE, which is why they will most likely use it for the conversion.

[The Fallen Deity]

Has it actually been confirmed by anyone at Fox that the UHE got a new scan? Why go to all the effort to create new a high quality scan to only DNR the crap out of it afterwards? I doubt it was a new HD master.

[Shawn Elestren]

What Fox don't seem to understand is that Predator is a very gritty, earthy film that will not fit a 3D conversion.

Yes, for all its sporadic slickness Predator is very guerrilla-like and feels raw and muddy. The second unit was even given the wrong kind of film for some shots, which is why the film is occasionally even grainier (Dutch falling off the cliff, the Predator moving off after failing to spot him in the mud etc). All of these work in Predator's favor and help involve the viewer into the world of the characters and the jungle, especially the gothic, baroque nature of the night scenes.

A 3D version of Predator is like putting a windbreaker on a Rolls-Royce. Completely unnecessary.

[raygendreau]

A German site has picked up the CZ Predator 3D listing (Region B) Audio is DTS HD MA 5.1 English. The extras listed are the same as those on the Ultimate Hunter Edition, including the Predators trailer. If accurate, this would confirm the UHE master would be the source for the 2D/3D conversion by JVC.

http://www.microsofttranslator.com/B...t-blu-ray-disc

Hit refresh if the English translation doesn't appear. They show 25 gigs for disk size. That is probably an error. It should be 50.

[raygendreau]

A German site has picked up the Czech Predator 3D release. The extras listed are the same as those for the Ultimate Hunter Edition, including the Predators trailer. If this is accurate, it supports the idea that the Ultimate Hunter Edition master will be used as the source for the 2D/3D JVC conversion.

http://www.microsofttranslator.com/B...t-blu-ray-disc

Hit refresh if the English translation doesn't appear. Note that the disk size is 25 Gigs rather than the 50 gigs for the UHE. That is probably wrong.

[Zivouhr]

Originally Posted by Gae

Ha ha....yea, I'm breaking out into a cold sweat just thinking about having to rotoscope around every leaf in every frame of every scene...

That's why they sometimes need hundreds of artists for these conversions with each one taking their share of the scenes. It also explains why some conversions can look so poor with some conversion houses no doubt just doing a quicker, cheaper blanket conversion with complex scenes or even using automated software that doesn't work very well.

Gae

Agreed.

I wonder how many months and how large a crew it took to convert Jurassic Park's 3D from the 2D source to get such strong results? If they could manage that quality for Predator's 3D, I'd buy it.

[Sky_Captain]

A huge grain of salt regarding anything, even remotely approaching specs, at this time, IMO.

Having said that, I do also think that they'll possibly use the UHE transfer, as a starting point, since it's already DNR'd, making it easier to convert to 3D.

[tigermoth]

Jurassic Park probably took half the time that Titanic did. Titanic is substantially longer and has more complex images.

I'm a little sad that such a great film as Predator is getting a cheap cash in 3D conversion. I hope I am wrong and it is of reasonable quality.

[raygendreau]

The Czech site now shows a release date of 20 November, 2013. That's about 7 months. The JVC auto conversion takes 3 people around 3 months. They are probably delaying the release date for the holidays.

[raygendreau]

The Czech site now shows a release date of Nov. 20, 2013. That's over 7 months away. The cheap JVC conversion process should only take about 3 months. Wonder what accounts for the difference. They may just be delaying the release until the holidays.

[Blu-21]

The UHE should have never made it as a 2D release, it was a master made for a cheap crappy 3D conversion.