Aussie DVD while International get Blu-ray

[foreigncontaminant]

A few years ago, my local Sanity store was selling a batch of nice region-free Sony Blu-ray players for about $100. So I bought one.
With a bit of combined shipping, I've tended to be happy to order my discs from wherever in the world I need to, in order to get them in whatever the best format is.

I regularly use http://www.dvdcompare.net as a starting point. And if a local Blu-ray release is significantly inferior to a foreign one, I'll find a way to get the foreign one. Ultimately, I've never experienced the annoyance (expressed here) about lack of local releases... but I realize not everyone is lucky enough to have a region-free player.

PS. I hate streaming also But I still love DVD.
Recently bought a rare DVD of an old french film for $110, as it's not available on Blu-ray (and most likely never will be).

I grew up with VHS, so I still appreciate DVD quality, especially if it's the best option available (in the world) for a particular title, especially older films.

[shireguy]

Originally Posted by Rick Grimes

[I]
All the while, UK/Germany continue to get BD releases (at least importing from Amazon UK is a reasonable alternative):

Well Germany is getting HAWAII FIVE 0 SEASON 7..... 4 more than what we ever got (oh.. and they are no longer available here !!)




I'll get around to grabbing them - when I work my way thru the 1st 3 seasons....

[Brownie023]

Originally Posted by Rick Grimes

Your right there "Zombie Kermit"...It is lucky, and a surprise, that Agents of Shield went for 3 seasons on BD, considering the US network it airs on (ABC) is not a huge supporter of TV on Blu-Ray.

More bad news for Australian TV on Blu-Ray as another title bites the dust in Australia... And after 4 fracking seasons on BD no less!

The Chicago Fire S5 release next week is DVD only (S1-4 BD still available).

Sanity -

[Show spoiler]https://www.sanity.com.au/specials/1873/Chicago_Fire

JB HiFi -

[Show spoiler]https://www.jbhifi.com.au/movies-tv-...hicago%20Fire&

All the while, UK/Germany continue to get BD releases (at least importing from Amazon UK is a reasonable alternative):

This is really annoying, I contacted them and they confirmed no Season 5 on blu-ray but gave no reason. The first 4 seasons weren't exactly cheap either. Guess I will be forced to import from the UK.

[Zombie Kermit]

Is there anyone I can contact to find out whether we're getting Agents of SHIELD? I'd just really like to know, since it's the difference in having a complete MCU collection.

[malcy30]

Originally Posted by Zombie Kermit

Is there anyone I can contact to find out whether we're getting Agents of SHIELD? I'd just really like to know, since it's the difference in having a complete MCU collection.

Given no other country has AOS S4 on BD I would not hold my breathe with Disney. May appear in Germany or Japan but they are on a much slower release schedule than UK or Australia.

It seems S4 is only available digitally so far as in UK is on Amazon Video & Prime or iTunes.

No sign of a DVD either though.

[Rick Grimes]

Originally Posted by foreigncontaminant

PS. I hate streaming also But I still love DVD.
Recently bought a rare DVD of an old french film for $110, as it's not available on Blu-ray (and most likely never will be).

I grew up with VHS, so I still appreciate DVD quality, especially if it's the best option available (in the world) for a particular title, especially older films.

While I have a Region Free and Sony Region A player, I hate having to import.

And I hate DVD for:

1. Poor PQ (any DVD upscaled to 1080p can’t come close to matching native 1080p). Even 1080i Foxtel presentations OR HD broadcasts look way better than upscaling a DVD.

2. 4% PAL speedup, causing music/voices to be faster and pitch issues that are out half an octave... Something I am very passionate about (as you will see below).

I watch a lot of US TV on BD. It is very annoying to go back to an Aussie PAL conversion after watching 1-2 seasons of a TV show.
I find NTSC to PAL conversion is especially noticeable with theme music/soundtracks. Deeper voices also cause me to cringe when watching US TV or films in PAL.
In the Walking Dead, Rick Grime’s (Andrew Lincoln) voice uttering the often mocked gutteral way he says “Carl” does not sound right in PAL broadcasts; and his voice is “tinny” and noticeably higher pitched. Morgan (Lennie James) as well, and those characters with deep voices (eg. Jon Bernthal as Shane) are more evident and affected.
Same goes with Jon Snow in Game of Thrones, his voice is just not the same (Tyrion and Tywin too).
*TWD, GOT and FTWD are the only shows I can’t wait for BD releases (watch on Foxtel, watch again on BD). Westworld will also be added to that list this year.

For a great example of how the 4% PAL speedup conversion from 24fps to 25 progressive frames (50i) causes the pitch to be out, try UK/Aussie release of The Deer Hunter on BD. Try playing the title theme and swapping between the 5.1 and 2.0 tracks. The 5.1 is PAL pitch (speed corrected in some kind of Studio Canal f*ck up), and the 2.0 is the correct 24fps speed/pitch. The difference stands out like dogs balls.
OR
Any Doctor Who fans out there (and sadly this is an issue across BD), try listening to Doctor Who S1-4 on BD (1080p/24) vs. either Aus/UK S5-10 BD (1080i/50) or the S1-4 DVDs (576i/50). Reason being, when DW was released on BD, due to the US market (US can’t play PAL), they converted the PAL broadcasts of DW to 24fps and released the Blu’s internationally.
Hence, the S1-4 theme music will be slower and sound deeper, due to PAL slowdown (converting in the other direction PAL (25fps) to 24fps).
OR
compare a BD of a US TV show’s theme to a DVD (if you have both).
OR
grab an Aussie movie BD release that has DVD + BD. Go to a point in the movie with any music and compare how they sound. Try it with the actors voices as well... That half an octave can often be very annoying. It takes effort tuning it out (and any music you know well will bring the issue back to the fore).

Whether it is the Star Wars theme, The Simpsons (very noticeable), Modern Family OR The X-Files, if you have heard a US TV show theme on Aussie TV many times, when you hear the BD version, you will think “Wow, that music has a slower tempo” and the notes will sound deeper.
Be warned though: Once you start noticing the phenomenon of “PAL speedup” if you have a keen ear, it can be as frustrating as noticing banding; but with PAL speedup, it is constantly in your face.

And what really “grinds my gears” is that with modern editing suites, the pitch issue associated with PAL conversions can be corrected before transfer to DVD; but that would incur extra cost (obviously) and it appears the great majority of consumers are none the wiser anyway.
Since I was a pre-teen, I had always wondered why US film clips had different sounding music to the Cassette/CD I owned OR vice versa.

Thus, committed reader, all you have read here is why I feel that Blu-Ray has been such an important step-up in the fight against PAL speedup.
I can watch films like Resevior Dogs and Kill Bill on BD now, and the music sounds the same. Same with Pulp Fiction (UK/US BD’s at least), but beware of Aussie copies of Pulp Fiction and Muriel’s Wedding. They are PAL BDs (1080i/50) that should be 1080p24.

US TV and Blu-Ray should go together like bullets and guns, but unfortunately, we get less opportunities to watch US shows how they were meant to be seen and heard. Even if not for PQ, as I’m sure we can all agree that upscaled 1080p can’t compete with native 1080p. AQ is another factor too, but not just lossy vs. lossless, but having the correct pitch hit the ear (and the correct tempo) of a TV show IS important.

In conclusion (and the reason I came back to post on this thread today), distributors, in their arrogance and shortsightedness, have given us The Handmaid’s Tale on DVD only in Australia.



The winner of the Golden Globe for Best Drama is DVD only in Australia. WTF!
This is only the second time, since the inception of Blu-Ray (2006), that we don’t have a choice of Blu-Ray for the Globe’s Best Drama winner (The Affair [2014] had no BD release anywhere).
I realise it comes from a streaming platform, but the US has a BD release, why not us Aussies.
Please cease pushing an archaic medium that is 30 years old and allow the casual home video buyer to be get the best PQ/AQ and correct pitch/speed, that only comes with Blu-Ray.

Looks like I’m importing again. Will post the region coding for The Handmaid’s Tale as soon as I get a copy, as I strongly suggest that if you are interested in watching the show, go for the Blu-Ray. F*ck DVD! Especially Aussie PAL DVDs of film and US TV.

[Aunt Peg]

I noticed The Handmaiden's DVD only Australian release. I will be purchasing the American Blu Ray myself as I don't stream.

Really hoping Mindhunter & Castle Rock end up on Blu Ray preferably here but if I have to import over a local DVD, I will.

[Rick Grimes]

Another title to add to the list:
Animal Kingdom S2 (DVD only in Australia) - Feb 14.

US Blu-Ray was released by Warner a day earlier (Feb 13); which I’m positive would be a Region Free release. Australia could have used US disc pressing for Aussie sets.



S1 was released on BD in Australia, along with the DVD (Sep 7, 2017), and then DVD only for the second season! Super fracking frustrating...
An extra kick to the teeth: Animal Kingdom is a US TV series, based on the premise from a terrific Aussie movie.



And speaking of Australian... Cleverman S2 (ABC TV Series), never got a S2 release on BD (Sep 2017 DVD only) after a S1 BD release.

[Rick Grimes]

I’m getting a little pissed off about the amount of quality films (and films in general) that are going DVD only in Australia, that have US and/or UK Blu-Ray.

I was watching previews on my US copy of The Disaster Artist BD and came across a preview for ‘The Killing of a Sacred Deer’, which looks really f*cking creepy and worth a blind buy. I thought, “Why haven’t I seen this on Blu-Ray.com upcoming releases page...” Reason: Because it is DVD only here, yet it gets a US and UK release. WTF! Found out reading Stack today.

In the past, I have noticed no BD (Aussie DVD only) with titles like Trembo and West of Memphis, but it is becoming more common for Aussie dizzys to do DVD only.
I’m worried that in the future, quality films like The Florida Project may be DVD only.

Please use this thread to list/update Aussie DVD only releases that have US/UK or ROTW.
For Aussie TV DVD only, with US/UK/ROTW BD releases (and comments) post here: https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread...=241753&page=7

March releases - Film (Aussie DVD only - BD overseas):
The Killing of a Sacred Deer (US/UK)
Amityville: The Awakening (US)
So B. It (US)* Not listed on Blu-Ray.com, Available on Amazon US

March releases - TV Series (Aussie DVD only - BD overseas):
The Handmaid’s Tale S1 (US)
Rellik S1 (UK + FR,DE)
Peaky Blinders S4 (UK)* Peaky Blinders Complete Series (S1-4) available UK (Only S1-2 available on BD in Australia)

[hawkangel]

Queen of Katwe. (U.S. blu-ray, no U.K.)

[LMFAObros]

Im gonna say that its pretty much roadshows fault. That being said its worth importing or getting imports when travelling which ill likely do

[Anamnesis]

Originally Posted by LMFAObros

Im gonna say that its pretty much roadshows fault. That being said its worth importing or getting imports when travelling which ill likely do

Hardly, Killing of a Sacred Deer and So B It are all Madman, Handmaid's Tale is Fox, Amityville is REEL...

Florida Project has already been announced for Blu-ray on April 18th

[LMFAObros]

Originally Posted by Anamnesis

Hardly, Killing of a Sacred Deer and So B It are all Madman, Handmaid's Tale is Fox, Amityville is REEL...

Florida Project has already been announced for Blu-ray on April 18th

I meant its their fault that a fair bit of warner and lionsgates catalog never got released here.

[Anamnesis]

Originally Posted by LMFAObros

I meant its their fault that a fair bit of warner and lionsgates catalog never got released here.

They may not have rights to them... Roadshow does not have exclusive rights to Lionsgate (Icon and Sony have most of Lionsgates catalog) and have zero responsibility for Warner product.

[Cevolution]

Originally Posted by LMFAObros

Im gonna say that its pretty much roadshows fault.

Originally Posted by LMFAObros

I meant its their fault that a fair bit of warner and lionsgates catalog never got released here.

It’s the fault of the Australian consumer. Blame the people you know that don’t purchase many Blu-ray’s, or any at all, family, friends, work colleagues, etc... If Australian consumers were buying enough units to make it economically feasible, then local distributors/studios would release them. If you think local studios/distributors should release titles here, even though they won’t sell enough of them to make any, or very little profit, just to satisfy a handful of movie and tv enthusiasts on sites like this, then it’s really you that is unreasonable and unrealistic, not the local studios/distributors.

[Rick Grimes]

It would be nice to assume if a 1080p transfer/master exists (and is released in US/UK), Australian distributors would release it here on Blu-Ray, not just DVD. I scoff at those who still buy DVD, in the UHD age and I especially hate streamers.

I will be importing The Killing of a Sacred Deer, and I will continue to import BD titles over local DVD only for new releases, on general principle.
I’m not going to pay $25 for an archaic technology that is over 20 fracking years old, SD and PAL (not it’s native speed).
Would much rather import a Blu-Ray, for close to the same price and get 1080pHD and 24fps.

Madman is not getting my money. Not for a film, presented on a PAL DVD, that is available elsewhere in native 1080/24p (and should also be available here). Bunch of technical savages in this country.

[Zombie Kermit]

I give props to Madman though, since they've given Blu-ray releases to several things that aren't even available in other countries.

[Alister_M]

Originally Posted by Rick Grimes

Bunch of technical savages in this country.

"Goddamn luddites" is another way of putting it. The worst thing is, a lot of them have PS3/4 or something else that's capable of playing BDs, but they're too pig-ignorant to acknowledge the improvement

[danghty28]

My Life as a Zucchini/Courgette- Blu in multiple regions, DVD only here (Madman)
A Ghost Story- Blu in multiple regions, DVD only here (Madman)
Wonder Wheel- Blu in multiple regions, DVD only here (eOne)
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977)- Blu in multiple regions, DVD only here (Disney)
Fun & Fancy Free/ Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad- Blu 2-pack in multiple regions(Disney)
The Salesman (2017)- Blu in multiple regions, DVD only here

while we do *technically* have Blu releases of films in the Warner 50 boxset amd Hitchcock boxset, many of them havent recieved individual releases here as the have in kany countries. a lot of films owned by criterion also arent released here on Blu.

[Anamnesis]

Originally Posted by blurayagent

What I find annoyingly strange about the release ofSuntan , is it is barebones and no extras, and is selling for $25 currently at jbhifi, I paid less for the bluray which does have some extras.

That's not strange, that is how this business works... it costs a fortune to release a title into the Australian market. If you aren't a huge studio that can offset that cost, then it is highly unlikely that you are going to spend extra money on acquiring extra features or releasing on a more expensive format if you can't guarantee the sales. Some companies (Madman, Shock, Icon) do deals with other distributors in other countries to help that offset, but someone like Monster Pictures would have to choose very carefully which titles they acquire and how they go about releasing them.

People seem to think the acquisition of rights, authoring, replication. classification and distribution of product in Australia is simple... it really doesn't matter if an HD copy exists somewhere else in the world... it still has to go through the proper Australian channels to be given a release here and that costs A LOT of money!