Close Encounters of the Third Kind 4K UHD (1977) (40th Anniversary Edition)

[Dubstar]

Originally Posted by FilmFreakosaurus

Close Encounters' audio on BD was 24 bit and then 16 bit on the UHD Blu-ray. Probably so they could cram as many languages as they could into a worldwide encode.

actually I was referencing 'Leon - The Professional'

[LordoftheRings]

Originally Posted by FilmFreakosaurus

Close Encounters' audio on BD was 24 bit and then 16 bit on the UHD Blu-ray. Probably so they could cram as many languages as they could into a worldwide encode.

29 different subtitle languages. And I think seven or so different audio languages.
That's fine by me, three layers...BD-100 can afford that. It can also afford 24-bit for English audio, and the same for the 2017 regular 1080p Blu-ray, like they did in 2007. They could have added 7.1 Dolby TrueHD, and Dolby Atmos.

In 4K some scenes are an improvement, others are not. The choices they made I am not in the obligation to agree with all of them, and my eyes and ears don't.

The Gift Limited Edition is cool, but @ fifty bucks is not so cool.
The regular 4K is ok @ twenty or fifteen bucks, but this ain't no Fifth Element or Leon the Professional or Bridge on the River Kwai on all other technical Atmos audio and 4K video aspects.

The Bridge on the River Kwai I'm pretty happy with it, and it is twenty years older than Close Encounters, and it runs two hours and forty-one minutes long, and includes Atmos audio.
Close Encounters 3rd Kind is roughly thirty minutes shorter, and only in 5.1 @ 16-bits.

It's a great movie, but outdated with its special effects and funny acting in some scenes...@ home with the kids and wife and the train and the phone call and the crib.
Other scenes are still awesome; inside the truck, the slow-mo scenes in the cab and in the home of the mother and young son. Spielberg movie magic with the kids expression and from the adults too.

[LordoftheRings]

Originally Posted by Dubstar

so I'm assuming you're referring to the fact that the (first release) BD's audio is 96kHz and the UHD's is 48kHz - right?

Originally Posted by Dubstar

actually I was referencing 'Leon - The Professional'

Did they downgrade the audio for Leon?

[Dubstar]

Originally Posted by LordoftheRings

Did they downgrade the audio for Leon?

for the 'Mastered in 4K' BD and the UHD edition, yes, yes they did.

[LordoftheRings]

Bummer, I didn't know that. Which version has the best audio?

* 2009 > https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Leon-...y/6964/#Review

I still have it, with the latest two.
____

By the way, Close Encounters 4K max out @ approx 2.4 Mbps for its audio.
The 2007 BR version @ around 4.5 Mbps (5 in one peak)...both for ĐTrueHD and DTS-HD Master.

[captainsolo]

Yeah that’s what I meant. One can make the argument that compression techniques are better today but in this case it is seemingly more of a downgrade for space reasons only and we get to have fun with a lesser encode.

[brainofj72]

Wait, this is being talked about as some kind of botched release now? If it's just an audio thing, whatever, okay, I don't care about that so I won't comment. But PQ? That seems absurd. This disc still looks mind-bogglingly fantastic on my end. I'm not seeing any of the weird, blown out highlights being shoddily pictured in some of these posts. As far as I'm concerned, this is one of many 4K home runs from Sony. Anyone saying either of the BDs is superior sounds totally nuts to me.

[trevanian]

Originally Posted by jaaguir

I don't know if this has anything to do with that, but according to the imdb:

"Although Steven Spielberg continued to support Vilmos Zsigmond, creating what the cinematographer called "a very rewarding" experience, Zsigmond was not asked to shoot additional sequences and shots that were needed after the company left Alabama. He believed this was largely the work of Julia Phillips and the studio. Although Zsigmond shot about 90 percent of the picture, additional material (the India sequence, the discovery of the lost Air Force squadron, etc.) was shot by others, primarily William A. Fraker, as well as Douglas Slocombe, John A. Alonzo, and László Kovács, all of whom received on-screen credit as additional directors of photography, a vindictive move by Phillips, by her own admission."

And what I mean is, different DP, different style? just guessing.

Add to that Allan Daviau shooting the 'Gobi' scene added for the SE a few years later.

There are shows with multiple DPs where the style dovetails pretty wonderfully (I think that's true of DAYS OF HEAVEN, for which Haskell Wexler shot what he claims was over half the film after Nestor left, and OUTLAND, for which Hyams continued as his own DP when he switched his DP over to shoot for the miniatures unit), but CE3K has always looked like something of a mishmash to me, but not usually in an objectionable way. Catching the original theatrical release at the Santa Clara Cinema 150 theater is still one of my top cinemagoing experiences, along with watching 2001 at the Cinerama when I was 7 (which may have spoiled most ordinary movies for me forever.)

I also remember seeing the CE3K SE theatrically opening weekend and the Gobi stuff looked so sharp in comparison to what went before that it was like they had switched to 65mm (or in old Super8 terms, switched from Ektatchrome G to lovely wondrous Kodachrome.)

[ditcin]

Originally Posted by FilmFreakosaurus

The ones that we all know by heart. Yeah, it was always an oddly edited scene. Spielberg is not a god, and has been known to make mistakes... from time to time.

The scene is was shortened for some reason.
It explains that using the hand signals for the deaf which were used to teach the deaf there are signals that coraspond to the musical notes from the aliens. The had signals actually spell out "H-E-L-L-O"

The people filling the audience stand and clap because the connection between the hand signals and the musical notes were made by the French man.

[jh901]

All discussing PQ and AQ:

Please consider adding display and audio gear in signature.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by trevanian

Add to that Allan Daviau shooting the 'Gobi' scene added for the SE a few years later.

There are shows with multiple DPs where the style dovetails pretty wonderfully (I think that's true of DAYS OF HEAVEN, for which Haskell Wexler shot what he claims was over half the film after Nestor left, and OUTLAND, for which Hyams continued as his own DP when he switched his DP over to shoot for the miniatures unit), but CE3K has always looked like something of a mishmash to me, but not usually in an objectionable way. Catching the original theatrical release at the Santa Clara Cinema 150 theater is still one of my top cinemagoing experiences, along with watching 2001 at the Cinerama when I was 7 (which may have spoiled most ordinary movies for me forever.)

I also remember seeing the CE3K SE theatrically opening weekend and the Gobi stuff looked so sharp in comparison to what went before that it was like they had switched to 65mm (or in old Super8 terms, switched from Ektatchrome G to lovely wondrous Kodachrome.)

Yep, which is exactly what stood out to me when watching the UHD (and was the first time in ages I'd seen the film anyway) and is what prompted my comment to which javier replied to. I mean, I dig the look of this UHD in general because on my TV it's not a blown-out grainier-than-balls mess, it looks chuffin' gorgeous (and RAH made a good point in his write up that on the UHD you can tell the sand apart from the grain in the opening scenes, the presentation is that well refined) but those SE desert inserts are so much clearer and sharper.

[rroeder]

This is one my favorite UHD's so far and I agree with Geoff's grain comments, nice upgrade over bluray, wish we had more of these type releases!

[LordoftheRings]

Steven Spielberg, the director of Close Encounters 3K
✴ https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-e...-a8306586.html

Edit: Some of the previous comparison screenshots are not exactly the exact same screen captures.
After revisiting some they are now very similar between the 4K and 1080p versions.
Some scenes in 4K are splendid...daytime, others require further scrutiny...nightime.
Anyway, the old and new Blu-ray are very watchable, and so is the 4K.
Overall the visual differences are slight.

For the audio who knows how much better Atmos would have been. I'm thinking the music jam near the end, the sandstorm @ the beginning...the overhead spaceship @ the railway crossing ...

[Doctorossi]

Originally Posted by LordoftheRings

Steven Spielberg, the director of Close Encounters 3K

Wrong thread, man... we're talking Close Encounters 4K in here.

[LordoftheRings]

Originally Posted by Doctorossi

Wrong thread, man... we're talking Close Encounters 4K in here.

Blu-ray forum is more relaxed in that department; I find it enjoyable, less stressful and consequently more intelligent in the brain expansion and mind knowledge.

Yes, definitely.

Furthermore, Close Encounters in 4K does grow on me picture quality wise...it's like a slower adaptation for a more pleasurable revelation. Time does that; @ first I didn't notice much, then I started comparing more attentively, then I stopped comparing and I finally watched in appreciation the 4K picture quality.

The audio I just don't know why it is what it is in comparison to the 30th anniversary edition from 2007. Decisions are made according to budget costs and life it is.
This soundtrack is now 41 years old (1977), and on certain passages there is some high frequency distortion, that I found. I bet it's there too from the 2007 version. But those short passages are few, and forgivable for the audio technology of the disco year of 1977 with sailer type pants (wider @ the bottom), and rotating mirror disco balls hit by the color lights.

Spielberg movie magic, definitely.

[bluescholar]

^ Whoosh

[guachi]

Whoosh? That's the sound of the alien ship as it buzzes the people hanging out to welcome and/or see the aliens, right?

[LordoftheRings]

1977

^ Whoosh

[HeavyHitter]

I popped in the UHD BD last night just to look at a few scenes on my (fairly) new projector as I watched the disc on my old one. This disc is just gorgeous. The grain is handled and encoded so nicely looking really filmic. Colors, shadows, and HDR nicely rendered and naturally. I'm going to have to watch the entire movie again soon.

Now, I can see depending on how one's display is tone mapped where it can blow out highlights giving excessively "hot" peaks, over-accentuating grain in some sequences, etc. I played with my custom curve pushing the brightness up and it did just this; however, left on my "normal" level it looked really nice.

I also took at look at a few sequences on the new and old BDs. I think the new BD looks good and would be my second choice, but there is some over-darkness in some spots but I could live with it. It's most notable near the end of the movie on the mountain and Geoff posted some caps a long time back in the BD thread if I recall. The older BD is definitely brighter, but sometimes too bright and highlights are too bright IMO. There's also just a bit of EE in some spots. I also prefer the color of the remastered BD and overall think the disc looks a bit more analog with improved grain texture and detail. With all of that said, the old BD still holds up well.

On any rate, at least there are GREAT options to watch any version of this movie...we're lucky given the situation with other classic films.

[Black Sun]

Originally Posted by HeavyHitter

I popped in the UHD BD last night just to look at a few scenes on my (fairly) new projector as I watched the disc on my old one. This disc is just gorgeous. The grain is handled and encoded so nicely looking really filmic. Colors, shadows, and HDR nicely rendered and naturally. I'm going to have to watch the entire movie again soon.

Now, I can see depending on how one's display is tone mapped where it can blow out highlights giving excessively "hot" peaks, over-accentuating grain in some sequences, etc. I played with my custom curve pushing the brightness up and it did just this; however, left on my "normal" level it looked really nice.

I also took at look at a few sequences on the new and old BDs. I think the new BD looks good and would be my second choice, but there is some over-darkness in some spots but I could live with it. It's most notable near the end of the movie on the mountain and Geoff posted some caps a long time back in the BD thread if I recall. The older BD is definitely brighter, but sometimes too bright and highlights are too bright IMO. There's also just a bit of EE in some spots. I also prefer the color of the remastered BD and overall think the disc looks a bit more analog with improved grain texture and detail. With all of that said, the old BD still holds up well.

On any rate, at least there are GREAT options to watch any version of this movie...we're lucky given the situation with other classic films.

But did you take pictures with your Nokia phone?