The Fifth Element 4K UHD (1997) (20th Anniversary Edition)

[evoll]

Originally Posted by Galactus123

I ordered this from Zavvi UK. Its £19.99 right now and you get 30% off with the code 4K30. I have never seen this but I have heard good things.

Thanks for the heads up, i have the sony version but have been wanting to check this one out.

[VirtuaBranson]

Sorry for the bump, but I've never really imported a bluray from anywhere like Amazon. I'm looking at Zavvi for the UK version shipped to the states I guess, and was wondering if thats ok or if there is a cheaper and better option?

[SeeMoreDigital]

Originally Posted by VirtuaBranson

Sorry for the bump, but I've never really imported a bluray from anywhere like Amazon. I'm looking at Zavvi for the UK version shipped to the states I guess, and was wondering if thats ok or if there is a cheaper and better option?

It would appear that Amazon USA holds the UK Studio Canal import of The Fifth Element.

Cheers

[mar3o]

It sounds like the Studio canal is the one to go with, but are there any issues with the HDR10 or compression, being Studio Canal? After the HDR10 issues with their John Carpenter UHDs, I'm cautious about their UHDs.

[Fat Phil]

Originally Posted by mar3o

It sounds like the Studio canal is the one to go with, but are there any issues with the HDR10 or compression, being Studio Canal? After the HDR10 issues with their John Carpenter UHDs, I'm cautious about their UHDs.

None. Fortunately, the Studio Canal disc was encoded by Fidelity in Motion and looks exquisite, even in plain 'ol HDR10.

[VirtuaBranson]

This place is a bad influence lol. Just purchased the SC version for a bit more than I want to pay but if it’s that much better I’m really curious. I love the movie so I don’t mind the double dip.

[Matt89]

Managed to get a copy of the UK UHD from a local seller on eBay for pretty cheap, and just popped it in to see how it looks. Wow. Quite the upgrade over the Sony disc (which I also own). Might keep the Sony for the extras, but this will certainly be the version I go to on future viewings.

~Matt

[James Luckard]

Originally Posted by Matt89

Managed to get a copy of the UK UHD from a local seller on eBay for pretty cheap, and just popped it in to see how it looks. Wow. Quite the upgrade over the Sony disc (which I also own). Might keep the Sony for the extras, but this will certainly be the version I go to on future viewings.

~Matt

Yep, the difference is pretty huge on every level, UK disc looks a LOT better:

https://caps-a-holic.com/c.php?a=1&x...3&l=0&i=2&go=1

https://caps-a-holic.com/c.php?a=1&x...&l=0&i=10&go=1

[Bar81]

I have both and prefer the more "normal" colors of the US disc.

[Vintrus]

there is a bit of audio issue with SC version not being a proper atmos 7.1 it seems SC did something odd with there sound.

[Hedrox]

Originally Posted by Vintrus

there is a bit of audio issue with SC version not being a proper atmos 7.1 it seems SC did something odd with there sound.

Originally Posted by David M

The audio for the StudioCanal disc was encoded in 2020 (less than 4 months ago, actually) and used the latest version of the Dolby Atmos encoder, which uses some kind of audibly lossless noise-shaping process to achieve better compression efficiency (the data rate savings are apparently in the region of 30-40%). I'd be curious to hear both versions compared side by side, but you're making a mistake if you look at the audio bitrate alone.

Full disclosure, I encoded it.

[Vintrus]

Originally Posted by Hedrox

Well mine recognizes the SC as a 5.1 core and the US version it recognizes it as a 7.1 core.

[SeeMoreDigital]

Originally Posted by Vintrus

Well mine recognizes the SC as a 5.1 core and the US version it recognizes it as a 7.1 core.

MediaInfo reports the following audio spec for my UK disc version: -

Audio #1
ID                                       : 4352 (0x1100)
Menu ID                                  : 1 (0x1)
Format                                   : MLP FBA AC-3 16-ch
Format/Info                              : Meridian Lossless Packing FBA with 16-channel presentation
Commercial name                          : Dolby TrueHD with Dolby Atmos
Format settings                          : Dolby Surround EX
Muxing mode                              : Stream extension
Codec ID                                 : 131
Duration                                 : 2 h 6 min
Bit rate mode                            : Variable
Bit rate                                 : 640 kb/s
Maximum bit rate                         : 6 342 kb/s
Channel(s)                               : 8 channels
Channel layout                           : L R C LFE Ls Rs Lb Rb
Sampling rate                            : 48.0 kHz
Frame rate                               : 31.250 FPS (1536 SPF)
Compression mode                         : Lossless
Stream size                              : 578 MiB (1%)
Service kind                             : Complete Main
Number of dynamic objects                : 11
Bed channel count                        : 1 channel
Bed channel configuration                : LFE

Audio #2
ID                                       : 4353 (0x1101)
Menu ID                                  : 1 (0x1)
Format                                   : AC-3
Format/Info                              : Audio Coding 3
Commercial name                          : Dolby Digital
Format settings                          : Dolby Surround EX
Codec ID                                 : 129
Duration                                 : 2 h 6 min
Bit rate mode                            : Constant
Bit rate                                 : 640 kb/s
Channel(s)                               : 6 channels
Channel layout                           : L R C LFE Ls Rs
Sampling rate                            : 48.0 kHz
Frame rate                               : 31.250 FPS (1536 SPF)
Compression mode                         : Lossy
Stream size                              : 578 MiB (1%)
Service kind                             : Complete Main

Note the Dolby Digital core is Dolby Surround EX...

[havoc33]

Originally Posted by James Luckard

Yep, the difference is pretty huge on every level, UK disc looks a LOT better:

https://caps-a-holic.com/c.php?a=1&x...3&l=0&i=2&go=1

https://caps-a-holic.com/c.php?a=1&x...&l=0&i=10&go=1

I'm curius, in what way do you think the UK version looks better?

I have the UK version myself, but I clicked your first link here and checked out the screenshots, and I was shocked to see how much more vivid and colorful the US disc is! The UK disc is brighter and has a yellow tint to it, which stands out pretty bad to me when doing the comparison. It also seems to lose some detail, just look at the beard on Bruce Willis or the multipass in screenshot 8. Or look at the alien woman singing how much more vibrant the colour blue is, and how much better you see the stars in the sky behind her.

I have to admit, I didn't think about it when I watched the movie as the transfer is great still. But boy, from looking at the caps, I really prefer the colours and detail of the US version.

[James Luckard]

Originally Posted by havoc33

I'm curius, in what way do you think the UK version looks better?

I have the UK version myself, but I clicked your first link here and checked out the screenshots, and I was shocked to see how much more vivid and colorful the US disc is! The UK disc is brighter and has a yellow tint to it, which stands out pretty bad to me when doing the comparison. It also seems to lose some detail, just look at the beard on Bruce Willis or the multipass in screenshot 8. Or look at the alien woman singing how much more vibrant the colour blue is, and how much better you see the stars in the sky behind her.

I have to admit, I didn't think about it when I watched the movie as the transfer is great still. But boy, from looking at the caps, I really prefer the colours and detail of the US version.

To me, the UK disc generally looks more vivid and colorful, based on the caps.

In the first cap:

https://caps-a-holic.com/c.php?a=1&x...3&l=0&i=2&go=1

Leeloo's orange hair is truly orange, the gold fabric of the bed is gold, her arms are flesh-tone, not a sickly pale. Yes, it has a yellow push, but it's not uniform, based on the caps.

That's demonstrated by the second cap, of the Diva:

https://caps-a-holic.com/c.php?a=1&x...&l=0&i=10&go=1

Everything seems overly processed on the US disc, there seem to be halos around her, and her flesh looks too compressed and digital. Also, notice the gradation of colors in the upper levels of the atmosphere of the planet behind her, right below where it merges into space. It's super pixely and blocky on the US disc and much more subtly compressed on the UK disc. Also, the highlights along her tentacles (?) are blown out a bit on the US disc, they look better on the UK disc.

[James Luckard]

A few more specific comparisons:

Look at the individual white hairs along her hairline here, they're crisper and less pixely on the UK disc, and her flesh is compressed better. Also, the yellow push looks more life-like, compared to the cadaverous skin tones of the US disc:

https://caps-a-holic.com/c.php?a=1&x...9&l=0&i=8&go=1

And here, on the US disc there is a subtle halo around the ship, and the compression of the sky is more contrasty and pixely:

https://caps-a-holic.com/c.php?a=1&x...2&l=0&i=1&go=1

I should stress, however, that I don't own either disc, I'm going by the caps here. I keep meaning to get the UK disc, but haven't yet.

[Hedrox]

Originally Posted by havoc33

I'm curius, in what way do you think the UK version looks better?

I have the UK version myself, but I clicked your first link here and checked out the screenshots, and I was shocked to see how much more vivid and colorful the US disc is! The UK disc is brighter and has a yellow tint to it, which stands out pretty bad to me when doing the comparison. It also seems to lose some detail, just look at the beard on Bruce Willis or the multipass in screenshot 8. Or look at the alien woman singing how much more vibrant the colour blue is, and how much better you see the stars in the sky behind her.

I have to admit, I didn't think about it when I watched the movie as the transfer is great still. But boy, from looking at the caps, I really prefer the colours and detail of the US version.

You are mistaking sharpening and edge enhancement for actual detail. As for the colors, it's a matter of preference, but the UK release looks how it's suppose to look.

If you prefer the way the Sony one looks you can always bump up your TV's sharpness and color settings and set Edge Enhancement to high and you should achieve a similar look.

[havoc33]

Originally Posted by James Luckard

A few more specific comparisons:

Look at the individual white hairs along her hairline here, they're crisper and less pixely on the UK disc, and her flesh is compressed better. Also, the yellow push looks more life-like, compared to the cadaverous skin tones of the US disc:

https://caps-a-holic.com/c.php?a=1&x...9&l=0&i=8&go=1

And here, on the US disc there is a subtle halo around the ship, and the compression of the sky is more contrasty and pixely:

https://caps-a-holic.com/c.php?a=1&x...2&l=0&i=1&go=1

I should stress, however, that I don't own either disc, I'm going by the caps here. I keep meaning to get the UK disc, but haven't yet.

Ok, I see a bit what you mean. I'm by no means an expert Not convinced the yellow colour grading looks better than the US disc though. I think I have become a bit allergic to the whole orange and teal look, and SC has a bit of bad history here (looking at you Basic Instinct). Still an excellent looking disc so I'm sure you'll be happy with it

[James Luckard]

Originally Posted by havoc33

Ok, I see a bit what you mean. I'm by no means an expert Not convinced the yellow colour grading looks better than the US disc though. I think I have become a bit allergic to the whole orange and teal look, and SC has a bit of bad history here (looking at you Basic Instinct). Still an excellent looking disc so I'm sure you'll be happy with it

I agree, there's probably no way to be 1000% sure what the originally intended color timing is. I kind of suspect it's somewhere between the two, but closer to the SC, I think.

[CreasyBear]

The Sony discs have consistently had this harsh drab digital sharpened look since DVD. The Gaumont Blu-ray's and now Studio Canal 4K are as the film was intended to look.