HK blu-ray releases vs. USA? Which to get ie Twilight/8 Mile?

[yobeech]

Hi just simple question it seems being over here in HK sometimes HK will release versions of American movies on bluray before US has released their own titles. I'm curious as to know if the quality from the HK release will be the same as the US one? Previously I have been just buying the US releases but tempted as it seems more US movies released quicker in HK than US. Anythoughts I just went to HMV and here are some of the new releases:

Twilight, 8 Mile, X-Men Trilogy? Any help appreciated!

[Azyiu]

Originally Posted by yobeech

Hi just simple question it seems being over here in HK sometimes HK will release versions of American movies on bluray before US has released their own titles. I'm curious as to know if the quality from the HK release will be the same as the US one? Previously I have been just buying the US releases but tempted as it seems more US movies released quicker in HK than US. Anythoughts I just went to HMV and here are some of the new releases:

Twilight, 8 Mile, X-Men Trilogy? Any help appreciated!

It is very nice to see a fellow HKer here, welcome.


Ok, I must be up front about it and tell you that the ONLY HK version (aside from the several HK movies BDs) I've got is Kung Fu Panda. Otherwise I always buy US versions BDs for quality concerns. Yes, while I just said quality concerns, I have no solid proof to say HK versions are noticably worst than the US or UK version. However, judging from my experiences with region 3 dvds, I try my best to stay away from HK versions, just in case.


While I do not have an US version to compared to side-by-side, Kung Fu Panda looks GREAT and all, and it seems this HK version also carries all the same special features as the US one. Yes, special features is a huge thing for me, and HK versions tend to omit some features due to either copyrights reasons or what not. That alone is one reason why I would stay away from HK versions.


You've mentioned about an earlier release date for HK versions, but you didn't mention about pricing. It is true that some HK versions come out sooner (up to 3 weeks) than the US ones. And in some cases they are cheaper too. For example, the HK version Bourne trilogy (they sold seperately instead of as a boxset) is 15% cheaper than the US boxset. But that's not always the case. Like The Dark Knight, I paid almost USD 6 less for my US version copy! So you must be conscious about prices, or else you might be paying more. Also, you mentioned about shopping at HMV for BDs. Well, unless you have no other choice, and is unable to shop in the Mongkok district, otherwise I urge you never to do it again. Yes, never! In case you haven't noticed, HMV's BDs prices are marked up by AT LEAST HKD 50!!! For example, The Dark Knight BD (HK version), it costs HKD289 in Mongkok, and I believe it is priced at HKD349 at HMV. They charge ridiculously more for boxsets!!! The BBC High Definition Natural History Collection https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/movies.php?id=895 is priced at nearly HKD1500 at HMV, while it is priced at HKD1150 in Mongkok!!! For me, I am a patient guy and I do my homework (in terms of prices) before most purchases. And I found that in some cases I actually save even more if I order from Amazon.com in the US. That same BBC collection I just mentioned, I only paid just over HKD800 from Amazon.


Sorry I might not have answered your original question, but I think if you've never visited those shops in Mongkok; you really owe it to yourself and your wallet . Again, it is nice to see another HKer here, cheers.

[Evangelion]

Thanks for all the details , and I totally agree with you that HMV is overcharged, and they are not ridiculous, just madness that's all ~~

And about the HK vs US ver thing, yes, I would prefer to stick to the US ver as well, just like you, from my personal experience back in DVD days, "LAI YEAH" a couple of times, that's it, never again.

Now I only get my Blu ray disc from Tak Lei

[Azyiu]

Originally Posted by Evangelion

Thanks for all the details , and I totally agree with you that HMV is overcharged, and they are not ridiculous, just madness that's all ~~

And about the HK vs US ver thing, yes, I would prefer to stick to the US ver as well, just like you, from my personal experience back in DVD days, "LAI YEAH" a couple of times, that's it, never again.

Now I only get my Blu ray disc from Tak Lei

Yeah.

By the way, did you mean "Tak Fat" in Mongkok rather than Tak Lei?

[Evangelion]

Oops..typo..sorry...it's Tak Fat...

[Azyiu]

Cool. I shop there half the time, and I also order from Amazon.com in the US. As you might know, for certain titles they are actually cheaper to order from the US than buying what in store here.


By the way, I was told by another member here a few days ago that, the PQ on HK ver of Hollywood movies actually look exactly the same, or just as good as their US counter parts. So we will see.