Blu-ray's to miss thread

[dvdmike]

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1156395

[CMcK]

I think Robocop looks just fine on BD. Lack of extras is totally unimportant IMHO.

To add to the avoid list I would nominate Transformers: The Movie. It's the same faux widescreen version from the last DVD release albeit very clear. some scenes do look a bit fuzzy though. Soundtrack sounds a lot clearer though.

[dvdmike]

It blows away the dvd in detail, and I saw it in the cinema in 1.85:1, it was matted for UK distrubition.
Your 100% on Robocop tho

[CMcK]

Aha. I always though that Transformers was actually made in 4:3 aspect.

Just waiting for the Highlander BD to arrive, should hopefully be here today. If any film is still going to look a bit crummy then this is surely it.

[mekanor]

To add to the avoid list I would nominate Transformers: The Movie. It's the same faux widescreen version from the last DVD release albeit very clear. some scenes do look a bit fuzzy though. Soundtrack sounds a lot clearer though.

thats a shame, was looking forward to picking this one up. i still might actually as im ashamed to say i dont own it in any other form

[dvdmike]

Transformers is fantastic

Top DVD
Bottom BRD
Pics taken with a cam off my tv










As is Highlander

[Strider]

cool picked up highlander today with crouching tiger, hidden dragon. Will watch it tomorrow

[Wools]

Worst discs for me are:
Zulu DNR
The Italian Job DNR
The Dark Knight A starved AVC encode with bad EE on all the Imax shots and some colour timing changes.

I'm not doubting that you are knowledgeable on the look and transfers used when making a Blu Ray disc but you're wrong about these three films being bad.

If the Italian Job & Zulu had a true transfer like Blade Runner then that's far more preferable but as it stands, they look magnificent, heavy DNR or not.

[Daragon]

I agree with his Dark Knight opinion if nothing else, the bank scene at the start looked awful to me, and for one of the better shots in the film I'm quite frankly appalled!

[Wools]

I'm nowhere near knowledgeable on all factors of Blu Ray but I’m aware of DNR when it’s heavy and whether it appears the Publisher has gone back to the original negative to transfer.

Zulu for me had the most noticeable DNR and some parts of the Italian Job, but by no means are they bad transfers to Blu Ray. Likewise I could not see a single issue with the IMAX opening to the Dark knight so I would love to know why you believe it looks bad. Are their particular shots or scenes where it becomes noticeable?

As I said, I’m in no way an expert and don’t have the biggest set up but I genuinely can’t see a problem with those three films except for the DNR issue that was used on The Italian Job & Zulu.

[Daragon]

The stupid thing is, the scene looks incredible on the Batman Begins disk, but on The Dark Knight, it's like it's a completely different transfer almost.

[Lyris]

What's good and what isn't is somewhat subjective. And when we remember that most people's TVs won't be calibrated and will be adding another veil to the image, it becomes almost impossible to talk with each other about how something does or doesn't look. Thank the manufacturers and their peddling of the idea that picture settings should be done "according to your personal taste" for this mess.

FWIW, I agree with DVDmike. Although none of those discs are unwatchably bad, there should be no concessions on this format. The Dark Knight is especially bizarre, given that there is (or was) a QuickTime HD trailer on the web that has more vertical detail.

With that said, I don't think there are any Blu-ray Discs that I would miss entirely, if I wanted to see a film. There's no better format.

[dvdmike]

Watching Highlander it goes from grain central, to a heavy filtered DNR look.
Either one or the other optimum !

While I agree with Lyris on his last point I cannot bring myself to pick up a £20 disc when I know it can look better (even tho I own alot of the DVNR heavy discs)

[Yakumo]

Now, I'm not a Blue ray owner but have thought about getting one but what's the point when they don't do the format justice? By the way, what does DNR mean? and why are some Blu-ray shipped with no extras? i mean, isn't that one of the main selling points? Better image and sound with more extras than you could shake a stick at?

Yakumo

[Number45]

DNR, basically the process of removing 'noise' from the picture, in many cases to the detriment of the end product.

As for the quality of Blu-Ray and the existence of extras, it really does depend from one release to the next. Some studios will put a lot more effort into their releases than others, and of course some will hold extras back so that they can release the film again down the line and force people to double dip.

This isn't a Blu-Ray exclusive problem. I've got some SHOCKING DVDs at home (Hard Boiler and Platoon spring to mind), both in terms of picture quality and extras (Not that I care about extras, but still).