Films (Almost Entirely Surround)

[cdheer]

and the list price of these tapes was $99

My dad paid $129.99 for Star Wars back in the day.

Trivia question: one studio decided to drop the price of an upcoming video release from those crazy heights to $39.99. This was so monumentally successful that it caused a trend that bottomed out even lower. Anyone know the studio and/or film?

 

[4-earredwonder]

My dad paid $129.99 for Star Wars back in the day.

Trivia question: one studio decided to drop the price of an upcoming video release from those crazy heights to $39.99. This was so monumentally successful that it caused a trend that bottomed out even lower. Anyone know the studio and/or film?

And that STAR WARS was pan and scan and had a monaural soundtrack .... Insane @ $129!

I believe FOX was the first major studio to sell via mail order and reduced those early VHS prices significantly. But then BLOCKBUSTER came to the rescue by renting VHS [thus that BE KIND .... REWIND mentality was born].

And of course VHS won the format war over BETA because their blank tapes were capable of recording up to 6 hours of [frankly subpar] video at the slowest speeds. And the quality was atrocious but cramming whole TV series onto blank VHS was all the rage at the time and making MTV video compilations for parties was popular as well.

But it all came to a halt when DVD was introduced in the mid 90's boasting 480 lines of resolution and stereo then DD/DTS 5.1 sound and to this day DVD remains the highest selling format in the history of video even outperforming Blu ray and now UIHD4K. If you check Deep Discount's website, DVDs are still being released to this day and, get this, cost almost as much as BD~V and in some cases 4K ...... IMO, RIDICULOUS!

Just goes to show how Neanderthal Joe Q. Public remains as regarding advancements in home video replication. Even a cheap BD~V player would not only unsample DVDs but play BD~V and CDs as well better than their 'ancient' DVD players ..... and one can be purchased for as low as $60!

 

[cdheer]

And that STAR WARS was pan and scan and had a monaural soundtrack .... Insane @ $129!

I believe FOX was the first major studio to sell via mail order and reduced those early VHS prices significantly. But then BLOCKBUSTER came to the rescue by renting VHS [thus that BE KIND .... REWIND mentality was born].

Fox may have sold via mail order, but they didn't bring the prices way down. A specific commercial release from Paramount did it.

Renting, of course, had been around since the early days; Blockbuster just chain-ified it.

And of course VHS won the format war over BETA because their blank tapes were capable of recording up to 6 hours of [frankly subpar] video at the slowest speeds. And the quality was atrocious but cramming whole TV series onto blank VHS was all the rage at the time and making MTV video compilations for parties was popular as well.

The bigger issue (in the US anyway) was that at LP (before EP became a thing), a VHS deck could record an entire NFL game. Beta 2 (their equivalent speed/quality) could not.

 

[kap'n krunch]

I paid $129.99 for "The song remains the same", and IIRC, it was STEREO (NOT HI-FI though, that came later)
BUT
they were recorded on top notch Scotch T-120 Videocassettes and they lasted FOR EH VAH

 

[4-earredwonder]

From Kino Lorber and director Sidney Lumet TWELVE ANGRY MEN [Native UHD4K/HDR10/Dolby Vision/DTS~HD MA 2.0 MONO] Also includes on a separate BD~V William Friedkin's 1997 made for TV remake with an all star cast [1080p/DTS HD~MA Mono]

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/12-Angry-Men-4K-Blu-ray/311138/#Review

 

[4-earredwonder]

From Germany's Turbine Media and director David Cronenberg NAKED LUNCH [Native UHD4K/HDR10/Dolby Vision/DTS~HD MA 5.1]

Highdefdigest's MUST OWN Review:

https://ultrahd.highdefdigest.com/116491/nakedlunch4kultrahdmediabookinternationalartwork.html

 

[4-earredwonder]

Coming September 4th from StudioCanal..........

https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=32545

 

[4-earredwonder]

Last night I had the extreme pleasure of watching director Robert Mulligan's 1962 TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD in Native UHD4K in what can only be described as a sparkling remaster. With an Academy Award winning script by Horton Foote based on Harper Lee's 1960 novel and a transcendent Academy Award winning performance by Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch, depression era 1932 Tennessee was captured exquisitely! And the children: for non actors all were brilliantly realized performances! What I didn't realize is that the character of Dill was based on Harper Lee's next door neighbor in TN, Truman Capote. And Bronx born director Robert Mulligan also received an Academy Award for Best Director for TKAM!

The extras which are all surprisingly included on the 4K disc were equally excellent. The hour and a half interview and doc with actor Gregory Peck is NOT TO BE MISSED! And when asked what his favorite role was: answer, Atticus Finch not surprisingly.

Universal's 4K disc is uniformly excellent and the original mono soundtrack with composer Elmer Bernstein's hauntingly beautiful score has been repurposed for DTS~HD MA 5.1.

HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION!

 

[JediJoker]

Anybody else see Return of the Jedi in theaters for its 40th? Caught the last local showing this afternoon. It was fun to see on the big screen again after 26 years. I'm of the Special Edition/prequel generation, so although I generally prefer the original theatrical cuts, I don't mind the alterations—particularly in Jedi—as much as those who grew up during the original run. I knew going into it that this would be a digital projection of the latest cut as available on Disney+ and 4K UHD Blu-ray, so that didn't disappoint me. Nevertheless, I would have preferred a film print screening of the original for the nostalgia factor.

Unfortunately, despite the many speakers in the auditorium, I found the audio presentation quite lacking. To be honest, it didn't really sound like much more than stereo. And, of course—as has become de rigeur—the playback level was set far too high, prompting me to put in my Etymotic ER20XS earplugs. They do a decent job of attenuating fairly evenly across the spectrum, but they're not perfect, so they probably didn't help with my auditory experience. Regardless, I don't think I was missing much from the spatial presentation.

Having prepared by watching Star Wars and Empire from Disney+ last night with Dolby Digital Plus 5.1, I was expecting a much more immersive experience. To make sure Jedi wasn't just an outlier with a much worse mix, I spot-checked the Disney+ stream, and it was much the same as the other two. So, what was up with the theater audio? Was it just stereo as it seemed? Was it a different surround/immersive mix? If you saw it in the theater in the past week, how was your audio experience?

(Also, the visual experience confirmed for me what I already knew: front projection simply can't compete with self-emissive display tech. I'm not sure if I'll bother with theatrical showings that aren't film projection or large format like IMAX. Digital projection just doesn't measure up to the picture quality I get from OLED in my own home.)

 

[bookofsaturdays]

Had no interest in seeing ROTJ in theatres because it’s the special edition. I mean come on, Jedi Rocks has got to be one of the worst changes Lucas ever made, and that’s saying something. Horrendous song and horrible close ups of the CGI, it’s just embarrassing.

4K77, 4K80, and 4K83 will be my go-to’s probably for the foreseeable future as I don’t see Disney releasing the theatrical cuts on 4K blu ray.

 

[JediJoker]

4K77, 4K80, and 4K83 will be my go-to’s probably for the foreseeable future as I don’t see Disney releasing the theatrical cuts on 4K blu ray.

Has 4K80 been released yet?

 

[bookofsaturdays]

Has 4K80 been released yet?

There is a beta version available now.

 

[4-earredwonder]

Coming July 4th from SHOUT FACTORY director Leigh Whannell's UPGRADE [Upscaled UHD4K/HDR10/Dolby Vision/DTS~HD MA 5.1] IMO, one of THE BEST sci fi movies of 2018. When AI takes over and wreaks havoc on mankind!

 

[4-earredwonder]

Coming May 30th from ARROW FILMS .... THE LAST STARFIGHTER [Native UHD4K/HDR10/Dolby Vision/DTS~HD MA 5.1]

http://thedigitalbits.com/item/last-starfighter-arrow-2023-uhd

 

[4-earredwonder]

Coming June 13th from Criterion and director Terry Gilliam TIME BANDITS [Native UHD4K/HDR10/Dolby Vision/LPCM 2.0]

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Time-Bandits-4K-Blu-ray/334775/#Review

 

[kap'n krunch]

Just saw Guardians of the Galaxy III , in one scene where they are talking about their favorite musical group/act one character says something about Adrian Belew and what he did in King Crimson... I guess that is for all of us KC heads....my wife pointed at me when he said it.... LOL!

 

[Simon A]

Just saw Guardians of the Galaxy III , in one scene where they are talking about their favorite musical group/act one character says something about Adrian Belew and what he did in King Crimson... I guess that is for all of us KC heads....my wife pointed at me when he said it.... LOL!

He said Andrian Belew both his soli work and with King Crimson.

 

[4-earredwonder]

Coming September 12th from Tribeca Films and director Robert De Niro the 30th Anniversary restored version of A BRONX TALE [Native UHD4K]

 

[4-earredwonder]

WARNER ARCHIVE announces their June 2023 releases including Howard Hawks LAND OF THE PHAROAHS and Spencer Tracy in Ernest Hemingway's THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA

https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=32591

 

[DuncanS]

WARNER ARCHIVE announces their June 2023 releases including Howard Hawks LAND OF THE PHAROAHS and Spencer Tracy in Ernest Hemingway's THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA

https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=32591

I don't think I've seen the Old Man And The Sea, but I have loved the book since I first read it as a teenager