A Few Words About A few words about...™ Gladiator (redux) -- in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[Bleddyn Williams]

Originally Posted by Hollywoodaholic


There's a lot of misinformation floating around on this thread. This is one of them. I have the original release and it has the 515 number on the inside sleeve on the back, so that's not an indicator of the properly remastered version.


I don't think there's been any official confirmation of packaging that denotes the remaster or that it's in Best Buy stores yet. Just people claiming they suddenly have a remastered version. Just saying.

Yeah, thanks for quoting me. If you'd been following forums today, only later on did some folk say they had older copies with the 515 number. The absence of the "2-Disc Set" above the Paramount logo on the back of the cover insert is still the most likely indication for a remastered copy.


I have the remaster, bought at Best Buy, and I'm far from alone. You seem to think that nobody actually has the new version for real. You are wrong. Just saying.

 

[James Lee]

Well, I guess all we can go on is the presence or absence of the words "2-disc set" in the bottom right corner of the back of the paper case insert because I watched the new version tonight after picking it up at Best Buy earlier in the day.


It's definitely the new remaster because it looks phenomenally better than the first release. All the screen capture comparisons floating around on other messageboards and websites are pretty accurate in my opinion. Seeing it for myself though just confirms that the differences are really that significant. I still have my old copy with the poor video quality and I watched the first 30 minutes or so just to compare, and for me, there is no comparison. As bad as the first release was, the re-release is that much better and finally does justice to a great film. Too bad Paramount couldn't get it right the first time, but I give them props for going back and fixing it.

 

[Tim Glover]

Here's hoping amazon will get it in soon as Best Buy is kind of pricey on this one. My local one is out anyway...

 

[dpippel]

^ Exactly. I'm not about to pay $26 + tax for Gladiator, remaster or not. And kudos to Paramount for acknowledging the problem and correcting it. If only they'd made it easy and direct for customers to distinguish between the two releases.

 

[Bleddyn Williams]

Totally understand. Usually I would never pay $26 for a title either. But I held off buying the original for obvious reasons, and there's something to be said for simply being able to pick up the right version in a store and that's that.

 

[Hollywoodaholic]

I successfully exchanged my original copy for the remastered copy at Best Buy today, even though they were never able to bring up my record of buying it there (and I don't remember if I did). For what it's worth. Your experience may very, but it helps to be a regular customer, I assume.


I was not trying to offend anyone by posting a remark about misinformation on the release of this replacement BD in this thread, but it was all getting a little confusing, with reports of yellow bar code/no yellow bar code, 517/515, 2-disc set/no 2 disc set marking, security tape/no security tape. And I do not follow other BD forums, with the exception of TDB.


The copy I found had no white security tape on the top, and was missing the "2-Disc Set" text on both the cardboard sleeve AND the inner sleeve on the case. It WAS mixed among copies of the BD WITH the security tape and the text.


I took the new version (along with my original) to the exchange department, just told them it was defective and the company had issued a replacement version, and here it was. They accepted the story.

 

[Hollywoodaholic]

Worth the wait. I'm glad I held off screening my original BD copy until I got this version.


A film hero is only as good as the villain is evil (see every James Bond movie), and Joaquin is exceptionally evil here. I look forward to his phony rap career documentary to see what further depths he will sink to for our entertainment.

 

[Josh Dial]

[SIZE= 12px][COLOR= rgb(0, 0, 0)]Good news--they now get a purchase from me, and I can go back to recommending this release to friends. This does *not,* however, exonerate the studio from the initial (and idiotic) handling of this release.[/COLOR][/SIZE]


[SIZE= 12px][COLOR= rgb(0, 0, 0)]The fact that Paramount Home Entertainment has the balls to call it "preferential issues with some of the technical DVNR (digital video noise reduction) and EE (edge enhancement) choices made in the original source transfer" is absolutely mind-boggling, in addition to being downright stupid.[/COLOR][/SIZE]


[SIZE= 12px][COLOR= rgb(0, 0, 0)]The person or persons who are responsible[/COLOR] for the initial release--regardless of their position in the hierarchy--are morons, plain and simple; they should be embarassed by that release, and removed from the company the work for. Further, anyone who "approved" the release, regardless of position in the hierarchy, should also be embarassed by their "work," and removed from the company.[/SIZE]

 

[Mike Frezon]

So...as far as we know...there is no definitive way yet to tell the difference between the first issue and the re-issue?

 

[PaulDA]

I'm not buying a copy until there is an ironclad way to tell.

 

[dpippel]

You'd think they'd make it easy. This isn't exactly rocket science.

 

[PaulDA]

Especially since they made it simple with Saving Private Ryan.

 

[Jamie E]

Buying based on the missing "2-disc set" above the Paramount logo has not steered anyone wrong, as far as I've seen on the forums. I can also confirm that this worked for me. I picked up the last copy on the shelf at Fry's yesterday, no 2-disc set on the sleeve or case insert, and no security stickers on the case. Watched it last night and it the transfer is absolutely glorious.


I also wrote an email to Paramount Home Entertainment customer service, thanking them for bringing out the remaster and exchange program, and encouraging them to use this remastered release as the benchmark for quality that they should aspire to for all of their future Blu-ray releases.

 

[Mike Frezon]

I just bought a used copy and have no way to tell...except that I'm figuring since it's used--it's probably the original issue.


I wouldn't have pulled the trigger except I got a great price on it.

 

[Bleddyn Williams]

Originally Posted by Jamie E

Buying based on the missing "2-disc set" above the Paramount logo has not steered anyone wrong, as far as I've seen on the forums. I can also confirm that this worked for me.

Me too, providing you are talking about the keepcase insert rather than the slipcover. People have nitpicked this to death by now, but I do read a bunch of forums, and have yet to read of anyone whose case insert is missing the "2-Disc Set" text who hasn't got a remaster.

 

[dpippel]

Paramount should just come out with a definitive statement/method and be done with it. A sleuthing effort by the customer to differentiate between the two releases shouldn't be required.

 

[Hollywoodaholic]

The fact they didn't pull the previous edition from the shelves says everything: They have no problem unloading them on the unaware or the indifferent. And why not? And the less they trumpet the differences, the less likely they will have to eat unsold original versions.

 

[dpippel]

I'd wager that few people outside of the HT enthusiast community even know about the corrected release. Most consumers who would be purchasing this title are indifferent, so Paramount really has nothing to lose by making it easy for those who do care to find the new Blu-ray. After all, that's why they went to the trouble and expense to remaster Gladiator in the first place.

 

[Jay_J]

Can anyone upload a photo of the back insert of the remastered Gladiator blu?? I was looking at copies in Toronto, there was two -disc set written on the back left lower corner, but not on the right. All very confusing, I didn't buy any of them. Not sure if the new discs have worked their way into the Canadian retail system yet.

 

[Icaro]

 

this is the Holland steel provisionally (unavaible),

identical to the first edition, but  with stickers on back, 

both with two disc, changes only the first disc the second is unchanged

 

 

very important you look at the Ean code:

 

5050582773859 10th Anniversary Edition Remastered

 

5050582732115 Collector's Edition (1st edition)