Direct Graphic DVD Comparisons now Online! (1 Viewer)

[Gary Tooze]

Finally !
MGM - Region 1 - NTSC "Kansas City Confidential" vs. Sony/BMG - Region 0 - PAL vs. Image Entertainment - Region 0 - NTSC vs. Alpha, Gotham Distribution - Region 0 - NTSC vs. TreeLine Films - Region 0 - NTSC
Image Entertainment

MGM

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/

 

[Gary Tooze]

New out today....
MGM - Region 1 - NTSC "The Stranger" vs. Focus-Films (single-disc) Region 0 - NTSC vs. MGM Region 2 / 4 - PAL vs. Roan Region 0 - NTSC vs. Parade Region 0 - NTSC vs. Focus-Films (2-disc) Region 0 - NTSC vs. Eureka Region 0 - PAL
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/
Best,

 

[Gary Tooze]

New...
BFI - Region 2 - PAL "Les Enfants Terribles" vs. Criterion - Region 1 - NTSC
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/
Cheers,

 

[Gary Tooze]

New...
ERA (RE-Mastered) Home Video - Region 0 - NTSC "Raise the Red Lantern" vs. MGM Home Video - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Razor - Region 0 - NTSC
and, although not official comparisons, Leonard compared screen captures in his reviews of the Blu-ray editons of Terminator and Infernal Affairs with their SD counterparts.
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/
Cheers,

 

[Gary Tooze]

The upcoming Region 1 Dragon Dynasty (Weinstein) is added...
Tartan - Region 2 - PAL 'Hard Boiled' vs. Long Shong Int. (Taiwan) - Region 0 - NTSC vs. Fox/Lorber- Region 1 vs. Mei Ah Region 0 NTSC vs. Dragon Dynasty - Weinstein (2-disc Ultimate Edition) - Region 1 - NTSC vs. TF1 Vidéo (France)- Region 2 - PAL vs. Criterion - Region 0 - NTSC
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/
Best,

 

[Gary Tooze]

Not being a John Woo fan I didn't initially verify this but the new Hard Boiled coming out next Tuesday by Dragon Dynasty (Weinstein) has DUBtitles. Some may still wish to get for the extensive supplements.
Best,
Gary

 

[Gary Tooze]

Added the Enter One...
Enter One (2 disc Box) - Region 3 - NTSC "Hana & Alice" vs. Panorama Entertainment (2 disc Box) - Region 3 - NTSC vs. Home Vision - Region 1 - NTSC
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/
Best,

 

[Gary Tooze]

Although not a full comparison per-se - in our review of The Film Noir Classic Collection - Volume 4 we have compared a couple of frames from the new Warner with the older Éditions Montparnasses - Region 2 - PAL for They Live By Night and The Big Steal.
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/
Cheers,

 

[Matt Czyz]

Hey Gary, this might already have been planned, but I was hoping you could update the comparison pages for The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth with the new re-releases when possible. Thanks.

 

[Gary Tooze]

New...
Carlotta - Region 2 - PAL "Bigger Than Life" vs. BFI - Region 2 - PAL
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/

 

[Gary Tooze]

Sorry for the delay... I'll get to Manon as soon as I can. It's anamorphic!
MGM (Double Feature) - Region 1 - NTSC "Jean De Florette" vs. MGM/UA*- Region 1 - NTSC vs. Pathe (UK) - Region 2 - PAL
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/
Best,

 

[DouglasBr]

Thank you Gary. Looks like the new flipper has more visual info on all sides (at least on that first cap). Not too much money for the double-dip, that's for sure, especially as Jean/Manon is one of my all-time favorite movie experiences.

 

[Paul_Scott]

Jean/Manon is one of my all-time favorite movie experiences.

Both movies mean a lot to me too, and up there with my all time favorites now.
Looking at the comparision, the differences in color timing are almost comical.
While overall, I don't regret buying the new flipper- and am thankful there is a halfway decent anamorphic presentation of the film to finally watch- I can't help but think the color timing of it is wildly off.
I could accept the golden tint in certain situations, but when you see a cap where there are trees shorn of leaves, and the image still has an exceedingly warm, golden cast to it, that just screams incorrect.

Its a shame the original transfer wasn't anamorphic because to my eyes it is the most correct looking, as well as the most detailed. In fact, I bet it is all the resolved film grain that made it the compression nightmare it was, and was reason for all the artifacting.
The new disc looks much more filtered in comparison.

Overall a step in the right direction, but still frustratingly "off" (and I have no doubt that someday when there is a more correct, balanced disc available, we'll all look at this new one and wonder how we could have ever accepted it as it is). Why is it that these films in particular are having such a hard time getting a decent presentation?

 

[Marc Colella]

Why is it that these films in particular are having such a hard time getting a decent presentation?

Because it's a foreign film and the major studios really don't care about them (for the most part) and these films in particular may require a little extra work to present them properly. It's sad that fantastic films like Florette and Manon not only aren't given special treatment (with picture quality and extras), but to just slap both films on a double-sided disc is really a slap in the face.
I bet "Who's Your Caddy?" will get the royal DVD treatment when it's released. :rolleyes

 

[Stephen_J_H]

Because it's a foreign film and the major studios really don't care about them (for the most part) and these films in particular may require a little extra work to present them properly. It's sad that fantastic films like Florette and Manon not only aren't given special treatment (with picture quality and extras), but to just slap both films on a double-sided disc is really a slap in the face.
I bet "Who's Your Caddy?" will get the royal DVD treatment when it's released. :rolleyes

Just wait; what's going to stop MGM from releasing the La Cage Au Folles films as a triple feature on a DVD-14?

 

[Gary Tooze]

One more...
Criterion Collection (2-disc) - Region 1 - NTSC "If..." vs. Paramount Pictures - Region 2 - PAL
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/
Have a good weekend,

 

[Gary Tooze]

Leonard has done a new comparison...
SUPERBIT Region 1 NTSC "The Fifth Element" vs. Blu-ray (original) vs. Blu-ray remastered
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/
Best,

 

[rich_d]

The revised Superbit has more detail but it takes a bit of scrutiny to notice it. The new version also appears more greenish to this eye.

Regardless, my main point is around the viability of SHOWING the difference on a website. The value of hi-def comes as the projected images gets larger. The large images compacted to the small screen hides the differences one might see on a 70" screen, thus delivering questionable value in a comparative analysis (unless the viewer significantly enlarges all images for themselves).

Btw Gary, I enjoyed your women of film noir article.

 

[Stephen_J_H]

Regardless, my main point is around the viability of SHOWING the difference on a website.

I must concur. It's hard to convey on a website just how much more detail there is to HD, especially when you're having to downconvert every capture so it doesn't slow down the site too much. It's much better to see it in person on a properly calibrated display, since my experience with HD in B & Ms like Best Buy has been less than positive.
FWIW, the best calibrated displays in retail I've seen have been on the Toshiba in-store displays in places like London Drugs. Jaw-droppingly gorgeous are the words that come to mind.

 

[Gary Tooze]

New...
MGM - Region 1 - NTSC "House of Games" vs. Criterion - Region 1 - NTSC
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/
Cheers,