Gladiator Blu-ray - release date 09/01/2009 - Read before buying! (1 Viewer)

[Ed Speir IV]

Wow...wish I would've seen this thread five minutes ago. I just now ordered Braveheart and Gladiator for in-store pickup at Best Buy. I will probably take Gladiator back and keep Braveheart.

 

[Tom C]

The Digital Bits has a review:

http://www.thedigitalbits.com/reviewshd/bdreviews083109.html

What a shame. I was looking forward to this release.

 

[Phil Carter]

I've been hunting through the thread for some addresses. How can we contact Paramount to let them know we are unhappy with their treatment of this film and would prefer to see it properly done? Paramount's website is singularly unhelpful.

cheers,
Phil

 

[David_B_K]

Posted by Jeff Robertson:

Braveheart: Bought!

Gladiator: NOT!

Ditto for me.

 

[AaronMK]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ron-P

Best Buy, if you buy both you save $10. So, $22.95 for Braveheart and $12.95 for Gladiator, even if Gladiator has some minor issues, it will be better then the DVD. Can't beat that!

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=pcmcat190500050009&type=category

Actually, if $23.99 is the price of a properly mastered Gladiator Blu-ray, then $12.95 sounds like it is the right price for what you are actually getting. In that case, you shouldn't need to be buying Braveheart as well to get that price.

 

[AaronMK]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phil Carter

I've been hunting through the thread for some addresses. How can we contact Paramount to let them know we are unhappy with their treatment of this film and would prefer to see it properly done? Paramount's website is singularly unhelpful.

cheers,
Phil

[email protected]

 

[Dave Moritz]

I was also looking foward to this title and I am glad I checked the forum before just going out and buying it. I have to agree that this title is an embarasment and someone needs to loose there job for this train wreck. How can a title like this get such a horible transfer? Who ok'ed this release, are they blind? This is one of the titles that is made for Bluray and I wanted to buy it on release day but now I will not buy it until it is fixed!

 

[Jason Hughes]

Here is the e-mail I sent:
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Due to the numerous reviews posted on the internet concerning the quality of the Blu-Ray Gladiator, I will be passing on making this purchase. It sounds like somebody signed off on an old, inadequate transfer. I doubt Ridley Scott would approve of this. Please re-master this one properly and I will buy it. This sounds like a missed opportunity for one of the finest films ever made.

Based on positive reviews, I have just ordered the Braveheart blu-ray from Amazon.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I just got a read receipt back from them...

 

[RobertR]

Originally Posted by Ron-P

You are right Robert. To me, audio is almost more important. The impact audio has in the HT setting is almost more impressive then a less then perfect 1080p image. But that's just me.

Well, according to this post, even the audio on the Blu Ray isn't impressing some people:

I was not expecting to be disappointed with the audio, but my DVD with its DTS 6.1 track was clearly superior in most respects to the new DTS MA track found on the Blu-Ray. LFE on the DVD was far fuller - without being sloppy - and it shook my couch something fierce, while the Blu-Ray caused merely slight vibrations. The DVD also made better use of the surround channels. Overall, it presented a richer, more engrossing experience to my ears. I even bumped the volume up a few dB while playing the Blu-Ray to make sure it wasn't a volume attenuation issue, but it didn't help. That, too me, is more upsetting than the visuals. That scene was always my favorite audio demo.

 

[Dave Moritz]

Sounds like Dreamworks needs to rework this title and they need to make this a reference disc. It is sad and it doesn't help Bluray when a studio puts out such a poor quality transfer on Bluray.

 

[Douglas Monce]

Originally Posted by Dave Moritz

I don't think Dreamworks has anything to do with this title at this point.

Doug

 

[TonyD]

I was going to mention the sound to, but I felt like it might be too much.
The surrounds seemed lacking to me.
Glad someone else said it because I sure was thinking it while watching.

 

[Ron-P]

I watched Braveheart last night, the PQ and SQ is solid, very, very impressive. Top notch!

I've got Gladiator in my Q, but if the sound is not on par either, don't think it's even worth the $9 at this point.

 

[TonyD]

Ron I'll be looking for your opinion on the sound of Gladiator, knowing how important sound is for you.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Originally Posted by RobertR

Well, according to this post, even the audio on the Blu Ray isn't impressing some people:

RobertR: Since I don't know where that quote came from...can you tell me what particular scene the poster was referring-to in connection with their impression of overall sub-par audio?

That scene was always my favorite audio demo.

Thanks!

 

[TerryPM]

Originally Posted by AaronMK

Quote:

Actually, if $23.99 is the price of a properly mastered Gladiator Blu-ray, then $12.95 sounds like it is the right price for what you are actually getting. In that case, you shouldn't need to be buying Braveheart as well to get that price.

With the $10 rebate from the DVD, it actually comes to $2.95, which is about what it is worth. IMO, this is the worst blu-ray transfer I have seen. It's even worse than Patton, which I was able to watch and enjoy. The EE here is more distracting, and the lack of detail is more prominent especially when compared to the extended scenes. One can only hope they will remaster this title and give us replacements.

 

[Paul Arnette]

Originally Posted by Douglas Monce

I don't think Dreamworks has anything to do with this title at this point.

Doug

Who does? Or is the problem that no one does? Either way I feel like I should print some custom cover art for this disc, I'm thinking an all black cover with just the word 'Buck' on it in white. And then I think I will pass it around to all my friends.

 

[Fabian Kusch]

Originally Posted by Phil Carter

I've been hunting through the thread for some addresses. How can we contact Paramount to let them know we are unhappy with their treatment of this film and would prefer to see it properly done? Paramount's website is singularly unhelpful.

cheers,
Phil

Scott Free Productions
614 N La Peer Drive
Los Angeles, California 90069
Telephone: 310 360 2250
Fax: 310 360 2251

Paramount:

[email protected]
323-956-5000

 

[Brian Borst]

It's been acknowledged that Universal did the Gladiator Blu-ray, so any complaints should be addressed to them.

 

[David_B_K]

Posted by Brian Borst: It's been acknowledged that Universal did the Gladiator Blu-ray, so any complaints should be addressed to them.

Over at AVS, someone has already written to Universal and they received the curt reply from Universal that this is Paramount's doing and that all correspondence should be addressed to Paramount. Maybe both studios are playing "tag" with this title?