DVD Review HTF Review: Jaws - 30th Anniversary Edition (1 Viewer)

[Jordan_E]

Although I haven't watched my LD set in a LONG time, I remember the music standing out more after the famous "bigger boat" line. Poor John Williams, some of his greatest music being drowned out on DVD by sound FX! I may pick up this DVD if I read that the mono track stands out, otherwise I'm happy with my DTS DVD and having the doc on LD.

 

[Ken_McAlinden]

I watch black and white films on my color television quite frequently without ever feeling cheated. The same goes for mono mixes and uncropped widescreen presentations.

The film mixers and editors gave a "performance" at the time the film was made that deserves to be respected. This performance (i.e. the original mix) should be repurposed as closely as possible in the home theater environment. I don't need them to fill up all of my speakers any more than I need them to fill up my entire screen.

Regards,

 

[Ken_McAlinden]

When discussing audio, "compressed" can mean more than one thing. There are artifacts associated with lossy data compression. Compression is also used to mean that the dynamic range (peak to RMS sound level range) is limited. In the case of vintage movie sound mixes intended for optical mono release prints, they will sometimes be more dynamically compressed than mixes intended for release on mag-tracks or a modern digital format. If a mix is done at very "hot" levels to a magnetic tape, it will sound compressed as well due to the dynamic peaks hitting saturation levels on the tape.

A common mis-use of the term, particularly in on-line DVD reviews at sites other than this one, is to associate it with the frequency bandwidth of the recording.

A 192 kbps mono track can sound very good with only subtle data compression artifacts if done right, preferably but not essentially as a DD 1.0 track.

Regards,

 

[CraigL]

Question:

My DVD of the LD documentary is 2 hours and 4 minutes.

The Deleted Scenes/outtakes are 12 minutes 54 seconds.

Can anyone confirm that these are the running times on the new DVD?

 

[Steve K.H.]

No, anyone can't confirm this... probably just people who have access to the new release.

 

[TonyD]

craig if you look at the shot of the back cover right in this thread it says 2 hr documentary.
also says the same in the review.

i cant see why they would cut 4 minutes and make it exactly 2 hrs.

and right in the review, for the deleted scenes.

"There are about 14 minutes"

did you read the review at the beginning of the thread?

 

[BrettGallman]

I actually found this out early at a store tonight, but all 15 copies they had were full-screen

Guess I'll be waiting until Tuesday.

 

[Vincent_P]

The folks who are doing the math for the PCM track are doing the math for 2-CHANNEL PCM. If the JAWS disc had a true 1-channel PCM mono track, instead of a redundant 2-channel mono PCM track, wouldn't it be exactly the same as "half-rate" DTS, or 768 KB/S?

Vincent

 

[CraigL]

Nope. I think i was just waiting for your response.

I was looking for exact times...which I haven't seen.

But thanks for your "input."

 

[Arnie G]

I also saw this at my local discounter today and guess what? Fullscreen copies only.:frowning:

 

[Andrew Bunk]

Under a rock, thank you.

Seriously, if I had a dime for every DVD I have that has not been viewed yet, I could have a nice prime rib dinner.

I am a big Spielberg fan, but for whatever reason Jaws didn't have the same wow factor for me growing up. I don't think I've ever watched it from beginning to end. And definitely didn't see it in theaters (I was born in 1974.)

I'm hoping this DVD will help me experience it in a way that the film deserves.

 

[Citizen87645]

Don't feel bad Andrew. I just watched it tonight from beginning to end -- first time ever. Actually, the interesting thing is Jaws is the first movie I ever went to, at a very inappropriate three years old. Fortunately, all I remember is the ice cream sandwich my mommy bought me.

 

[Carlos Garcia]

I was 15 when Jaws hit theaters. I'll never forget it either...They had just installed reclining chairs (pretty modern in those days) in that theater, and as soon as The head came out of the sunken boat
EVERY single chair in that theater jumped back in unison! It was quite an experience, and I'm glad I got to see it in theaters back then.

 

[Jing_B]

I have the current 25th Anniversary Edition. So is this new one worth a double-dip?

 

[Ray_R]

It certainly is in my opinion. The film is all on the first disc with a smattering of extras including the original monoaural audio track. The second disc contains the full laserdisc documentary which was greatly shortened and edited on the 25th Annicersary Release. The second disc also contains numerous extras which has been listed in the review. It also comes with an impressive 60-PAGE Booklet of which I'm sure will impress many of those who do purchase this, of which I'm one of them.

By the way, the trailers MIGHT be on the second disc under the Marketing option. I could be mistaken but how often do I regularly post in a thread concerning one of my favorite films of which I'm eagerly purchasing this release no questions asked? Hardly ever.

 

[Nathan*W]

Well, it's been a week since this review first came out. Jason, have you listened to the mono track yet?

 

[Hank]

I just picked this up at Wally World for $14.94, scanned through disc 1, the mono track is the original and sounds as good as the LD audio even though I sold my LD CAV box five years ago. Some may disagree with me but one thing is for sure, the mono track on this DVD is better than the Dolby or DTS 5.1 track.

 

[Jason Walstrom]

I'm curious as to how a purist listen's to the mono track. Do you watch the film through just one speaker? Or is it two channel Mono? Or even 3 channel Mono?

 

[Joe Fisher]

YES. YES. YES. You get the original mono track + the full 2hr Documentary. Reason enough for me. The only draw back is no trailers, so I would hold onto the 25th Anniversary disc if trailers are your game.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I'd watched the dvd with the mono sound and I'm happy, but that's not to say others won't be with it.