DVD Review HTF Review: Monty Python's The Meaning of Life SE + TRANSFER PROBLEM FEEDBACK (1 Viewer)

[Aaron Cohen]

I enjoyed the film as I always have but upon watching it on my set (PT50LC13, 50 inch LCD Rear Projection Panasonic) there were times that I felt it could have looked better. Sure, it looked WAY better than my VHS tape but I had some aliasing issues as well. I am playing it on the Sony DVP-NS715P DVD Player. Also, I noticed a lot of compression artifacts and smearing in red objects, particularly during the rugby game bit but that may be due to my player falling victim to the chroma bug... Can anyone check this scene? It just looked BAD on my set... I LOVE the features though and this was a great buy for me at 13 bucks after a 5 dollar gift certificate.

The remaining members REALLY need to reunite and make another movie.

 

[Dan Rudolph]

Since the source material here is film, there's little excuse for doing a PAL-NTSC transfer. Sounds like someone tried to get two transfers for the price of one.

 

[Derek Miner]

Since the source amterial here is film, there's little excuse for doing a PAL-NTSC transfer. Sounds like someone tried to get two transfers for the price of one.

Well, the whole point of the technology today is that you can do a 24 fps HD master and then output a correct version in whatever format you desire, progressive or interlaced with little fuss.

Not to mention, you should be able to properly transcode a progressive PAL master to NTSC without aliasing problems because there is a one-to-one correlation between film frames and video frames (hence the speedup on PAL videos).

 

[Estevan Lapena]

DAMN IT!
Why of all titles did they have to mess this one up!
I hope Universal fixes this up! Universal is beginning to annoy me.
Please keep us posted.

 

[Mark_TS]

can someone please tell me what, if anything ive missed
in terms of an insert-

mine was missing.

Is it the standard one sheet cover photo, w/chapter listing, or something more elablorate?

thanks


Mark

 

[Anthony Thorne]

I might wait for a PAL release if the Region 1 edition has been screwed up. I also noted those posts Don May Jr. did about the quality of this remaster - he felt that it was probably an authoring issue - and am glad of the warning. Universal should repress the disc.

 

[Mark Cappelletty]

It looks good on my 32" 4x3 monitor, but I noticed when I paused it, the picture was "jittery" for lack of a better word. odd. I didn't have an insert either.

 

[Jeff Kuykendall]

There is no insert on this one. I just had an ad for other Universal comedy titles.

I watched it again last night and didn't notice any "jittering" when I paused it during motion. However, as I have a progressive scan DVD player, I did have to switch it to "video" to make it look at all decent.

I really, really hope they offer to replace these discs. But the supplements ARE great, the doc is fantastic, and I had been waiting to see the deleted scenes for a long time, so for the most part I'm very happy with this set.

Jeff

 

[Jason Perez]

Hello everyone!

With regard to the insert, there was none inside the review copy I received.

With regard to the issues many of you are reporting with PQ:

I don't know if it is dumb luck, the fact my particular player does an outstanding job decoding incorrectly flagged material, whether I did something great in a previous life, or what, but in real time the aliasing issues you are all describing are not visible on the disc I have.

However, since the membership of this Forum is usually right on when it comes to such observations, I did go back and view some of the sequences frame by frame. I can't say I am surprised, since so many people have pointed it out, but there are some sequences that look horrendous when you freeze-frame them (sadly that does include "The Good Death Guide"). Other sequences do not appear to have this problem, like the scene where the Reaper comes to the dinner party.

I want to reiterate that on my system, in real time, this problem did not manifest itself, or I sure would have pointed out that this release appears to be incorrectly flagged. What a drag, especially because fans of this material deserve so much better.

Now I guess we will have to wait and see if Universal steps up to the plate and does the right thing. From their packaging issues with ET, quality controls issues with this disc and Monty Python, all the way back to the f'ed up DTS track on Jurassic Park, it seems to be one thing after another. Universal has really screwed the pooch on this release, and I too hope that replacement discs are offered. I apologize if my review was in any way misleading, but as I said, the artifacting is not visible on my system while playing the disc back normally.


Regards,

Jason

 

[Andrew Bunk]

I haven't watched this yet, bit I'm glad I did not get rid of my Image release yet.

This is really just becoming pathetic on Universal's part. Weird Science (another 9/2 Universal release) had a dialogue missing issue. This has a major transfer issue.

I'm going to have to just stop pre-ordering Universal DVD's or buying them on release day before hearing what they've screwed up. That is if I don't just stop buying them altogether.

 

[Mark Zimmer]

I went through the new disc last night and throughout the entire film there are 3 good frames, followed by 2 bad frames--some of the most horrific combing I've ever seen on a disc not from Hong Kong. It's utterly ghastly on a flag-reading progressive player. This is a huge disappointment; it's the most unwatchable disc in my collection. Perhaps General Electric will fix it....not holding my breath, though.

For those not seeing any problems--and if you step through any five frames in sequence, you'll know whether there's a problem--do you have a cadence-reading player? Or are you just running it interlaced? If not everyone sees this on a progressive system then it may just be a flag-reading issue rather than a PAL conversion one. But the result is terrible on my Sony player. Unfortunately, both of my progressive players are flag-reading, so I don't have a way to compare.

The old Image version is perfectly fine all the way through; no combing or ghosting of any kind, but as noted above color and detail are not as good on the old non-anamorphic version.

 

[Jason Perez]

Mark,

With respect to your post (#52), I am running my trusty Panny CP72 in progressive mode, and as I mentioned ad nauseum above, I can't see any artifacting when playing the movie. I sure can when I freeze frame it though, and boy does it look terrible! Weird.... I can only imagine how pissed off you all are after shelling out some hard earned cash to get the disc home and see the ridiculous amount of artifacts in real time.

By the way, I used to live and breath Sony for electronics, but the three different progressive scan Sony models I bought (and returned) right before buying the Panny had vastly inferior imaging quality. I am not trying to start a this brand is better than the other debate, but different gear will produce a different image, for better or worse. I must give a nod to the Forum though, because I never would have looked at the Panny without reading all of the positive comments on it.

Anyway, I guess I am lucky that I can watch this Python disc without being horrified, but I am sorry that many of my fellow forum members are dissatisfied (rightfully so) with this Universal release. Universal sure has been screwing up quite a bit lately in almost every area (packaging, audio, and video)!

Maybe if NBC buys them out, they'll get a new quality control team in there. Probably wishful thinking though. I sure do hope the next time the Classic Monsters line is revisited that Universal doesn't screw those up as well! I guess we can only hope they start doing a better job on their DVD releases, because they have a damn good catalog. At the very least, let's hope it doesn't get any worse.

Regards,

Jason

 

[Felix Martinez]

I am not trying to start a this brand is better than the other debate, but different gear will produce a different image, for better or worse.

As previously mentioned, I have the excellent Panny RP-91 (which makes Titanic look fabulous) and Meaning of Life: CE looks like garbage using any of the auto progressive scan modes. Only "video" mode makes the image watchable via prog scan on my 92 inch screen, albeit with aliasing artifacts throughout.

I can now say that this disc, without a doubt, has been authored improperly.

My $.02,

 

[Mark_TS]

Jeff, Jason-thanks for the reply-saves me from returning it.

Seems odd that a deluxe PYTHON set wouldnt include a booklet....

 

[Jason Perez]

Felix,

Your DVD player is indeed top-notch, and I am in envy of the 92 inch screen.

I was just being proactive in making that statement (letting everyone know I am not promoting any one component over another). As I said, I guess I am lucky to not have the problem in real-time, and I agree with you completely that this disc has been improperly authored.

My thanks to yourself and everyone else who pointed this out!

 

[CraigF]

Very disappointing to hear this, I've been looking forward to this release as long as I've had a DVD player. My copy's still in the mail...and yes it was cheap, but that's not the point for me. I have an RP-82 now, and since the 72/91 guys seem to say it looks not too bad, maybe I'll be fine. But all in all, I have never been very satisfied with the PQ and audio quality (AQ?) in any Python release by anybody. I can understand when good quality film elements just aren't available, but when there's poor or no restoration, or there's transfer or authoring issues, it seems a real slap in the face (with a fish) to consumers when they *know* they're going to sell lots of copies. And when you see the fine work done on "classic" movies that will certainly sell many fewer copies, it reeks of cash grab.

Or maybe it's all a joke...the Pythons are noted for purposely doing strange things and screwing up stuff on media. The Pythons are noted for holding quite firm control of their stuff, and perhaps Uni was just not allowed to do much with what they were given.

If it's just a MOL problem because of PAL->NTSC conversion, get used to it, it's become quite common on Canadian DVD releases from certain companies already. I don't *like* it, but it's usually not nearly as bad looking here as some see on their setups. I'll know right away when I see it if it's a PAL->NTSC thing, or something else. Anyway, sounds like a bummer, and if it really is, I shouldn't be surprised, like I said I find all Python stuff is poorly presented and usually has some flaws.

 

[Jason Stocker]

This disc looks fantastic on my Toshiba sd-3750 with the progressive in auto mode. I can see some very minor alising on about every 5th still frame, but even to see that i need to get up close to my 50inch Toshiba set.

 

[Felix Martinez]

This disc looks fantastic on my Toshiba sd-3750 with the progressive in auto mode. I can see some very minor alising on about every 5th still frame

I just hope we're not seeing an authoring trend...

 

[Jeffrey Nelson]

I've just gotten this disc, and it is indeed HORRENDOUS. Unwatchable. I'd like to point out something else about this release that, unbelievably, nobody else has: the narration that was originally over the two intertitle cards, "Our Short Feature Presentation" and "Our Feature Presentation", is MISSING. Over the first intertitle it's supposed to say: "There will be a short film of approximately ten minutes before our Feature Presentation."

Over the second intertitle it's supposed to say: "And now, our Feature Presentation."

Anyone else noticed this glaring blunder? Thanks much, Universal.

 

[Keith Paynter]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that this was done for the the North American release. I remember originally seeing this theatrically, and hearing the audience groan at the introduction to what would be TG's hilarious short film.

From the way the complaints have been going, it sounds like this whole project stems from elements from the UK release - The sped-up supplements, the jitter experienced, the dialogue replacements, etc.

I would like to make this comparison for those who have heard the soundtrack album as well as the film. In the film, at the finale's lobby scene ("Welcome to Heaven"), as TJ is handed the complimentary package, he/she exclaims "hmm - Afterlife Mints!". On the soundtrack album, he says "Have A Nice Month!", which reflects what the package really is, as is discovered in the "restored", expanded scene with MP and EI as the American couple on holiday. The soundtrack also eludes to the cut "Adventures of Martin Luther" sketch, with the opening introduction spoken with typical Michael Palin bravado before being unceremoniously sideswpt for the next bit.

The Image disc is worth keeping for those who prefer the North American release. I bought the new one primarily for the inclusion of deleted scenes, and Jones' and Gilliam's commentary. Some of the supplements (such as the footage of the 'new' recordings of songs from the film, and the 'virtual reunion (in which I was hoping to see some way of including some kind of reference to the late Graham Chapman)) were a bland waste of my time, although I did like the 'John Cleese Edition' trailer.