James Bond, OHMSS 2015/2020 BD Releases: Quality Differences? (1 Viewer)

[cineescape]

The time has come to get this on BD, but might there be any reason to suspect that either the initial or the later release would sound better?

Or that either would be a better pressing and perhaps therefore be less susceptible to bit rot?

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/On-Her-Majestys-Secret-Service-Blu-ray/5073/

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/On-Her-Majestys-Secret-Service-Blu-ray/311768/

 

[Josh Steinberg]

There has been only one Blu-ray edition of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service since its initial release circa 2012. It has been repackaged many times but in all instances it is the exact same disc.

 

[Sultanofcinema]

The picture quality is not good and fluctuates, the music score (the best of the series) has been seriously "down dialed) and the sound effects have been changed.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

The disc includes both the modern 5.1 remix and the original monaural audio.

 

[Sultanofcinema]

The disc includes both the modern 5.1 remix and the original monaural audio.

It does, but a lot of people don't know this, even when looking at the audio options and automatically go to the fake stereo with horrible sound effects. I will say that the You Only Live Twice and Bullitt Laser discs have the best fake stereo sound I have ever heard. Goldeneye still shines on Laser disc also.

 

[cineescape]

So even though the audio is lossless DTS MA, the original analog audio recordings and/or final mixdown masters were distorted; mixing board outputs and/or recorder inputs overloaded?? Or that the analog masters wasn't digitized at anything better than CD quality-or maybe only 8-bit mp3 quality?

BTW, is the sound quality from the BD release of YOLT any better?

 

[Sultanofcinema]

It's ok. They also decided to add subtitles to some of the dialog spoken in Japanese.

 

[Nelson Au]

Last night I watched On Her Majesty’s Secret Service on my OLED, I think it’s the first time seeing it on a new OLED display. It’s a larger display then I had before.

Maybe I’m just easier to please than others, but I was rather impressed by this 2012 blu ray. I know many have issues with the color timing in the morning beach scene in the pre-title sequence and the sound mix. Especially during the safe cracking scene, the music was toned down. I did watch with the 5.1 audio because I had recently been fine tuning the speaker system’s settings and it was kind of fun to hear the surround mix.

Here’s what I think of the 2012 blu ray disc and I’m no expert. I have seen this film on laser disc, DVD and the 2012 blu ray many many times before on a CRT displays and 2 plasma displays and new OLED. I thought the image quality surpassed my previous viewing experiences. I was surprised to find my eyes drawn to the lines and mole on Lazenby’s face. I was looking at Diana Rigg’s freckles on her face. The sharpness of the image was great. I never noticed the texture of the knit in the gold sweater Lazenby wears when his cover is blown and is in Blofeld’s clutches. Also the scenes in Moneypenny’s office and M’s office were so impressive looking too. I refer again to skin tones, detail texture in the objects on Moneypenny’s desk and the clothes she was wearing. Maybe the OLED‘s ability to process the image is helping?

In terms of color, I did think the skin tones on faces at times looked pale. I don’t know what the correct color scheme should be. I can see some people may not like the color. But overall, colors were quite good.

I’ve noticed that on all the Bond’s from the 1960’s era looked great. So as I said, maybe I’m easy to please. But I don’t think I can accept junk either. I don’t see any reason to deny yourself of a film if you are a fan just because it’s not a new 4K transfer. Maybe the experts like RAH would be able to tell if this disc is falling short, but I think it’s highly watchable. I really got sucked into the story. Maybe it was due to the screen size and great looking image, I just stopped looking and just enjoyed the adventure.

I too am waiting and hoping for the legacy Bond titles to be released on 4K disc.

 

[JoshZ]

I haven't looked at it again since it came out, but my main problem with the OHMSS Blu-ray was that the brightness and contrast had been cranked up too far. This is what I wrote at the time:

"At its best, the 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 transfer has an excellent, sometimes extraordinary vibrancy of detail, especially in interior scenes and close-ups. However, other scenes fluctuate from moderate to poor in this regard. In his audio commentary, director Peter Hunt mentions that he intentionally lit this film differently than the earlier Bond movies. That's quite evident, but even so, the disc also appears to have had its brightness and contrast boosted electronically. The movie is often overly-bright, with clipping in whites such as Bond's tuxedo shirt. This effectively makes the movie look very flat, and kind of cheap. Hunt specifically says that he didn't want the sets to look like soundstage sets, yet some (including the casino early on) look extremely stagy, and a lot of that is the fault of too much brightness."

 

[Worth]

I actually prefer the transfers on the original SE DVDs, especially the colour. Unfortunately, the resolution, and especially the compression, leave much to be desired.

 

[Nelson Au]

I haven't looked at it again since it came out, but my main problem with the OHMSS Blu-ray was that the brightness and contrast had been cranked up too far. This is what I wrote at the time:

"At its best, the 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 transfer has an excellent, sometimes extraordinary vibrancy of detail, especially in interior scenes and close-ups. However, other scenes fluctuate from moderate to poor in this regard. In his audio commentary, director Peter Hunt mentions that he intentionally lit this film differently than the earlier Bond movies. That's quite evident, but even so, the disc also appears to have had its brightness and contrast boosted electronically. The movie is often overly-bright, with clipping in whites such as Bond's tuxedo shirt. This effectively makes the movie look very flat, and kind of cheap. Hunt specifically says that he didn't want the sets to look like soundstage sets, yet some (including the casino early on) look extremely stagy, and a lot of that is the fault of too much brightness."

That review seems similar to my reaction when I thought some shots of the actors make them look pale.

Too had Peter Hunt wasn’t around to help with the Lowry efforts. And I wonder if they ever consulted with Michael Reed.

 

[cda1143]

regarding audio: might be of interest

 

[cda1143]

…Maybe I’m just easier to please than others, but I was rather impressed by this 2012 blu ray. I know many have issues with the color timing in the morning beach scene in the pre-title sequence and the sound mi…. I did watch with the 5.1 audio … and it was kind of fun to hear the surround mix.

Here’s what I think of the 2012 blu ray disc and I’m no expert. I have seen this film on laser disc, DVD and the 2012 blu ray many many times before on a CRT displays and 2 plasma displays and new OLED. I thought the image quality surpassed my previous viewing experiences...
Maybe the experts like RAH would be able to tell if this disc is falling short, but I think it’s highly watchable...


I too am waiting and hoping for the legacy Bond titles to be released on 4K disc.

Of course there is an iTunes 4K. No idea if anyone here has reviewed or compared it.

 

[cineescape]

regarding audio: might be of interest

Shameful. It's content like this that continues dissuading me from expanding my high end 2.3 system to a 5.3 system.

 

[Worth]

Of course there is an iTunes 4K. No idea if anyone here has reviewed or compared it.

It's from the same master, so the picture quality is pretty much the same, if ever so slightly more detailed. All of the movies originally mastered in 4K - this one, all the Connerys, Live and Let Die and Moonraker - continue to use the same masters with some very minor tweaks, like no windowboxing on the titles. The other films have received new 4K masters and are noticeably superior to the blu-rays.