The Die Hard Transfers... (1 Viewer)

[captainjoe]

Anyone else find the transfer created in 2001 for the SEs of Die Hard with a Vengeance is really poor? It's an upgrade from the original release but in all honesty I find it to look as if it's been run through a noise filter. Also, it has some of the worst edge enhancement I've ever seen. The other movies are ok but Vengeance is terrible. What happened?

Examples:

 

[MarkHarrison]

Only the people who have watched the DVD with their eyes open.

Seriously, this and Star Wars I are the two movies I hear about the most when talking about poor transfers. These are the poster children for bad transfers.

 

[Vincent_P]

What's weird is the first two DIE HARD DVDs look really nice, but DIE HARD WITH A VENGAENCE gives GANGS OF NEW YORK a run for its money regarding which one has the worst edge-enhancement and overly-filtered image that I've seen on DVD from a major studio.

Vincent

 

[MatthewLouwrens]

Is Die Hard With A Vengeance just doomed to have bad transfers?

Here in r4, we never got the 2-disc version (although we did get the 2-discs for the other two films), and there were three versions of the single-disc release, because each version was plagued with problems. Here is a link to a 1999 review of the most recent release, with a link to a seperate article discussing the problems in the first two versions. I have the version discussed in the review, and the picture is really not great - watchable, but only just. The main problem with it is that the layer change takes place right as they are running up the stairs to escape the ship before it explodes - right at the climax of a major action scene. AND THEY FADE TO BLACK RIGHT BEFORE THE LAYER CHANGE, IN THE MIDDLE OF OF AN ACTION SEQUENCE.

It is one of the worst ideas ever in the history of DVD mastering. I would love to know what the hell they were thinking.

 

[captainjoe]

True. This is a good definition of a bad transfer. It would be great if Fox remastered this for those new discs coming out but it's pretty much guaranteed to be the exact same.

 

[Matt Czyz]

I still don't own this movie on account of how bad the transfer is. I just can't bring myself to pay for something so uneccessarily terrible.

 

[TravisR]

Maybe there will be a new set or individual releases in December when Live Free Or Die Hard comes out on DVD.

I know Fox is putting out a 'new' four disc Die Hard set in June but I assume that it's just disc one (from each of the two disc sets) and the promo disc for the new movie.

 

[Matt Hough]

I remember that the laserdisc of DIE HARD WITH A VENGEANCE was also overly processed and digital looking. I've never seen it looking good (and I thought it looked crummy in the theater, too).

 

[Geoff_D]

The edge halos are just as bad on the laserdisc (I watched it two weeks ago!). As for the anamorphic R1 DVD, it's the single worst DVD transfer I've ever seen. I mean, I've encountered stuff that's even more shoddy from budget labels, but for something as bad as that to come from a studio like Fox is shocking. I hope that someone's done a new transfer for any future HD releases.

I bought the German R2 version to replace the R1 in my Die Hard Ultimate Collection boxset, and while the picture is better the sound is pathetic compared to the DTS on the R1. Ah well.

 

[Tim Ke]

Matthew, according to EzyDVD the 2-disc Vengeance is being released in R4 as part of a new Die Hard boxset on 7/7... will be interesting to see what the transfer looks like (most likely not great)!

 

[MatthewLouwrens]

Thanks for that. Annoying if I have to rebuy the 2-disc editions for the first two films in order to get Vengeance, but I'll do it if I have to.

And it doesn't really matter how bad the transfer is - as long as it doesn't fade to black in the middle of the climax of an action scene, I'll be happy.

 

[Lord Dalek]

That transfer is absolutely terrible, and Fox doesn't appear to care about doing new transfers on all three films (DH1 lacks fine detail and a THX optimode and DH2 has some slight aliasing) =/.

 

[nicholas_g]

I have that DVD since it came out. While the layer change is annoying. It doesn't bother me anymore. I also don't have any problems with the picture even at 80" wide.

 

[captainjoe]

Yeah I noticed that about DH1. It looks like maybe they applied noise reduction or something because it has almost no grain and a very artificial smooth appearance.

 

[Inspector Hammer!]

This is the first and last time you'll ever see me praise a pan and scan presentation so pay attention (you might want to grab a camera because you'll never see it again ) I saw the film on one of the HBO channels recently and while it was panned and scanned the severe ringing that's on the LD and DVD was lessened to a good degree and it looked very nice, hopefully FOX will give us something along those lines eventually.

In it's OAR of course, didn't want you to think that your resident OAR nut was completely losing his mind.

This film, Forrest Gump, Star Wars Ep I and Tombstone Vista Series are four of the worst transfers in my entire collection of 800+.

 

[Ray_R]

I've been eyeing the Japanese ULTIMATE EDITION for some time now. Mostly hoping it has a better transfer. I've been meaning to buy it, if only to replace the first disc from my Ultimate Collection set. I can barely even watch the film due to the over-excessive edge enhancement. Hopefully the rerelease has a brand new transfer. Geez I'm hoping as I'm crossing my fingers and hope they don't botch it.

 

[Jimmy M]

I have a quick question about the new 4 disc set of Die Hard. Are the 3 movies the exact same as the 1st disc in the original 2-disc releases? How about the Steelbook version of Die Hard? Is there any informaton available? I haven't seen anything in the DVD sites that I frequent.

Thanks in advance!

Jimmy!

 

[Matt Czyz]

Jimmy, here's a review for the 4-disc set:
http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=28511

"Presented in their original 2.35:1 aspect ratios and enhanced for widescreen displays, all three Die Hard films feature identical transfers to the previous Special Edition releases."