Home Theater Forum  ›  Forums  ›  Hi-Definition  ›  HT Software - High Definition  ›  A few words about...™ The Adventures of Robin Hood -- in Blu-ray
Forum Nav More Forums | All New Posts | New Thread

A few words about...™ The Adventures of Robin Hood -- in Blu-ray

#1
Rating: 0
8/29/08 at 11:33am
  • Joined: February 1999
  • Post Count: 2,866
Warner's Blu-ray release of The Adventures of Robin Hood is magnificent in every way.

Harvested from incomplete surviving original negatives with missing units filled in with masters, The Adventures of Robin Hood is a perfect example of what thoughtful and precise film restoration using the latest in digital tools can yield.

One of the huge problems of three-strip Technicolor was that films were exposed on black & white negative with an ASA (film speed) of 5, with much of the light being lost in internal prisms and filters.

You'd never know it from looking at this miraculous Blu-ray.

An extraordinary release that is is as good as it gets.

Extremely Highly Recommended!

RAH

"All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible. This I did."  T.E. Lawrence

Export to Wiki
#2
Rating: 0
8/29/08 at 11:52am
  • Joined: August 2002
  • Post Count: 507

Re: A few words about...™ The Adventures of Robin Hood -- in Blu-ray

I'm glad someone has received his copy.

I am excited about this. In fact, I was excited on Tuesday when I went to Best Buy to pick it up. Oddly, they didn't get any in stock, so I had to visit the internet to buy it. Still hasn't been shipped.

-R
The truth doesn't care whether you believe it.
Export to Wiki
#3
Rating: 0
8/29/08 at 1:06pm
  • Joined: November 2006
  • Location: Phoenix, Arizona
  • Post Count: 3,817

Re: A few words about...™ The Adventures of Robin Hood -- in Blu-ray

Robert, any idea if this release is identical to the HD DVD?

Doug
"I'm in great shape, for the shape I'm in."
Bob Hope in The Ghostbreakers
Export to Wiki
#4
Rating: 0
8/29/08 at 2:08pm
  • Joined: March 2004
  • Post Count: 65

Re: A few words about...™ The Adventures of Robin Hood -- in Blu-ray

I received mine from Amazon yesterday and watched it last night. In my opinion it looked amazing.

Btw, I've never seen the HD-DVD version, although I owned the SD.
Export to Wiki
#5
Rating: 0
8/29/08 at 3:24pm
  • Joined: April 2002
  • Location: Paris, France
  • Post Count: 275

Re: A few words about...™ The Adventures of Robin Hood -- in Blu-ray

Does this bluray has french subtitles on the bonuses ?

Thanks
Export to Wiki
#6
Rating: 0
8/29/08 at 6:01pm
  • Joined: March 2003
  • Post Count: 990

Re: A few words about...™ The Adventures of Robin Hood -- in Blu-ray

I read on dvdbeaver.com that while the disc takes up 35 GB of space, the actual feature only takes up 16.5 GB. That really sounds ludicrous to me. Is that possible?
Export to Wiki
#7
Rating: 0
8/29/08 at 6:34pm
  • Joined: November 2006
  • Location: Phoenix, Arizona
  • Post Count: 3,817

Re: A few words about...™ The Adventures of Robin Hood -- in Blu-ray

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike Williams
I read on dvdbeaver.com that while the disc takes up 35 GB of space, the actual feature only takes up 16.5 GB. That really sounds ludicrous to me. Is that possible?

Well the movie itself is only 102 min long. Add to that a mono sound track and the fact that it is pillerboxed at 1.37:1. I don't see any reason why it couldn't be 16.5 gig VC-1 file.

Doug
"I'm in great shape, for the shape I'm in."
Bob Hope in The Ghostbreakers
Export to Wiki
#8
Rating: 0
8/29/08 at 8:18pm
  • Joined: June 2002
  • Post Count: 1,619

Re: A few words about...™ The Adventures of Robin Hood -- in Blu-ray

I own the HD DVD of this film. Should I buy the BD?

I have found that The Searchers looks quite different on BD than it does on HD DVD. Also, my HD DVD of this film no longer works properly (can't get the menus) even though the film itself plays perfectly.
Export to Wiki
#9
Rating: 0
8/29/08 at 8:28pm
  • Joined: September 1999
  • Post Count: 1,782

Re: A few words about...™ The Adventures of Robin Hood -- in Blu-ray

Does this still have the Bugs Bunny short?
Export to Wiki
#10
Rating: 0
8/29/08 at 9:22pm
  • Joined: June 2003
  • Location: THX/ISF Video Calibrator Serving Southern Ontario, Yukon...
  • Post Count: 1,225

Re: A few words about...™ The Adventures of Robin Hood -- in Blu-ray

never seen this film but will pick it up just to see an older film in HD...and one that looks brilliant!

Mike

Warner Bros. Blu-ray Reviewer
Anchor Bay/Starz Entertainment Blu-ray Reviewer

THX/ISF Professional Video Calibrator
HIGHEST FIDELITY CALIBRATIONSServing Southern Ontariothehighestfidelity@hotmail.com

Export to Wiki
#11
Rating: 0
8/29/08 at 11:24pm
  • Joined: March 2003
  • Post Count: 990

Re: A few words about...™ The Adventures of Robin Hood -- in Blu-ray

It DOES contain the Bugs Bunny short, in HD. ALL of the extras from the HD-DVD are present on the Blu-ray.

Reportedly, the Blu-ray is identical to the HD-DVD, but if your HD-DVD isn't working properly, by all means you should replace it with the Blu-ray.
Export to Wiki
#12
Rating: 0
8/30/08 at 3:53am
  • Joined: February 2002
  • Post Count: 514

Re: A few words about...™ The Adventures of Robin Hood -- in Blu-ray

Quote:
Originally Posted by DeeF
I own the HD DVD of this film. Should I buy the BD?
I have found that The Searchers looks quite different on BD than it does on HD DVD.
What's different?
Export to Wiki
#13
Rating: 0
8/30/08 at 6:20am
  • Joined: August 2008
  • Post Count: 106

Re: A few words about...™ The Adventures of Robin Hood -- in Blu-ray

Quote:
Originally Posted by DeeF
I own the HD DVD of this film. Should I buy the BD?

I have found that The Searchers looks quite different on BD than it does on HD DVD. Also, my HD DVD of this film no longer works properly (can't get the menus) even though the film itself plays perfectly.

Really? I may have to check this out.
Export to Wiki
#14
Rating: 0
8/30/08 at 6:33am
  • Joined: November 2006
  • Location: Phoenix, Arizona
  • Post Count: 3,817

Re: A few words about...™ The Adventures of Robin Hood -- in Blu-ray

Quote:
Originally Posted by DeeF
I own the HD DVD of this film. Should I buy the BD?

I have found that The Searchers looks quite different on BD than it does on HD DVD. Also, my HD DVD of this film no longer works properly (can't get the menus) even though the film itself plays perfectly.


The Searchers is the exact same encode on HD DVD as it is on blu-ray and should look identical. If you are seeing a difference you might want to go back and re-calibrate your system for both your HD DVD and blu-ray inputs.

I have also noticed that the menus on my HD DVD of The Searchers no longer works. I think it has something to do with the last update for the HD DVD players.

Doug
"I'm in great shape, for the shape I'm in."
Bob Hope in The Ghostbreakers
Export to Wiki
#15
Rating: 0
8/30/08 at 6:43am
  • Joined: July 1997
  • Post Count: 885

Re: A few words about...™ The Adventures of Robin Hood -- in Blu-ray

Quote:
Well the movie itself is only 102 min long. Add to that a mono sound track and the fact that it is pillerboxed at 1.37:1. I don't see any reason why it couldn't be 16.5 gig VC-1 file.

Indeed. The advanced codecs for audio and video have changed the landscape in digital compression and framing a discussion using old preconceptions means little or nothing. Another example is the Polish HD DVD edition of Mr. & Mrs. Smith. The entire disc contents, including multiple soundtracks, is only 13.1 GB, yet the VC-1 encode of the 120 minute movie is virtually indistinquishable at normal playback from Fox's domestic AVC encode that uses a BD50 with an average bit rate of 24 mb/s (I have both).
Export to Wiki
#16
Rating: 0
8/30/08 at 12:40pm
  • Joined: November 2006
  • Location: Phoenix, Arizona
  • Post Count: 3,817

Re: A few words about...™ The Adventures of Robin Hood -- in Blu-ray

Quote:
Originally Posted by Robert George
Indeed. The advanced codecs for audio and video have changed the landscape in digital compression and framing a discussion using old preconceptions means little or nothing. Another example is the Polish HD DVD edition of Mr. & Mrs. Smith. The entire disc contents, including multiple soundtracks, is only 13.1 GB, yet the VC-1 encode of the 120 minute movie is virtually indistinquishable at normal playback from Fox's domestic AVC encode that uses a BD50 with an average bit rate of 24 mb/s (I have both).


Yeah I think this is something that most people don't realize with both VC-1 and AVC. Pushing the bit rate from 15mb to 30mb isn't necessarily going to improve the picture. Some shots may have to peek around 30mb, but having the the bit rate stay up in that range for the most part is a waste of bandwidth and completely unnecessary.

Doug
"I'm in great shape, for the shape I'm in."
Bob Hope in The Ghostbreakers
Export to Wiki
#17
Rating: 0
9/27/08 at 9:50am
  • Joined: January 2004
  • Post Count: 11

Re: A few words about...™ The Adventures of Robin Hood -- in Blu-ray

Douglas Monce wrote: "I have also noticed that the menus on my HD DVD of The Searchers no longer works. I think it has something to do with the last update for the HD DVD players."

I have the same menu problems on my Toshiba HD-A30 with factory firmware 1.3 or after upgrading to 3.0. Does anyone who owns a HD-A30 know which firmware versions (if any) will allow The Searchers menu to work? Thanks.
Export to Wiki
#18
Rating: 0
9/27/08 at 9:59am
  • Joined: September 2003
  • Location: Monmouth County, NJ
  • Post Count: 1,005

Re: A few words about...™ The Adventures of Robin Hood -- in Blu-ray

Quote:
Originally Posted by DeeF
I own the HD DVD of this film. Should I buy the BD?

I have found that The Searchers looks quite different on BD than it does on HD DVD. Also, my HD DVD of this film no longer works properly (can't get the menus) even though the film itself plays perfectly.

I have the same issue with my HD-DVD of THE SEARCHERS. I posted over at AVS asking about it, and apparently others have this issue as well. It seems to be a flaw with the most recent firmware (3.0 on my HD-A2). Apparently, if you revert back to the previous firmware version, the menus work again.

Vincent
Export to Wiki
#19
Rating: 0
4/12/09 at 8:21am
  • Joined: January 2004
  • Post Count: 2,357

Re: A few words about...™ The Adventures of Robin Hood -- in Blu-ray

I have never owned this film but I am very interested in picking it up. However, I have found the DVD for about $17 less. I don't want to get into a debate about how much hi-def makes a difference in older films but I was wondering if the blu-ray's image is that much different than the DVD? I am more than happy to spend the extra money but only if it's a large difference. I understand that all the extras are the same.
Export to Wiki
#20
Rating: 0
4/12/09 at 8:27am
  • Joined: April 2006
  • Location: Charlotte, NC
  • Post Count: 1,958

Re: A few words about...™ The Adventures of Robin Hood -- in Blu-ray

A totally subjective opinion, but I think the BD is a major step up over the SD release. Color is much richer looking, and the sharpness gives a much more dimensional heft to the image.

One thing that stood out to me in the BD was how impressive fire looked in high definition. That may sound odd, but I was fascinated with the flames from torches, etc. The color was just magnificent.
Export to Wiki
#21
Rating: 0
4/12/09 at 8:43am
  • Joined: April 2000
  • Post Count: 9,138

Re: A few words about...™ The Adventures of Robin Hood -- in Blu-ray

Yes, it's worth every penny.

My best advise is to shop around. A $17 difference sounds way off unless you found the DVD for $2.

The BD can be had right now on Amazon for under $20 (and it's frequently on sale for under $15) while the DVD currently costs $21 on their site.
The Movie Library
Export to Wiki
#22
Rating: 0
4/12/09 at 9:33am
  • Joined: February 2004
  • Location: St. Hubert, Quebec
  • Post Count: 2,074

Re: A few words about...™ The Adventures of Robin Hood -- in Blu-ray

Quote:
Originally Posted by Douglas Monce
The Searchers is the exact same encode on HD DVD as it is on blu-ray and should look identical. If you are seeing a difference you might want to go back and re-calibrate your system for both your HD DVD and blu-ray inputs.

I have also noticed that the menus on my HD DVD of The Searchers no longer works. I think it has something to do with the last update for the HD DVD players.

Doug
I'm glad I never updated from the 2.7 firmware then. And unless I have problems with any of my HD DVDs, I don't plan to do so.

Never try to teach a pig to sing. It wastes time, and it annoys the pig.

Export to Wiki
#23
Rating: 0
4/12/09 at 9:34am
  • Joined: March 2004
  • Location: So CA
  • Post Count: 1,204

Re: A few words about...™ The Adventures of Robin Hood -- in Blu-ray

From someone who is NOT upgrading all his films to blu-ray, but only select titles, if you found the SD dvd at Big Lots for $3, I'd STILL recommend you buy the blu-ray instead. The improvement is definitely worth the upgrade.
My Blu-ray / DVD Collection
Export to Wiki
#24
Rating: 0
4/12/09 at 7:24pm
  • Joined: January 2004
  • Post Count: 2,357

Re: A few words about...™ The Adventures of Robin Hood -- in Blu-ray

Thanks guys.. you've sold me! I'm going to pick up the Blu-Ray this week.
Export to Wiki
#25
Rating: 0
4/16/09 at 8:19am
  • Joined: June 2006
  • Location: Houston, TX USA
  • Post Count: 594

Re: A few words about...™ The Adventures of Robin Hood -- in Blu-ray

Posted by DeeF:
Quote:
I own the HD DVD of this film. Should I buy the BD?

I have found that The Searchers looks quite different on BD than it does on HD DVD. Also, my HD DVD of this film no longer works properly (can't get the menus) even though the film itself plays perfectly.

I'm using an HD A2 as my main HD DVD player, and those menus on The Searchers work fine for me.

The Adventures of Robin Hood on HD DVD is another story. It now locks up on me at approx. 45 minutes. It is right at the moment when Marian is riding away after the feast in the forest. At that point, I get that "Cannot read disc, error 408bc504" message. So, I will probably get the Blu-ray version, as this is my favorite film.

BTW, I took a look at the SD DVD version of Robin Hood after my HD version went belly up, and I have to say, it looks pretty incredible as well.

Onkyo TX-SR606
Toshiba HD-A2. HD-A3
Panasonic DMP-BD60
Mitsubishi WD-62725 62" DLP

Export to Wiki
#26
Rating: 0
4/16/09 at 10:28am
  • Joined: February 2009
  • Post Count: 50

Re: A few words about...™ The Adventures of Robin Hood -- in Blu-ray

nah, i'm confused right now.. which should i take first?
doubt http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htf/...iew-doubt.html

or this? any suggestion? i want both actually but i have to be wise on spending my money..

I Heart Life

Export to Wiki
#27
Rating: 0
4/16/09 at 3:28pm
  • Joined: July 2003
  • Location: Lacombe, AB
  • Post Count: 2,562

Re: A few words about...™ The Adventures of Robin Hood -- in Blu-ray

Adventures of Robin Hood is a definite "buy" title. I haven't seen Doubt yet but am planning on renting it first.

\"My opinion is that (a) anyone who actually works in a video store and does not understand letterboxing has given up on life, and (b) any customer who prefers to have the sides of a movie hacked off should not be licensed to operate a video player.\"-- Roger Ebert

Export to Wiki
#28
Rating: 0
4/19/09 at 10:08am
  • Joined: June 2006
  • Location: Houston, TX USA
  • Post Count: 594

Re: A few words about...™ The Adventures of Robin Hood -- in Blu-ray

Tried updating the firmware on my HD A2, but Robin Hood still freezes at the same spot. Actually, the disc is rather scratched. It could that it was loose on its hub when I ordered it.

Today, I was at Fry's for a Blu-ray sale, and saw that they still had some leftover HD DVDs. So I picked up a new version of Robin Hood for $8.99, and it does not freeze at that spot. I need to watch the whole movie now to see if it freezes anywhere else.

Onkyo TX-SR606
Toshiba HD-A2. HD-A3
Panasonic DMP-BD60
Mitsubishi WD-62725 62" DLP

Export to Wiki
Forum Nav More Forums | All New Posts | New Thread