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Originally Posted by Dave H
Cees,
How do these look in comparison to the previous DVD transfers? I've seen a few screenshot comparisons but I'd like to hear some "real world" experiences with them. Also, what is your playback for display and DVD? Thanks.
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Dave,
More than a month ago, I promised to tell you.
What happened was: after the first scenes which I carefully judged for their new PQ, even compared it to my old DVD version, I couldn't help just finishing watching the movies. The first two belong to my all-time favourites, and boy, I got pulled in again (as if anyone tried to get me out
), for some scenes like never before, it seemed.
So I simply needed a second viewing just to make sure I would be right on the PQ.
Well, first of all, let me say I never was one of those who disliked the previous DVD version, although it was apparently darker than I remembered from first seeing the movie, years ago, in the cinema. Many scenes are pretty dark, and I even remember them almost as colourless - on the DVD.
But allow me to comment here on the first film only, because that one was the most problematic one (I think) and I have now compared many shots against the DVD version I own.
All I can say, this new version is absolutely beautiful. Problematic scenes are still there, no doubt about that. There still seems something slightly "off", colourwise, in the wedding scene (the one starting the film), many of the other locations in the film are inside a building, often at night with lamp light. The new version seems to make these indoor scenes slightly more red than they used to be on the previous DVD.
But they are better defined and look definitely more like I remember the movie did theatrically.
Scenes in the open are generally really beautiful. The Sicily period is simply amazing. Beautiful contrast, beautiful colours. The assassination of Sonny is shed in a new light, it seems.
The whole picture is much more brilliant, darks now have gone really black (but there's no mudding), and I've seen no distractive DNR, whatsoever. Visible grain is sparse at this resolution (SD DVD), but it doesn't look like it was "wiped out" by a digital process, nor are there wax-like faces.
Somehow, and I'm almost certain it's because of the beautiful restoration, the film (and certainly some parts of it) touched me more than ever before. I love this trilogy (yes, I accept the third one as well) freshly anew.
I hardly dare say it here, but this Amazon UK exclusive SD DVD version (amazingly inexpensive) has considerably
wetted my appetite for the upcoming BD version. If you're not planning to buy that blu one, for whatever reason, don't hesitate, I'd say, to order this DVD version.
Only if you don't like the movie enough to accept some of the slight pictorial flaws and difficulties that are apparently present in the original, then refrain, by all means. This certainly looks like a hell of a job, but the totally impossible did not happen.
However, if you know what I'm talking about here, e.g. because you've watched these films so very often, run, don't walk to your PC to order it while still available
(or else pre-order the BD - like I just did 
).
Cees
PS: I didn't watch this SD DVD movie on my 120" projection screen (the set-up isn't fully operational yet - has to be calibrated - and not well suited for A/B comparisons) but instead on my Samsung 46" LCD TV-set (1080p), using a region-2 Toshiba HD-E3 to upconvert the 480i image.
C.
