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WHV Announcement: Band of Brothers (Blu-ray)

post #1 of 67
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Gear mentioned in this thread:

Band of Brothers [Blu-ray]
The Pacific (HBO Miniseries) [Blu-ray]
post #2 of 67

Re: WHV Announcement: Band of Brothers (Blu-ray)

I don't like the selling point of "re-mastered."

Please, please keep grain intact.

Otherwise, really looking forward to this set!
post #3 of 67

Re: WHV Announcement: Band of Brothers (Blu-ray)

But how will the picture quality compare with the Japanese HDDVD's? At least it comes in the same tin-jobby as the SDDVD.
post #4 of 67

Re: WHV Announcement: Band of Brothers (Blu-ray)

$99MSRP? So, what will we be seeing in stores, $70ish?
post #5 of 67

Re: WHV Announcement: Band of Brothers (Blu-ray)

Amazon's preorder price is $69.95. You can also get it from the Warner Bros. store for $55.95+tax if you use the 30% discount code ANWBTS and buy one other title (it's only good if you purchase two or more items), otherwise it's $77.95. You get free shipping at both sites.

Considering how expensive the other HBO Blu-ray sets are, this is a good price for an outstanding miniseries.
post #6 of 67

Re: WHV Announcement: Band of Brothers (Blu-ray)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bryan Beckman
Considering how expensive the other HBO Blu-ray sets are, this is a good price for an outstanding miniseries.

Yes, fair price, IMO.

Just finished watching Ken Burns' "The War" documentary, so I´m just in the right frame of mind to re-watch "BoB". This time in 1080p. Damn, I simply can´t wait.
post #7 of 67

Re: WHV Announcement: Band of Brothers (Blu-ray)

They'd have to be profoundly stupid to try to remove the grain on this, however I do wonder what the "remastered" refers to since it was finished on DI; not a whole lot to do there really. Hopefully it's just marketing.

I'm also curious about the DTS-HD MA, does this mean Warner isn't doing the actual encoding/authoring?
post #8 of 67

Re: WHV Announcement: Band of Brothers (Blu-ray)

This title should should be a revelation, so far as the way DNR is applied. This title plus the last several Spielberg movies, which have very pronounced grain, by design.

I can already hear the droning pin-heads from every corner of internet-land, doing their best Quasimodo: "The grain...the grain...".

If they choose to dampen the grain on this one...well, it will make the 'Patton' outcry sound like a polite, repressed whimper; and the result will be more obvious by an order of magnitude. Along with a muted color palette, grain is the primary image component. Should be interesting.
post #9 of 67

Re: WHV Announcement: Band of Brothers (Blu-ray)

Kris is right, the look of this show is created completely in the computer. I suspect "remaster" means simply that they went back to the original digital master files to create the encodes for the blu-ray.

Doug
post #10 of 67

Re: WHV Announcement: Band of Brothers (Blu-ray)

Quote:
Originally Posted by David Wilkins
This title should should be a revelation, so far as the way DNR is applied. This title plus the last several Spielberg movies, which have very pronounced grain, by design.

I can already hear the droning pin-heads from every corner of internet-land, doing their best Quasimodo: "The grain...the grain...".

If they choose to dampen the grain on this one...well, it will make the 'Patton' outcry sound like a polite, repressed whimper; and the result will be more obvious by an order of magnitude. Along with a muted color palette, grain is the primary image component. Should be interesting.

Considering that the grain and the subdued color palate on this show is completely intentional, I doubt seriously that they will do anything to change it.

Doug
post #11 of 67

Re: WHV Announcement: Band of Brothers (Blu-ray)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Douglas Monce
Considering that the grain and the subdued color palate on this show is completely intentional, I doubt seriously that they will do anything to change it.

Doug

That's what one would assume, but who can tell these days. I'm eager to hear the first reports.

That being said: I hope we can avoid the pre-release, judge, jury and executioner via screen capture syndrome.
post #12 of 67

Re: WHV Announcement: Band of Brothers (Blu-ray)

Remastered?
post #13 of 67

Re: WHV Announcement: Band of Brothers (Blu-ray)

So you start this DNR-speculation already, just based on the work "remastered" on the press release? Can´t wait for the "screencaps"...
post #14 of 67

Re: WHV Announcement: Band of Brothers (Blu-ray)

Oy! Calm down, friend!

Screencaps will come

After watching it of course.
post #15 of 67

Re: WHV Announcement: Band of Brothers (Blu-ray)

Anyways, I want to see it exactly as I saw it on my ratty old crt Toshiba HDTV 7 years ago. Is that too much to ask???
post #16 of 67

Re: WHV Announcement: Band of Brothers (Blu-ray)

Well, I couldn't help myself and preordered it w/ the 30% off coupon at the WHV site (along w/ LA Confidential and Adv of Robin Hood) -- at least it's an HBO title, not New Line. Gonna have to keep my fingers crossed I guess.

_Man_
post #17 of 67

Re: WHV Announcement: Band of Brothers (Blu-ray)

I pre-ordered this too. I´ll watching "moving screenshots" from my couch.
post #18 of 67

Re: WHV Announcement: Band of Brothers (Blu-ray)

This title is as good as in my HD collection the day it comes out! I am glad I held of on buying this title so I will only have to buy it one time. The first time I saw this title was on my 31" Toshiba CRT TV on DVD. So I am now counting the days to see it with a awsum 1080p transfer on my 50" HDTV.

Oh ya after I get my Denon AVR-2809ci and it has been set up, Band Of Brothers in DTS-HD MA will be one of the first group of Blu-ray titles I will watch to test out the new receiver!
post #19 of 67

Re: WHV Announcement: Band of Brothers (Blu-ray)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Douglas Monce
Considering that the grain and the subdued color palate on this show is completely intentional, I doubt seriously that they will do anything to change it.

Doug

This is the only thing that brings me some comfort that this BD will be okay and not touched by the DNR demons out there. Could you imagine if a movie like 300 (shot digitally with CGI grain added) where the grain was scrubbed out?


I predict that this set will look great. When it was played on HBO, we didn't own an HDTV in the house so I have never seen the show in HD. Can't wait. Oh and DTS-HD Master Audio too?!?! Woohoo!
post #20 of 67

Re: WHV Announcement: Band of Brothers (Blu-ray)

According to a poster at AVS who got his copy sent VERY early from Warner, it looks fantastic, high-level grain and all:
Quote:
I sampled a bit of part 2.
The picture looks awesome whites look a little blown out, and the color is desaturated and the image is full of grain. Detail is excellent and depth is great. It looks as good as, maybe even better than, Letter and Flags.

The MA track is great and it doesn't disappoint. But it just cannot keep up with Letters from Iwo Jima(which is a freak of audio nature itself). The clarity and spacing is better than SPR, but that mix is crazy and I think it still sounds better.
post #21 of 67

Re: WHV Announcement: Band of Brothers (Blu-ray)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jesse Blacklow
According to a poster at AVS who got his copy sent VERY early from Warner, it looks fantastic, high-level grain and all:

Ooooh! I preordered mine from WHV also. Hadn't watched my DVD set in a long time (largely because I lent it out to family). Hope to receive it real soon then.

_Man_
post #22 of 67

Re: WHV Announcement: Band of Brothers (Blu-ray)

I just bought mine last night (actually early this a.m. from Wal Mart).

I will have to say...fans of the film and of BD will be impressed...they did very well with this release. The tin packaging is the same as the previous DVD set.

First off, the image quality is greatly improved at least to my eyes and having seen the series in both HDTV and DVD several times. It is much crisper, far more detailed, and the colors (what color there is, given the filmmaking techniques) are much more vivid.

Granted, this would be like trying to review SPR for for PQ since the source material and cinematography makes it slightly harder to judge. but in many scenes, it is easy to see that this is a stunnign trasfer. I would say it ranks as among the top 5 I have seen on the format so far.

audiop wise, I didnt detect a huge difference compared to the previous DTS track...it is still a strong mix. Likely more power on the low end and the surrounds, particuarily in the battle scenes (I only sampled the first two episodes in parts so far) but there is improvement over the previous DVD.

Extras appear to be the same, although the usual BD content related extras and menus are there. I actually like these menus a little better than the last...

My recommendation..if you havent bought before and own a BD player, this is a must have. If you own the previous release and can spare $60 (which given the month we have had so far with releases that might be difficult) then I would say at the very least rent it to see for yourself if it is worth the upgrade.

I plan to watch a few episodes tonight in honor of Vet's Day...
post #23 of 67

Re: WHV Announcement: Band of Brothers (Blu-ray)

Can someone please clarify, since I won't be able to for several days--does the Blu-ray retain the "Who's Who: The Men of Easy Company" (a feature that would help the viewer identify each of the primary characters in the series) and the photo gallery? These are the only two features on the SD-DVD release wherein I can't find verification whether or not they've been migrated over to the new BD release.
post #24 of 67

Re: WHV Announcement: Band of Brothers (Blu-ray)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Felix Martinez
I don't like the selling point of "re-mastered."

Please, please keep grain intact.

Otherwise, really looking forward to this set!
Alas, it was not a selling point. The Blu-ray set has indeed been "remastered" via some grain-reduction, to a degree which I'm sure will be further debated.

Edit: Xylon just posted some screencaps which confirms what I'm seeing. This is not a replay of Patton, but folks bothered by the DNR used in Pan's Labyrinth and Dark City might be similarly peeved. I'm just frustrated HBO couldn't leave well enough alone.
post #25 of 67

Re: WHV Announcement: Band of Brothers (Blu-ray)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Felix Martinez
Alas, it was not a selling point. The Blu-ray set has indeed been "remastered" via some grain-reduction, to a degree which I'm sure will be further debated.

Edit: Xylon just posted some screencaps which confirms what I'm seeing. This is not a replay of Patton, but folks bothered by the DNR used in Pan's Labyrinth and Dark City might be similarly peeved. I'm just frustrated HBO couldn't leave well enough alone.

This is one of several titles that I couldn't imagine grain reduction being applied to, since grain was such an inherent, intentional "look" of the work. I was wrong.

I'm officially sorry that I pre-ordered.

In addition, unless I'm imagining things...the color is rather over-pumped. Another aspect of the original "look", was a subdued color pallet, as with 'Saving Private Ryan'.

I will NOT pre-order any of the latter half of Speilberg's work, since enhanced grain is part of the intent. Such as 'Saving Private Ryan', 'Minority Report', "War of the Worlds', etc. These titles and others, will be an absolute travesty if the grain is interfered with.

Aunt Mildred and Uncle Remus will adapt...I, and many, many others who know better, will not. Ever.
post #26 of 67

Re: WHV Announcement: Band of Brothers (Blu-ray)

I watched "Saving Private Ryan" in HD on TNT (or TBS) last week, (genuine HD, not that 4:3 stretch-o-vision thing they sometimes do) and it looks like they TOTALLY smoothed ALL the purposeful grain out. Like vaseline was smeared over it. VERY disappointing. I guess HD MUST equal "pretty pictures" to many still. Hopefully that will just be a broadcast master and not the sign of things to come. With Spielberg's input we SHOULD be ok as that is a VERY high profile title...
post #27 of 67

Re: WHV Announcement: Band of Brothers (Blu-ray)

Quote:
Originally Posted by David Wilkins
This is one of several titles that I couldn't imagine grain reduction being applied to, since grain was such an inherent, intentional "look" of the work. I was wrong.

I'm officially sorry that I pre-ordered.

As I continue to watch episodes, the grain reduction seems to come and go and appears to have been applied with some discretion. For example, much of the grain in the "Crossroads" episode appears intact.

Overall, I'm still happy with the set when taking everything into account. I think most will be pleased.
post #28 of 67

Re: WHV Announcement: Band of Brothers (Blu-ray)

Is it a noticeable improvement over the DVD set? They want 80 bucks, not including tax, for the set at my local FutureShop. I really don't want to have to buy this set for a third time.
post #29 of 67

Re: WHV Announcement: Band of Brothers (Blu-ray)

I ordered it from Deep Discount for $44, after the 25% code. Course its back ordered. Still, not a bad price, and the only reason i got it!
Of course i love the show, and the audio on DVD blew me away. Bet the Blu-ray will rock the house!
post #30 of 67

Re: WHV Announcement: Band of Brothers (Blu-ray)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Edwin-S
Is it a noticeable improvement over the DVD set? They want 80 bucks, not including tax, for the set at my local FutureShop. I really don't want to have to buy this set for a third time.
Big time difference over the DVD. But if you say you bought the DVD and have the HD-DVD and this would be your third purchase, I would say hold onto the HD-DVD.
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Gear mentioned in this thread:

Band of Brothers [Blu-ray]
The Pacific (HBO Miniseries) [Blu-ray]
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