A few words about...™ The Robe -- in Blu-ray - Page 2

Re: A few words about...™ The Robe -- in Blu-ray

I have always wondered if, when "The Robe" was first released in 1953, some theaters had the option to open the curtains only about enough to show the center portion of the screen during the opening credits? (they seem to have been formatted as 1.33 x 1 and kept in the center for perhaps just such a case.)

Then, when the credits end, as the filmed curtains start to open, the theaters curtains open along with it, revealing the full width of the then new CinemaScope screen.

I think that this bit of showmanship would have made the audience gasp, as it did with "This is Cinerama" which used a similar ploy.

I can't think of any other reason for the opening credits on the CinemaScope version to have not filled the entire screen. Would anyone know if there is any truth to this speculation?

Re: A few words about...™ The Robe -- in Blu-ray

Wow, thanks for the info. Probably I didn't search good enough.
Nice to see that the Dutch Filmmuseum will do another 70mm Festival in 2011 (still some time, but it's nice to know). I will also definitely look into the other festivals you mentioned.

Re: A few words about...™ The Robe -- in Blu-ray

Move to the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill "Triangle" and then if you still believe that after five years, I owe you a drink.

Re: A few words about...™ The Robe -- in Blu-ray

Ok, so we're the second worst.

Seriously, there are never any showings of the widescreen epics of the past in 35mm, let alone 70mm here. Except for the Ritz chain and the tiny Roxy screening room, there are no movie theaters in Center City at all. The Prince Music Theater ran some old films in the late nineties, but that has stopped.

If a Philadelphian wants to see a revival of an old film properly represented(or even a really good exhibition of a current film), we have to drive to New York or New Jersey. Pretty sad for a city that was once home to the great movie palaces like the Fox theater and the Boyd.

Re: A few words about...™ The Robe -- in Blu-ray

This is so frustrating. I got my copy of The Robe in the mail and it wouldn't play on either my Samsung BR player or my Dell laptop (which is BR-outfitted). So I went to Frys, bought a second copy, and the same thing happened!!!

On the Samsung I get a message that says that, for the disc to play, the device has to be on HDMI. I don't have HDMI because it's an older TV (8 years) but I never had this problem before with any other BR discs.

The laptop recognizes there's a copy of THE ROBE in it, but keeps trying to load it up and doesn't succeed.

Can anyone help? I would greatly appreciate it!

Desperate in Hollywood

Re: A few words about...™ The Robe -- in Blu-ray

Can't imagine, Gerardo...unless it's a firmware issue (but that would leave the laptop out of the equation...).

What model Samsung are you using?

Re: A few words about...™ The Robe -- in Blu-ray

Mike, it's a Samsung BD- P1000. I have downloaded the latest firmware from Samsung on it, and I keep getting a message that reads:

"Due to analog output restriction, current setup cannot be displayed. To playback, please switch to HDMI outfit device."

Re: A few words about...™ The Robe -- in Blu-ray

I think there's a new incarnation of BD+ used on The Robe. Maybe a firmware update will be needed. It plays fine in my PS3 though.

Re: A few words about...™ The Robe -- in Blu-ray

So I suppose I have to wait for Samsung to release that firmware, right? I can't get that firmware anywhere else?

Re: A few words about...™ The Robe -- in Blu-ray

Well, I'm no expert. I hope one of the resident techies will chime in. It does seem odd that your laptop won't play it either.

Your tale makes me worried about my Panny BD-10 being able to play it, though.

I do know however that you need to get any firmware updates from the manufacturer.

Re: A few words about...™ The Robe -- in Blu-ray

Both my laptop and the BD-P1000 have the latest updates. I'm so bummed out about this.

Also, I tried clearing the cache but still no luck with it.

Re: A few words about...™ The Robe -- in Blu-ray

Try Slysoft's AnyDVD HD. There is a trial version. This will remove the DRM in the disc that you have just bought.

Re: A few words about...™ The Robe -- in Blu-ray

Alex, can you tell me what exactly is Slysoft's AnyHD DVD? Is it a program that I would use to either duplicate and clean my DVD's with or am I missing the point? My own research on the topic got me comletely confused. Help, please, if you have a moment.

Re: A few words about...™ The Robe -- in Blu-ray

Might this be ICT(or whatever it was called) being enabled? Gotta expect the studios want to nip delivery over component in the bud asap now (that the format war is well over). Just a guess.
Can't explain why it would affect the laptop though.

Re: A few words about...™ The Robe -- in Blu-ray

It's abject nonsense like this from the hardware and software makers that is keeping me out of Blu-ray. Why should I spend money on a player that may not even work with the discs I buy?

I think I'll spend a few hundred on Warner Archive DVDs instead.

Re: A few words about...™ The Robe -- in Blu-ray

Well, it is highly unlikely you will end up with a first generation player (like the OP's), so your chances of encountering this problem are quite miniscule. Also, your statement implies something that is untrue--that this kind of problem is rampant and frequent--it isn't. You are free to choose to stay "out of Blu-ray", but let's not over exaggerate instances of playback issues to justify such a choice. SD DVD players are hardly immune to playback problems either (and at the same point in the life cycle of the format, there were problems of a similar nature--rare, like this one, but present).

Can't argue with this, if it is what you want. So enjoy.

Re: A few words about...™ The Robe -- in Blu-ray

With region coding not only for new but also for catalog titles you can basically double the cost of a standard player when you are a movie lover who is not from the US and not using a PC.

Still I could not imagine to have to watch The Robe or South Pacific on DVD when I know there are excellent Blu-Ray versions available

Re: A few words about...™ The Robe -- in Blu-ray

The major issue I have is my HDTV can only do 1080i over component. It is 4.5 years old, and doesn't have HDMI. If the forced down-resing is turned on on this disc - as that error message from GerardoHP suggests it is - then I'll get a worse image off the Blu-ray than playing the SE DVD over my up-scaling DVD player.

Re: A few words about...™ The Robe -- in Blu-ray

ICT only downsamples the analog outputs to 960 x 540, so this is most probably not the problem that Gerardo has.

So far I know of only one Blu-Ray that has the ICT flag activated, seems ICT is not (yet) an issue.

Re: A few words about...™ The Robe -- in Blu-ray

I finally was able to finish watching this today. It looks pretty good on Blu-ray. Like others have said it's not perfect but better than I expected. The story itself I found decent but not great. Not being a very religious person myself a lot of it wasn't as relevant.

Re: A few words about...™ The Robe -- in Blu-ray

I would contact both Fox and Samsung customer service so they can get a new firmware fix made available in the near future.

Re: A few words about...™ The Robe -- in Blu-ray

That's just like my TV, which is 8 years old. How would I know if "the forced down-resing is turned on on this disc"?

I'm reading all these responses with great interest, as you all must imagine. I will definitely contact Samsung. I wouldn't know where to start with Fox, though. Any suggestions?

Re: A few words about...™ The Robe -- in Blu-ray

Let me know if you consider to go to Karlsruhe.
I will be there, too and I should also be able to tell you about the kind of prints they screen.

Re: A few words about...™ The Robe -- in Blu-ray

Thanks, I will let you know if/when I decide I'll go there.

Re: A few words about...™ The Robe -- in Blu-ray

I got this on Saturday and have now watched it two days in row. What a stunning disc. And to think that The Robe was a movie that I never was very fond of. But the picture quality and the quality of the soundtrack (I listened to the 4.0 directional track) is so fabulous that the movie somehow seems better as well. I think I'll even like Knights Of The Round Table if it gets this treatment. Thank you Fox, and more like this please!

Re: A few words about...™ The Robe -- in Blu-ray

I'm happy about the option to view the standard version of the film as a Picture in Picture...but (I have not seen this disc yet) is it true that it is an internet-only feature of some kind?
Years ago, AMC showed both versions back to back and it was very interesting to compare the two.

Re: A few words about...™ The Robe -- in Blu-ray

I remember that. I taped (yes, taped) the widescreen version and watched it while the standard version was running live in the PiP. That was in the Age of Bronze of home theaters. Now that we're in the Space Age of it, I can't watch THE ROBE because my Blu-Ray player won't play it. Arrrrgh.

Re: A few words about...™ The Robe -- in Blu-ray

Watched this last night. It looked pretty damn good, and I enjoyed the new 5.1 mix. I thought the film was good, but the historical significance of the film is more interesting than the story it tells. Very good bonus content on the disc, too.

I'm glad my first viewing was on a 96" projection screen on BD.

Re: A few words about...™ The Robe -- in Blu-ray

I once watched Cheyenne Autumn on a small TV and thought it was a rather bad movie.

Then I watched it in HD on a home theater screen many years later and I could start to appreciate that there was indeed something to the movie with the improved sound and picture quality.

Since then I have had the chance to see it projected in 70mm and I would not hesitate to watch it that way again - so I guess for me presentation does count a lot, too