DVD Review HTF REVIEW: Léon The Professional: Deluxe Edition (RECOMMENDED) (1 Viewer)

[Aaron Silverman]

There is a distinct possibility that the "errors" on these discs (now apparently including Resident Evil 2) is really just due to a quirk of the software I used to check it. I'm not sure what the deal is with the problem that DVD Beaver's review noted, though.

This weekend I hope to figure it out for certain with some different software. I would go ahead and buy it if you want it -- you can always wait until next week to open it, pending verification of whether this is truly a problem or not.

 

[Ron Reda]

Yeah, that's what I did. I can always return it if it is faulty.

 

[Gary Burdick]

Someone on avsforum said the surrounds still drop out occasionally on this release.

 

[Aaron Silverman]

Was he listening to the DD or DTS track? (The DD track has very little surround activity to begin with.) Did he give any specific times?

 

[Aaron Silverman]

Other folks have tested the Fifth Element DVD and found that it does not have the incorrect 3:2 pulldown flag after all. I will update both reviews as soon as I know for sure.

 

[Gary Burdick]

Aaron here is the exact post:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...04#post4984504

 

[Aaron Silverman]

Thanks, Gary. To be honest, there aren't enough details in that post to tell us anything useful.

 

[Grant H]

He seemed to think it was the same old crappy transfer too, though others have stated it's a new (if not much improved) transfer.

I want to pick this up. How long until someone examines this frame-by-frame to see if there's a problem or not.

 

[Doug Schiller]

I almost spit out my coffee when I read this.

I can see the big wigs at Circuit City gathered around a big table.

Incorrect 3:2 pulldown?!?!?!? Slash the price $3 quickly!

 

[Patrick H.]

Just to cover all bases here, is everyone sure this DD track is NOT the botched one from the old pre-Superbit release? The DTS has clearly been resuscitated...just making sure there hasn't been a backslide with the DD (I don't have the disc yet). Overall, I think a lot of the fretting over the grittiest tech aspects (the audio, the progressive flagging, etc.) is probably just paranoia, but it's totally justifiable as there has been something wrong with every damn prior version of this thing!

 

[Colin Jacobson]

I don't see how anyone could think this was a new transfer for Leon. Same old issues. Why would Sony make a new transfer that has all the same problems?

 

[Bob-ATL]

My two cents on the audio issue:

I have the non Superbit version of Leon with the corrected Dolby Digital 5.1 mix. I also have the 1st Superbit version with the incorrect Dolby Digital 5.1 mix.

Comparing the two DD mixes on both versions, it was easy to tell the difference. The rear channels on the Superbit DD 5.1 mix are virtually nonexistent. I had to put my ear directly in front of the rear speakers to hear anything. Barely audible. I was using chapter 26 (Window Warning) for my comparision. The mix on the non Superbit version was fine.

Now to the fun part. When I compared the non Superbit DD 5.1 mix to the Superbit DTS mix, it sounded comparable. The rear channel activity for the chapter I used was identical. No problems at all.

We are all aware that Columbia screwed up on the first Superbit, by using the incorrect DD mix. However, it seems to me that the DTS mix is correct. If this is the case, then for all of us who have DTS capability, why "upgrade" to the new Deluxe Edition version with the supposed fix of the DD 5.1 mix?

Is the DTS mix on the first Superbit release correct, or is it a case of the DTS mix being "louder"? Although the fronts didn't seem to be subject to the DTS "louder" phenomenon. Which again leads me to believe that the DTS mix on the first Superbit is the corrected one.

I am hesitant to buy the new UE until I can get a definitive answer. I hope this helps in our quest to find the truth on this issue.

Can anyone shed anymore light on this?

 

[Gary Burdick]

I imagine it's worth the upgrade if you want the extras.

 

[Bob-ATL]

Gary,

Sorry, if I wasn't clear. I own the Non-Superbit w/corrected DD 5.1 mix and the first Superbit release (which has the wrong DD 5.1 mix and what sounds like to me, a DTS mix that is correct). I do not own the new Deluxe Edition.

What I am trying to determine is if the DTS mix on the first Superbit release is correct. If it is, there is no need for me to double dip (triple). The extra features alone are not enough to justify it.

Hope that clears it up. Do you have any info on this?

Thanks

Bob

 

[Aaron Silverman]

I've looked at the VOB files with DGIndex. It would appear that only the initial few seconds (prior to the Gaumont logo) are flagged interlaced -- the rest of the film is flagged properly. I am going to update the original review post to reflect this.

You should not experience any issues related to the 3:2 pulldown flag with this disc. I am not sure what the reviewer at DVD Beaver was experiencing.

I'd like to thank Tom Daniel for his guidance with some of the more technical aspects of examining the disc encoding. Thanks, Tom!

 

[Aaron Silverman]

I would definitely like to hear from someone who can compare this disc directly with the original Superbit. Since the new DTS track is far superior to the DD track, I am now wondering whether the new DD track is indeed properly corrected or if it's actually the original, screwed-up track.

 

[Patrick H.]

Just chiming back in with some impressions...I picked up the Deluxe set over the weekend because Circuit City's price was too good to pass up. Regarding the video, while I don't have a high-end setup, I couldn't detect any defects there. New transfer or not, the image looked extremely good. As for the audio, I should preface my comments by saying that I don't own ANY other version of this film, so I have no basis for comparison aside from the two tracks on the disc. That said, after toggling back and forth between the two in a variety of scenes, the difference is VERY dramatic.

To the best of my hearing, the DD track has NO surround activity whatsoever. The DTS track, however, has an aggressive music presence in the back, along with some sound effects. Still, I'm not sure if there are any true discreet effects in there, or if the rears are just amplifying the front soundstage (minus the dialogue, of course). The LFE channel, which I've read was a problem on previous releases, seems about equally strong on both of these tracks. But the DTS is definitely a more immersive experience, while the DD track seems to carry about the same information, just confined to the front. Is it possible this is how this 1996 recut was mixed originally??? The whole situation confounds the mind.

However, I must say it's a good film. Jury's still out, though, on whether it's an improvement from the original cut or not. Some character moments I liked better, but the slowed momentum seemed to diminish the threat of Gary Oldman's character, as he shows up less-frequently (and that scene of him threatening Old Tony's kids, which I vividly remembered, is gone). The extras are very light, but extremely well-done. It was particularly nice to hear Natalie Portman's perspective on her first job.

 

[Aaron Silverman]

After much internal debate, I've decided to bump up the video rating by a quarter point since the 3:2 pulldown encoding turned out to not be an issue. And because I don't want to get too crazy with my ratings, I've rounded it off to a 3.5.

Upon further review, I have also upgraded my Special Features rating to a 3.5.

Rest assured that I don't plan on making a habit of this.

 

[CraigL]

If anyone is curious, the bit rate (and video quality) on this release is better than my "advanced collectors edition" japanese release from last year.

 

[Ted Lee]

okay, sorry but i guess i'm still slightly confused after reading all this.

i have the int'l version (corrected audio 06196). i'm happy with it.

but, if this release has new footage (doesn't appear so), or improved video (doesn't appear so), or improved audio (doesn't appear so) ... then i'm okay with my existing copy. the extras aren't worth a double-dip to me.

can anyone clarify? thanks!