The Pianist...Canadian vs American releases (1 Viewer)

[CraigF]

It's got nice packaging! Too bad I don't care about that...

I'm not opening mine until I see some comments on the U.S. version PQ. I can just imagine the crappy processing equipment they used if they converted a PAL transfer to NTSC, if they were too cheap to transfer from the film.

 

[Paul_Stachniak]

Well I'm only into 15 mins of the Canadian version of the Pianist, and am already disappointed. There seems to be something wrong with the transfer, as if they could not accurately adapt the film to 29.9 frames a second. About every 3 frames there is a ghost effect that occurs. Initially I watched this on my flatscreen monitor using PowerDVD, the result was quite unsettling. This effect however, only occurs when there is motion in either the foreground of background.

And to make sure I wasn't going crazy, I checked my copy of Training Day, and it had none of these ghosting effects. Just proper motion blurs. I have provided two screenshots to show how this ghosting effects looks when paused.





A comment was made earlier, that watching the film felt more like viewing a BBC documentary. I frankly have to agree. Watching the film on my high def TV presented results which were very unappealing. A large amount of compression artifacts, and this frame rate problem. Nothing seemed FILM LIKE about this movie. I am going to assume this was a PAL transfer at some point.

I must say, I've very disappointed. For such a nice presentation, the film quality leaves MUCH to be desired.

 

[Kyle Milligan]

Thanks Joseph for the final confirmation, and thanks Paul for the ghost effect examples.

I timed the film, so there's no other possible explanation given all the evidence. It must be a PAL transfer.

 

[Joseph_mx]

The average bitrate the for the USA edition is 7.9 Mb/sec using the dvd bitrate software. And the Title 1 time is 2:28:55

And like I said before, the audio and video for the USA edition is excellent. Here is the dvdfile review



Dvd File Review The Pianist USA edition

 

[Paul_Stachniak]

I'm strongly considering importing the Universal version now from Amazon.com

Which is a shame, because I had high hopes for this Canadian edition. Less money to buy them here, then to import.

 

[Jay W]

Yikes, that's not good news - too late for me as my Canadian copy already shipped.

 

[CraigF]

amazon.ca charges ~ the same for the U.S. and basic Canadian versions, same price as in the local stores (~$26), so no hardship, just disappointment after the nice package. I don't think TVA will get clean away with this high profile release, bound to be lots of complaints (BTW, are they related to AA?). I'm going to order the U.S. version, but hold onto my Can. version to see if anything happens, then return it as late as possible if nothing is done. I should remind that several DVD's manufactured locally (TO area) "recently" have been screwed up during production and then corrected after streeting, Jackie Brown and Pulp Fiction SE's come quickly to mind. I'm hoping it might be something like that...or else they think we're really dumb.

Edit: Hmmm, amazon just changed the price for U.S. version this a.m. ->up. Their prices have been up and down like crazy in the past week, least on the stuff I've been looking at...

 

[ChrisS]

Hey, just wanted to point something out. One reason the Canadian version looks so bad, especially when played on a HDTV is that it is not encoded progessively on the disc but is interlaced. On my Toshiba 40H80 played through my Sony 9000ES the light for progressive is not lighted. The only discs that this is noticed on is some Anime titles that are encoded in interlaced mode through the transfer and some TV DVDs. The Pianist doesn't look to bad when there is little movement but as soon as there is a lot going on urg. Noticed really badly during the beginning part of the film with the German troops marching.

 

[Nick Sievers]

Damn, looks like I might have to go towards the US version. The Canadian version looked so damn promising.

 

[Tom Oh]

:frowning: The packaging looked so sweet. I'm glad I did not open my Canadien version. It's going back for the US version tomorrow.

DVD File has a review of the US version
Review

 

[Marc Colella]

Truly a shame.

A 3-disc release (one for the film, one for the extras and the 3rd disc being the CD soundtrack) for $27.99 CAD is just an incredible deal.

But Lion's Gate had to screw up the most important thing - the transfer. Everything else means very little if the films presentation is compromised.

I was on the fence with this title since I've never seen the film, but I was leaning towards a purchase because of what seemed like a very nice Alliance release. It looks like I'll be saving myself $27.99 CAD now.

[Edited to correct studio]

 

[Miles]

Is there any chance that the Canadian 2-disc version is the Universal transfer and not the same as the Canadian 3-disc transfer?

Thanks,

Miles

 

[Daniel P]

done...

another switch at the last minute from Canadian DVD to American...

what a pity...

 

[Mark_Wilson]

About every 3 frames there is a ghost effect that occurs.

That would be 'blending' from the PAL to NTSC transcoding.


ChrisS, all DVDs are encoded as interlaced video. I think you meant it wasn't 'flagged' for progressive scan. Since this obviously came from a PAL source you can't do 3:2 pulldown and therefore can't flag it as such. With PAL you have to do 2:2 pulldown.

 

[Tom Tsai]

It's not from Alliance, it's from Lions Gate/TVA Films. Mine 3-disc already shipped. Looks like I'll be getting the US version as well.

 

[Marc Colella]

It's not from Alliance, it's from Lions Gate/TVA Films. Mine 3-disc already shipped. Looks like I'll be getting the US version as well.

My mistake... it is most definitely Lions Gate.
I have another Alliance comparison in my mind.

 

[Mark Bendiksen]

Okay...that settles it. I'm heading to Best Buy today to purchase the U.S. version. When my Canadian copy arrives in the mail I'll have to determine whether or not it's worth the effort to actually return it. What a shame.

 

[David Glenn]

Okay...that settles it. I'm heading to Best Buy today to purchase the U.S. version. When my Canadian copy arrives in the mail I'll have to determine whether or not it's worth the effort to actually return it. What a shame.

Same here. I'm leaning towards keeping it. Perhaps, I'll just chalk it up as a $42 4 disc set.

 

[Craig S]

Canadian version cancelled (luckily it was being held waiting for other items). Thanks to all here who provided the reports.

I hope BB still has copies - I was there yesterday and they had plenty of fullscreen but only a few widescreen versions left. Why they even bothered with a fullscreen version of this particular film is beyond me...

 

[Ian Currie]

Reminds me of Brotherhood of the Wolf. The TVA Canadian version was compelling in that it had more extras, a longer version of the film and DTS, but I still had to get the U.S. (Universal) version because it had a superior transfer.

I'm just going to import the U.S. version from Amazon.ca this time. Wish I did it yesterday before the price went up!