USHE Press Release: Universal Classic Monsters: The Essential Collection (Blu-ray) includes Creature (2 Viewers)

[Patrick Mason]

Originally Posted by Russell G /t/321849/ushe-press-release-universal-classic-monsters-the-essential-collection-blu-ray-includes-creature-in-3d/60#post_3945095
Do we know what region the classic monster set is on the UK site?

Just mentioned the same thing in the Hitchcock thread but here are the basics again: Universal has never region coded a U.S. release and only region codes international titles in extremely rare cases (where they have limited regional rights, such as the recent David Lynch UK releases.) This set will not be the exception, as Universal has world-wide rights to these titles. They will likely release this set in many international territories using the same discs as the UK box, meaning the discs will need to be region free by necessity.

Basically, buy the set you want. Region coding will not be an issue.

And from the sound of it, buy the UK set. If you like extra money. (Or are nearly broke from Hitchcock, Indy, Bond, Avengers, Jaws, Cinderella, etc. And wouldn't the Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein BD go so well with this set?)

 

[Robert Crawford]

I preordered, both, the UK releases of Hitchcock and Monsters because even by the remote chance they're region coded, I have two region free BR players with the Oppo-93 and Sherwood 5004. The price difference between the Region A and B releases is too much to ignore for the savings you can use to buy other BR releases.








Crawdaddy

 

[bgart13]

Wow, even a moderator ordered the UK editions!

 

[John Hodson]

Wow, even a moderator ordered the UK editions!

It's un-American. Clearly.

 

[Mark Oates]

And a lot of UK Unimonsters fans are talking about importing the US set because the details from Universal UK omit the Spanish version of Dracula. Personally I'd be surprised if the UK set doesn't contain exactly the same content as the US.

 

[David Weicker]

Wow, even a moderator ordered the UK editions!

Since the consensus about these Box Sets (Monsters / Hitchcock / Bond / etc) is to get the UK version (which allegedly will be region-free). Can HTF get an agreement to get money from Amazon UK and therefore post a link to use for ordering?
David

 

[Ronald Epstein]

David,

Very much appreciate you asking. We are looking into it.

I am going to order the MONSTERS collection from Amazon UK.

Any idea how expensive it will be to ship these to the U.S.? Isn't
there some sort of VAT tax as well?

EDIT: Just ordered MONSTERS from the U.K. I was charged
34.32 in pounds or $53.27. WOW!

 

[rayman1701]

Ron,

VAT gets taken off for US customers. I just did a quick trial checkout and it comes down to this:

Item: 31.24 GBP
VAT: 0
Shipping: 3.08 GBP

Order Total: 34.32 GBP Which would be somewhere around $53 or so with the converter I used.

If you wait until after it is released you can pay with Amazon UK's currency converter and pay in USD, avoiding any additional charges that your credit card company might add, but when pre-ordering you have to pay in GBP.

Hope that helps,
Ray

 

[JohnMor]

Originally Posted by Ronald Epstein /t/321849/ushe-press-release-universal-classic-monsters-the-essential-collection-blu-ray-includes-creature-in-3d/60#post_3945175
David,

Very much appreciate you asking. We are looking into it.

I am going to order the MONSTERS collection from Amazon UK.

Any idea how expensive it will be to ship these to the U.S.? Isn't
there some sort of VAT tax as well?

Ron, there is no VAT tax. That's for countries within the EU. And I've found the shipping at Amazon.UK to be very reasonable (and delivery fast). But I only order books and cd's, as I cannot tolerate PAL speedup for any amount of money.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Thanks, Ray.

Fortunately, my Master Card did away with additional
currency exchange charges.

So, at $53 for that set, I am sitting pretty. I don't mind
waiting the extra 10 days for delivery.

 

[rayman1701]

Originally Posted by JohnMor /t/321849/ushe-press-release-universal-classic-monsters-the-essential-collection-blu-ray-includes-creature-in-3d/60#post_3945180

But I only order books and cd's, as I cannot tolerate PAL speedup for any amount of money.

There isn't any PAL speedup with Blu-ray, one of the joys of HD

 

[Ronald Epstein]

And just to clarify...

There is no PAL conversion issues with Blu-ray?

 

[John Hodson]

Ron, there is no VAT tax.  That's for countries within the EU.  And I've found the shipping at Amazon.UK to be very reasonable (and delivery fast). But I only order books and cd's, as I cannot tolerate PAL speedup for any amount of money.

No PAL speedup on the HD material (it simply doesn't come into play); I suspect any SD supplements will be NTSC, but I'm not quite sure what Universal's policy is.

 

[rayman1701]

Originally Posted by Ronald Epstein /t/321849/ushe-press-release-universal-classic-monsters-the-essential-collection-blu-ray-includes-creature-in-3d/90#post_3945183
And just to clarify...

There is no PAL conversion issues with Blu-ray?

No.

Now the only thing is if an extra or a TV show is at 1080i/50 that can cause playback issues with certain players made for US HDTV sets (I'm looking at you "An Idiot Abroad" ). Or if they include a DVD with extras that might be PAL, but for Blu-ray movies, I've not had any issues.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

I'm just amazed that I can get this set for under $60
from the UK. It made my day, as I really wasn't too
happy paying $111 with all the other boxed sets I have
preordered.

 

[Ruz-El]

Potential chance that it's missing the Spanish Dracula and pal issues on the SD extra material has me holding off for more information before jumping on the UK set. I have these films 4 times over, I can wait a very long time for the American set to go on sale to a reasonable price in the area of $50-$70 dollars.

Or Universal can stop being so pig headed and price it right from the get go in North America. Do the studios not realize that the internet exists and allows for easy price comparisons like this? It makes no marketing sense to charge a territory over double the price. Especially one the size of North America. This is the reason I currently have none of the big event sets on pre-order. Bond, Hitch and this will all assuredly get sales over the holidays early 2013. So as much as I'm frothing to get this, I'll keep waiting.

There's no guarantee that Universal isn't going to completely fuck the transfers on this either remember. If your UK pre-orders ship before the reviews are in how easy are the returns going to be? Still free shipping over seas? I've never returned to the UK from Canada.

 

[FoxyMulder]

Originally Posted by Russell G /t/321849/ushe-press-release-universal-classic-monsters-the-essential-collection-blu-ray-includes-creature-in-3d/90#post_3945195
Potential chance that it's missing the Spanish Dracula and pal issues on the SD extra material has me holding off for more information before jumping on the UK set. I have these films 4 times over, I can wait a very long time for the American set to go on sale to a reasonable price in the area of $50-$70 dollars.

There's no guarantee that Universal isn't going to completely fuck the transfers on this either remember.

The extras on Blu ray discs by the major studio's are never PAL and if in standard definition are always 480i so rest easy on that count, Universal like Warner are always region free unless another studio owns the rights in that particular territory, in this case Universal holds the worldwide rights so they will all be region free, regarding your last comment and Universal doing something like adding a little too much noise reduction or a little bit of edge sharpening, well that's possible, your tolerance to this will vary depending on your screen size and opinion's on how film like a transfer should be.

 

[David Weicker]

I don't mind
waiting the extra 10 days for delivery.

My last Amazon UK order was in January (Three/Four Musketeers). I ordered on the 4th, it was dispatched on the 5th, and I received it on the 11th (DHL/USPS). Now, this was for an in-stock item. And I'm in the Chicago area.
I don't know what their policy is for pre-orders (Amazon US usually ships Prime 2-3 days before release date).
David

 

[JohnMor]

/t/321849/ushe-press-release-universal-classic-monsters-the-essential-collection-blu-ray-includes-creature-in-3d/90#post_3945187
No PAL speedup on the HD material (it simply doesn't come into play); I suspect any SD supplements will be NTSC, but I'm not quite sure what Universal's policy is.

That's great to know. Thanks guys! But please pardon my ignorance: why does it not happen on HD?

 

[FoxyMulder]

Originally Posted by JohnMor /t/321849/ushe-press-release-universal-classic-monsters-the-essential-collection-blu-ray-includes-creature-in-3d/90#post_3945213


That's great to know. Thanks guys! But please pardon my ignorance: why does it not happen on HD?

Blu ray is usually 23.976fps ( often referred to as 24fps ) which is the same as the cinema hence no speedup, PAL is 25fps, NTSC 29.97fps. NTSC uses 3:2 pulldown to avoid speedup issues.

Some Blu ray releases from Europe can come from TV masters and be 25fps ( 50i ) such as 1492: Conquest Of Paradise or The Crow.