Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life, has received a 4k make-over from the OCN, and with the help of Dolby Vision, at least to my eye, results are mixed.
On the plus side, we gain a far more stable image, that’s also more highly resolved, with gorgeous grain structure.
But I wonder, if like some films, this one isn’t suited to HDR, as what I’m seeing looks neither like original prints, nor what one might surmise an original presentation might look like.
The gray scale no longer has a proper look to it, with blacks overriding the image, and shadow detail, that was in the earlier Blu-ray, lost.
While I hate to be the naysayer, I don’t like what I’m seeing, viewed both in projection, as well as on a Sony OLED with Dolby Vision.
Along with the new 4k, one gets a godawful colorized version.
Image – 3 (Dolby Vision)
Audio – 5
Pass / Fail – Fail
Upgrade from Blu-ray – I don’t have the answer for this one.
RAH
Robert has been known in the film industry for his unmatched skill and passion in film preservation. Growing up around photography, his first home theater experience began at age ten with 16mm. Years later he was running 35 and 70mm at home.
His restoration projects have breathed new life into classic films like Lawrence of Arabia, Vertigo, My Fair Lady, Spartacus, and The Godfather series. Beyond his restoration work, he has also shared his expertise through publications, contributing to the academic discourse on film restoration. The Academy Film Archive houses the Robert A. Harris Collection, a testament to his significant contributions to film preservation.
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