Pre-Order 2001: A Space Odyssey (4k UHD) Available for Preorder (1 Viewer)

[Mike Frezon]

 

[dpippel]

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I just wanna say thanks for the little nudge to go out and see "2001" again last night - spectacular presentation again.

I sat in the fifth row for the first half, and the fourth row for the second half. At that distance, I was brushing up against the limitations of 2K projection, but it never looked overly digital, and there was never any screen door effect. It's just that there wasn't anything further to discern, but it still looked beautifully film-like to me. I would guess on a true 4K system that there'd be some extra detail visible at that extreme close distance, but it still looked magnificent.

I don't know if it's just me, but when Bowman goes through the Stargate, I think there's something very unnerving about the visual with the seven diamonds floating in the sky. It's a beautiful shot but it's eerie as hell.

I also remembered in the middle of the film that the first time I saw 2001, on VHS, that particular early telecine was so bad that I couldn't actually tell that Bowman wears a red spacesuit and that Poole wears a yellow one. Both looked sickly orange. It was a surprise to me when I first saw the film in 35mm (a gorgeous brand new print, no less!) to discover that they wore different color spacesuits.

 

[bujaki]

I just came back from a 2K screening in a real IMAX. Not since I saw 2001 during its premiere roadshow run in 1968 had I experienced it in such a spectacular fashion. Those who can still go and have never experienced it on a large screen should run before they miss out on the experience of a lifetime. It took me 50 years to replicate it. How long will it take you after this opportunity?

 

[CarlosMeat]

Josh, Did you see anything like the artifacts I saw in Chicago ? I'm thinking it's laser projection related.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Josh, Did you see anything like the artifacts I saw in Chicago ? I'm thinking it's laser projection related.

Carlos, I'm really sorry, I forgot what exactly you mentioned and I'm having difficulty finding your post about it - would you mind either pointing me in the right direction of the post or quoting what the issues were?

 

[CarlosMeat]

Carlos, I'm really sorry, I forgot what exactly you mentioned and I'm having difficulty finding your post about it - would you mind either pointing me in the right direction of the post or quoting what the issues were?

I saw an artifact a few others saw it and although it doesn't ruin the presentation. It does appear that only those who saw the 4K Laser presentations say they saw it like I describe. I sat in a seat that made the screen size appear the same as the seating position I use in my theater room so the thing for me was to notice differences in the two presentations. The red fringing was one of those differences. It appeared at the edge of high contrast transitions mainly I noticed the artifact at the images of the space station and moon landing., Another was that detail was lost to clipping lastly was the improved resolution over the BluRay. The fringing was not isolated to a few scenes so this is why I felt that if it is baked in it isn't a minor thing. I'm still hoping that it is peculiar to laser projection and a few venues and it's something we won't see on the UHD.
When Pool was released from the pod when Bowman realized he would need to go back through the airlock his body spins as it gets smaller. The helmet and neck ring alternated red yellow red yellow when there was no red in it. The artifact was always red.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I definitely did not notice any red fringing - if anything, I noticed just how differently colored Bowman's red suit was from Poole's yellow one. I've seen various prints and home video transfers over the years that at times have made the two suits appear very similar color-wise and one of the things that stood out to me in this new restoration was how very different the colors of those two spacesuits are. I don't think I would have had that thought if I had noticed some fringing in it.

I'm just guessing, but I'm wondering if perhaps there was an issue with one or both of the dual laser projectors at the theater resulting in some extra unwanted red.

Had you mentioned that this IMAX theater just finished their renovation/upgrade to the 4K laser system? NYC got its upgrade in 2016 for the big IMAX location, and I feel like it took them a couple months to fully tweak the system there to get rid of unwanted artifacts. The first couple films I saw there after the upgrade looked very good, but not perfect. But now that we're almost two years removed from the installation, it routinely looks great. But when it first opened, I had a lot of difficulty with what appeared to be an almost rainbow speckling which apparently was a result of the way the laser was hitting the silver screen, and this was apparently tweaked over time, and is no longer an issue.

I believe IMAX also uses a proprietary image processor during the presentation, which is sometimes referred to as their "special sauce" because they don't disclose (even to the local projectionists) exactly what it's doing. It's entirely possible that something went awry there which could be introducing an artifact into the presentation.

Without having an actual disc to check against, I can only speculate, but I'm guessing that these are presentation errors rather than mistakes actually built into the restoration.

 

[WillG]

These recent re-viewings have brought to my attention more and more of the "borrowings" Close Encounters of the Third Kind gleaned from 2001:

- the epidemic story staged by the authorities to cover up evidence of alien life; Heywood's secret presentation is echoed in the closed door Lacombe meetings
- the crater excavation site is inverted to be a mountain staging area in CE3K
- the dissonant music for alien contact

Don’t forget about CE3Ks mini overture.

 

[WillG]

Not to mention, they're basically on day 100 or whatever of a very monotonous routine.

Day 100? They’re 18 months into the misssion when we first see them (or I guess somewhat near there). I guess there’s no mention of time between the clavius monolith and the launch of the Discovery, but there’s also no indication that Dave and Frank were ever in Hibernation, in fact we only ever see the three occupied “Sarcophaguses”. We never see two unoccupied ones.

 

[skylark68]

I'm planning on seeing this tomorrow night, but I'm still a little unsure what I'll be seeing. 2k, 4k? It's on the IMAX screen at an AMC theater in Houston. Anyone have any insight? The AMC website doesn't really give you any details.

 

[Mark_TB]

Day 100? That part of the months into the mission (or I guess somewhat near there). I guess there’s no mention of time between the clavius monolith and the launch of the Discovery, but there’s also no indication that Dave and Frank were ever in Hibernation, in fact we only ever see the three occupied “Sarcophaguses”. We never see two unoccupied ones.

 

[WillG]

To me, I thought that was much more obvious in the unrestored version than in the digital restoration. On the unrestored version I can clearly see the fabric of the front projection material. On the restored version, I can’t.

Agree, in the digital version I saw, the front projection looked perfectly passable, and I was consciously evaluating it.

 

[WillG]

View attachment 49035

We do see Dave and Frank sleeping normally in the those “pods” but the freezing “sarcophaguses” are not there.

 

[Mark_TB]

We do see Dave and Frank sleeping normally in the those “pods” but the freezing “sarcophaguses” are not there.

Right. Bowman and Poole have been awake for the whole journey. Ignore me.

 

[WillG]

Right. Bowman and Poole have been awake for the whole journey.

Oh, I thought you were disagreeing with me, sorry.

 

[questrider]

I'm planning on seeing this tomorrow night, but I'm still a little unsure what I'll be seeing. 2k, 4k? It's on the IMAX screen at an AMC theater in Houston. Anyone have any insight? The AMC website doesn't really give you any details.

https://www.hometheaterforum.com/co...able-for-preorder.356390/page-28#post-4644806

 

[Wayne_j]

So in other words it will be 2K in the IMAX in Houston.

 

[Peter Apruzzese]

Just got back from the 2K IMAX show in Rockaway, NJ.

Absolutely spectacular. Other than the 70mm showing at the Uptown in DC back in 2001, this is the best presentation I've witnessed of the film. Finally finally finally the timing is correct during the Dawn of Man sequence - zero evidence of the Scotchlite screen, the skies were appropriately bright compared to the dingy look of it on the Blu. No source element damage anywhere else. Yes, there looked to be a few dupe shots, but nothing that called itself out. The sound was marvelous: directional dialogue aplenty and HAL appropriately diffused into the surrounds. The Stargate sequence had the place shaking. Just a fabulous show (other than "bozo know-no" errors with the improper handling of the lights during the overture and intermission) - highly recommended.

As for Mr. Nolan's unrestored version: GTFOH. You might have made a decent movie or two, but you have no business with someone else's movie until you learn how digital works. Go away.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I may have to see it tomorrow night before it disappears... I’ve been thinking about that all day. This morning, my wife asked if we had plans for tomorrow (we didn’t) because she had just been invited to see a play with one of her best friends. Immediately the wheels started turning...”well, if I’m just a solo act, there’s no reason I couldn’t see 2001 tomorrow...”