A Few Words About A few words about…™ To Catch a Thief (redux) – in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[Mark-P]

I just compared The Court Jester on Amazon Prime to what is on iTunes. Indeed the transfer on Prime is new! The image has been stabilized (no more bob and weave in the title sequence) and the framing is slightly different. Color also looks more accurate (subjective opinion I’m sure) as the old transfer on iTunes looks a bit oversaturated.

 

[dpippel]

They had it in SD some time ago. Then it disappeared for a while. Now it's back in HD. I don't Know if it's a new transfer, but if you have Amazon Prime, and don't mind streaming, it's as good as I've ever seen it.

I agree. The HD stream on Amazon Prime looks quite good indeed.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

FWIW, if people don’t buy this disc (and I’m not suggesting that they should if they don’t want to), Paramount will not get the message, “we need to do a better job and spend even more money than we were already spending on this stuff.” They will get the message, “catalogue titles on physical media is a dead end business and no longer worth our effort.”

I’m very sorry to say this, but I see no scenario where Paramount looks at low sales and decides in response to redo the title and spend even more money on more obscure titles that would sell even less than this will.

 

[dpippel]

Well Josh, if Paramount is that clueless about the industry they've been involved in for decades, there's not much anyone can do about it. A sad state of affairs all around.

 

[Mark-P]

Yeah, the people who don’t buy the disc due to quality issues is a drop in the bucket compared to those who don’t buy it because they’ve moved on from physical media.

 

[Spili]

While the 2012 disc is overall very nice, it seems over-sharpened a bit (harsh). But the new screencaps show something over-filtered, with less detail, in addition to incorrect color, based on CG's jacket being more blue than grey, at least during the outdoor drive.

Precisely correct. It's now pick your poision as far as TCAT goes. What's more is, the untold amount of DNR that's utterly destroyed what could've been a reference quality VV transfer, has only helped but make the old BD that much better.

This is all the more sad, really.... when you find out the other two titles in their "Paramoutn Presents" lineup haven't been hit by a DNR baton.

 

[AnthonyClarke]

I dare say it's possible, if not probable, that Paramount lacks the ability to collate feedback from sources like this, and even they have that ability, are totally unable to use reaction to change their methods. Or they simply don't care.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Well Josh, if Paramount is that clueless about the industry they've been involved in for decades, there's not much anyone can do about it. A sad state of affairs all around.

No argument there. They were hammered hard when Viacom was broken up. Lots of downsizing, lots of cuts, very few people remaining who have connections to the studio’s history, in a brutal combination with a time in history where deep catalog titles don’t have the value they once did, thus making it harder to do what once was more easily possible.

Yeah, the people who don’t buy the disc due to quality issues is a drop in the bucket compared to those who don’t buy it because they’ve moved on from physical media.

This is the other big factor at play. And with the decline in physical media and a la carte sales across the board, there’s less money to go around and less demand for the finished product anyway.

I love “To Catch A Thief”. But how much new money can a 65 year old movie that was already widely available on both physical and digital formats, often for just $5, be reasonably expected to bring in now?

 

[Thomas T]

FWIW, if people don’t buy this disc (and I’m not suggesting that they should if they don’t want to), Paramount will not get the message, “we need to do a better job and spend even more money than we were already spending on this stuff.” They will get the message, “catalogue titles on physical media is a dead end business and no longer worth our effort.”

I’m very sorry to say this, but I see no scenario where Paramount looks at low sales and decides in response to redo the title and spend even more money on more obscure titles that would sell even less than this will.

Yeah, any way you look at it or what side you're on, it's pretty much a lose/lose situation.

 

[willyTass]

Assuming Andrea Kalas is still there , we should all ship our discs back to her

 

[commander richardson]

Well, I couldn't be told and insisted on seeing this for myself. It arrived today and I sat down to watch it this evening. I'd like to say (for the record) that I approve of the color scheme but that's about all that I can say that's positive about this disc. What an utter disappointment on just about every level.

I watched it last night and to be honest I thought the new release hugely superior to the old release . I think the guys at Paramount did a good job and same for Fatal Attraction .

 

[Robert Crawford]

I watched it last night and to be honest I thought the new release hugely superior to the old release . I think the guys at Paramount did a good job and same for Fatal Attraction .

If I had to guess, I would think a majority of people that are not serious film buffs/HT enthusiasts will probably feel the same way and really like how this new disc looks. I do wish that iTunes changes their digital of it so I can see for myself and compare it to my 2012 Blu-ray.

 

[dpippel]

If I had to guess, I would think a majority of people that are not serious film buffs/HT enthusiasts will probably feel the same way. I do wish that iTunes changes their digital of it so I can see for myself and compare it to my 2012 Blu-ray.

I doubt that anyone who's NOT a serious film buff would be buying this movie twice on physical media, so "Joe Sixpack" would have nothing to compare the new release to.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I doubt that anyone who's NOT a serious film buff would be buying this movie twice on physical media, so "Joe Sixpack" would have nothing to compare the new release to.

I didn't say they would compare the discs, I'm just saying they would like this new video presentation. Only people like us do comparisons.

 

[dpippel]

I didn't say they would compare the discs, I'm just saying they would like this new video presentation. Only people like us do comparisons.

I misunderstood then, because you were replying to someone who had compared the discs and thought the new release was superior.

 

[dpippel]

I watched it last night and to be honest I thought the new release hugely superior to the old release . I think the guys at Paramount did a good job and same for Fatal Attraction .

Wow. I don't know how anyone could come to this conclusion, but to each their own.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I misunderstood then, because you were replying to someone who had compared the discs and thought the new release was superior.

Nope, that wasn't my point as the general public is mostly ignorant of film facts we discuss here.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Wow. I don't know how anyone could come to this conclusion, but to each their own.

And that's why others can come to that conclusion. Different HT setups, different film and disc knowledge and a whole bunch of subjective stuff like color scheme preferences and video smoothness. Some people don't care if the disc is accurate to the movie or the filmmaker's intent, they care if it looks good on their display.

 

[dpippel]

And that's why others can come to that conclusion. Different HT setups, different film and disc knowledge and a whole bunch of subjective stuff like color scheme preferences and video smoothness. Some people don't care if the disc is accurate to the movie or the filmmaker's intent, they care if it looks good on their display.

Yes Robert, I'm fully aware of all of that.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Yes Robert, I'm fully aware of all of that.

I'm just saying as you made that definitive comment about other people's conclusions.