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A Few Words About A few words about...™ Back to the Future -- in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

cineMANIAC

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I'm usually not bothered by odd packaging designs...I've seen and own a fair share of unusually-shaped cases/boxes, some are cumbersome and clumsy while others are elegant and practical. This abomination, though, truly boggles the mind. Nothing new if anyone picked up the recent Outer Limits DVDs from Alliance, which have the same "clip" mechanisms and are just as nightmarish to remove. If anyone from Universal IS reading this I hope they come up with better packaging if they want people to keep buying their products. Or at least don't charge so much if you're hellbent on using this design. Either way, you're making a lot of people unhappy.
 

Jeff Brooks

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I just received this reply from Universal, (at least they seem to respond pretty quickly to e-mails), when I asked if they were going to offer alternate or replacement packaging:


"No plans have been announced for any other packaging for "Back to the Future 25th Anniversary Trilogy."

Sincerely,

Consumer Relations
UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOME ENTERTAINMENT
 

Steve Tannehill

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How does one contact Universal? I wish to register a complaint.
 

Jeff Brooks

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I used http://www.universalhidef.com/home/whatisnew/, and clicked "Contact Us" at the bottom of the page, and then clicked acceptance of their terms and the link for "USA" under the FAQ banner on the page that followed. I have been receiving responses via e-mail from [email protected].
 

CraigF

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Originally Posted by ManW_TheUncool


Only one of my BD players is region-free, so I don't prefer to buy non-A BDs for playing flexibility. But if I ever "guess" wrongly (hasn't happened yet...) at least I can still play the discs. Let's just say I've bought a lot of Uni BDs in the UK, not just for pricing reasons but for packaging and format (flipper) ones too.


P.S Are you *the* Man with a new user name? I missed that happening if so...
 

Charles Smith

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This whole thing saddens me. Not because these are my favorite movies in the whole wide world. And not because of the packaging -- which is horrible, but it can be replaced, a different version ordered, or whatever. The sadness should be limited to Universal's attitude toward the video quality of these films -- it's a compromise that is what it is, and it ain't gonna be changed for the better next week. But this is on top of other large disappointments from the same studio. I'm doing my best to take RAH's words to heart and maintain a healthy perspective on this one. After all, they haven't compromised one of MY favorites. Yet. It's just the overall picture that is so profoundly distressing.
 

AaronMK

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Through all of these reviews, I keep on thinking about Bill Hunt's trip to Universal, and the report he wrote in his 8/18/10 Digital Bits post. Two quotes stood out.



They also admitted that it's a fine line they have to walk - some BD consumers hate seeing grain and are very vocal about it. ... But the key is to find the right balance in preserving the integrity of the original film image and also updating it for HD presentation on Blu-ray.

I get the impression this release represents Universal's "walking of that line" and finding the "right balance". (Based on reviews and screen captures, not the fact that he saw some of BTTF while there as well.) The reviews on BTTF mention the DNR and EE, but are still favorable. Is this the compromise we should expect from Universal going forward? It certainly appears to be an acceptable compromise to reviewers.


I have to wonder what reviews might have been if we hadn't lived through Out of Africa, Spartacus, Patton, the first releases of Gangs of New York and Gladiator, etc. Would there be this impression that catalog blu-rays must be some compromise between the natural detail that film can provide when you don't fight it and a clean, smooth and sharp presentation for the "HD era", and that getting closer to the latter without EE and DNR being too distracting is worthy of praise.


Based on Robert's impressions, and the fact that a UK release with usable packaging exists and rings up cheaper than the US release ($44.49, includes shipping), I might still get it, but I am very reluctant to do so.
 

Robert Harris

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Originally Posted by AaronMK

I get the impression this release represents Universal's "walking of that line" and finding the "right balance". (Based on reviews and screen captures, not the fact that he saw some of BTTF while there as well.) The reviews on BTTF mention the DNR and EE, but are still favorable. Is this the compromise we should expect from Universal going forward? It certainly appears to be an acceptable compromise to reviewers.


I have to wonder what reviews might have been if we hadn't lived through Out of Africa, Spartacus, Patton, the first releases of Gangs of New York and Gladiator, etc. Would there be this impression that catalog blu-rays must be some compromise between the natural detail that film can provide when you don't fight it and a clean, smooth and sharp presentation for the "HD era", and that getting closer to the latter without EE and DNR being too distracting is worthy of praise.


Based on Robert's impressions, and the fact that a UK release with usable packaging exists and rings up cheaper than the US release ($44.49, includes shipping), I might still get it, but I am very reluctant to do so.

I'm going to jump in here, as I see where this is going, and I concur with your comments re: Bill's visit to UC. This one walks the line, and it walks it reasonably well. It isn't the Blu-ray that I would have created, but (again) as entertainment value, and not art, it's fine. There is nothing here that offensive in terms of digital cleansing. On the other hand, does it look like film?


Absolutely not.


I find that it has great color, and with nothing overly offensive jumping out at me, I'm gave it a Recommend. It's fine for what it is -- a better than decent Blu-ray transfer. Just don't get me going with the use of the work "restoration."


RAH
 

Dustin James

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Just a FYI regarding the packaging:


Looks like the disc trays are manufactured by a company called MIP Packaging and these particular trays are called "Double Novatray."


http://www.mip-packaging.biz/multiple-trays.html
 

urbo73

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Originally Posted by Robert Harris




I'm going to jump in here, as I see where this is going, and I concur with your comments re: Bill's visit to UC. This one walks the line, and it walks it reasonably well. It isn't the Blu-ray that I would have created, but (again) as entertainment value, and not art, it's fine. There is nothing here that offensive in terms of digital cleansing. On the other hand, does it look like film?


Absolutely not.


I find that it has great color, and with nothing overly offensive jumping out at me, I'm gave it a Recommend. It's fine for what it is -- a better than decent Blu-ray transfer. Just don't get me going with the use of the work "restoration."


RAH

But shouldn't a Blu-ray be solely judged on its quality/transfer? While I agree that BTTF is not a complex/artsy film, but a fun/campy one, should that matter in a review? I don't understand what you mean by "as entertainment value, and not art, it's fine", other than to say, that in a way, we should perhaps not be as critical of such films when they come to Blu-ray? If so, then I go back to my first question.
 

Michael Rogers

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I kinda sorta figured out how to free the discs after a few minutes. And then I chucked the digital copies and placed the blu-rays in their place in the upper hub and left the lower hub empty. It's much easier and trouble free to take them out of the upper hub and can do it rather quickly.


But yeah, the packaging stinks.
 

SamT

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I have been away for a long time. I remember the DVD boxset had framing issues and were cropped. Have those framing issues been resolved?
 

Xenia Stathakopoulou

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Originally Posted by SamT

I have been away for a long time. I remember the DVD boxset had framing issues and were cropped. Have those framing issues been resolved?


My set hasnt arrived yet, but Im sure theres no framing issue. Simply because the framing issue on the 2002 dvd set, was recalled with replacement discs. The blus should be correct.
 

Edwin-S

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I'll wait until another release. The whole feel of this review is one of reservations and qualifiers which makes me think the package as a whole is disappointing.
 

Xenia Stathakopoulou

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Originally Posted by Edwin-S

I'll wait until another release. The whole feel of this review is one of reservations and qualifiers which makes me think the package as a whole is disappointing.

They probably wont do another release for at least 4 years.
 

TonyD

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Already broke one of the clips on mine.

The bottom left clip on the first disc snapped right off.
 

Edwin-S

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Originally Posted by Xenia Stathakopoulou




They probably wont do another release for at least 4 years.

I can wait. This package sounds entirely substandard, like so many of Universal's Blu-ray releases. There are plenty of other properly executed releases to spend money on.
 

ManW_TheUncool

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Originally Posted by CraigF The only bright side to this BTTF release seems to be that they are at least "walking the line" a little bit closer to what most of us film enthusiasts actually want, but still not nearly close enough. Well, that and I suppose I can sorta agree w/ RAH about this being not quite so bad considering the actual movies involved (and the moderate upgrade it still presents over the old DVDs). Like I mentioned before, I'll probably just wait for this set to get down to the bargain price level before I buy it -- seems inevitable enough to me. And I will continue to be extra cautious about future catalog releases from Universal -- and won't be getting rid of old Universal DVDs too quickly...


_Man_
 

Xenia Stathakopoulou

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My tin arrived in the mail today. I watched the first 30 minutes of bttf 1, there is grain to the picture , but very little. Im quite happy with the picture, but it needed a little more grain. Out of my 40 or so blu rays , this has the least grain of all. Unless you count Its A Wonderful Life, but that has zero grain. The extras in the tin are even better looking than the pics on the internet.
 

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