A Few Words About A few words about...™ Star Wars: The Force Awakens -- in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[Robert Harris]

I've just completed viewing the new Blu-ray of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, from Disney.

To my mind, it's the greatest re-tread of the finest "B" picture ever created.

And that is not a negative.

It's a very good thing.

Everything that the original viewers loved about the first films is all there, only bigger, badder, and louder than ever.

Completed as a 2k DI, one might presume that the resultant Blu-ray would be perfect.

And it is. Beyond all expectation.

Great fun, based upon films that were great fun.

No more need be said.

Image - 5

Audio - 5

4k Up-rez - 5

Pass / Fail - Pass

Highly Recommended


RAH

 

[bujaki]

I suspect this is not about Suspicion.

 

[willyTass]

I knew it was Cary Grant in that x wing...

 

[Robert Harris]

I knew it was Cary Grant in that x wing...

Digitally rendered.

Some of the greatest names in film from the past hundred years, can be seen, if you look closely enough.

 

[Osato]

Thanks Robert!!

 

[Angelo Colombus]

One of the best films of last year....

 

[Robert Harris]

Agreed! Nice to have a "real" Star Wars addition.

 

[Darby67]

Thanks for your two-cents on the release, Robert. As always, your opinion is highly valued and deeply appreciated.

 

[Mikey1969]

It's great to have a Star Wars release with such stellar PQ and AQ. I was surprised how much better it looks than episodes 1-6.

 

[Nelson Au]

The prequels just don't get a break!

Looking forward to seeing the disc when I get it later this week.

 

[Jesse Skeen]

No 3D, no sale.

 

[Carabimero]

It's great to have a Star Wars release with such stellar PQ and AQ. I was surprised how much better it looks than episodes 1-6.

It's the Kodak film.

 

[Oblivion138]

My very first Star Wars BD.

 

[Mikey1969]

The Kodak film and the lenses chosen. No matter how far digital has come, film still seems "more real" to my eyes and more engaging.

It's the Kodak film.

 

[Dave H]

The Kodak film and the lenses chosen. No matter how far digital has come, film still seems "more real" to my eyes and more engaging.

I completely agree. Well mastered Blus from analog films just have a certain look I don't see even on very good quality digitally filmed movies.

I plan on watching The Force Awakens one night this week.

 

[Worth]

None of which explains why the first three, shot-on-film movies look like crap on blu-ray - over-sharpened, over-saturated, over-scrubbed, crushed blacks etc.

 

[Lord Dalek]

Return of the Jedi will always look like crap because of J-D-C Scope.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

None of which explains why the first three, shot-on-film movies look like crap on blu-ray - over-sharpened, over-saturated, over-scrubbed, crushed blacks etc.

It probably does not help that they're all based on older masters. When they were working on the releases for the 2004 DVDs, Lucasfilm gave Lowry HD scans of the 1997 special edition versions of the movie for cleanup. When that work was completed, Lucasfilm made additional changes to the movies in HD resolution on top of the Lowry cleanup. For the 2011 Blu-rays, they again took those HD masters from circa 2004 and did additional changes on top of the existing work. The masters that the Blu-rays were based on were never intended for that purpose.

 

[Osato]

It probably does not help that they're all based on older masters. When they were working on the releases for the 2004 DVDs, Lucasfilm gave Lowry HD scans of the 1997 special edition versions of the movie for cleanup. When that work was completed, Lucasfilm made additional changes to the movies in HD resolution on top of the Lowry cleanup. For the 2011 Blu-rays, they again took those HD masters from circa 2004 and did additional changes on top of the existing work. The masters that the Blu-rays were based on were never intended for that purpose.

Enter new transfers in 2017 when Disney assumes control of all but a new hope from fox. I'm guessing theatrically versions as well.

Stay tuned...

 

[Lord Dalek]

New transfers would only make a huge improvement on IV and V. Again Jedi was shot in a subpar format to begin with.