UHD Review A Few Words About A few words about...™ - Aliens -- in 4k UHD (1 Viewer)

[Jonathan Perregaux]

 

[Robert Harris]

How much to do it without color?

I must be very gratifying to the makers of something like China O'Brien or Dust Devil to know that their movies are now more popular than a James Cameron blockbuster and can merit those expenses where his can't.

Scanning a c. 100 minute film at 4k should run 10-12 Tops.

 

[Tino]

Scanning a c. 100 minute film at 4k should run 10-12 Tops.

How long does it take to actually scan a film?

 

[SPlow67]

I can't believe I live in a world where it makes financial sense to do a bespoke 4K rescan of Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, a critically panned, kind of forgotten cult film, for a limited UK only release. But it somehow doesn't make financial sense to do a new scan for Aliens, an Oscar nominated, highly anticipated, extremely popular blockbuster that is getting a world-wide release.

 

[Robert Harris]

How long does it take to actually scan a film?

A few hours

 

[JoshZ]

I can't believe I live in a world where it makes financial sense to do a bespoke 4K rescan of Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, a critically panned, kind of forgotten cult film, for a limited UK only release. But it somehow doesn't make financial sense to do a new scan for Aliens, an Oscar nominated, highly anticipated, extremely popular blockbuster that is getting a world-wide release.

To be fair here, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves may have been critically panned, but was a significant blockbuster hit, the second highest-grossing film of 1991 (behind Cameron's Terminator 2, ironically), and I believe has always performed well on home video. I would not call it a cult film any more than I would call Aliens a cult film.

 

[Robert Harris]

I can't believe I live in a world where it makes financial sense to do a bespoke 4K rescan of Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, a critically panned, kind of forgotten cult film, for a limited UK only release. But it somehow doesn't make financial sense to do a new scan for Aliens, an Oscar nominated, highly anticipated, extremely popular blockbuster that is getting a world-wide release.

I don’t recall any mention of the decision(s) having financial attributes.

 

[Keith Cobby]

I think Cameron has treated his home video audience with contempt. Not only have we had to wait many years for releases, it transpires that they are not as good as they might be. He could easily have provided some funding for new scans, it's not that he has an extensive filmography.

 

[Wes Candela]

i believe he may mean William Friedkin for The French Connection.

Nailed it. He confirmed. right on.

 

[Wes Candela]

If he's re-doing Terminator 2, let's hope that means the color will stick to the original blue tint for night and not that teal nonsense. Hopefully this re-master also means lots of detail, but not artificial plastic-y looking. Are there any rumors on a release date for Terminator 2? I wonder if there's any chance for also getting a new Terminator 4K re-master with the orignal color timing restored (and lots of extra detail, too, of course)?

I can understand the concern about the grain issue with Aliens, but it is nice to know that it retains detail and that the colors are back closer to the DVD's more accurate blue color timing, and not the less-blue-more-teal of the later Blu-ray.

I can’t say I know much about the Terminator 2 release date or the Terminator release date but my understanding is both are getting released in 4K.
The Terminator should look outstanding, and Terminator 2 should look beautiful in my opinion

we’re gonna have to wait to see….
However, I’ve been saying this for about 20 years now…

Never underestimate Cameron.

 

[Wes Candela]

The bootleg Blu Ray exists (and looks better) and the Blu Ray of Aliens exists (and looks better) so, no, there is no way I am buying this crap. It's pretty simple really. Also, disc buying is an ethusiast market at this point. Catering to the masses is pointless since they don't buy discs. Even these popular titles will sell a fraction of what a disc sold in the past...

I don’t know, man. you’re on the Home Theater Forum
I think I can safely say we all enjoy seeing films, presented in greater clarity with the newest innovations in technology

It’s true that 4K is not selling like Blu-ray or DVD, but then streaming wasn’t available on that level. It is now when Blu-ray and DVD premiered.

Also, the people who are settling for watching films streaming are watching a movie at roughly half the quality of what a physical disc offers visually and sonically.

But I think you’re being pretty clear here that you don’t want to buy these discs so point taken.

To each their own.

On a lighter note, my Aliens 4K UHD finally arrived two days ago from the link here on Home Theater Forum.

“Nuke it from orbit, it’s the only way to be sure.”

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Also, the people that are settling for watching films streaming are watching a movie at roughly 15% quality of what a physical disc can offer visually and sonically.

Where exactly are you pulling that number from? Where is that stated as fact? It seems like an awfully low number.

 

[Wes Candela]

Where exactly are you pulling that number from? Where is that stated as fact? It seems like an awfully low number.

Well, I’m saying roughly because the physical disk can carry up to 90 GB web download is approximately 20 GB

so based on that math, the video bit rate is much less and you're not getting a lossless Dolby Atmos track

Just an approximation


but I will correct that for you and readers


(I’ve changed my statement to roughly half the quality of a physical disc)

 

[Wes Candela]

Where exactly are you pulling that number from? Where is that stated as fact? It seems like an awfully low number.

Ron,
I actually altered this number before you responded to it from 15% to 25% to be a little more accurate but as I stated above, I've also just changed it again to half the quality

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Ron,
I actually altered this number before you responded to it from 15% to 25% to be a little more accurate but as I stated above, I've also just changed it again to half the quality

Wes,

I don't have the numbers on this. I can't say you are right or wrong. However, even 25% seems very low. I have seen streamed movies in 4k that look almost indistinguishable from the disc. That's coming off of iTunes on an Apple TV, which is known to be the best streaming device.

 

[SPlow67]

I don’t recall any mention of the decision(s) having financial attributes.

I was referring to your point about not spending 30-40k in expenditures to re-scan Aliens, because Aliens wouldn't sell enough to make that worth it. I apologize if I misunderstood

 

[Worth]

I think Cameron has treated his home video audience with contempt. Not only have we had to wait many years for releases, it transpires that they are not as good as they might be. He could easily have provided some funding for new scans, it's not that he has an extensive filmography.

Maybe he's a bit cash-strapped at the moment.

 

[Worth]

Wes,

I don't have the numbers on this. I can't say you are right or wrong. However, even 25% seems very low. I have seen streamed movies in 4k that look almost indistinguishable from the disc. That's coming off of iTunes on an Apple TV, which is known to be the best streaming device.

Yes, bit rate is not the only gauge of picture quality. While I do think there is some difference between streaming and disc, I think even the most ardent videophiles would have a tough time telling which is which in a double-blind test.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Yes, bit rate is not the only gauge of picture quality. While I do think there is some difference between streaming and disc, I think even the most ardent videophiles would have a tough time telling which is which in a double-blind test.

Yup!

 

[dpippel]

Yes, bit rate is not the only gauge of picture quality. While I do think there is some difference between streaming and disc, I think even the most ardent videophiles would have a tough time telling which is which in a double-blind test.

This conversation is also assuming a perfect scenario. There are so many links in the streaming chain that can affect bitrate and AV quality - ISP throughput, ISP throttling, in-home network speed, streaming device, device setup, time of day, etc., etc. What one viewer sees and hears may not be the same as the neighbor two blocks away. There is a LOT of variability.