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

[Robert Crawford]

One cannot simply turn off HDR, and have SDR. After spending some time with this disc, my opinion is that the film was damaged by HDR.

In what ways?

 

[Kyle_D]

One cannot simply turn off HDR, and have SDR. After spending some time with this disc, my opinion is that the film was damaged by HDR.

I understand that the PQ EOTF used in HDR is totally different than the SDR gamma curve. I also understand the potential for abusing the expanded dynamic range of the PQ EOTF on titles that never used that range. I also understand that SDR gamma is much easier to calibrate and is not subject to the tonemapping issues that plague displays when the dynamic range of HDR content exceeds the capabilities of the display. I’m not sure I understand, however, why the SDR gamma curve is inherently superior to the PQ EOTF for classic titles when the expanded dynamic range is not abused and the display is capable of displaying the full dynamic range of the content without tonemapping. I’m genuinely interested in your insights, however, and would welcome to be disabused of any false understandings.

 

[Robert Harris]

In what ways?

Blown out highlights.

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

Blown out highlights.

Do you mean turning off HDR (or downconverting to SDR) tends to blow out highlights (that weren't already blown in previous BDs or even the included BD)?

I woulda thought the preventing of that would normally be part of the benefits of HDR... if handled properly at the final display end, of course...

_Man_

 

[Dick]

As RAH knows, Criterion began on December 3, 1984, with laserdisc release 001.

View attachment 116278

“I think among the sort of cinema cognoscenti, it was an exciting moment because suddenly the sort of bastardized medium of video was showing some promise. Suddenly, people felt that, oh, there’s a life for movies and video that’s respectful of the films and has some promise going forward.”

Interview: Criterion Collection founder Bob Stein | Hoovie

hoovie.movie

Promise fulfilled

This laser box retailed for $124.95 ($375 today, with inflation figured-in). It streeted at roughly $99.95 ($300 today), and that is what I recall paying for it. Now we have a 4K release that includes a ton of extra value material. It looks exponentially better (duh!) than the laser, and also bests the DVD substantially, the Blu a bit more than that. and the 4K still more. It sells for a retail of $49.95, and sells for as little as $25. during a B&N sale.

Kino Lorber is turning out classics and cult classics at an incredible rate (seems like more than one per day, on average). Warner Archives and Criterion give us 5-6 each month. Shout! / Scream! Factories are churning out the genre stuff. Paramount has, for the past couple of years, finally begun rolling out their long-hoarded catalog and have been licensing out to others as well as releasing under their own banner (DRAGONSLAYER was one of last year's most amazing releases). Numerous other niche companies like Cohen, Flicker Alley, Vinegar Syndrome, etc. etc. are all very active.

Okay, big box stores are curtailing or outright dropping physical media. But the process of making classics available on actual discs -- that one can own and watch at their leisure without fear of them disappearing -- is simply evolving. We order mostly online now. Enough people out there who own or who head up home entertainment divisions are keeping the DVD, Blu-ray and 4K discs alive for an admittedly shrinking but still large enough contingency to pay attention to. Streaming be damned!

So, how the hell is this not the Golden Age of classic movie collecting? Those who continue to push the concept that physical media is going the way of the Dodo are, very simply, wrong. So far, at least. Keep buying those discs, folks!

 

[Bill Street]

I ordered my copy of the UHD of Kane during the half off Criterion sale in early July, but it only got delivered today. I am very skeptical of HDR being used on classic films and hope the damage done is light and not present on the bluray (which it shouldn't be...) I do have to say that the packaging and layout of the Criterion UHD is first rate with several discs and pretty nice booklet included.

 

[Bill Street]

BTW, I hadn't read this thread back when I ordered the Criterion UHD package. Surely by now, the discs have been replaced that were originally caused the problem?