A Few Words About A few words about...™ It's a Wonderful Life (Corrected)-- in 4k UHD Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[Dave Moritz]

Thank you Robert for being a part of this forum and giving us your honest professional opinion on home video releases. We are so lucky to have you here at hometheaterforum.

 

[Bryan^H]

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[Robert Crawford]

I have lost a lot of respect for some of my favorite review sites, as most of them rate this presentation with HDR perfect, or near perfect video score. To me the HDR presentation is simply unwatchable.

Well, I'm sorry if we lost your respect. We'll try to do better next time.

 

[YanMan]

Here is what I'm seeing--sorry about the angle. Top without HDR/pic below it with HDR:

Your pics with HDR (bottom) look better to me than those without (top) as far as grayscale... the top pics have a lot of detail getting lost in the dark areas.

So what is your specific complaint about the HDR pics? Do you actually prefer the look without HDR, or are they both bad in your opinion?

Just asking... I have not seen this release personally yet and I don't have any reference for how it SHOULD look.

For anyone who has the new regular Blu-Ray, do Bryan's pics with the HDR turned on more closely resemble the look of the new Blu-Ray, or does it match more closely the pics with HDR turned off.. or neither?

 

[Bryan^H]

Your pics with HDR (bottom) look better to me than those without (top) as far as grayscale... the top pics have a lot of detail getting lost in the dark areas.

So what is your specific complaint about the HDR pics? Do you actually prefer the look without HDR, or are they both bad in your opinion?

The HDR looks like the contrast got boosted hence giving it a washed out look.

Overexposed shadow detail.

 

[Bryan^H]

Well, I'm sorry if we lost your respect. We'll try to do better next time.

I'm not judging you, I'm judging the professional reviews giving this a perfect video score. I usually base my buying decisions on such reviews. If you think it looks great, then that is great.

 

[cda1143]

Here is what I'm seeing--... Top without HDR/pic below it with HDR: ....

To me the HDR presentation is simply unwatchable.

While I also dislike the HDR version of this film, your description of "without HDR" is misleading. The Panny is not removing the HDR. It is re-tone mapping the HDR signal. There is no SDR encoded on the 4k disc for any player to read. The only way to really view this release without HDR is with the 1080 Blu-ray disc.

For a thorough explanation, read Kris Deering's posts on what the Panny conversion and optimizer functions do regarding HDR.

This does not contradict your view that the Panny tone-mapped conversion looks better on your display.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I'm not judging you, I'm judging the professional reviews giving this a perfect video score. I usually base my buying decisions on such reviews. If you think it looks great, then that is great.

Our reviewer also gave it a perfect video score so I take it as you're judging us too. You're welcome to your opinion based on what you're seeing, but, that applies to other people too based on what they're seeing on their individual HT setups.

 

[Bryan^H]

Our reviewer also gave it a perfect video score so I take it you're judging us too.

I did not read his review.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I did not read his review.

It doesn't matter as he's in agreement with those other reviewers you lost respect for.

 

[Bryan^H]

It doesn't matter as he's in agreement with those other reviewers you lost respect for.

This is my opinion about the film presentation. Why are you taking issue with it with how I feel about it? If I disagree about a review that is my problem, not yours.

 

[Robert Crawford]

This is my opinion about the film presentation. Why are you taking issue with it with how I feel about it? If I disagree about a review that is my problem, not yours.

I don't have a problem with your opinion about the film presentation and I think you know that. However, once you start talking about losing respect towards others then that's personal.

 

[dpippel]

Here is what I'm seeing--sorry about the angle. Top without HDR/pic below it with HDR:

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I have lost a lot of respect for some of my favorite review sites, as most of them rate this presentation with HDR perfect, or near perfect video score. To me the HDR presentation is simply unwatchable.

There's a LOT more shadow detail in your HDR caps, which is exactly the opposite of what everyone here has been saying. I wonder why?

 

[Bryan^H]

I don't have a problem with your opinion about the film presentation and I think you know that. However, once you start talking about losing respect towards others then that's personal.

OK, the "losing respect" with review sites was an extreme thing for me to say. For that I apologize. I guess I should have just stated I'm disappointed in their review. Once in a great while reviews are written that I certainly disagree with. This happens to be one of them. 99.9% of the time I completely agree with the reviews, and honestly am thankful they exist.

 

[Bryan^H]

I took down the pics. A can of worms that needs to stay buried.

I'm out.

 

[Robert Harris]

Still attempting to find a resolution, and have a Panasonic 4k player arriving Monday, to replace the Opposite 203. Let's see if the Panny can override the HDR, and allow some shadow detail.

 

[cda1143]

OK, the "losing respect" with review sites was an extreme thing for me to say. For that I apologize. I guess I should have just stated I'm disappointed in their review. Once in a great while reviews are written that I certainly disagree with. This happens to be one of them. 99.9% of the time I completely agree with the reviews, and honestly am thankful they exist.

Thanks for rephrasing Bryan. As unfortunately worded as your original post was, I suspected it was a vote of appreciation for this site, rather than a slam of anyone else. To that end I'm including Dave's appreciation which can't be emphasised enough:

Thank you Robert for being a part of this forum and giving us your honest professional opinion on home video releases. We are so lucky to have you here at hometheaterforum.

This site is unique and so valuable, because even knowledgeable reviews by highly competent people, can be discussed by a variety of other experts - adding to our knowledge rather than just generating noise. We are so fortunate to have these experts participating here.

Everyone here seems to be a true movie lover. In addition, I think this is one of the the most respectful, and least trolled forums on the internet.

Thanks to everyone here for making and keeping it so.

Chris

 

[Robert Harris]

Thanks for rephrasing Bryan. As unfortunately worded as your original post was, I suspected it was a vote of appreciation for this site, rather than a slam of anyone else. To that end I'm including Dave's appreciation which can't be emphasised enough:



This site is unique and so valuable, because even knowledgeable reviews by highly competent people, can be discussed by a variety of other experts - adding to our knowledge rather than just generating noise. We are so fortunate to have these experts participating here.

Everyone here seems to be a true movie lover. In addition, I think this is one of the the most respectful, and least trolled forums on the internet.

Thanks to everyone here for making and keeping it so.

Chris

Reviews, by all reviewers are opinions.

IaWL is a problematic release, for the greatest part, because aside from tuning a projector or panel, we are nowhere near plug and play.

Best of all worlds, one should be able to drop a disc in a player, and enjoy.

But with layers of HDR, HDR+, Dolby Vision, which must be sync’d with projectors and panels, through players, that may or may not have the latest firmware, can make thing’s maddening difficult.

I want to be fair to Paramount, and their efforts, along with Dolby.

The Oppo 203 does not allow HDR or DV to be bypassed, so I’m bringing in a second Panasonic 4k player (I’m not disconnecting my projection setup) and will try screening Panasonic to Sony OLED.

We’ll see where that goes.

If I’m able to achieve a better image, I’ll amend my review. But if that occurs, it leaves other open issues regarding our ability to simply play a disc with proper results, without upgrading equipment annually.

 

[Dave Moritz]

Still attempting to find a resolution, and have a Panasonic 4k player arriving Monday, to replace the Opposite 203. Let's see if the Panny can override the HDR, and allow some shadow detail.

Which Panasonic are you getting? I have the Panasonic UB9000 with my Sony XBR55A9F OLED and am very happy with it. Panasonic has an optimizer for OLED which works very nice. Did you give Robert a call at Value Electronics?

 

[Robert Harris]

Which Panasonic are you getting? I have the Panasonic UB9000 with my Sony XBR55A9F OLED and am very happy with it. Panasonic has an optimizer for OLED which works very nice. Did you give Robert a call at Value Electronics?

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I always give Robert a call. I don’t need the 9000 with a panel. Nice series of players.

wondering if Wonderful Life would look better on an 8k panel...