UHD Review A Few Words About A few words about...™ - Planes, Trains and Automobiles -- in 4k UHD (1 Viewer)

[Robert Crawford]

My copy arrived yesterday and I'll try to get to it today. You know I'm an LG OLED boy!

Thank you!

 

[OliverK]

That's your prerogative! Either way, I'm not buying the disc. However, I'm interested in hearing opinions about how it looks on an OLED and with less discerning eyes than an expert like RAH.

Nothing wrong with hearing what others think of course.

But indeed I do not see a good reason for something to be out on UHD that is not even as good as a mediocre Blu-ray.
When I buy a Blu-ray I want something that is better than what DVD can do and when I buy a UHD I want an improvement over what can be done with a Blu-ray. Given the added costs involved this seems reasonable to me.

 

[Neil Middlemiss]

That's your prerogative! Either way, I'm not buying the disc. However, I'm interested in hearing opinions about how it looks on an OLED and with less discerning eyes than an expert like RAH.

I sampled the disc just now and it’s a mess. I can be forgiving but this is such a disappointment (I adore the film). A shot here and there might look promising but then it’s surrounded by shots robbed of detail. I couldn’t convince a soul out there that this was 4K.

 

[Dave H]

To go 180 degrees, I viewed Kino’s new 4k of High Plains Drifter courtesy of Universal, and it’s everything that one might desire from a 4k scan of a 1973 production. Absolutely reference quality.

You just made my day.

 

[Capt D McMars]

Paramount 4Ks & Blus in the last year are just awful.

If it happens to be a Paramount film released by say KINO generally those are fine… it’s almost as if KINO samples some of these and passes on them cause the 4K transfers are so bad and only acquire those that look good. For instance KINO’s The Score / Indecent Proposal / although Escape from Alcatraz seems to have some heavy DNR so I figure they needed a cash grab 4K sadly it doesn’t look correct.

Saturday Night Fever / Friday the 13th are epic messes.

So many recent Paramount catalog titles they have dropped esp this past spring are atrociously bad… the DVDs looked better! 200 Cigarettes / Intersection / In Dreams and many more were horribly released.

Let me be blunt, whoever is approving these transfers & releases at Paramount need to find new jobs be fired or get help, cause consumers getting burned release after release end up passing on future titles.

Agreed, I remember when Paramount released the Court Jester with Danny Kay and it was impeckable!!! To slide so low in the quality of thier production is disaserous for both we as collectors and for Paramount trying to sell the titles!!

 

[MarkantonyII]

Given the chasm in video quality between so many of Paramount's 4K's and those of other major studio's and independents one has to wonder if this is not a company decision, but an error in some of their mastering suites/3rd parties that has not been recognised/picked up?

Maybe it's a calibration issue?
Maybe their tech is faulty/in need of updating?
Maybe their using software incorrectly, or it's a bugged version?
Maybe (and i hope not for their sake) the QC dept has people with cataracts?
Maybe they are just not viewing these on a large enough/high quality enough screen?

Whatever the reason i find it odd that one studio would purposely do the exact opposite of every other major studio, especially given these 4K/16bit masters could have been the definitive master for all formats and presentations for decades to come.

When you see the quality of some of the 4K Star Trek's among others, vs To Catch a Thief or P,T & A's it's incredible that this is the same studio releasing product within a short timeframe of each other.

Utterly depressing and unnecessary, given home video has a limited lifespan this helps no-one.

M

 

[Worth]

Given the chasm in video quality between so many of Paramount's 4K's and those of other major studio's and independents one has to wonder if this is not a company decision, but an error in some of their mastering suites/3rd parties that has not been recognised/picked up?

Maybe it's a calibration issue?
Maybe their tech is faulty/in need of updating?
Maybe their using software incorrectly, or it's a bugged version?
Maybe (and i hope not for their sake) the QC dept has people with cataracts?
Maybe they are just not viewing these on a large enough/high quality enough screen?

I think it's more likely a corporate decision. Some executive wants everything to look shiny and new.

 

[Ralph P.]

Greetings,

I have not posted my review but, wanted to chime in to offer that I am in agreement with Robert. I began watching this and my first thoughts were, huh??

Sorry Guys!

Regards,

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I sampled the disc just now and it’s a mess. I can be forgiving but this is such a disappointment (I adore the film). A shot here and there might look promising but then it’s surrounded by shots robbed of detail. I couldn’t convince a soul out there that this was 4K.

It’s such a shame, especially considering that the disc is supposed to have those long awaited deleted scenes as a bonus. Could’ve easily been the holiday release of the year.

 

[Robert Harris]

Greetings,

I have not posted my review but, wanted to chime in to offer that I am in agreement with Robert. I began watching this and my first thoughts were, huh??

Sorry Guys!

Regards,

Hello, Ralph,

We'd love to have you stop by more often. You're a class act!

Precisely my thoughts. "Huh?!"

I've noted many times that discs, whatever their potential resolution, are merely
buckets for holding data.

I have no idea what Paramount poured into this one.

All best,

RAH

 

[RobertMG]

Hello, Ralph,

We'd love to have you stop by more often. You're a class act!

Precisely my thoughts. "Huh?!"

I've noted many times that discs, whatever their potential resolution, are merely
buckets for holding data.

I have no idea what Paramount poured into this one.

All best,

RAH

This title always looked low budget every copy released on home vid

 

[Colin Jacobson]

Not reading as argument. Merely stating that there is zero reason to forgive anything about a 4k UHD release.

If it’s not up to standards, release it as a Blu-ray.

If it’s not up to Blu-ray standards - which should be very high - release as a DVD.

What if it's not up to DVD standards?

 

[Robert Harris]

What if it's not up to DVD standards?

Laserdisc!

 

[RobertMG]

Laserdisc!

The Blu-ray Disc:
The Video:
Paramount affords an AVC encoded 1.85:1 widescreen presentation to Planes, Trains & Automobiles, and the results are about as good as can be expected. Flesh tones look natural, and the color palette, while not vibrant, looks accurate. Shadow delineation is a little lacking yet blacks tend to look consistent through the film. There is a noticeable layer of film grain present when watching the feature, and while there look like some moments of DNR, there isn't too much to be concerned with. For what the film looked like at the time, this looks good though hardly breathtaking.

 

[MarkantonyII]

I think it's more likely a corporate decision. Some executive wants everything to look shiny and new.

That may be the case but:

Why are some affected and not others?
Why do they claim to use reference materials to grade picture, only to then ignore?
Why deviate from what every other label is doing and attract negative publicity in the process?

None of this makes any kind of active logical decision making sense, regardless of reason

M

 

[Robert Harris]

The Blu-ray Disc:
The Video:
Paramount affords an AVC encoded 1.85:1 widescreen presentation to Planes, Trains & Automobiles, and the results are about as good as can be expected. Flesh tones look natural, and the color palette, while not vibrant, looks accurate. Shadow delineation is a little lacking yet blacks tend to look consistent through the film. There is a noticeable layer of film grain present when watching the feature, and while there look like some moments of DNR, there isn't too much to be concerned with. For what the film looked like at the time, this looks good though hardly breathtaking.

???

 

[Colin Jacobson]

???

Obviously quoted from someone's review but not sure whose.

 

[dpippel]

That may be the case but:

Why are some affected and not others?
Why do they claim to use reference materials to grade picture, only to then ignore?
Why deviate from what every other label is doing and attract negative publicity in the process?

None of this makes any kind of active logical decision making sense, regardless of reason

M

Exactly. If it was "company policy" being dictated by management, why aren't their 4K releases bad across the board? Why haven't all of them been scrubbed? There's that darned inconsistency that makes little sense again.

 

[RobertMG]

???

Obviously quoted from someone's review but not sure whose.

ooops dvdalk!

 

[Robert Harris]

ooops dvdalk!

And the reviewer’s appraisal of the situation was that “the results are as good as can be expected.”

Who is the reviewer you’re quoting, what is his or her knowledge of film elements, and (generally) what are their expectations?