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

[stevenalejandro]

It’s sometimes extremely difficult to tell what one is looking at once a film has been processed digitally.

While film doesn’t lie, digital does it readily.

Two people can scan the same element on the same scanner, and come away with one that looks like an original 35mm print, which the other can look like up-rezzed VHS.

Does the person who futzed up your display before you viewed the 4K of Casablanca also work at Paramount?
Paramount is now the "Hold my beer," entrant with Mill Creek and the old Universal home video depts.

 

[Robert Harris]

Does the person who futzed up your display before you viewed the 4K of Casablanca also work at Paramount?
Paramount is now the "Hold my beer," entrant with Mill Creek and the old Universal home video depts.

Not in the industry

 

[willyTass]

Neck and neck with To Catch A Thief

Planes, Trains and Automobiles • US Ultra HD Blu-ray vs. US Blu-ray

caps-a-holic.com

 

[Robert Harris]

Neck and neck with To Catch A Thief

Planes, Trains and Automobiles • US Ultra HD Blu-ray vs. US Blu-ray

caps-a-holic.com

One was “restored.”

 

[ScottJH]

Neck and neck with To Catch A Thief

Planes, Trains and Automobiles • US Ultra HD Blu-ray vs. US Blu-ray

caps-a-holic.com

My main takeaway from those is that the 1080p disc is way over-sharpened.

 

[willyTass]

,

 

[ScottJH]

I have the HDX version on VUDU and it looks like they have changed it to the new transfer. After doing some comparisons with the current 1080p disc the VUDU stream looks better IMO. The ringing/sharpening, digital look of the 1080p disc is gone, contrast looks better too. If I don't get the 4k disc this new HDX version will be my go to for watching in the future.

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

I have the HDX version on VUDU and it looks like they have changed it to the new transfer. After doing some comparisons with the current 1080p disc the VUDU stream looks better IMO. The ringing/sharpening, digital look of the 1080p disc is gone, contrast looks better too. If I don't get the 4k disc this new HDX version will be my go to for watching in the future.

Hmmm... Wonder how's the iTunes version as I (and many others) generally prefer iTunes... You're referring to PTaA, not TCaT, right?

_Man_

 

[Tino]

Hmmm... Wonder how's the iTunes version as I (and many others) generally prefer iTunes... You're referring to PTaA, not TCaT, right?

_Man_

See my post 125

Well my iTunes digital copy just upgraded to 4K/Dolby Vision and just doing a preliminary comparison between the HD version and the 4K on my OLED, the HD looks brighter and more pleasing. The 4K looks darker and muted. And I really couldn’t discern any difference in resolution or detail.

 

[Tom St Jones]

If I didn't know better, I'd think the studio sometimes intentionally allows a subpar transfer to reach the market just so they will have an excuse/get people clamoring for them to reissue the title in yet another "newly restored" edition, probably just in time for Thanksgivng '23 (or '24)

 

[Robert Harris]

If I didn't know better, I'd think the studio sometimes intentionally allows a subpar transfer to reach the market just so they will have an excuse/get people clamoring for them to reissue the title in yet another "newly restored" edition, probably just in time for Thanksgivng '23 (or '24)

That should be a replacement program.

 

[ScottJH]

Hmmm... Wonder how's the iTunes version as I (and many others) generally prefer iTunes... You're referring to PTaA, not TCaT, right?

_Man_

Yes PTaA.

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

See my post 125

Well my iTunes digital copy just upgraded to 4K/Dolby Vision and just doing a preliminary comparison between the HD version and the 4K on my OLED, the HD looks brighter and more pleasing. The 4K looks darker and muted. And I really couldn’t discern any difference in resolution or detail.

Did you also compare the 4K digital? I guess that looks just like the 4K disc then?

Since it sounds like there's no meaningful improvement, maybe I'll just wait til FanFlix includes the 4K digital on one of their Buy-3-for-$10 sales or something (and just keep going w/ my old BD until then)...

Thanks!

_Man_

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

If I didn't know better, I'd think the studio sometimes intentionally allows a subpar transfer to reach the market just so they will have an excuse/get people clamoring for them to reissue the title in yet another "newly restored" edition, probably just in time for Thanksgivng '23 (or '24)

Fortunately (I guess), Paramount's become so very often subpar w/ their catalog releases for so very long (since at least the early days of BD) that they wouldn't be fooling too many if that were the case. AND IF ONLY that were indeed so...

_Man_

 

[Tino]

Did you also compare the 4K digital?

That’s what I’m talking about. Did you read what I wrote??

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

That’s what I’m talking about. Did you read what I wrote??

Ah, ok, I just got a little confused between all the different versions (w/ both digitals and discs involved), LOL.

_Man_

 

[Dave H]

Looking at the screencap comparisons; the UHD BD has such an odd blurred look to it. It's well beyond even using the word "soft". That is just major incompetence whether it's an older transfer or not. Lots of older 2K transfers look far better than that. At least the edge enhancement and contrast boosting is gone, but that blurring look is so bad.

 

[DaveM4964]

I would love to see Criterion get ahold of this one. I had preordered it but when i read all the bad reviews/comments i canceled it.

 

[Stephen_J_H]

Neck and neck with To Catch A Thief

Planes, Trains and Automobiles • US Ultra HD Blu-ray vs. US Blu-ray

caps-a-holic.com

One was “restored.”

My main takeaway from those is that the 1080p disc is way over-sharpened.

Is it possible to smear Vaseline on a film scanner, 'cos that's what the 4K looks like at caps-a-holic.

 

[Kyle_D]

I watched the UHD yesterday for Thanksgiving. Maybe I should credit this thread (and Paramount's general track record) for setting my expectations low, but I did not hate the disc. Yes, it looks like an average Blu-ray and, no, it does not take advantage of UHD's capabilities at all. And yes, Steve Martin's face very occasionally looks like it has been smeared with Vaseline. All that said, I feared an atrocity like Platoon or a blasphemy like The Godfather Parts I and II, and this was not that. It looked...fine, certainly watchable, and the presentation did not detract from my enjoyment of the film in any way.

I did not previously own a copy, so I am happy to add the disc to my library.