- Joined
- Feb 8, 1999
- Messages
- 18,428
- Real Name
- Robert Harris
It's nice to see Kino releasing more black & white classics in 4k UHD, but sometimes I wonder if it's worth the trouble and expense.
Billy Wilder's Stalag 17 is a perfect example.
Don't get me know. There is absolutely nothing wrong with releasing 70 year-old black & white productions in 4k. They can look great, and this one does also.
One of my pet peeves in packaging is that I prefer to find the more highly resolved disc mounted to the right of a case, when in combination with another. It seems that probably 90% of the time, the higher resolution disc is on the right, but on occasion...
Such was the case, with Stalag. I played the Blu-ray, being uprezzed to 4k in projection, and thought it looked terrific, especially as I'd hear aeons ago, that the OCN was AWOL. This is unconfirmed.
As I removed the disc from the player, I happened to check, and found that I'd been viewing the Blu-ray. So I popped the 4k into the player.
What I found was similar to so many other instances in earlier productions, where the OCN probably tapped out at 2k or less, so where is there to go, beyond adding a layer of Dolby Vision, which my projector cannot decode and projects as HDR.
The difference between the two at the screen, was minimal. The 2k had a tiny bit of softness around the grain structure, but from a nominal seating disturbance, there really is no difference.
So the question is asked once again. What is the purpose of releasing a 2k project in 4k?
It eeks out every last bit of detail that "might" be on the element, and that's fine. Especially for a film the quality of Stalag 17, which beautifully stands the test of time.
Image – 5 (Dolby Vision)
Audio – 5 (DTS-HD MA 2.0)
Pass / Fail – Pass
Plays nicely with projectors - Yes
Makes use of and works well in 4k - 3.5
Upgrade from old Blu-ray - Yes
Worth your attention - 10
Slipcover rating - 2
Highly Recommended
RAH
Thank you for supporting HTF when you preorder using the link below. If you are using an adblocker you will not see link.
Billy Wilder's Stalag 17 is a perfect example.
Don't get me know. There is absolutely nothing wrong with releasing 70 year-old black & white productions in 4k. They can look great, and this one does also.
One of my pet peeves in packaging is that I prefer to find the more highly resolved disc mounted to the right of a case, when in combination with another. It seems that probably 90% of the time, the higher resolution disc is on the right, but on occasion...
Such was the case, with Stalag. I played the Blu-ray, being uprezzed to 4k in projection, and thought it looked terrific, especially as I'd hear aeons ago, that the OCN was AWOL. This is unconfirmed.
As I removed the disc from the player, I happened to check, and found that I'd been viewing the Blu-ray. So I popped the 4k into the player.
What I found was similar to so many other instances in earlier productions, where the OCN probably tapped out at 2k or less, so where is there to go, beyond adding a layer of Dolby Vision, which my projector cannot decode and projects as HDR.
The difference between the two at the screen, was minimal. The 2k had a tiny bit of softness around the grain structure, but from a nominal seating disturbance, there really is no difference.
So the question is asked once again. What is the purpose of releasing a 2k project in 4k?
It eeks out every last bit of detail that "might" be on the element, and that's fine. Especially for a film the quality of Stalag 17, which beautifully stands the test of time.
Image – 5 (Dolby Vision)
Audio – 5 (DTS-HD MA 2.0)
Pass / Fail – Pass
Plays nicely with projectors - Yes
Makes use of and works well in 4k - 3.5
Upgrade from old Blu-ray - Yes
Worth your attention - 10
Slipcover rating - 2
Highly Recommended
RAH
Thank you for supporting HTF when you preorder using the link below. If you are using an adblocker you will not see link.
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