Blu-ray Review A Few Words About A few words about…™ The Horse Soldiers – in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[sbjork]

Did you watch it and how does it look?

I did, and it is a slight improvement over the MGM disc, though not a dramatic one. Mostly an improvement in terms of less digital tinkering. I'm perusing McBride's commentary track this morning.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I did, and it is a slight improvement over the MGM disc, though not a dramatic one. Mostly an improvement in terms of less digital tinkering. I'm perusing McBride's commentary track this morning.

Well, something tells me I'm going to be more impressed by this new scan than you. If the improvement is on the same level as "Vera Cruz" was with its second BD release then I'll be a happy camper.

 

[Robert Crawford]

That's great for you as I hope to have mine before June 14th.

Well, looks like that's not going to happen as I just cancelled my Kino order and preordered it from Amazon as it was $3 dollars cheaper. As a retiree, I have to be more discretionary with my discretionary monies, as higher gas prices and general inflation with other items is taking its toll on my budget. Every little bit helps in that regard.

 

[Nick*Z]

I sampled it a couple of days ago in comparison. The new one does surpass the old. Beyond being 1.85 as opposed 1.66 which was UA standard for two weeks in July of 1959, the new one has more palatable grain.

Dirt, wear, etc. are about the same.

I prefer the new one, but am a Ford aficionado.

As much as I want to be supportive of any classic movies coming to Blu-ray, it's hard to get excited about regurgitated plunk being peddled on the market circa 2022, especially when you have studios like Warner willing to go the extra mile and release deep back catalog in optimal quality, and at a price point that is comparable. It just is.

 

[sbjork]

Well, something tells me I'm going to be more impressed by this new scan than you. If the improvement is on the same level as "Vera Cruz" was with its second BD release then I'll be a happy camper.

You may be, but since you are watching on a flat panel, if anything, the improvements will be less noticeable than they were in projection. But the differences are visible regardless. It's an improvement, but like I said, not a dramatic one. RAH is probably accurate in saying that the old one may have been sharpened, because I think may be why the grain looks coarser compared to the new disc. But the farther away that I got from my screen, the less differences that there were between the two. YMMV, depending on distance. No matter what, the Kino is worth picking up for the proper framing, and for the addition of the Joseph McBride commentary track.

I also preferred the second Vera Cruz release to the first one, but there were trade-offs in that case. The contrast is better, but it's boosted enough that it's at the expense of some detail. The improvements still outweighed the detriments, but it was still a bit of a mixed bag.

 

[Konstantinos]

DVDBeaver review

I don't know about you, but I prefer the earlier bluray, with the more pronounced grain.

 

[Mark-P]

When was the last time you watched the 2011 Blu-ray? There is little doubt in my mind that this new Blu-ray will surpass that video presentation. This movie is near and dear to my heart so I've ordered it from Kino so I can get it as early as possible. Back in high school, I did a report on the actual raid this film was based on. Anyhow, I can't wait until then.

Based on comparison screencaps posted on another site, I‘ve decided the improvement is negligible enough that I don‘t need to upgrade for this particular title.

 

[Robert Harris]

Based on comparison screencaps posted on another site, I‘ve decided the improvement is negligible enough that I don‘t need to upgrade for this particular title.

Those frames so not appear to represent what I saw.

 

[RickardL]

DVDBeaver review

I don't know about you, but I prefer the earlier bluray, with the more pronounced grain.

I agree.

The Horse Soldiers : Screenshot Comparison

Make comparison of screenshots

screenshotcomparison.com

 

[Robert Crawford]

Judging screenshots is one thing, but actually watching a Blu-ray in motion is another matter. People have to make their purchasing decisions based on their own rationale. Whatever works for you is fine with me.

 

[sbjork]

Judging screenshots is one thing, but actually watching a Blu-ray in motion is another matter. People have to make their purchasing decisions based on their own rationale. Whatever works for you is fine with me.

People gonna do what people gonna do, but judging grain from screenshots only is a dubious proposition. The "more pronounced grain" looks a bit unnatural in motion compared to the Kino. Again, proximity to the screen matters, but when looked at up close or on a larger screen, in motion, that grain looks rougher, almost noisy.

 

[jim_falconer]

Watching the MGM Blu-ray again tonight, and even though there’s a bit heavy grain in the image, I’m still happy with this transfer. I think I still may upgrade to the Kino release, if it eventually goes on sale. In the meantime, this is perfectly acceptable

 

[Robert Crawford]

Well, looks like that's not going to happen as I just cancelled my Kino order and preordered it from Amazon as it was $3 dollars cheaper. As a retiree, I have to be more discretionary with my discretionary monies, as higher gas prices and general inflation with other items is taking its toll on my budget. Every little bit helps in that regard.

Amazon sent me an email saying my Blu-ray will ship on July 4th. Serves me right for trying to save a few bucks. Seriously, my backlog of discs to watch is so damn long, I'm not going to mind the wait for this Blu-ray nor the other Kino Blu-rays that are also delayed shipping to me. This recent Kino sale on Amazon probably received a huge response for certain titles. Anyhow, patience is a virtue.

 

[OliverK]

Judging screenshots is one thing, but actually watching a Blu-ray in motion is another matter. People have to make their purchasing decisions based on their own rationale. Whatever works for you is fine with me.

Looking at those caps they do not show significant (if any) added detail nor much different colors so I predict that the improvement will not be like Vera Cruz that had better colors and more detail. It should look less digital and that for me would be worth the price of admission.

I am looking forward to hear your thoughts also in comparison to the improvements with Vera Cruz that indeed got a lot better.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Looking at those caps they do not show significant (if any) added detail nor much different colors so I predict that the improvement will not be like Vera Cruz that had better colors and more detail. It should look less digital and that for me would be worth the price of admission.

I am looking forward to hear your thoughts also in comparison to the improvements with Vera Cruz that indeed got a lot better.

To each his own regarding the importance of screencaps as it pertains to purchasing decisions.

 

[OliverK]

To each his own regarding the importance of screencaps as it pertains to purchasing decisions.

Oh I only want to hear your impressions after you got the disc - I know you are not really interested in looking at screencaps.

 

[Vern Dias]

Just a heads up: This is another 24.000 FPS release from Kino.

 

[PatrickDA]

If you didn't buy the MGM release, buy this one. If you're a fan of the film and have the MGM release, still buy this one!

It's has a similar look to the HD version on the MGMHD channel.

 

[RickardL]

The Horse Soldiers • US Blu-ray vs. US Blu-ray

caps-a-holic.com

 

[RickardL]

Just a heads up: This is another 24.000 FPS release from Kino.

Is that a good or a bad thing? Asking for a friend.