- Joined
- Feb 8, 1999
- Messages
- 18,424
- Real Name
- Robert Harris
Let me begin by answering what will probably be the most asked question about the new PBS set of Ken Burns' 1990 documentary on The Civil War.
Is it worth an upgrade, if I already own the DVDs?
Simple answer. A resounding yes!
Absolutely.
There is a huge difference between a quarter-century old 480i telecine, and a full-on pin-registered 4k image harvest.
Beyond basic image stability, color comes to life. Resolution grows by 600%. Shadow detail opens up, to allow the audience to fully appreciate, for the first time, the magnificent cinematography. You know where this is going.
The Civil War was, and remains, in its upgraded form, a masterful documentary, from master documentarians.
That said, there's an 800 pound gorilla in the room.
I have a tiny problem with the new Blu-ray, and it in no way affects the product, as the Blu is gorgeous.
This is being marketed as "Fully Restored," which is an difficult feat, when no real restoration is necessary.
When the term is used, is usually comes from the marketing people.
The film elements for The Civil War, a magnificent 16mm, eleven hour documentary, have been properly curated, are not faded, damaged or incomplete.
After viewing the "restoration" demo, it seems that what has occurred, is that the film, with the exception of creating the track and editing, was put back through post-production, and that's no minor expense. Beyond the new Blu-ray, which belongs in every serious library, Florentine Films now has proper full-resolution (4k) asset protection. An important thing for an asset of this quality.
As with any new image harvest derived from a camera negative, totally new color is necessary, along with a bit of digital cleanup -- but restoration? Sorry.
It's precisely the same thing that occurs at the studios on a daily basis, when an original negative is pulled for digital asset protection, and to be absolutely clear, has nothing to do with the quality of the work performed, only the word used to describe it.
Image - 5
Audio - 5
4k Up-rez - 5*
Pass / Fail - Pass
Very Highly Recommended
RAH
Is it worth an upgrade, if I already own the DVDs?
Simple answer. A resounding yes!
Absolutely.
There is a huge difference between a quarter-century old 480i telecine, and a full-on pin-registered 4k image harvest.
Beyond basic image stability, color comes to life. Resolution grows by 600%. Shadow detail opens up, to allow the audience to fully appreciate, for the first time, the magnificent cinematography. You know where this is going.
The Civil War was, and remains, in its upgraded form, a masterful documentary, from master documentarians.
That said, there's an 800 pound gorilla in the room.
I have a tiny problem with the new Blu-ray, and it in no way affects the product, as the Blu is gorgeous.
This is being marketed as "Fully Restored," which is an difficult feat, when no real restoration is necessary.
When the term is used, is usually comes from the marketing people.
The film elements for The Civil War, a magnificent 16mm, eleven hour documentary, have been properly curated, are not faded, damaged or incomplete.
After viewing the "restoration" demo, it seems that what has occurred, is that the film, with the exception of creating the track and editing, was put back through post-production, and that's no minor expense. Beyond the new Blu-ray, which belongs in every serious library, Florentine Films now has proper full-resolution (4k) asset protection. An important thing for an asset of this quality.
As with any new image harvest derived from a camera negative, totally new color is necessary, along with a bit of digital cleanup -- but restoration? Sorry.
It's precisely the same thing that occurs at the studios on a daily basis, when an original negative is pulled for digital asset protection, and to be absolutely clear, has nothing to do with the quality of the work performed, only the word used to describe it.
Image - 5
Audio - 5
4k Up-rez - 5*
Pass / Fail - Pass
Very Highly Recommended
RAH
