Escape From New York single-disc - new transfer? (1 Viewer)

[Andrew Bunk]

I just picked up the single-disc Escape From New York from Target. It's got the newer style MGM 16:9 logo, and the copyright date is 2003, the year of the two disc SE. The big blurb at the top is also different. I believe the old one said "Dark and Dangerous". This one says "Riveting". The video files are dated 11/10/2003. The disc is still a DS/SL, but I have a feeling this may be the new transfer compressed to fit on a single-layer side. Video folder is 3.88GB. I never had the old single-disc, but I hear it had a lot of print flaws. I've scanned scenes on this disc and did not see any.

Anyone that is familiar with the older MGM release, can you point me to some scenes or timecode that had particularly bad video flaws? I can then post some screen shots of this version.

 

[GregK]

One indication will be the audio format. The original MGM DVD release used the original 2-channel Dolby Surround mix. (DD 2.0) The 2-disc SE, *also* a single layer disc, used a new Dolby Digital 5.1 track. So if your disc has a DD 5.1 track, you will know it is not the old pressing.

 

[Andrew Bunk]

I do not have it front of me, but I'm thinking I did see a 5.1 listing on the disc. I will confirm this later tonight.

 

[Matt Czyz]

I thought that there were only two versions of this movie (in region 1). The older, single disc (bad) version and the newer, two disc (good) version.

Amazon only lists these two versions, and makes no mention of a new single disc.

 

[Andrew Bunk]

Matt,

The UPC is the same as the older single disc release so I imagine this is why Amazon does not have a new listing. I will try and get a scan of the new back cover tonight, but it is definitely different than the previous one disc, as it has a different blurb and the tech specs use the newer MGM style.

 

[Andrew Bunk]

As promised here is a scan of the version I bought.



It does indeed have a 5.1 track, and the copyright date is 2003. It is however still a dual sided disc with a single layer on each side. So I would imagine that the SE verison is still better for having less compression.

For comparison here is the back cover scan from DVDEmpire of the original:

 

[GregK]

I wish that was the case, but the 2-disc special edition consist of two *single layer* DVDs. Disc #1 has the feature (single layer) and disc #2 has the extras (also single layer). Given it was promoted as a 2-disc SE, MGM really should have had the feature as a dual layer disc, but oh well...

It appears the single disc / dual sided version you have ditches the disc #2 extras and instead offers on the other side a pan-n-scan version for J6Pack.

 

[Andrew Bunk]

Wow, I can't believe they didn't go dual layer on the SE. I actually had it but sold it last year for money reasons.

Nice to know I seem to have the exact same quality transfer as that disc.

 

[CraigF]

The date of the VOB files on the SE is 25/09/2003, the one you have is even newer. So we still don't know for sure it's exactly the same. But if it looks very good, it probably is the same, or at least not the original. The video folder on the SE is a bit bigger too, maybe just promo or menu stuff relevant to the SE. As noted in other threads, MGM is bad for adding/removing stuff from a release and not changing the UPC, or the "SE" appellation.

 

[Kevin M]

It also doesn't appear to have the dual commentary tracks from the SE.

Even though single layer the transfer on the SE is quite good....the 5.1 track however is missing certain elements from the opening title music tracks, just listen to the french track for a comparison, I can't find anything else but nonetheless I hope that is all that is missing from the 5.1 remix.