DVD Review HTF Review: Schindler's List (Highly Recommended!) (1 Viewer)

[Kelly Grannell]

Even after stripping ALL the soundtrack except for DD 5.1, the side A of this movie is about 8 Gb, plus the B side is about 4 Gb.

Remember, this is only the English DD 5.1

In order to put the entire movie into a 9 Gb disc, a further 35% compression is needed... and with black-and-white... that's A LOT of further compression.

 

[JonZ]

"Peter Jackson can make 1,000 movies about killer zombies, killer ghosts, giant apes -- add them all up, they still won't equal the achievement captured on the VHS tapes Schindler's List."



I cant belive all this over a flipper for a 3 hour film. I have to stop movies all the time,especially a longer one - for me or g/f to take a leak,answer the phone, refill my drink or whatever.

This is a masterpiece of filmmaking.To me the film is more important than the packaging or it being a flipper. Your willing to pass this film up because of the inconvenience of turning the disc over?? Its your loss.

This thread has become ridiculous IMHO

 

[Mark Bendiksen]

I agree. While I sympathize with a certain amount of frustration, particularly over the issue of how the break was handled and the inclusion of the DTS trailer on side two, persnoally I would not use that as the reason for passing up this disc. Other things would make me do that, of course. If the presentation was not OAR or the transfer was non-anamorhpic then I'd probably take a pass, but not because it's a flipper. As has already been mentioned, though, that's very important to certain people, so I'm not saying that they're right or or they're wrong, I'm only saying that it's a shame they will opt to miss out because of that.

 

[Shane Martin]

They are smaller versions than the ones that were released with the Laserdisc box set. The images are still the same just smaller though not as many as on the Laserdisc set(which may be the same as the big DVD set)..

Why don't we get back to discussing the quality of the presentation instead of beating the dead horse. Our bickering here is not going to make someone rerelease it to calm your bitching.

 

[Keith Paynter]

Mark, I thought I'd just re-print an earlier I made on that topic...

 

[Felix Martinez]

Folks, Spielberg is a shareholder and is not involved in the day-to-day activities of the company. He profits in the same way the other shareholders do.

Cheers,

 

[Jeff Bamberger]

I'm pretty amazed at all the rancor over the release to DVD of one of the greatest movies of all time (IMHO). We have a fine video presentation, a fine audio presentation, and yet we still have complaints about extras and having to flip the disc over.

I don't know about anyone else, but I can't remember the last time I watched a "long" movie at home without having to get up to pee at some point. So for those who don't like having to flip the disc, consider the SL DVD as a blessing for you....now you have a "scheduled" pee break.

 

[Yohan Pamudji]

Has anybody encountered problems with their discs? I watched this last night, and the last scene on Side A locked up at about 2:10, then skipped directly to the screen that says to flip the disc over (2:13-ish). Probably not a widespread problem, but thought I'd mention it anyway. I tried the disc both on my stand-alone DVD player and on my PC; both locked up.

 

[Kelly Grannell]

quote:

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In order to put the entire movie into a 9 Gb disc, a further 35% compression is needed... and with black-and-white... that's A LOT of further compression.
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Interesting observation. I have no idea if your number crunching is correct, but for the sake of argument let's say that it is. That raises a good point. If the movie itself contained only a DD5.1 track and would still need excessive compression to be contained a single side of a dual-layered DVD, then there would be no reason NOT to include additional audio tracks, correct? The DVD would have to be spanned across two sides anyway.

--- Yes, the further compression is just for the video file, the audio file can not be compressed further. Now as far as PQ goes, higher bitrate may not necessarily means better PQ. There is point of diminishing return, so maybe because of that they added more 5.1 soundtracks (which doesn't take that much space either; the entire soundtracks combined are totalling around 1Gb only)

 

[Marvin Richardson]

That's one of the silliest things I've ever heard, and a specious argument to boot. What exactly does the movies subject matter have to do with the perceived lack of bonus materials on the DVD? Oh, and one little problem with this statement also ignores the fact that Peter Jackson just completed one of the most monumental achievements in cinema ever by winning 11 Academy Awards for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, a film that quite frankly affected me like few other films.

But don't feel bad Mr. Rister, there have been other things said in this thread that are even sillier.

Schindler's List is an important film, whether an individual likes it or not. I happen to admire the movie (I hesitate to say I "love" a movie about the Holocaust, but I certainly think it is an astounding work of art) and bought it on release day and watched it that night. I'd seen it once before, and it was still as powerful as ever.

Spielberg does not feel that his films need to have an abundance of bonus materials, which is his decision. I respect that he doesn't want the audience to know too much about his filmmaking process. Now, whether that is because he wants to preserve the "magic" or he just doesn't want us involved is immaterial. Its his movie, and he can release it how he chooses; he's earned that right I think. You can either choose to buy it or not, but railing against him and accusing him of "lining his pockets" by putting the movie on two sides just to include DTS is close to libelous, and beyond that its ridiculous. Does he really need that additional money? Would he actually risk compromising his film by doing so? I don't think so.

If flipping one of the best movies ever made is just too much for you, then perhaps you should take a step back and ask yourself if having the best possible picture and sound is worth 5 seconds out of your life. I think it is.

 

[Shane Martin]

To add to this silliness that removing the other 2 soundtracks would allow it to be on one disc, Let's not forget that NOT ALL of Speilbergs movies contain DTS on them. Color Purple anyone? Indiana Jones anyone? Empire of the Sun? Poltergiest? Raiders? If he really was out to line his pockets then ALL of his movies would have it you'd think otherwise this argument is only mindless conjecture. Now if reducing the soundtracks down to 1 an increased compression(therefore causing other issues) is fine by you, then there isn't much left to say here. It's a damned if we do, damned if we don't situation.

Personally I'm just glad to have SL on DVD with a stellar soundtrack and great picture.

I will say that we'd probably have alot less discussion if the movie was on 2 discs rather than 1 DVD18. That would calm down SOME of the moaning.

 

[Marvin Richardson]

Hey now, Speilberg didn't direct Poltergeist. Seriously.

 

[MarkBurton]

Jorge, can you let me know the number of the keepcase version? Thanks.

 

[Andrew Bunk]

FWIW, I was able to chapter skip past the DTS trailer on Side B. Flipping it didn't bother me too much except for the DTS trailer.

 

[Mark Bendiksen]

Well, perhaps not "officially", but from what I've read over the years he definitely took some serious creative control over Poltergeist.

 

[RobertR]

You can also program HTPC software such as TheaterTek to skip all menus, intros, etc. and go directly to the movie, with your prechosen language track.

 

[Dave H]

Well, Raiders or Indiana Jones were Lucasfilms - not his films really. Poltergiest was not officially directed by him; I can't speak for Color Purple.

 

[Ray H]

^ and The Color Purple and Empire of the Sun were WB and they don't do DTS.

 

[TonyDale]

Out of curiousity, since this thread is overwhelming in and of itself:
How many of us ACTUALLY do the following when preparing to watch a dvd:
1. Turn of all phones and/or answering machines.
2. Turn off all of the lights in every area of the house, so that everyone will think that no one is home, and thereby not stop in for a visit?
3. Use the lavatory before putting the dvd in, and then NOT take a break during the entire running time of the film?

There are things far more distractive than flipping a disc when watching a dvd.

 

[Kelly Grannell]

I do all of the above. My husband too (when he's watching a movie by himself).