"Hunchback of Notre Dame" review (1 Viewer)

[Bob_L]

Bjoern:

There really is no excuse for having grain in this transfer. All of the Disney animated films now use digital clean and fill (which most people think of as "ink and paint") so they could have done a digital transfer here, just as were done for the Pixar films.

Go figure.....

Bob L. [Former Disney inmate]

 

[Jim Spencer]

DVDFile has a review up.
http://www.dvdfile.com/software/revi...dame_1996.html

 

[Todd Hochard]

I thought Tarzan and New Groove discs were done digitally? Both had DLP theatrical runs here.

 

[Dan Hitchman]

Todd,

A film being shown in a DLP theater means nothing when it comes to home video. They are usually (if not always) two different digital video masters for two different video mediums because each calls for different telecine adjustments. Sometimes two different telecine companies are employed for each type of transfer.

Since all current (and now some classic) Disney animated features are stored in digital archive files, there is no reason Disney couldn't have released a DVD with an all digital transfer. Heck, they did it for the upcoming Beauty and the Beast set and IMHO Hunchback is just as deserving.

They dropped the ball. I'm definitely keeping my Hunchback DTS LD as the full bitrate soundtrack is simply jaw-droppingly STUNNING!!

Dan

 

[Bob_L]

I'm definitely keeping my Hunchback DTS LD as the full bitrate soundtrack is simply jaw-droppingly STUNNING!!

Amen, Dan. The opening of Hunchback is one of the great achievements in Disney animation and music. Perhaps the greatest opening to a Disney animated film of all time. And the DTS LD just carries you away.

When I get my new Outlaw 950 preamp and SV Subwoofer assembled, this will be one of the first things I play on them.

 

[Malcolm R]

They dropped the ball. I'm definitely keeping my Hunchback DTS LD as the full bitrate soundtrack is simply jaw-droppingly STUNNING!!

Even the plain old Dolby LD isn't too shabby. I just watched it and was amazed by the sound in the room and the deep bass coming through the subwoofer. I can't believe they can improve on it too much. This is one of the greatest Disney animated pics ever, certainly worthy of the Platinum treatment. Why stop at 10?

 

[Robert Cook]

Bjoern Roy wrote:

Quote:

I think you know this, but to clear up any remaining confusion on anyone's part, Beauty and the Beast is as digital in origin as any of the more recent animated features (which is why it looks so great on IMAX), so it can and hopefully will have a true direct-digital transfer. It would be disappointing, to be polite, if they did not do this, but then again, the same could be said for many of their video transfers. Yes, it takes some work to prepare the data for the transfers, but I can't imagine it being more difficult or costly than transferring from film.

 

[Bjoern Roy]

Thanks for the info, Robert! I will have some questions for you later on, just wanted to throw in that i have now seen the R2 copy and took some comparison screenshots.

Will post them soon.

 

[Enrique B Chamorro]

How are the extras different between R1 & R2?

Does the R2 have several deleated songs and

examples of demos of the songs (like on the laser dsic).

 

[DaViD Boulet]

anybody compare the DD and DTS audio with the former LD?

 

[Luis Esp]

I was rewatching my ld boxset of Hunchback, it takes awhile for your eyes to adjust to the look of ld. Its too bad not all the extras are included on the dvd version, but I'm glad for the dts mix.

 

[Keith Paynter]

While the DVD video is much better to look at than the LD (athough it's no slouch, either) the DTS LD still blows this away sonically. When the chanting begins on the DTS LD, it really does feel like you're right in the Notre Dame Cathedral - it's very rich and full. The DVD DTS is still not up to par.

So much of this has to do with the limits of data storage of DVD. The DTS laserdisc stores the DTS track on one of the PCM digital tracks, part of the amended LD specification, so there is no need to compress the audio.

It's Jurassic Park all over again, and I'm glad I have an outboard converter, so I can pick the best video and sound, and with a little luck, get the two in sync and have the best of both, albeit 45 minutes at a time...

 

[Larry Gardner]

The CAV boxset of Hunchback of Notre Dame contained the following supplements:

1. Early Presentation Reel

2. Deleted Song - "Someday" - with commentary by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz

3. Deleted Song - "In A Place Of Miracles" - with commentary by Alan Menken

4. Deleted Song - "As Long As There's A Moon" - with commentary by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz

1. History and Background of Notre-Dame de Paris

2. History of the Production of HOND

3. Character Design: Quasimodo

4. Character Design: Esmeralda

5. Character Design: Frollo

6. Character Design: Phoebus

7. Character Design: Clopin

8. Character Design: The Gargoyles

9. Character Design: Archdeacon

10. Character Design: Djali

11. Character Design: Miscellaneous Townspeople and Gypsies

12. Story Reel: Prologue - "The Bells of Notre Dame"

13. Story Reel - "Heaven's Light/Hellfire"

14. Workbook and Scene Planning

15. Art Design, Layouts and Backgrounds

16. Animation

17. CGI

18. Publicity

This was a three disc boxset. The feature on a CAV Standard Play) LD with the supplements on the third disc. The CAV boxset was DD5.1 (AC3) and did not contain a DTS track - that was released later as a single release.

This DVD does not contain mearly any of the CAV LD. Hopefully, Disney will re-release this later as a REAL Collector's Edition.

I really do not understand Disney's marketing strategy in these categories - Collector's Edition, Platinum Edition, Vista Series, ... They seem to think that added one or two supplements - designates a Collector's Edition.

What would they use for a Hunchback LD release (as above). Since Hunchback is not considered a Platinum Edition and the Collector's Edition does not contain the features of the CAV LD - where does that put this if they release a fully loaded DVD with the CAV LD supplements?

 

[Chad Gregory]

Since Hunchback is not considered a Platinum Edition and the Collector's Edition does not contain the features of the CAV LD - where does that put this if they release a fully loaded DVD with the CAV LD supplements?

Larry,

Just to clarify, no where on this disc or case does it mention Collector's Edition. There isn't even a mention of Special Edition. All it says is "The Original Animated Classic".

Nitpicky yes, but it isn't a Collector's Edition.

-Chad

 

[Jakob_S]

Thanks for the info, Robert! I will have some questions for you later on, just wanted to throw in that i have now seen the R2 copy and took some comparison screenshots.

I'm looking forward to the "R1 vs. R2 screenshot comparison", Bjoern Roy - When will you post them?

 

[DaViD Boulet]

The DTS laserdisc stores the DTS track on one of the PCM digital tracks, part of the amended LD specification, so there is no need to compress the audio.

Just to be accurate, even the "full bit rate" DTS that is possible on DVD and on the PCM tracks of laserdisc still employ lossy compression.

It may sound better than the half-bit-rate usually used these days to fit DTS onto DVD with a 5.1 DD soundtrack companion. But this doesn't mean it's not using lossy compression just the same.

-dave

 

[ChristopherS]

Having never owned a Laser Disk Player, all I can say is that the DVD of the Hunchback of Notre Dame is very enjoyable. I found both the sound and the picture to be very good. For those concerned with the story itself, I and my family found this movie to be one of the better Disney flicks.

Chris

 

[Robert Cook]

Keith Paynter wrote:

While the DVD video is much better to look at than the LD (athough it's no slouch, either) the DTS LD still blows this away sonically. When the chanting begins on the DTS LD, it really does feel like you're right in the Notre Dame Cathedral - it's very rich and full. The DVD DTS is still not up to par.
So much of this has to do with the limits of data storage of DVD.

Well, all types of storage media have limits, of course. The reason full-rate DTS (which is higher on DVD than LD) is seldom used on DVD is not that there is not enough space, but because DVD is versatile enough to use the same space for either audio or video (or more program material). The bits you save by using the lower DTS bitrate can be devoted to the video, which you describe as looking much better than that of the LD. If the full DTS bitrate were used on the DVD, the subjective quality of the video would probably be closer to that of the LD, although it could still be superior.
What you're really talking about here is priorities, not a limitation of the DVD format, compared with LD. With LD, you're stuck with devoting large amounts of space to audio no matter what, and don't have the option to trade it off for better video quality (especially since LD video is analog).

 

[Mark Zimmer]

The thing I remember most about seeing this in the theater was being horrified at how utterly shitty the rotoscoping was in the final crowd scene at the credits. I couldn't believe Disney let something that looked that bad out. Have they fixed that, or do I need to shut it off before that comes up? Or maybe it's less noticeable on video. Funny, but it's just about the only thing I remember about the movie, and that's long before I got into critical HT viewing.

 

[Luis Esp]

I was in the Disney store today looking at both dvds and a man asked the sales staff "Is it only available in widescreen?"

I felt like pouncin' and cramming those words back into his mouth. Filthy Heathen.

I would not be surprised if Disney turns around and release a "Gold" edition of this movie. It'll be just like their first dvd "Limited" issues. I guess someone from marketing got a hold of the Fairy Godmother's wand and turned the "Limited" to "Gold".