Blu-ray Review Star Wars: The Force Awakens Blu-ray Review (1 Viewer)

[ScottHM]

Is the Digital Copy UV or something else?

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[Josh Steinberg]

Isn't 3D dead anyways?

Not really. Theatrically speaking, more people saw Star Wars: The Force Awakens in a 3D format than did in a 2D format. 2D discs always outsell their 3D counterparts, but there's still money to be made. HTF's own Bob Furmanek's 3D Film Archive has been putting out more than ever of late, not less. I'd agree that the numbers aren't as huge for 3D as they were for "Avatar" in 2009, and it's definitely true that electronics manufacturers aren't pushing it nearly as heavily as they were five years ago, but I don't think it's dead. I think it's just settled into a niche in home consumer land, the way Dolby Atmos and UHD BD discs are.

Is the Digital Copy UV or something else?

Something else - it's Disney Movies Anywhere. DMA links with multiple services, including iTunes, Amazon, and Vudu.

 

[Mikey1969]

Interesting. I wonder if the big 3D numbers for TFA were because of the large percentage of screens it was playing on, especially for the advanced and early screenings. I saw it in 3D the first weekend not because I wanted to but because I had no choice.

Not really. Theatrically speaking, more people saw Star Wars: The Force Awakens in a 3D format than did in a 2D format. 2D discs always outsell their 3D counterparts, but there's still money to be made. HTF's own Bob Furmanek's 3D Film Archive has been putting out more than ever of late, not less. I'd agree that the numbers aren't as huge for 3D as they were for "Avatar" in 2009, and it's definitely true that electronics manufacturers aren't pushing it nearly as heavily as they were five years ago, but I don't think it's dead. I think it's just settled into a niche in home consumer land, the way Dolby Atmos and UHD BD discs are.



Something else - it's Disney Movies Anywhere. DMA links with multiple services, including iTunes, Amazon, and Vudu.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Interesting. I wonder if the big 3D numbers for TFA were because of the large percentage of screens it was playing on, especially for the advanced and early screenings. I saw it in 3D the first weekend not because I wanted to but because I had no choice.

In the end, it's probably because people wanted to. I've heard anecdotal evidence on both sides about people seeing it not in their preferred format due to availability. (MikeSF frequently reports that his local theaters barely schedule 3D showings even though he wants the 3D, so he's stuck seeing it either in 3D at odd times or in 2D at more common showtimes.) Here in NYC, a lot of theaters stayed open 24/7 running it the first weekend, constantly adding shows, so it was always fairly easy to get into as long as you didn't have your heart set on a specific time.

Pretty much all of the IMAX 3D showings were sold out in advance, and at the very least, I would think that everyone who saw it in IMAX 3D did so out of choice and not necessity.

If people were only seeing it in 3D because they had no choice, that might have inflated the first weekend numbers a little, but I would assume that by the second weekend, that was no longer an issue in most places.

 

[George_W_K]

Isn't 3D dead anyways? It seems to me that the public grew weary of this gimmick years ago, and now we're finally seeing hardware and software companies accepting this and scaling back dramatically on their offerings.

Like all corporations, Disney motivated primarily by financial considerations based on real data. I don't think they spend their days hanging out in forums looking for advice.

I think the public would rather have digital downloads instead of physical media, but I'm going to hang on for dear life to get the best quality movie experience I can in my home.

 

[Mikey1969]

I don't and won't stream. I don't want to purchase something at the same price as physical media that is stored somewhere else that I have to rely on an in internet connection to access, that is of lesser quality, that I can't resell, give or share if I wish, and that could disappear without warning. I also don't want to watch movies on teeny-tiny tablets in a way that I'm sure no director ever intended.

 

[Cranston37+]

I also don't want to watch movies on teeny-tiny tablets in a way that I'm sure no director ever intended.

I don't even own a tablet - I do all my streaming in my 60in plasma

 

[TonyD]

So back the the review of this disc, I thought the volume of the special effects track was lower than normal.

I neeeded to turn the volume up about 7 ticks higher than usual for this.

I have a Denon and 30-35db is normal. I needed to go to 25db for the sound level to seem loud enough.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

So back the the review of this disc, I thought the volume of the special effects track was lower than normal.

I neeeded to turn the volume up about 7 ticks higher than usual for this.

I have a Denon and 30-35db is normal. I needed to go to 25db for the sound level to seem loud enough.

It did seem a little on the soft side when I was watching as well.

 

[Lord Dalek]

Somebody really needs to do a proper survey as to whether not theaterical 3D has had any effect whatsover on consumer 3D and vice versa. Frankly I don't think the two have any corolation or bearing on each other at all.

 

[Osato]

Somebody really needs to do a proper survey as to whether not theaterical 3D has had any effect whatsover on consumer 3D and vice versa. Frankly I don't think the two have any corolation or bearing on each other at all.

I have no interest in theatrical 3D or gone format. I don't own a 3D tv.
I saw a couple of 3D films and overall I felt that I didn't enjoy the film more by viewing in the format. Plus the added cost.
So I stick with 2d.
I did see mission impossible rogue nation in IMAX. I felt the same about that format but might go again to another film in the format.

I plan on seeing Alice through the looking glass and Star Trek beyond but I will not see them in 3D.

Anyway I don't have anything against the 3D format, but it's not for me.

 

[Osato]

Here is a way for a free copy of the force awakens. It expires today.

http://www.cnet.com/news/get-star-wars-the-force-awakens-for-free/

 

[Dr Griffin]

The sound is not as extreme as some recent Blu-ray mixes, or some older films on BD such as T2, which sounded close to system failure the first time I listened to it (the playground nuke scene) at reference level. The Force Awakens sounds comfortable, but effective, to me, but still at the lower end of reference level.

 

[Tino]

Looks and sounds great. Great extras too.

 

[Tino]

Isn't 3D dead anyways? It seems to me that the public grew weary of this gimmick years ago, and now we're finally seeing hardware and software companies accepting this and scaling back dramatically on their offerings.

Like all corporations, Disney motivated primarily by financial considerations based on real data. I don't think they spend their days hanging out in forums looking for advice.

From Deadline a few weeks ago.

"A whopping 57% of TFA's gross is from 3D! who said 3D was dead??

AvatarOf course, in this era, what has propelled Force Awakens to this B.O. benchmark faster than Avatar is the immense supply of 3D and digital screens. Since 2010, digital screens — which enable exhibitors to program more showtimes at a moment’s notice to meet demand — have shot up 168% to 41,518. Of that amount, 39% or 16,146 are 3D digital. Rentrak’s PostTrak reports that 45% of all audiences watched Force Awakens in RealD3D, 42% in 2D, and 12% in Imax. "

 

[Tino]

That's $532 million just from 3D!

 

[Lord Dalek]

Again... just because theatrical 3D is thriving doesn't mean blu-ray 3D is too. There is no evidence to suggest the former has had close to the trickle down effect to the consumer market that many had hoped. Please stop making this false equivalency.

 

[Mikey1969]

I love real IMAX, but haven't been impressed with the faux-IMAX offered to most theaters, and don't think the format is that suitable for narrative films. For short documentaries, etc. it can't be beat.

I have no interest in theatrical 3D or gone format. I don't own a 3D tv.
I saw a couple of 3D films and overall I felt that I didn't enjoy the film more by viewing in the format. Plus the added cost.
So I stick with 2d.
I did see mission impossible rogue nation in IMAX. I felt the same about that format but might go again to another film in the format.

I plan on seeing Alice through the looking glass and Star Trek beyond but I will not see them in 3D.

Anyway I don't have anything against the 3D format, but it's not for me.

 

[Tino]

To be clear(er), my posts are obviously referring to theatrical 3D, not the home market.

 

[Tino]

And to be clear(er)er, I don't think theatrical 3D has any negligible effect on home 3D. Two separate beasts.

I sure hope a 3D blu of SWTFA IS released in December. There still has not been any definitive word.