Blu-ray Review The Ghost Breakers Blu-ray Review (1 Viewer)

[Robert Crawford]

I muddle through with a "much smaller" 65 inch OLED

In all seriousness, if your display is too large to even WATCH upscaled DVDs and you know it already, then the point is moot. Stick with the blu-ray because, at some point, any advantages will no longer be worth the trade-off.

I just want to know when I do compare what you're seeing to my display which is a LG OLED 65" display too.

 

[Will Krupp]

I just want to know when I do compare what you're seeing to my display which is a LG OLED 65" display too.

I THOUGHT we had the same TV (just a different model year!)

I have a regular Sony blu-ray player and Sony 4k region free player both hooked up to different HDMI ports (for some reason, my older non-4K player seems to do a better job upscaling DVDs so I only keep it for that) so, in a case like this, I can play them simultaneously and flip back and forth between ports. Hope that helps.

 

[Robert Crawford]

It's going to be a while before I watch this BD because I haven't ordered it yet and will wait for the next Kino sale. Also, when I get the disc, if I'm satisfied with the BD disc, I seriously doubt I'll be comparing it to my 2002 DVD. I hate doing such comparisons because it's just too time-consuming and I rather spend my time watching movies than comparing the same movie between two different video sources. It's a hard habit for me to break as I got caught up with the Criterion releases of "The Naked City" and "Brute Force". However, this time I need to self correct unless I'm really disappointed in this "The Ghost Breakers" BD.

 

[Will Krupp]

However, this time I need to self correct unless I'm really disappointed in this "The Ghost Breakers" BD.

I don't think you will be if you're not overly familiar with the look of the original DVD. Unfortunately it's not something I can UN-see.

 

[warthree]

One thing I noticed about the 2002 dvd is that mine defaults to subtitles on. I have to turn them off before I play the movie.

 

[Mark-P]

I don't think you will be if you're not overly familiar with the look of the original DVD. Unfortunately it's not something I can UN-see.

Will, I remember we had a similar discussion about And Then There Were None '45, where you preferred the DVD over the Blu-ray. Personally I would always opt for even a poor HD transfer over a good SD transfer, mainly because I watch all my movies projected and SD is dead to me except for TV shows (which I do not watch projected). I also agree with Robert that sometimes it is best not even to do comparisons between releases because it can drive you bonkers.

 

[bujaki]

Based on all your comments, @Will Krupp, I went ahead and ordered the 2002 DVD of Ghost Breakers and will skip the BD.

 

[Will Krupp]

One thing I noticed about the 2002 dvd is that mine defaults to subtitles on. I have to turn them off before I play the movie.

I thought it was just me!! [Thunder] LOL

I also agree with Robert that sometimes it is best not even to do comparisons between releases because it can drive you bonkers.

Well, this was obvious enough to me in 2012 to grab the existing DVD from my shelf to prove I wasn't crazy. When the blu-ray came out I knew what to look for and it hasn't made me bonkers (yet) it just made me realize I personally will be sticking with DVD for this title in future. But I'm glad AND THEN THERE WERE NONE found a loving home! (that was a bit of a different story because that particular DVD wasn't any great shakes it was just more preferable to me than the really horrible blu-ray!)

 

[LeoA]

While I can't say for certain, if you have your Blu-ray player set to auto output DVDs at 24fps and this DVD is still running at 60hz then it's the same interlaced transfer as was on the 2012 yellow set.

I'm not sure I have that option, but if the quality of the original DVD release of The Ghost Breakers is anything like the DVD of The Cat & the Canary in terms of picture quality, this 10 movie collection from 2014 is definitely using the much inferior newer transfer (As expected).

The opening Paramount screen, credits, and title card are heavily letterboxed to hide their poor quality before the movie switches to full screen (Unlike the very slight letterboxing on The Cat & the Canary). And the movie itself is quite lackluster looking, as shown by the attached screenshot.

Time to go finally buy the original DVD.

 

[Will Krupp]

The opening Paramount screen, credits, and title card are heavily letterboxed to hide their poor quality before the movie switches to full screen (Unlike the very slight letterboxing on The Cat & the Canary). And the movie itself is quite lackluster looking, as shown by the attached screenshot.

I don't want to disappoint you but the 2002 credits are windowboxed as well. THE CAT & THE CANARY was a newer transfer (it didn't premiere on DVD til 2012) so it's in better shape as a whole. The original GHOST BREAKERS master IS still riddled with negative dirt and imperfections so I don't want to give the impression that it's "as good" a DVD as CAT was (The Kino blu-ray of CAT looks wonderful IMO) just that it looks closer (they had the same DP on both) and you can see it better.

I'm sorry regarding the frame rate. On my Sony players you can hit DISPLAY during playback and it tells you in the upper left corner what the resolution and frame rate are. I can't really tell from the screenshot (and I'm not sure my laptop display is properly calibrated) but I CAN say that, on my TV, you can clearly tell that the dark blob that seems to be coming out of Willie Best's bottom is actually Larry's scarf and you can see details in the folds. I cued up the same frame on the original DVD and I'm now noticing that the image in your shot seems to be cropped on all four sides. If you didn't crop it somehow during the capture then I would say it's the inferior transfer, which makes sense.

My only fear is that all this talking up of the original master is creating unrealistic expectations for it! It's STILL a 2002 DVD but from a stronger source than the subsequent releases. Please don't think it's going to be perfect but it IS better!

 

[Mark-P]

The opening Paramount screen, credits, and title card are heavily letterboxed to hide their poor quality before the movie switches to full screen (Unlike the very slight letterboxing on The Cat & the Canary).

The windowboxing that occurs during the credit sequences of hundreds of DVDs (and subsequently many Blu-rays) is not to hide poor quality, but to compensate for the overscan that plagued many TV screens of the past. It has almost been completely abolished.

 

[LeoA]

Thanks guys

If you didn't crop it somehow during the capture then I would say it's the inferior transfer, which makes sense.

I didn't crop it. Is an unaltered screenshot I took at my PC.

My only fear is that all this talking up of the original master is creating unrealistic expectations for it! It's STILL a 2002 DVD but from a stronger source than the subsequent releases. Please don't think it's going to be perfect but it IS better!

I understand.

I like this movie enough and the DVD price is right, that I don't mind buying both my 2nd and 3rd iterations of it on optical disc (I'm also ordering the Blu-Ray) just to see for myself what I prefer.

 

[Clayking38]

I watched the blu-ray the other night but the film didn't hold up to my memory of it. It seemed as though a good two-thirds of the movie was exposition to get to the island, and the denouement was a throwaway.

 

[warnerbro]

One of my all-time favorite movies period. The print on the blu ray is a disappointment. I can't help but think the dvd looked better. Not sure why. THE CAT AND CANARY looks much better, and is a good movie, but not nearly as good as THE GHOST BREAKERS I don't think. But thank you, KINO, for giving us all these great classics. We love you.