The War of the Worlds (1953) possible Blu-ray release? (1 Viewer)

[Mark-P]

I compared a minute or two from the Special Collector's Edition DVD (the 2nd one, w/ the wires) and the iTunes purchase. It's definitely from the same master. The DVD holds up very well. It's a little brighter, and with harsher contrast. The iTunes HD version has slightly more detail and more balanced contrast. I didn't notice any difference in the sound. The framing seems to be the same.

The HD version does have a lot more speckles and marks.

It's interesting that it has exactly the same chapters w/ preview frames as the DVD.

I have the collector’s edition DVD which has 2 soundtracks, mono and Dolby Surround. There is a huge difference between the stereo sound of the DVD and the mono sound of the iTunes file. I really wish iTunes had the stereo remix which is very well done and atmospheric.

 

[TheSteig]

I realize there's an HD master. What I take exception with is the probable quality of the HD master.

Well I wasn't quoting you I was just saying that there is an HD master for WOTW and a blu ray is likely at some point

 

[Carabimero]

Well I wasn't quoting you I was just saying that there is an HD master for WOTW and a blu ray is likely at some point

I hope you're right about the BD.

 

[Reed Grele]

I still have an HD backup of the Amazon Prime release from 2013 when it was free,

Does anyone know why what sounds like an engine revving up occurs just before the Paramount logo appears? I don't recall it being there on the DVD or any previous releases.

 

[Doug Otte]

I realize there's an HD master. What I take exception with is the probable quality of the HD master.

It's slightly better than the DVD. It certainly would be nice to have a blu-ray based upon a new scan, w/ print damage cleaned up and lossless audio.

Was this one originally available in stereo or 3-track?

 

[Bob Furmanek]

It was 35mm full-coat three channel magnetic in 1953.

Those elements are long gone. Chace did a recreation from existing stems a number of years ago.

There's more info here:

http://www.3dfilmarchive.com/the-first-year-of-stereophonic-sound

 

[Lord Dalek]

It is quite possible that War of the Worlds' 3-track mix only used the other two channels for directional dialogue and sound effects. The existing soundtrack cues (about 16 minutes worth) are all in 35mm mag mono and Paramount doesn't appear to have started recording scores stereophonically until a year after the film's release.

 

[Tino]

Well

Apparently War Of The Worlds has been remastered.

There is currently an HD version on sale at iTunes for $6.99.

The wires have been removed, the picture cleaned up and the sound remixed into 5.1.

I’m all for original content and hopefully a future special edition will contain both versions but I gotta say this new remastered version looks and sounds terrific.

 

[dpippel]

Hopefully we'll see a shiny disc release of this soon!

 

[Dick]

Don't quite understand the optimism about this being released on disc anytime soon -- this is Paramount we're talking. I suppose (and would hope that) Criterion might still have some ties with the studio and that something could eventually transpire that way. But if we can't even get their two missing Oscar-winners (GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH and ORDINARY PEOPLE) on Blu yet, I just can't muster a ton of good faith that WOTW is on any kind of fast track to the format.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Don't quite understand the optimism about this being released on disc anytime soon -- this is Paramount we're talking. I suppose (and would hope that) Criterion might still have some ties with the studio and that something could eventually transpire that way. But if we can't even get their two missing Oscar-winners (GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH and ORDINARY PEOPLE) on Blu yet, I just can't muster a ton of good faith that WOTW is on any kind of fast track to the format.

People are talking about a new HD transfer and they're hoping for a BD release. Is that's being optimistic or hoping for the best? I think it's the latter.

 

[Alan Tully]

Come on Paramount! If you don't want to release your catalogue titles yourselves (fair enough), hows about licensing them out.

 

[Rick Thompson]

Well

Apparently War Of The Worlds has been remastered.

There is currently and HD version on sale at iTunes for $6.99.

The wires have been removed, the picture cleaned up and the sound remixed into 5.1.

I’m all for original content and hopefully a future special edition will contain both versions but I gotta say this new remastered version looks and sounds terrific.

And not having hard-wired broadband (stuck with Verizon Wireless), that's $6.99 I won't be spending.

 

[Robert Crawford]

And not having hard-wired broadband (stuck with Verizon Wireless), that's $6.99 I won't be spending.

So then it's your hope that somehow and someway it released on Blu-ray. I'm hoping with you.

 

[Nelson Au]

I’m hoping WotW comes out in a new Blu Ray and Paramount pairs it with When Worlds Collide too! Those two were favorites when I played the laser disc versions, then later on DVD. We finally got The Time Machine on Blu Ray and that is a very nice Blu Ray.

Now in the mean time, I’m kind of curious to see the iTunes version of WotW. However my Apple TV is connected directly to the display. So I’ll have to reconfigure it’s HDMI connections to the pre-amp and then back to the display if I want to hear to audio options. I do wish Apple would have included a second HDMI port. There are no alternatives for audio out.

 

[Thomas T]

Well, Universal has finally licensed films to outside sources (Kino, Shout Factory, Twilight Time) and the coming months should be exciting for those of us who have been asking for certain titles for years. So if Universal can do it, there's always the hope that Paramount could also give in to licensing titles to outside sources. Unlikely? Yes. Impossible? No. Unless they see physical media as a threat to their streaming and downloading programs.

 

[Osato]

I would love to buy this title on blu ray.

UHd probably makes sense at this point..

 

[Tino]

And not having hard-wired broadband (stuck with Verizon Wireless), that's $6.99 I won't be spending.

??

I also have Verizon Wireless and am not hard wired and have no issues streaming WOTW.

What issues are you having??

 

[Tino]

I’m more that happy with the digital version until the eventual Blu is released.

 

[Brandon Conway]

Well, Universal has finally licensed films to outside sources (Kino, Shout Factory, Twilight Time) and the coming months should be exciting for those of us who have been asking for certain titles for years. So if Universal can do it, there's always the hope that Paramount could also give in to licensing titles to outside sources. Unlikely? Yes. Impossible? No. Unless they see physical media as a threat to their streaming and downloading programs.

Paramount has been licensing for years now (to Criterion, Olive and Kino). The problem is they only license out titles they never released themselves on DVD. So this leaves their more recognizable titles absent from release unless they do it themselves, which is almost never nowadays. Same policy also exists for Disney for their Touchstone/Hollywood Pictures titles - if a title wasn't previously scheduled for licensing in the mid-00s to Mill Creek then licensors like Kino haven't been able to get that title.

It's a really odd archaic policy that will hopefully get cracked by one of the boutique labels sooner rather than later.