UHD Review White Christmas UHD/Blu-ray Review (2 Viewers)

[Matt Hough]

White Christmas is not only historically important but is also one of the grandest of holiday entertainments.



White Christmas (1954)



Released: 05 Nov 1954
Rated: Approved
Runtime: 120 min




Director: Michael Curtiz
Genre: Comedy, Musical, Romance



Cast: Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney
Writer(s): Norman Krasna, Norman Panama, Melvin Frank



Plot: A successful song-and-dance team become romantically involved with a sister act and team up to save the failing Vermont inn of their former commanding general.



IMDB rating: 7.6
MetaScore: 56





Disc Information



Studio: Paramount
Distributed By: N/A
Video Resolution: 2160p HEVC w/HDR



Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Audio:...

Continue reading...

 

[Vern Dias]

It should also be noted that if you have a 2.00:1 or greater AR screen and a scaler, "White Christmas" could also be projected at 2.00:1 as all VistaVision films were protected to allow projection at 2.0:1. The actual 35mm release prints were hard matted at 1.66:1.

Here is a reference document from Paramount studios showing a early version of the reference marks to be used for framing the image.

The actual framing marks used on release prints looked like this:

In my HT, I use 2.00:1 for all VistaVision releases.

 

[Indy Guy]

Another dissappointment from Paramount. "White Christmas" does not play well with projectors! This disc will be added to my 4K copies of Blue Hawaii and Saturday Night Fever, all of which are better on the included Blu Rays. Of the 4K Paramount titles I own it's about 50/50 on they're being duller color and dimmer than the BR versions. You can tell the minute the disc begins to spin...the FBI warning and the blue rating background are far from normal. Paramount needs some quality control steps to
Insure their subcontractors can deliver to consistence standards.
Why does Paramount's "The Court Jester" look perfect projected, yet these 3 A-list titles leave so much to be desired?

 

[Konstantinos]

I don't have this disc yet, but seeing comparisons it seems strange to me that all hail the To Catch a Thief release but not this one!

 

[RolandL]

I know I'm in the minority, but it would been nice if they included the 3.0 Perspecta track. Also, I don't know why they cropped the sides compared to the Blu-ray.

 

[davidmatychuk]

Here's my two or three cents' worth: I have been buying copies of "White Christmas" on home video since the VHS, and the 4K version is the best in my opinion. It has the most refined image, and switching back and forth between it and the (included) previous Blu-Ray it is the most accurate. I should thank my HTF friends for hipping me to the fact that the 4K might be less colorful, so before I watched it I gave the HDR brightness on my projector a +1 boost, which I normally don't do, but my guests agreed that the 4K was preferable without any suggestions from me. It is a splendid release, from the slipcover in, though the real jump in quality for me (old-timer alert!) was from VHS to wide-screen laserdisc, when it became clear that there had been and still was vast room for further improvement. For me and "White Christmas", the 4K disc is the long-awaited snowfall at the end. For now, anyhow.

 

[Osato]

I know I'm in the minority, but it would been nice if they included the 3.0 Perspecta track. Also, I don't know why they cropped the sides compared to the Blu-ray.

Email or contact paramount to let them
Know you want it! They need to hear from you!

 

[RolandL]

Email or contact paramount to let them
Know you want it! They need to hear from you!

Too late now. I don't think they would re-release it to add the Perspecta track.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Probably not, although it could be added to the digital copy with ease, and given that this title is often repackaged seasonally, could be added to a future edition. But in general it’s probably important to let them know you’re missing it so when future releases that have Perspecta options are being assembled, they put the tracks in for those.

 

[Osato]

Too late now. I don't think they would re-release it to add the Perspecta track.

According to the perf Damage podcast letting paramount know is the best way for it to ever happen.