The Sting is just about as perfect a movie viewing experience I could ever ask for, the PQ of this release is just awesome, oozing detail, vivid contrast and colors, very fine film grain is present at all times, not one hint of NR IMHO, the look of the film was perfectly captured with this, kudos to Universal on this one for sure

the Audio was also superb

a big thumbs up to our HD-DVD exclusive studio Universal, how anyone serious about films could only own BD and be missing out on Universal is just beyond me :confused:

-Gary

The Sting is just about as perfect a movie viewing experience I one could ever ask for, the PQ of this release is just awesome, oozing detail, vivid contrast and colors, very fine film grain is present at all times, not one hint of NR IMHO, the look of the film was perfectly captured with this, kudos to Universal on this one for sure

the Audio was also superb

a big thumbs up to our HD-DVD exclusive studio Universal, how anyone serious about films could only own BD and be missing out on Universal is just beyond me :confused:

-Gary
Gary, I really enjoyed this movie even on my small 70" JVC Pro. Great transfer, fun movie.

a big thumbs up to our HD-DVD exclusive studio Universal, how anyone serious about films could only own BD and be missing out on Universal is just beyond me :confused:

-Gary

co-sign. There are a lot of people posing on here. If you LOVE cinema and have $4000 or more invested in your Home Theatre and are stubbornly waiting/wishing that one format dies the only person you're fooling is yourself.

If I had a complete HT system I'd be neutral right now. I need access ..I have a Mac and PC. If I bought a SACD player it better have DVD-Audio support as well. I don't go for depriving myself of entertainment and joy for political reasoning.

Gary I'm glad you're neutral and it's very evident you love movies. I think we have a bunch of people masquerading as movie lovers around here. You're not one of those people.

I'll certainly check out "The Sting" I've never seen it before but I do love when older films are restored nicely.

This is one gem of a release for one gem of a movie. For a while prior to the HD DVD release, I strongly considered buying the DVD after renting it. I'm glad I waited for this excellent HD DVD treatment.

The Sting is just about as perfect a movie viewing experience I one could ever ask for, the PQ of this release is just awesome, oozing detail, vivid contrast and colors, very fine film grain is present at all times, not one hint of NR IMHO, the look of the film was perfectly captured with this, kudos to Universal on this one for sure

the Audio was also superb

a big thumbs up to our HD-DVD exclusive studio Universal, how anyone serious about films could only own BD and be missing out on Universal is just beyond me :confused:

-Gary

Hmmm....interesting...The Sting HD DVD is only listed as Tier 3 quality dvd in this forum's sticky entitled "The Tier System for HD DVD PQ". By definition that would mean "Few 3D effects, some digital noise/artifacting". There is only one tier below that.

Any comments? Should I use that sticky as a decent guide to PQ?

The way you guys are raving makes me want to go buy this HD DVD tomorrow. CompUSA had one copy left at 20% off.

That Tier system is pretty unreliable. I would go with member reviews first. Good one by the way Gary. I'm going to order this as well. I love this movie! Thnask Universal!

Any comments? Should I use that sticky as a decent guide to PQ?

It depends on what you value in picture quality, and your acceptance of diversity in how movies are shot. The Sting wasn't shot in a way to look like King Kong. This transfer retains the film grain without removing it through messy noise reduction. In my opinion, it is what it ought to be and looks damn good. There are quite a few scenes with crisp detail. I say screw the tier thread and read the various "professional" reviews on the net to get a better understanding of how these transfers look.

It depends on what you value in picture quality, and your acceptance of diversity in how movies are shot. The Sting wasn't shot in a way to look like King Kong. This transfer retains the film grain without removing it through messy noise reduction. In my opinion, it is what it ought to be and looks damn good. There are quite a few scenes with crisp detail. I say screw the tier thread and read the various "professional" reviews on the net to get a better understanding of how these transfers look.
Amen !

i've always been pretty happy with the SD-DVD version, but i may have to double-dip. one of my favorite movies of all time. the poker scene on the train is priceless.

The Tier thread is not about being faithful to the original look of the film.
It's about "POP" and "Sharpness" and "3D", i.e. video not film.
Plus who nows what kind of system the "judges" are viewing these discs on or whether they've been calibrated or anything.

I bought The Sting today because I like the movie and the price was right.

I watched this the other night, and was wowed by it. Movie and picture. Recommended. The added documentary is also great, plus you have that ever so familiar theme tune.

Hmmm....interesting...The Sting HD DVD is only listed as Tier 3 quality dvd in this forum's sticky entitled "The Tier System for HD DVD PQ". By definition that would mean "Few 3D effects, some digital noise/artifacting". There is only one tier below that.

Any comments? Should I use that sticky as a decent guide to PQ?

The way you guys are raving makes me want to go buy this HD DVD tomorrow. CompUSA had one copy left at 20% off.

if you value films and how they should look, vs just looking for eye popping entertainment then forget the tier thread

thanks for the kind comments guys, thats all it's about for me, films looking like films on whatever format :)

-Gary

When I bought this one on release date, I stuck it in the player just to check it out. I ended up watching the entire movie. I concur that this release is pristine -- the best old movie restoration I've seen on the format. HD is like watching these films again for the very first time! I'm DYING to see how great Slapshot looks when Uni releases it -- another Paul Newman classic!

I am buying. Too many good reviews to overlook. Thanks guys.

The Sting is just about as perfect a movie viewing experience I could ever ask for, the PQ of this release is just awesome, oozing detail, vivid contrast and colors, very fine film grain is present at all times, not one hint of NR IMHO, the look of the film was perfectly captured with this, kudos to Universal on this one for sure

the Audio was also superb

a big thumbs up to our HD-DVD exclusive studio Universal, how anyone serious about films could only own BD and be missing out on Universal is just beyond me :confused:

-Gary

Thanks. But, how come you are not doing cartwheels over "The Searchers"? I can't think of a better dated technicolor film that is its equal.

CMRA I do not like John Wayne, I have never watched or owned his films, I will be picking up The Searchers though

-Gary

I just happened to get this from Blockbuster online, only watched the first 45 minutes or so, but I have to warn people, that it almost looks like it was filmed with a stocking put over the lens, certainly early in the movie. Lovers of film grain will love the look of this movie. Tier 3 placement is probably correct.

it's tier nothing because it looks the way it should, if you are looking for eye popping HD entertainment to impress MTV loving 17 year olds then of course it is tier 3 ;)

I just don't see anyway things could get better than this release :)

-Gary

Saw it from Netflix recently. It's amazing to see how these older movies like this one, The Deer Hunter, Blazing Saddles, Grand Prix, and Casablanca can look so pristine and detailed. A big plus for HD DVD, IMO, that they have such classics getting the high def treatment.

CMRA I do not like John Wayne, I have never watched or owned his films, I will be picking up The Searchers though

-Gary

The Quiet Man is a really good John Wayne movie .
I dont care for a lot of his movies either ...
Bob

Saw it from Netflix recently. It's amazing to see how these older movies like this one, The Deer Hunter, Blazing Saddles, Grand Prix, and Casablanca can look so pristine and detailed. A big plus for HD DVD, IMO, that they have such classics getting the high def treatment.


The old 1930's Robin Hood looks real good, too. And don't forget Forbidden Planet (1950's)!!!

I can't find it for rent on Netflix? Do they have it?

I hadn't seen either The Sting or Deer Hunter until they came on HD DVD, and boy was I impressed. These are excellent movies. Irrepective of the PQ tier. But, I can't recall too many recent movies that measure up to these qualitatively.

I would highly recommend anyone to at least rent these.

This is not reference material. Don't waste your money. It is great looking and looks like film and techniques used to film in the 1970's, it is one of the greatest movies ever made. It is low on the Tier system so don't bother. ;) :D

I bought it on release day and have watched it three times. :D

Art

Yeah, the tier thread is a waste. Always loved this movie and the HD DVD is just icing on the cake.

I can't find it for rent on Netflix? Do they have it?

Forgive me, I mis-spoke. I traded titles with a friend to get the HD DVD version of this film, it wasn't a rental. I'm not sure if Netflix even has the HD DVD version of it.

The Sting never looked better. Big thanks to Universal for this release.

I bought this today at a closing CompUSA, haven't seen the film before and really have no idea what it's about. :D

I bought this today at a closing CompUSA, haven't seen the film before and really have no idea what it's about. :D

You're in for a treat. One of the best films made (IMHO of course). And a good introduction to Scott Joplin, for those who aren't familiar with his Ragtime music from the early 1900s.

the teir thread is NOT a waste. there are 2 different ways of guaging a movie, and there are differences in the quality of transfers in even new releases. we have hd-dvd because we are interested in PQ yes? I agree that it may be the directors intent to have a less than pristine look. (sleepy hollow, superman returns) but who is to say what exactly the director's intent was? i want to know if a movie i am buying is going to look good, great, or sub-par (fugitive, full metal jacket) i can appreciate the look of older films too, and content trumps PQ anytime, but i am not some immature 17 year old just because i like to know what something is going to look like before i buy it. that also does not mean that every movie has to look like mi-3 (i really liked superman returns, many on this board do not) i want great movies, and i want them to look great too. that does not mean they all have to look the same, but it also does not mean that a piss poor transfer was the director's intent. we have all seen the differences in DVD mastering over the years.

the teir thread is NOT a waste. there are 2 different ways of guaging a movie, and there are differences in the quality of transfers in even new releases. we have hd-dvd because we are interested in PQ yes? I agree that it may be the directors intent to have a less than pristine look. (sleepy hollow, superman returns) but who is to say what exactly the director's intent was? i want to know if a movie i am buying is going to look good, great, or sub-par (fugitive, full metal jacket) i can appreciate the look of older films too, and content trumps PQ anytime, but i am not some immature 17 year old just because i like to know what something is going to look like before i buy it. that also does not mean that every movie has to look like mi-3 (i really liked superman returns, many on this board do not) i want great movies, and i want them to look great too. that does not mean they all have to look the same, but it also does not mean that a piss poor transfer was the director's intent. we have all seen the differences in DVD mastering over the years.

And there in is your misconception and the reason for the negative comments about the Tier thread. The Tier thread has nothing to do with transfer quality assessment , that is a fact. It is a list of movies that conform to those in the thread's likes regarding what an HDDVD should look like. That includes no soft focus techniques, no short depth of field photography, no maintaining of moderate integral film grain , no stylized images etc.

I will admit that the Tier thread is not a waste but it is a misguided attempt to say what HDDVDs should be without regard to what the original might have looked like.

Art

I bought it on release day and have watched it three times.
That bad huh Art?
Oh, maybe that's what "tier 3" means. ;)

I'm baited on this one now and I can't wait for more older classics. Can I admit that I'm looking forward to Singin in the Rain? I grew up watching these old movies on 25" boxes and broken up by 100 commercials and host chit chatting and so now I look forward to seeing them better then they were in the theaters when my parents went to see them - for us older guys do you remember when you got to see two movies and cartoons and ZERO commercials and sometimes entertainment between the movies - the Movie House was a great babysitter in those days for our parents.

Gary or anyone else if you rent the The Searchers view the trailor on the history of the film and how it was produced. It was a pretty bold movie for it's time and demonstrates the change in society even though man still struggles as John Wayne portrayed in this story and the unique filming style used by the Director. According to those interviewed in the Trailor's it's become a standard for students of film and the interviews on the HD DVD help one better understand it's importance and John Wayne was excellent IMO in this one. :)

too bad (for me) that Butch & Sundance is a Fox (BD) title.

I finished watching the movie last night. Picture quality-wise, it was an odd mix of filming styles, some nice 3-D sharp detailed images, some soft focus shots, and like I had mentioned, some shots looked like they smeared vaseline on the lens. Movie-wise, I enjoyed it, and it was nice to see the documentary afterwards, I hadn't seen Redford in a few years, he is starting to look like Paul McCartney to me.

some shots looked like they smeared vaseline on the lens.


This particular thing is quite common in late 60's and early 70's filming. Watch Hell in the Pacific , Patton, Catch 22 and Papillion for a similar look.

Art

This particular thing is quite common in late 60's and early 70's filming. Watch Hell in the Pacific , Patton, Catch 22 and Papillion for a similar look.

Art

I owned the Papillion dvd and watch it every time it is on television (various channels). Great film and nice picture. I must have missed the "looks like vaseline smeared on the lens" effect that you say is common.

BTW Dirty Dozen looks even better than "The Sting" IMHO

classics are better like never before, I can also attest to Forbidden Planet ;) , which I know Art loves, I wasn't surprised by it at all because I already viewed a stellar airing from HDNet Movies

-Gary

The Sting is one of my all time favorites. I think the transfer is very true to the original & am totally satisfied with my purchase of this HD DVD.

I watched this back in January and it does look great, but more importantly is that it's just a great movie. With so many polished turds getting so much press in these new HD formats. It's movies like this that make the price of admission worthwhile.

The Sting is one of the most well written movies ever and with class performances by a bunch of fantastic actors. It's in my top five films ever and looks fabulous on HD-DVD. Not to be missed.

Saw it from Netflix recently. It's amazing to see how these older movies like this one, The Deer Hunter, Blazing Saddles, Grand Prix, and Casablanca can look so pristine and detailed. A big plus for HD DVD, IMO, that they have such classics getting the high def treatment.


I checked Netflix and it only showed the SD version. I put it in my Que but did not have the option to choosed HD DVD over DVD version.

CMRA I do not like John Wayne, I have never watched or owned his films, I will be picking up The Searchers though

-Gary
The Searchers does look good.

Gary, how do you do it?

24 years old, a student, and a bonanza like this:

Birthday:
December 25, 1983
Your HT Gear:
NEC 1352LC PJ w/ DVI HDCP, Sony S1 and Toshiba XA2 HD players, 2 x Sony 995v DVD changers, DVDO VP50 scaler, Boston AVP7 Pre/Amp,, Atlantic Tech A-2000 Amp, Atlantic Tech THX Ultra 7.1 System 370 w/ Dual Subs
Your HT Gear (more space):
Auralex Acoustics, Pioneer F1009 cd changer, 3 Panamax EX units (2 x 20amp), Belkin PureAV UPS, entire system is Beldon/canare 1694a homemade cables
Location:
Kentucky
Interests:
take a guess
Occupation:
Criminal Justice Student

And, I bet you have 100+ HD/BD titles to boot.

Thanks CMRA

I have around 140 titles :D

actually it's pretty simple for me to lay out

A) I am blessed
B) I have owned and ran a few small business ventures since I was 15
C) I live with the folks still

thanks

-Gary

Thanks CMRA

I have around 140 titles :D

actually it's pretty simple for me to lay out

A) I am blessed
B) I have owned and ran a few small business ventures since I was 15
C) I live with the folks still

thanks

-Gary

And, not to mention, time for 7200+ posts! :D

Ordered today (with Dirty Dozen) from Amazon, ty for the PQ and AQ review Gary. :)

Love this movie. I thought Casablanca was pretty good also, but I know people had complaints about the transfer.

Thanks CMRA

I have around 140 titles :D

actually it's pretty simple for me to lay out

A) I am blessed
B) I have owned and ran a few small business ventures since I was 15
C) I live with the folks still

thanks

-Gary

All you had to mention was C. If I could only give it all back to go home...

Don't forget us young guys too. I'm finally able to watch a classic older movie "theatrically" on my projector in HD. That alone is huge for me. Other than catching something at the AFI Silver Theatre, there wouldn't be much opportunity for me to enjoy the greats the way they're meant to be seen.

I'm baited on this one now and I can't wait for more older classics. Can I admit that I'm looking forward to Singin in the Rain? I grew up watching these old movies on 25" boxes and broken up by 100 commercials and host chit chatting and so now I look forward to seeing them better then they were in the theaters when my parents went to see them - for us older guys do you remember when you got to see two movies and cartoons and ZERO commercials and sometimes entertainment between the movies - the Movie House was a great babysitter in those days for our parents.

Don't forget us young guys too. I'm finally able to watch a classic older movie "theatrically" on my projector in HD. That alone is huge for me. Other than catching something at the AFI Silver Theatre, there wouldn't be much opportunity for me to enjoy the greats the way they're meant to be seen.

exactly ;)

all of us here didn't see The Sting in the local theater :eek: :D

-Gary

I did see it for the 1st time in Mar 1974, right after my 13th birthday ;)

This is a good point and one that has made my theater such a great investment. I get to watch films very close to the quality of first runs in the day (whatever day that might have been) now that we have 1080p and HD.If it were just recent releases I'd not have built the room but hundreds of greats out there. It is a great time to be alive if you are into this stuff. :)

Art

I thought Casablanca was pretty good also, but I know people had complaints about the transfer.And what complaints have you heard?
I would venture to say none that are valid.
IMO, watching Casablanca in HD is like being in a first-rate theater, watching it in it's initial run in the early 40's, only better ;)
My only complaint is that we haven't gotten The Maltese Falcon, To Have and Have Not, Passage to Marseille and Treasure of the Sierra Madre yet.
We need more classics dammit!

And what complaints have you heard?
I would venture to say none that are valid.
IMO, watching Casablanca in HD is like being in a first-rate theater, watching it in it's initial run in the early 40's, only better ;)
My only complaint is that we haven't gotten The Maltese Falcon, To Have and Have Not, Passage to Marseille and Treasure of the Sierra Madre yet.
We need more classics dammit!

So true ! :)

Art

And what complaints have you heard?
I would venture to say none that are valid.
IMO, watching Casablanca in HD is like being in a first-rate theater, watching it in it's initial run in the early 40's, only better ;)
My only complaint is that we haven't gotten The Maltese Falcon, To Have and Have Not, Passage to Marseille and Treasure of the Sierra Madre yet.
We need more classics dammit!

Watched "To have and have not" last year for the first time .
Great Bogart/Bacall her debut , wasnt it ...Wow...
Bring on the greats !!
Bob

Casablanca looks marvelous. Anyone complaining about that disc is trolling.

Casablanca looks marvelous. Anyone complaining about that disc is trolling.


Agreed.

Art

Casablanca's one of the "oldies" that I haven't got around to watching as yet.
Watched Robin Hood, The Searchers and Grand Prix so far and was mightily impressed, not only with the great PQ (sharpness, vivid colours and even some 3D effects) but, as I'd never seen either of these three movies before, they turned out to be very good films as well, and real discoveries for me.
I wonder if we'll see some of the older WWII movies appear in HD; the likes of Cross of Iron, Young Lions, Battle of Britain and Bridge at Remagen.

Watched "To have and have not" last year for the first time .
Great Bogart/Bacall her debut , wasnt it ...Wow...
Bring on the greats !!
Bob

My favorite of their's is Big Sleep.

Art

I have to ask. Why are people suporting the gimic and ( just a way to make more money) of hd dvd, or blue ray. IMO first off, they both wont make it so buying one right now is just foolish. Two, you need a complete upgrade on your whole system, if you are running comp switching, and you have to make sure your tv is converting to 1080p also. To me its just not worth the money to rebuy all my dvd's and or a new player, I do have the xbox and ps3 so that will be the only players I will use, but I never use them to watch movies. All my movies are played through my arcam dv78. Third to me to really get a picture better then this, kinda takes away from the movie in the first place, when you see any movie on screen its great, large, and fit to the screan, but they are not in HD, you see grain, imperfections, and thats what makes movies great. Sound wise do any of use even use dts, what is your favorite format. thx is really a gimic and if you dont have a over large room you really should only use 5.1 Just me I know I will piss alot of people off on this, I just think this is just one more way that people waste money and give in to supply's just to make money. REmember when everyone said cd was the way to go, and its better then vynle? Well If you have any ear at all, you know cd's cant compare to the sound you get on records, same things go for when they came out with ss amps, now everyone wants to get back to tubes, stop destroying the pure of the hobby. Enough is enough.


Well why didn't you just stick with VHS? Why didn't you (or anyone else for that matter) stick with reel to reel for audio? Why did people change from 8 to 16 to 32 and now 64 bit computers? Why didn't we just stay with VGA instead of moving to SVGA? Why don't we stick with big bulb crts? Why in the heck did we have to have plasma, lcd, etc.? Why didn't we just stick with mono? Why did we have to go to stereo and then 5.1, 6.1, 7.1? Why didn't we just stick with thatched roofs and horses?

Why didn't we just stick with thatched roofs and horses?

:D

Back on topic. Art mentioned The Big Sleep (which I have on SD). Yep. Lets add that one to the list of "oldies" I'd love to see in HD :)

Because thatched roofs can't support the weight of CRTs of course! :)

I have to ask. Why are people suporting the gimic and ( just a way to make more money) of hd dvd, or blue ray. IMO first off, they both wont make it so buying one right now is just foolish. Two, you need a complete upgrade on your whole system, if you are running comp switching, and you have to make sure your tv is converting to 1080p also. To me its just not worth the money to rebuy all my dvd's and or a new player, I do have the xbox and ps3 so that will be the only players I will use, but I never use them to watch movies. All my movies are played through my arcam dv78. Third to me to really get a picture better then this, kinda takes away from the movie in the first place, when you see any movie on screen its great, large, and fit to the screan, but they are not in HD, you see grain, imperfections, and thats what makes movies great. Sound wise do any of use even use dts, what is your favorite format. thx is really a gimic and if you dont have a over large room you really should only use 5.1 Just me I know I will piss alot of people off on this, I just think this is just one more way that people waste money and give in to supply's just to make money. REmember when everyone said cd was the way to go, and its better then vynle? Well If you have any ear at all, you know cd's cant compare to the sound you get on records, same things go for when they came out with ss amps, now everyone wants to get back to tubes, stop destroying the pure of the hobby. Enough is enough.

This is a simple one. It sounds like you care about audio quality,if one has any consideration for video presentation quality and you aren't getting HD optical you aren't seeing anything close to the best video presentation available period.

Art

HD is not a gimmick. The resolution proves that, it's real and I didn't have to update one piece of equipment. Component and optical tos have been out for quite a while now. Other then that Leo you have a point. Now to enjoy the best in AQ you may need a receiver with analogs in (that is hit and miss) or HDMI, which you might consider new'ish and a new receiver could be in order. But with either you will have better AQ over DVD and again it won't be a gimmick, it is scientifically better. Many people report that they are "blown away" by the increase in quality.

I shouldn't reply to obvious flamebait:
Lil leo, does your retro stance extend to not using the paragraph form of posting?
It makes drivel, off topic posts and unsubstantiated claims much easier to ignore ;)

To continue, there are hundreds of classic movies I'm looking forward to.
One of my all timers has got to be The Best Years of Our Lives.
What an absolutely perfect movie,imo. I laughed, I cried. Literally.
BTW anyone know who owns the rights to Samuel Goldwyn productions?
These would be a treasure trove.
If you say Sony\MGM, I'll puke.

Speaking of 'classic' movies, I saw "Cover Girl" on TCM the other night. It starred Rita Hayworth and Gene Kelly. I'll tell ya' guys she was one helluva' knockout. :D

It's distributed by Columbia and may never make it out of the vault; but I'd love to see this in 1080p Technicolor. I've never been in to song-n-dance routines, but this was a very good movie. Or maybe I just enjoyed looking at Rita. Beautiful Rita. :D

Never seen this movie. Bought it after seeing this thread. Watched it last night. Wow. I was totally fooled at the end, great classic film.

Yeah, the second was sadly disappointing.

Yeah, the second was sadly disappointing.

Yes. Saying that however, the "first" Sting was a very hard act to follow :)
And it does look stunning in HD!

Speaking of 'classic' movies, I saw "Cover Girl" on TCM the other night. It starred Rita Hayworth and Gene Kelly. I'll tell ya' guys she was one helluva' knockout. :D

It's distributed by Columbia and may never make it out of the vault; but I'd love to see this in 1080p Technicolor. I've never been in to song-n-dance routines, but this was a very good movie. Or maybe I just enjoyed looking at Rita. Beautiful Rita. :D

My opinion is Rita was the best looking woman in Hollywood around that time and one of the best looking ever in film.

Art

I have to ask. Why are people suporting the gimic and ( just a way to make more money) of hd dvd, or blue ray. IMO first off, they both wont make it so buying one right now is just foolish. Two, you need a complete upgrade on your whole system, if you are running comp switching, and you have to make sure your tv is converting to 1080p also. To me its just not worth the money to rebuy all my dvd's and or a new player, I do have the xbox and ps3 so that will be the only players I will use, but I never use them to watch movies. All my movies are played through my arcam dv78. Third to me to really get a picture better then this, kinda takes away from the movie in the first place, when you see any movie on screen its great, large, and fit to the screan, but they are not in HD, you see grain, imperfections, and thats what makes movies great. Sound wise do any of use even use dts, what is your favorite format. thx is really a gimic and if you dont have a over large room you really should only use 5.1 Just me I know I will piss alot of people off on this, I just think this is just one more way that people waste money and give in to supply's just to make money. REmember when everyone said cd was the way to go, and its better then vynle? Well If you have any ear at all, you know cd's cant compare to the sound you get on records, same things go for when they came out with ss amps, now everyone wants to get back to tubes, stop destroying the pure of the hobby. Enough is enough.

Where did this guy come from? Nothing personal, but do you really think we can't SEE a difference? Or, appreciate it for that matter? (audio is a different animal).
Waste? Compared to what? I waited four plus years for this. Permit me to enjoy my adventure. Thankyou very much.

Fletcher said it best, "It takes all kinds to make a world."

leo, you're trolling, now knock it off and move on.
Why not go to a Tube Amp forum and make your "point" there about how tubes suck. None of your posts have anything to do with the thread topic.
BTW it's spelled gimmick not gimic.

All im stating is that blue ray and or hd dvd players are a gimic if you dont have all the equipment that you need to have a ful 1080p.

I've had a display that could accept and display (although not resolve completely) HD for over ten years. I've been waiting for prerecorded HD on disc for that long. There is a large difference on good displays and a difference that makes looking at SD difficult afterwards on better displays.

I think you simply don't have the gear or the eye or both . I agree if that's all there was to your original post you need to move on since you simply don't get it.

Art

so what the heck is this movie about? i've never seen it, is it fun?
is this a "blind buy?"

so what the heck is this movie about? i've never seen it, is it fun?
is this a "blind buy?"

The Sting is one of the greatest movies ever made IMO. It's about a friend getting killed by a mobster and getting even. Any more will spoil it but it is a great great film and looks very nice on HDDVD.

Art

There is a large difference on good displays and a difference that makes looking at SD difficult afterwards on better displays.

Art

Here, here. I'm in the same boat without the benefit of Art's State of the Art (pun intended) setup. HDDVD is a Godsend and anything less simply won't do anymore...at over 100 inches that is.

You're in for a treat. One of the best films made (IMHO of course). And a good introduction to Scott Joplin, for those who aren't familiar with his Ragtime music from the early 1900s.I agree. This is one of the best 'crafted' movies I've ever seen and it's thoroughly enjoyable. While it's not the HD DVD movie I'd put on to show off the format it's never looked better. If you're a movie buff, this deserves to be in your collection.

Finally watched this great movie in its entirety on HD DVD.
PQ isn't the greatest when compared to some of the available visual feasts on HD, but I hadn't watched The Sting in over a year and boy does this HD DVD version bring the movie to life.
The source material doesn't seem to be that great but more subtle things come out crystal clear on screen in HD. The actor's suits and shirts no longer shimmer (like they do on SD) allowing the complex patterns and texture of the cloth (all picked by the costume dpt. to be as authentic to the 1930s as possible) to finally just be enjoyed.
Room interiors are a joy to peruse. And little things like the scene where from across the street we see Hooker arrive at the merry-go-round building, you can now clearly see Eileen Brennan in the shade of the stairwell sweeping the stairs. This and many other details, I'd never noticed before on SD.
Worth the upgrade to HD DVD? Most definitely.

Is the movie worth it? Should I even be asking this question?
It's probably (IMO certainly) one of the best movies ever made, which any film buff should at least see twice; once while trying to follow the twists and turns of the plot, and the second and all subsequent times to work out what's actually going on

In the extras, the comment is made that there's always something new to discover when watching The Sting again. There is. I've watched this movie some thirty times since first discovering it the 80s, and yet again picked up some new things, that clarified the plot and characters, watching it on HD DVD this evening.

I saw this when it first came out or shortly after on campus. A wonderful film with some great performances. Redford and Newman of course. Then there is the late greats Robert Shaw and Ray Walston and Harold Gould, just for starters. Of course there is Marvin Hamlisch's Oscar winning adaptation of Scott Joplin's music. Ok time to get this on HD DVd be back after a BB run to fry off my 10% rewards zone coupon.

Gary

I watched this HD DVD movie for the third time just last week. What a wonderful movie. It won't win any PQ or AQ contests due to the source, but it is excellent in both departments, and still is the best presentation you're going to see at home.

I can't recommend this title enough. :cool:

Does "The Sting" have edge enhancement like so many of Universal's other catalog releases?

Thanks,
Tom

It does not appear to have edge enhancement. While I agree this won't win any picture quality contests, it has a very authentic filmlike presentation IMHO.

Just finished watching the disc, and can verify that there is NO edge enhancement. Like earlier posters, I'm not particularly interested in 90% of the new releases that are issued in HD (RUSH HOUR 3? please) and the various junky catalog films. Consequently, it's a total and utter pleasure to see films like THE STING, THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD, FORBIDDEN PLANET, and THE SEARCHERS out there and looking so good. All films deserve the best presentation possible, no matter how poor the film, but it seems to me that there should be a lot more interest in maximizing the presentation quality of classics like these rather than the latest Keanu Reeves film. Discs like THE STING are gifts to movie fans. In my mind, it's one of the most impressive transfers I've seen so far. KING KONG might get the nod in terms of pure demo material, but THE STING is a truly great transfer - an accurate and faithful representation of how the movie looked on film (which, BTW, I've seen as recently as December). A belated kudos to Universal.

What are you guys smoking? The Sting looked like utter horse **** on my XA2.

What are you guys smoking? The Sting looked like utter horse **** on my XA2.Hmmm, what are YOU smoking? I also have an XA2, but it doesn't have a display!!!??! ;)

Hmmm, what are YOU smoking? I also have an XA2, but it doesn't have a display!!!??! ;)

Nice.

For what it's worth, I watched it on an XA2. Looked great.

Who knows...

Nice.

For what it's worth, I watched it on an XA2. Looked great.

Who knows...

It was terrible. In two separate scene I saw screen tearing for petes sake!

I have watched this movie on the XA2 and RS1 and I thought it looked great too. Also, I wanted to chime in on how much I enjoy this movie. The poker game scene on the train, is likely me all time favorite scene in any movie. Paul Newman at his best.

It was terrible. In two separate scene I saw screen tearing for petes sake!

Sad isn't it? The Sting is one of the greats, but sadly the masters of these movies are not being taking care of, well not all of them. Hopefully more movies can be transfered and cleaned up before they turn to goo.

I sure not everyone agrees with me, but my wife and I love the classics. Of course I like a good shoot em film just like everyone else, but there was a time before special effects ruled, when the story had to draw you in.

Watched this the other night.

While the transfer was far from great, it was ok. Once the story drew you in, it became easy to forgive the misgivings and just bask in the greatness of the movie.

Fabulous stuff.

Watched this the other night.

While the transfer was far from great, it was ok and once, the story drew you in, it became easy to forgive the misgivings and just bask in the greatness of the movie.

Fabulous stuff.

IMO truly one of the greatest films ever !

Art

Just ordered the HD-DVD version...can't wait after reading the posts on this thread.

Sorry to dredge up this old thread, but I just watched this title again tonight and still can't state enough how great the movie itself really is.

It's also a title that justifies keeping the HD DVD players as it still isn't out on BD yet. Strangely enough, not a lot of titles that were on HD DVD that were then put on BD seemed to justify repurchasing the BD versions (in fact, in some cases, the BD looks worse because the title's been altered via DNR, EE, lame filtering, etc....as some people have stated in the Apollo 13 threads).

Something else that's kind of funny, is that they have a "Universal Legacy Series" DVD for about $25 on Amazon as of now, but you can get a significantly better HD DVD version for about $7 brand new.

If you've seen this movie before, you know what I'm talking about. If you haven't, this should be an absolute blind buy.

I love The Sting, it was the second title I purchased after I got my HD DVD player.I'm surprised The Sting has not come to BD yet as it was a huge hit in its day, $156 mil back in 1973 which is equivalent to about $678 mil today.