Gladiator Master Blu-ray Comparison and Review Thread - Page 37

Until someone comes along (or another different encode comes along) and posts something even better than those, and then THAT can be measured, too. So then those gold standard scenes are the new "I've been robbed!" This is garbage!" scenes.

I know I'm stating the obvious, and we all want the best PQ/AQ, I'm just saying I'm a little alarmed at how people are making decisions about quality and the unquantifiable and unpredictable "best it can be." I also find it more than ironic that someone blasted another reviewer from another site for "not even looking at the screenshots before criticizing them"...when there are a plethora of people here blasting the quality of an entire BD without even having watched it.

Sorry to derail the train, here's to hoping LOTR looks and sounds spiffy.

That's not the reasoning. People aren't buying it because the disc was lazily put together, labeling it as a high end brand only adds insult to injury. People don't want to support the mediocrity that Paramount has demonstrated with a number of Catalog titles. They aren't buying it because the aren't happy with the product.

Here's the best solution. Warner does all of Paramounts catalog titles. Paramount handles all of Warner's new titles. Together they make one good BD team

Best Buy's flyer indicates $10 off if you purchase Gladiator and Braveheart on same receipt.

Wonder if Amazon would match?

For sure. Amazon reviews for something that hes been previously released are old ones. Probably because they are intended more for the movie itself, and less for video or audio quality. I'd like to see them start fresh when something is re-released. Like on bluray, extended version etc.

Is it your claim that the Gladiator screen shots are not representative of the look of the disc? Can you point to a single post anywhere that contradicts what people are seeing in the screen shots (ie people who say this is a very high quality release, as opposed to one riddled with DNR and EE?)? Can you point to a post ANYWHERE that even HINTS at the idea that a new, future release of Braveheart is wanted in hopes of further improvements on what everyone acknowledges is a superb release? If not, then I'd say your whole "it's never good enough" notion is utter nonsense.

Not my claim at all. Like I clearly wrote, I found the criticism of another reviewer from another board for not experiencing something he was criticizing somewhat funny, given the fact that people here do the same thing (passing judgement on an entire movie, without even watching it).

Will watch Gladiator soon enough, when Netflix sends it to me.

The "experience" of viewing the screen caps doesn't differ from the "experience" of watching the movie with respect to seeing the EE and DNR, so I don't see that as a valid criticism.

I think I'll watch my Gladiator DVD today.

I share the disappointment and frustration expressed above re DNR/EE and what apparently typifies most of the movie versus what it could have been (the extended footage). Also tantalizing in this regard is how stunning Braveheart is supposed to be. Nonetheless, I will pick up the BR this week. Why? Well, mainly 'cause I promised my daughter we'd watch it Labor Day weekend. Also, I have never seen the extended version and look forward to that added footage. However, I would probably have bought it regardless because of the lossless audio. Many people have great displays but so so audio setups and thus understandably focus more on video quality. Though my setup isn't high end, it is decent (Atlantic mains/center, Mirage surrounds and a DefTech 1000 sub) and has been pro calibrated, so audio is a big part of the experience. In some movies, I think audio ends up being more important than the video (Das Boot is a good example). Plus, for me, the movie itself is the main attraction, with the audio and video being of secondary import. The Fifth Element may be visually stunning but I don't like the movie, so its technical aspects are useless to me. If the movie is great and the audio is great (which the Gladiator BR is supposed to be), then mediocre video I will tolerate - i.e., 2 out of 3 ain't bad. Also, the color and contrast of the BR are supposed to be fine and those are the two biggest factors in video appeal insofar as human perception. So, as much as I agree with the posters who are upset about how the video was unnecessarily degraded, I will look at the glass half-full audio and eagerly await the movie's arrival. Plus, for $18, I can be a bit more tolerant.

I will hope for a upgrade someday but I tend to agree with those who are skeptical such will occur anytime soon.

I am finding with increasing frequency that if it is a movie that I like, it is a death kiss in terms of BD technical quality. But if it is a movie that I have zero interest in, it will get a stellar transfer. This is a fairly recent development - I did not buy 8 BDs this year for that reason. My "no more blind-buys" policy is serving me well. Forums like this is very valuable for me.

Bottom line is folks 9 year old transfers are not going to cut it! We have actually had a number of old dvd transfers put on catalog blurays since spring and they look horrid.

Except that for some, any improvement over the DVD cuts it.

The trouble is Gladiator is a premium film and demands a premium transfer.

I don't think I'll bother with this HD version unless its cheap after a few months.

Exactly. We can cut a lot of slack when a film like Liar Liar! gets the scrub and dub treatment. However when a film like this gets the once over it's very bad for all of us.

As crappy as this transfer is, at least it gives this forum something worth discussing. The forums were getting a little boring for a while, then the screenshots were posted and everyone attacked like a Pit bull on crack.

Can't wait to get my copy of this and Braveheart to check them out for myself.

Ok someones beaten me to it...

Everyone get on Facebook and search for 'Blu-ray Gladiator on Paramounts Sapphire label is defect!'

I wonder what was painted away from The Thing and U-571 since they were run through dirt and scratch removal as well.

No one noticed anything during playback.

We certainly noticed the DNR. Especially on The Thing, where a substantial amount of detail is lost.

As luck would have it, my local blockbuster had both Gladiator and Braveheart on the shelves this weekend so we watched both of them. I think the teenagers working there thought these were just a couple of old films and tossed them in to the rack with all the other older releases (lol).

Braveheart: Awesome! Yes. Very film like and the audio track was superb.

Gladiator: Only watched it once but I'm just an ordinary consumer. I thought it was great and, of course, the soundtrack was fantastic in High Def.

I'll take a more critical look now that I've read through all the heated comments. But, for those of us who enjoy watching an epic film with a fabulous soundtrack in Blu Ray. Go out and rent or buy and enjoy.

I agree totally with the following reviewer's comments (MY TWO CENTS - 8/28/09 - by Digital Bits editor Bill Hunt):

http://www.thedigitalbits.com/#mytwocents

Marcus

The overall quality of this disc was great but many scenes had edge enhancement(EE) which making the picture unnaturally in my screen.The sound was superb than ever,it was panning around 360 degrees.

Please let us know on the PQ when you receive your copy.



I believe DNR is primarily used as a grain reducer.
The average Joe HATES grain.



It wasn't the only time that Oracle and Sage has been proven wrong.

Liar Liar is a top tier film!

I just can't fathom why people think looking at screenshots is silly.. it's pretty much the only way to objectively judge picture quality.

Just because defects are less noticeable in motion does not mean they aren't there.

Problems would also be less noticable if video was watched while operating a jack-hammer. Perhaps this should be prescribed?

There really isn't much you can do to jump to wrong conclusions here.. as long as frame to frame comparisons are made on I-frames and the correct levels are used - there's simply no better way to judge.

Take stick, find dead horse, have fun.

I believe DNR is primarily used as a grain reducer.
The average Joe HATES grain.


I think in general, that's true. Though substituting one distracting artifact for another isn't improving anything. I know there are reasons for grain in film. Including the Director intentionally adding it. But I also find it distracting at times. If it's what the Director wanted, so be it. I don't watch movies with the intent of picking out every little fault. I guess that would make me a lousy reviewer, at least technically speaking. At one end we have people who couldn't care less about all this. At the other end we have people who can't sleep at night because of some detail most other people would not even notice. Put me in the middle somewhere.

Will do

Its not silly - it just isnt representative of what you'll actually see while watching the motion picture. Actually, the "right" way to judge picture quality objectively is to watch the movie in 24fps since thats how it while be watched. I have nothing against screenshots and they have some usefulness. They can help point out issues, just as they have in this thread. But, my overall judgement of this release will happen when I watch the movie on my 50" KURO in my living room. Thats the ultimate acid-test.

I know that the gurus think the average BD buyer is just a stoopid, DNR-loving moron. Thats fine. However, if they dont see this artifacts and they dont effect them, should they lie and pretend its an issue?

Tough call... not sure how this will play out. Not that anyone cares but I'll post MY own findings when I watch this film hopefully Tuesday night. My somewhat modest system based on a 50" KURO and probably represents what average people have.

Sums it up well, IMO. I got into HD DVD and Blu-ray for the upgrade in quality. Any release that is not an upgrade is not going to be purchased by yours truly. I do not understand the "I'll get it as long as it's blu" mentality, but, hey, it's their money (or credit card balance).

This is why I didn't get rid of my DVDs.

The only reason I am even tempted to get this is because of the Best Buy deal. $36 for both movies, and I have a $10 Best Buy Gift Certificate. So, essentially, I'll be paying $3 more than getting Braveheart, by itself. That's cheaper than a rental.

Heck, I can watch it, and then trade it in for $10 credit at the used CD/DVD shop and make money off of it....