Gladiator Master Blu-ray Comparison and Review Thread - Page 45

There are PLENTY of women who want their Gladiator to be in PRISTINE condition, free of EE & DNR, thank you very much.

Has ANYONE actually got their hands on the European release of Gladiator on Bluray.

Because, I've read on another Audio/Video site that an early review of it says to IGNORE the American Release reviews, and that theirs is top notch.

I find it very doubtful it is any different.

But who knows, until someone actually receives it and compares it themself, theres always that sliver of hope.

I was going by what Bill Hunt at the Digital Bits said -

What it looks like to me (though it's impossible to be sure, obviously), is that someone at Universal (keep in mind, it's Universal that controls the Gladiator assets for DreamWorks - not Paramount), decided to reuse the digital master of older, sub-par HD transfer.

My take... Overall i am glad i purchased this, especially considering the overall cost ($8). very inconsistant . Most scenes look good.. even great to me from up close on my 54" g10. (i normally sit ~10ft away so even better still) a few scenes are pretty bad, Like just?after the execution attempt.. after you see he is wounded, they show a shot of him, and he looks like a ghost.. his face looks like a snow storm of dnr and there is noise everywhere. then, things clear up again. anyone that does not think its a big impovement over dvd is crazy. i would compare it to dark knight or blood diamond, great then pretty bad at times. audio is very good too. I truly believe that, because 85% of us will be viewing this from beyond thx distances, they will enjoy it greatly. get over the fact that it could have been better. if they do an exchange, great, if not, enjoy it.

Just compared the Bluray (netflix reantal) to my older, theatrical release DVD.
While this Bluray is not among the best I've seen, or own, it isn't awful. It's certainly better looking than the DVD. I waited to open my store bought copy until I could check it out via rental. Bottom line, I'm keeping it. The Bestbuy deal and mail in rebates did make it an easier decision.

In reading some of these comments, it seems some people sit awfully close to their displays. My main setup is a 132" diag screen, Pioneer FPJ1, and Panasonic BD55. I sit about 18-20 feet away. I also have a 55" Sony LCD with a Panny BD30, I sit about 11-12 feet away from that, and a 42" Panasonic Plasma with a Panny BD35, I sit about 9feet away from it. IMO, nothing looks all that great if you sit too close. I've tried moving my seating closer, but for me these distances seem to yield the best quality while still trying to maintain some kind of immersive experience.

Honestly, if the extended scenes look dramatically better than the theatrical scenes, how is that competent?



IMHO that's wildly inconsistent and shows you how with a bit more effort the whole film could have looked amazing instead of just "acceptable"

Here is the UK review:

When Gladiator was released on DVD – complete with amazing DTS soundtrack – it became a test disc essential here at What Hi-fi? Sound and Vision towers. Hans Zimmer’s stirring score still gets regular review use in our hi-fi rooms, but it’s been a while since Crowe and co. have had a cinematic spin. This BD’s arrival has changed that...

Ignore early US previews berating a poor visual transfer (did they expect Disney animation?) – you get Gladiator as Ridley Scott intended: filmic and epic. For every touch of (authentic) grain you get a dollop of fresh HD detail – from facial expressions to costume frippery, there’s more to see and enjoy.

The Blu-ray offers both the 155-minute standard version of the film and an extended, 172-minute edition (which Scott, in a special intro, explains is more than a director’s cut). Those 16 additional minutes consist of a few well-chosen deleted scenes that give further insight into characters great and small (remember the slave that has pre-fight bladder issues? We find out why he’s not go-to gladiatorial material), plus longer cuts of existing scenes.

Some of the extension isn’t essential – yes, Joaquin, we get it; Commodus is a seriously twisted Caesar geezer – but in balance it makes the movie a fresher, more thorough watch.

Meanwhile, the CGI stands up well in the HD world – some bloopers and poorer effects haven’t been cleaned up, though: those tigers still suck...

So, the picture’s a worthy upgrade from DVD – if not the hyper-real, eye-popping variety boasted by some Blu-rays – but Gladiator deservedly won one of its five Oscars for sound, and it’s here that the high-definition advantage is most apparent.

It may ‘only’ be a 5.1 mix, but the DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack is a room-filling spectacular. From the opening battle scenes (“unleash hell!”) to the gladiatorial contests, action sequences will provide your subwoofer and surround steering with a workout (and your face with a grin), while dialogue is clear and Zimmer’s music dynamic.

Finally, a mention for this double-disc’s 11 hours of extras. Lavish attention has been paid to just about every detail – whether that’s having separate audio commentaries for the different movie edits, or the U-Control feature that allows you to ‘tag’ scenes of interest when watching the film on disc one; then go behind the scenes of just those moments on disc two.

So, buy this disc, fire up your cinema system and unleash the high-definition might and majesty of Rome at home. Hail Ridley!

Here is a response to the review:

Totally agree with this review. I haven't read the stateside reviews that Claire refers to, but I have seen a preview copy of this Blu-ray on a reference system and my jaw was permanently dropped. Sound was spectacular (even without the extra channel) with amazing detail, especially in the busy scenes, and the transfer was brilliant. It looked like the film it is and I'd prefer that anyday to something that's been scrubbed to try and give an extra "sharp" look.

And this from KYThrill over at HighDefDigest:

I think it is also important to note that the review states the disc uses U-Control. As far as I know the US version is not U-Control (Universal's approach to java menus). So it looks like the US and UK versions use totally different disc authoring too.

There's no question about that. The farther away you sit from your screen, the better the picture's going to look. That's because at that distance you're not seeing everything that's in the picture. I could do the same thing by taking my glasses off. Everything looks good through a blur.

John

We need screen comparisons before we can get super pissed that the UK may actually have a decent transfer.

I agree, but I wouldn't be super pissed, I'd be happy, cause I'd order it IMMEDIATELY.

But I'm still very doubtful its any different

And the UK version is region-locked, right?

Unless Paramount took what Universal gave them and ran it through whatever dirt and scratch removal software that was applied to the US release, I suspect the UK version will look exactly the same.

Well said, I couldn't agree more.

This is a gigantic thread, so I haven't read it all but are there two transfers or is it the same over the world ?
Some of the screenshots in the first post are just horrible, e.g. the screenshot were you have the ballista's and the arrows (that BD shot is really baaad).

I doubt it. You will have to judge for yourself which reviews are to be believed:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gladiator-Bl.../dp/B001XCW6W4

How so?

They didn't really do anything at all.

They took an old, old transfer originally made for use for DVD release and sent it through a heavy bout of digital manipulation designed to disguise the fact that they were using an old transfer. They even had a more recent, much better looking transfer they could've used (the one for the 2K5 DVD release) yet they inexplicably didn't. The old HDTV broadcast is virtually identical apart from the fact that it doesn't suffer from the horrible side effects of heavy DNR / EE use.

What about this release is competent?

If they're going to create a new class of "high end" BluRay branding and charge a premium for those under its brand they could at least create a new transfer or at the very worst use their most recent made-for-dvd transfer. If a BluRay from 2K9 looks worse than an HDTV broadcast from a few years ago, nothing in particular stands out as being done competently.

A big +1 from me.....
I bought both Gladiator and Braveheart last night and checked out most of Gladiator.

This is a very good looking disc,not at all the horrible looking mess that many are labeling.

Here are my impressions:
There is a slightly edgy quality to the outdoor scenes.
There is a very high level of detail throughout.Skin has pores,bumps and stubble(of course no stubble on Connie Nielson).
The details in the swords and armor stand out.
Colors are balanced from cold blue to warm desert reds.
If there is any DNR,I was unable to detect it as a negative.
I saw all the arrows....
(I saw the Theatrical version first and then checked out some of the extended version and I don't feel that the extended scenes look as good as many claim)

Overall I'm happy I have one of my favorite movies on BR!
Could Gladiator look better?
Sure,but so can a great majority of HD titles on Blu-Ray.
Was an old master used?
Is there DNR used?
Is there EE?
I don't really know or particularly care,I bought the disc FOR THE CONTENT!
That's just me.

And FWIW,there are no underhanded methods used by the studios involved with Gladiator to put out anything less than a stellar product.
If you wish to be vocal about your personal dissatifaction with the HD transfer of Gladiator on BR,it should be sent with a flaming arrow to one Mr.Ridley Scott!
I highly doubt that anyone involved with the production of the Gladiator BR would have made ANY decisions re:the quality of the disc WITHOUT dealing with Mr.Scott.
Top-Directors like Michael Bay,Ridley Scott, James Cameron,Peter Jackson,David Fincher and Steven Spielberg just to name a few,have final say and approval on every facet of their films-that's what they fight for and that's what they eventually get.
So if there is anything amiss with a particular title's A/V quality,well then blame the filmakers,not the studio per se.
Just my opinion

releasing your disc under some kind of "sapphire" premium label would imply some kind of quality differentiation from a regular ol' Paramount blu-ray. the fact that it's actually worse than most is pretty underhanded, i'd say.

^^^ ...and that's REALLY what the fuss is about. Don't label something to be superior and then not deliver. Sure the competition is dead, but SHEESH! We're not idiots. Not getting one cent from me on Gladiator until re-issued and confirmed. Bought Braveheart and smiled!

I wouldn't call it underhanded....more like STUPID.
Where was the Quality Control?

Paramount goes to all the trouble of starting a new BD label ostensibly designed to attract attention to special studio releases (from a marketing POV).
Aaaaaand they drop the ball.
I'll bet there are some unhappy folks in Paramount's video marketing dept. right now.

My apologies if I stepped on your toes GGG.

Forget the numbers- they can be way too vague, and they change from screen to screen based on screensize and viewing distance. The closer you sit, the worse it looks, whereas with the HDTV recording, the opposite is true.

I guess we could say that this woman doesn't see this title the same as our own geekyglassesgirl here on AVS.

The DVD has the same content though? This is my least favorite argument in favor of half-assed Blu-rays.

If you just want the DVD in higher resolution upscale that sucker.

The closer you sit, the worse it looks. What might be a 7.5 at 2x viewing distance, might be a 6 once you scooch your chair up to 1.5x screen distance, and a 5 once you're at 1x. Any closer than 2x screen distance with Gladiator, and it starts looking bad. But with the HDTV recording, you can keep getting closer and closer, at least to 1x, and see more finer detail without any flaws present (maybe compression artifacts, but that should have been where Blu-ray came in and improved)

It's like comparing two women's faces: one has makeup to cover some acne, the other has perfectly clear, unblemished skin. They might look the same from 10 feet away, but as you get closer you start to see the makeup on the one and prefer the woman without any cakey foundation.

Moral of the story: the bigger the screen, the closer women will let you get to them.

My thoughts, along with screenshots.

Re: The Sand Pebbles

And a great, great movie. Everybody take a break from Gladiator-bashing and go watch The Sand Pebbles. You'll feel better. (If you don't, maybe you don't really love movies as much as you think you do.)