Jaws - Robert Harris review (see post #1 for link) - Page 10

Mike, are you convinced that it's a DNR disaster? I didn't really get that from your post. Is this "Patton, The Shark Years"?

Ok, so we have detail smearing due to DNR. Is it as bad as disappearing fireballs in Gladiator?

I haven't heard anything about shark touchups - did you notice them?

I posted about the touch ups. If it was indeed touched up its very subtle and simply made the shark look as realistic as a fake shark could. I tried watching the DVD last night and there was just not enough resolution to see it clearly. I guess we'll have to compare it to a HD cable broadcast. A restoration would bring out the flaws and not make a fake shark look better, so IMO it was touched up...
Another part that I hadnt noticed before is when the shark enters the lagoon. It looks like a submarine surfacing and was not noticeable on the DVD.

Not sure of the provenance of these, (and I apologize if they were posted previously) but there's a good amount of grain on display and in any case, they look better than my 1080i HDTV MPEG-2 version:

Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)

Looks like a slightly different frame (the kid's head moves) and 720p (also more compressed, of course). It has more image left and right, but less top and bottom. So, the 1080p is probably from a new(er) scan. I got them from here, by the way.

Didn't mind Star Wars.

That is indeed one badass sculpt. I'm assuming it was all done from photographs, too.

RAH gives his review of JAWS

After reading this, I am really excited about getting this. I have to say I was a little concerned about it, with it being a Universal product and all.


"For decades, Jaws was my son's favorite film, possibly only now supplanted by the most recent generation of Batman productions. But I can't be certain of that.

I first saw Jaws in late June of 1975, at the beginning of its run, in a standard issue Eastman Color print. Over the years, I've seen many prints, including having owned a dye transfer, now at the Academy Archive. As I recall, that print, made at Technicolor London, had skies with a definite magenta push.

Not so Universal's new Blu-ray.

Color looks accurate. At least to my eye, dead-on perfect.

Densities from the Cineric immersion scan of the OCN, are terrific.

Black levels, image stability, digital clean-up and fixes, are all in line with the latest high end technical abilities. Grain may have gone through some reduction, but I'm seeing nothing problematic, and by that I refer to what may be considered "forensic" digital grain anomalies. It looks just fine.

Audio, which concerned me, when I noted that it came up as 7.1, is a joy. I neglected to sample the 2.0 mono. What I heard, and I viewed about half an hour of the film from different sequences, sounded superb -- created with a light and intelligent hand. A wonderfully immersive experience.

From a filmmaking standpoint, everyone is aware of Mr. Williams' iconic score, but I find it difficult to view the film without a huge tip of the hat to the great Verna Fields, who created much of this film in the editing room. Hard to believe that Ms. Fields has been gone for 30 years.

Universal's team has done a great job.

Buy a copy. Enjoy it, and send some flowers to the team as a "thank you."

Image - 5
Audio - 5

Very Highly Recommended.

RAH"

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/t/322696/a-few-words-about-jaws-in-blu-ray

Fantastic, rockin' good news!

I'm encouraged. Can't wait to check it out myself!

Spiffy. Hope RAH isn't in one of his overly generous moods today...

... like w/: "Patton"?
... like w/: "The Longest Day"??
... like w/: "U-571"???
... like the reason I don't even read his video "reviews" any more????

Hoping for the best w/this release!
... and if RAH wants too share a history lesson bout the film I'm all for that!!

Well, if RAH is correct then it'll be the first catalog title I can remember that Universal didn't screw up in some fashion. Of course, it doesn't hurt if the title is one of Spielberg's biggest classics.

RAH isn't using hyperbole. I've been marveling at this transfer all day. It is brilliantly textured -- background details I've never noticed before come into clear focus here. It's like looking at a photograph in motion, the transfer IS that good. This is unquestionably one of the best catalog BD's from ANY label, never mind Universal. BRAVO!

My memory is that RAH gave Patton a bad review, but qualified it by saying that Mr Average using a 42" LCD with default settings would love it!

From my experience the only time RAH really pushed a contrary view to the AVS crowd, was with his support for green tint on Fellowship of the Ring, and perhaps Dracula?! For both of these it was qualified that this is what the filmmakers wanted for these transfers.

He even gave Casino Royal BR a kicking at the height of the format war!

RAH on balance is a pretty critical reviewer, calling out lots of discs, that get white wash praise in a lot of other places.

It must be pretty upsetting for him the way Spartacus and My Fair Lady turned out on BR, after working hard on quality celluloid restorations. But he still called out the discs for their obvious failing, when he could have just ignored them and saved himself the heartache of what is clearly an absurd state of affairs.

There are a lot of other BR reviewers that deserve to be singled out for their lack of critical reviewing, for me RAH would be very near the back of the line.

Those are very strong words. Are you hyperbolizing on RAH's behalf? You're making it sound like it's up there with Ben Hur.

And that was exactly the case. The average person thought Patton looked gorgeous as it's incredibly colorful, shiny, and bright.

Using Patton as a classic example, RAH helped inform the mainstream regarding the problems with excessive DNR and processing as that was the title which really brought light to the problem some of us saw from the outset of the HD formats (and even going back further to DVD as DVDs were often far more filtered and sharpened than necessary).

Harris said he didnt see the green tint at all....thats what didnt make sense.

Review with png screenshots: www.highdefdiscnews.com/?p=87073

I'm sure it's already well known for people following this more closely than I... but that linked review is the first confirmation I've seen that this disc includes the original mono soundtrack (albeit in lossy form). Very happy about this. I always appreciate it when I'm given the choice to watch and listen to the original product.

Looks just a tad over dnr'ed but not offensive by any means. (And it may be just fine in motion.)

Sign me up.

another perfect score from highdefdigest.com

Well, surely completely suspect, then.