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Barrel Rider
Rivendell
Mar 26 2015, 12:21pm
Post #1 of 48
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BotFA DVD Disc Quality?
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We received our copy of "The Battle of the Five Armies" yesterday and watched it for the first time last night. While the movie was fabulous (as always!!), the print of the disc is very disappointing. There is virtually nor red or blue in the picture. The blacks are too black and the scenes appear totally washed out. You couldn't even tell what color Bard and Bilbo's coats were. The grass in the Shire at the end was even yellowish. Kili and Tauriel's love scene at the beach was so faded that they looked actually white! The movie was beautiful every time that we saw it in the theater, but the disc is rather disappointing. Has anyone else noticed anything like this with their copy? We have the two-disc DVD edition.
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Imladris18
Lorien
Mar 26 2015, 3:03pm
Post #2 of 48
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Have you tried a different DVD in the same player?
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This sounds more like a player/connection issue than a disc issue.
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Lindele
Gondor
Mar 26 2015, 5:49pm
Post #4 of 48
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if quality is an issue, the word DVD shouldn't even come up.
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Kilidoescartwheels
Valinor
Mar 26 2015, 6:41pm
Post #5 of 48
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That's where I got mine, I don't recall seeing any color problems, but then again I've only seen it once. I'll watch it again tonight & see if I notice anything - thanks for the excuse! "Yeah, honey, I'm uh, checking the quality - Thorin has nothing to do with it." I know, people burn in Hell for lying
Why yes, I DO look like Anna Friel!
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arithmancer
Grey Havens
Mar 26 2015, 7:53pm
Post #6 of 48
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Someone who has watched DVDs for the last several years because they own a DVD player (presumably, the situation of the OP), will not be complaining that a new DVD looks badly, if it just looks like a DVD. My beloved LotR EE DVDs look more than pretty enough for my satisfaction when I view them. Just as they always have.
Ever watch a movie on a black and white TV on a channel that has mediocre reception in your area? Now *that's* poor quality. 
As someone planning to buy the DVD this weekend, I would like to hear from anyone else who already has one, whether it does or does not, have special quality issues that are discernible to my fellow DVD users. I'd consider not buying it for this reason...
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AshNazg
Grey Havens
Mar 26 2015, 8:23pm
Post #7 of 48
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DVDs are getting serious cuts this year...
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DVDs came out in 1995. Marking the 20 year anniversary, UHD (4K) Blu-rays will be released later this year in an attempt to compete with digital streaming and downloads. Because of this, less money is going into DVDs, and this means a drop in quality and content for the format and there will be no more special/limited/collector's edition DVDs.
So there's a very real and unfortunate possibility that the EE will not be released on DVD at all - as is being discussed in a few home cinema forums. If it is released it'll likely be the last special edition DVD to be produced - the format doesn't have much time left, and distributors don't want to waste money on a format that will be obsolete in 5 years.
Just a heads-up 
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shadowdog
Rohan
Mar 26 2015, 8:49pm
Post #8 of 48
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I bought the blu ray which also had the DVD version
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Just skimmed through the DVD version and didn't notice the problems you described. It is possible you received a bad DVD. I would suggest you return it and get another DVD.
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Barrel Rider
Rivendell
Mar 26 2015, 9:03pm
Post #9 of 48
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Hi! I really appreciate all of the responses on this. Yes, we have been watching DVDs for twelve years. In fact, we own hundreds of them and have a very nice screen, surround sound and the works. Reading through what everyone is saying, we are considering getting a BluRay setup and all the LotR and Hobbit films for Christmas. It seems like it would be worth doing that before spending the money for the Hobbit EEs on DVD.
However, we were only comparing the BotFA DVD to matching theatrical-cut DVDs of UA and DoS. We have decided to return it for a replacement disc (bought it on Amazon as a preorder), so I will be sure to post when that one comes (which should be next week!). I'll let you know if there is any difference with the replacement disc. Oh, and another thing that we noticed on this disc: the base is very loud, so don't be afraid to adjust your sub volume. It really muddied the sound on this third film when we tried it at the same setting we use for the other two. That could just be our sound system, though.
Thank you SO much for the heads-up about Blu-Ray and DVD. You've really made our minds up now, as we are really waiting for the BotFA EE. We've been going back and forth about a BluRay player for a few years, and this really clinches it!
Thanks again for all of the responses. I'll be sure to follow up about the replacement.
Sarah
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Barrow-Wight
Rohan
Mar 26 2015, 9:15pm
Post #10 of 48
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Kili and Tauriel's love scene at the beach
Ew don't word it like that lol but on topic I got the DVD version and it's all fine
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Starling
Half-elven
Mar 27 2015, 7:56am
Post #11 of 48
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is a classic.
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Barrel Rider
Rivendell
Mar 27 2015, 12:35pm
Post #12 of 48
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I'm sorry, guys. I didn't mean it like that, and there is NO reason to turn this thread into something gross. A "love scene" is a term that has been used in movie making forever when referring to any scene made to progress the romantic element in the film. It is not meant for an explicit scene. Get out of the gutter and take it somewhere else. We're discussing the quality of the discs in this thread.
(This post was edited by Barrel Rider on Mar 27 2015, 12:39pm)
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Barrel Rider
Rivendell
Mar 27 2015, 12:57pm
Post #13 of 48
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DVD Quality and Switching to BluRay
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My sister and I watched the DVD again, and even on a second viewing it wasn't better. We are getting a replacement, so maybe that will fix it. In the light of the info posted here, though, we've decided to look into finding a BluRay player and purchasing all of the Hobbit EEs on BluRay.
My sister came up with one more thought, and I wondered if anyone had noticed this. Just a couple of weeks ago, we got the UA EE on DVD from the library. We were absolutely AMAZED at the colors and brilliance in the the picture, even though our theatrical DVD was fine. The quality on the EE was certainly way better. At the time, we had just replaced our upconvert player, so we thought that the change was due to our new player. Now we are thinking that it was more likely due to the fact that the film was divided onto two discs and not as compressed. Has anyone noticed a difference from theatrical to EE?
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dormouse
Half-elven
Mar 27 2015, 2:32pm
Post #14 of 48
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UA? Sorry, bit confused here....
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...are you asking about changes in picture quality from the theatrical version of An Unexpected Journey to the EE version? If so, then my answer's no. I have the DVDs of both versions, theatrical and extended, and the picture quality, intensity of colour and so on looks the same for both.
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Barrel Rider
Rivendell
Mar 27 2015, 2:42pm
Post #15 of 48
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Yes, that is exactly what I was mentioning. Sorry to be a bit confusing. Thanks for your response. It may just be what we noticed. Our theatrical version looks great, but there was definitely better color on the extended edition. My sister and Mom and Dad and I are all in graphic art/printing/web design, etc., so we're all pretty picky when it comes to color. So far, though, the only disc we've had that was poor is this brand new one. Let's hope the replacement is better, and we're looking forward to the BluRay.
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dormouse
Half-elven
Mar 27 2015, 2:56pm
Post #16 of 48
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... most of the time I'm a writer but I also paint miniatures and do various other sorts of design/ artwork. If there were any problem with the visual quality, colouring of the DVDs or significant change between the two I'd notice. Of course I can only see them one at a time (!) but they all look fine.
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Barrel Rider
Rivendell
Mar 27 2015, 3:07pm
Post #17 of 48
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Oh, thanks! I appreciate input from someone who admits that they are nuts about color, too. :) Have you ever seen the BluRay versions to see the difference? We never have, but everyone says that the BluRay is so much richer.
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Barrel Rider
Rivendell
Mar 27 2015, 4:17pm
Post #19 of 48
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Thanks for all of that! Good point about the transfer to BluRay still being a variable. All in all, do you think that upgrading the six Middle Earth films to BluRay is a good move?
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Darkstone
Immortal
Mar 27 2015, 4:31pm
Post #20 of 48
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Bad pressing and/or inferior materials
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The problem is that large runs of dvds are made by "replication". The orginal master is used to make a "glass master”. Laser lithography and electroforming are then used to produce a number of microreliefs. These "stampers" are used as injection molds, turning thermoplastic material into a micro-thin foil, which is then sandwiched between layers of poly-carbonate plastic. The disc is then lacquered, screened (labeled), packaged, and then you buy it. Because most of this process is automated, the cost per unit is very cheap and so this is how practically all cds, dvds, and Blu-rays are made.
For smaller runs of, say, 1000 units or less, "duplication" is used, where the master recording is used to make a digital recording onto a blank. This is how most people believe digital recordings are made. They are wrong.
Obviously the many steps of "replication" provide many opportunities for mistakes to creep in, quality to degrade, etc., etc. I won't even mention where one or more of the sub-contractors sharing the job of mass producing an initial release of a movie may skimp on the quality of materials or equipment. It also explains why in a initial release of dvds some may be flawed while others aren't.
******************************************
No Orc, No Orc!!
It's a wonderful town!!!
Mount Doom blew up,
And the Black Tower's down!!
The orcs all fell in a hole in the ground!
No Orc, No Orc!!
It's a heckuva town!!!
-Lord of the Rings: The Musical, music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green
(This post was edited by Darkstone on Mar 27 2015, 4:40pm)
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Magpie
Immortal
Mar 27 2015, 4:34pm
Post #21 of 48
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I don't own a Bluray player and I can't hook a Bluray player up to our old tv because all the available ports are being used. And I'm not upgrading my entire entertainment system just to get a format that will likely be out of date in another 5 years. When this TV goes kaput, then we'll look at some options.
edit to add: Don't forget the color tint problems on the FOTR EE Bluray. Do you want to watch something that is worse than your DVDs if you have them?
LOTR soundtrack website ~ magpie avatar gallery
TORn History Mathom-house ~ Torn Image Posting Guide
(This post was edited by Magpie on Mar 27 2015, 4:35pm)
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Barrel Rider
Rivendell
Mar 27 2015, 4:43pm
Post #22 of 48
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DVD Production, BluRay and FotR EE
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Wow! I didn't know all of that about how the discs are actually made. Fascinating. That does seem that there is a lot of room for loss of quality in the process, even if the original is perfect. It would also make sense to have some "lemon" discs in major runs like that.
I have been reading a lot of reviews for the various LotR BluRays. Is the green tint on FotR still a problem, does anyone know? So far, I am only seeing that people think the BluRay EE Trilogy package is miles better in video and sound than the DVDs, but you are totally right about sacrificing quality for the sake of BluRay. I wouldn't want to do that. I did see that some of the original BluRay LotR discs came out with a color problem (mostly too black), but that seems to have been fixed in subsequent pressings.
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AshNazg
Grey Havens
Mar 27 2015, 6:27pm
Post #23 of 48
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I'd say it's worth the upgrade, but...
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Remember that UHD is around the corner and will require another upgrade. Here's two points I'd like to make.
1. Blu-ray quality is certainly worth it
FotR has this slight green tint, it's a result of transferring from the original un-coloured master. Digital colouring was in its infancy when FotR came out and the original coloured masters are lost. So the whole film needed to be re-colour graded with a new timing that (although slightly green for some reason) has been approved by Peter Jackson and unless comparing side-by-side you really won't notice it at all - in many places it's actually a big improvement.
Other than this one controversial aspect the overall quality and detail of LotR on Blu-ray is phenomenal and if, like me, you've watched LotR on DVD multiple times then you'll immediately notice a huge difference. It's honestly like rediscovering the films, they feel fresh and new. They look and sound so much better.
2. UHD/4K is coming
It's said that DVD has about 5 years of life left before they're obsolete. That's a fairly long time, really. And it's likely that when this happens the price of 4K TVs and 4K Blu-ray players will have dropped significantly. If you currently have a big DVD collection and no Blu-rays you might want to stick to DVDs for five years and then make the upgrade straight to 4K - skipping Blu-ray entirely. It'd be a much more dramatic upgrade to a more long-term format.
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Barrel Rider
Rivendell
Mar 27 2015, 6:33pm
Post #24 of 48
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Hi, again! I really appreciate all of your info. You certainly sound like you're on top of all this!
This is the first that I've ever heard about 4k BluRay. What is it, exactly? Will it not be discs at all? Is it all done through streaming and download?
We have a large DVD collection (hundreds), and we pretty much only watch old films, being from the early 1950s or before. We have a few modern movies that we watch, but it is LotR and the Hobbit that really take the cake. They are the reason that we bought a DVD player in the first place. They are also the reason that we bought a Plasma screen and surround sound system. :) We don't use any hand-held devices and don't watch films on the computer. To top it off, we don't have television, either. Just discs. Given this background, how does UHD/4K fit with all of that?
Thanks again for the info! I SO appreciate all of this, as it's totally new to me!
Sarah
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Starling
Half-elven
Mar 27 2015, 6:36pm
Post #25 of 48
(8372 views)
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They were really into gross and explicit scenes in 1953
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But in the interests of accuracy, that classic scene in From Here to Eternity is not in the gutter, it's on the beach.
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