The Avengers TV Series - Blu Ray Preorders

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by modrevolve, Aug 20, 2014.

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  1. HGN2001

    HGN2001 Mystery picture member

    Yeah, thanks. Mine is due to arrive today, but I'll leave it sealed and return it.

    The old DVDs will continue to serve.

    Harry
     
  2. HGN2001

    HGN2001 Mystery picture member

    I'm reading reports on other forums where some say there is speed-up, others say there isn't. Some say the running times are correct, and some say that the images look pretty darned good.

    So I'm seeing a wide variety of reports. I find it difficult to trust ANYONE on speed-up issues. There are too many people out there who are not sensitive to it at all and will simply hear it as "normal". Still, if the runtimes agree with the old A&E DVDs, then where is the speed-up coming from? Are they "pitched-up" so the Brits will think it's normal? :D

    Harry
     
  3. Based on the comparison at Spyvibe, it does sound like they are speeded (I'm not sure if it's 4% or not as per the PAL vs. NTSC version but on Blu-ray it really shouldn't matter which is bizarre). According to my player it is at 24fps. Bit rate seems decent if not spectacular and the images are cleaned up compared to the earlier DVDs. For $20 I'll keep it but I will sent some hars words to Lion's Gate about these issues.

    I'm also disappointed that there aren't ANY special features on this set as I was looking forward to hearing some commentary tracks or a documentary or two on the series. It would have been ideal to do, say, a 45 minute documentary on each season and th issues that faced Clemens and the others on the show.

    Sadly, I think this is probably the best we will see the series. I have to wonder if this is the same masters that were given to Amazon or Itunes--it doesn't look like it to me but I haven't purchased more than one episode of each to compare them and I can't do screen captures with the itunes version. The colors are certainly bold.

    Seems like Lion's Gate and Studio Canal have dropped the ball on this one (along with A&E). I'm not throwing out my DVDs yet but these do improve on them IMHO.
     
  4. HGN2001

    HGN2001 Mystery picture member

    I'm totally dismissing that video at Spyvibe. It is actually a comparison of the old A&E DVD with the newer Optimum DVDs. To me that's useless - but the speed-up as witnessed there is exactly the thing I'm trying to avoid.

    I need to know if the Blu-ray's are sped up. The fact that some are saying so is troubling, since not all can hear it. I'm really hesitant to open this thing until more precincts are reporting.

    Harry
     
  5. Jason W

    Jason W Forum Resident

    Location:
    Mill Valley, CA
    i was pretty clear about re-posting that A&E-to-Optimum comparison on Spy Vibe only so viewers would be able to hear what speed-up sounds like. it wasn't intended to represent the new Blu-ray -other than to say- I'm hearing that same speed-up on the Blu-rays. amazingly, it appears some people just aren't bothered by the change in pitch. i envy them :)
     
  6. HGN2001

    HGN2001 Mystery picture member

    Thanks for the clarification. What's bugging me now is that I'm getting reports of episode timings that are right on target, yet you're telling me that the sound is somehow higher-pitched or faster. This is a real puzzle.

    I too am very sensitive of sped-up audio - and with Patrick MacNee already being, as Seinfeld would put it, a high-talker, he can't afford ANY speed-up at all without sounding totally unnatural.

    And you say the Blu-rays sound like that Optimum DVD speed... Hmmm...

    Harry
     
  7. Jason W

    Jason W Forum Resident

    Location:
    Mill Valley, CA
    i'll try to shoot a quick video of the same scenes from Blu-ray so we can compare to the past A/B i posted. not sure about the timing question. actually the whole idea of speed and pitch changing between formats makes my head spin (especially w blu-ray), but i do trust our ears. in additional, optimum supposedly repressed the DVDs w correct pitch a while back, but i haven't been able to confirm yet.
     
  8. I might have missed that was the DVD comparisons. However, having said that, there's no reason that the blu-rays SHOULD suffer from a PAL conversion issue at all with a 4% speed up (unlike DVD's). I honestly haven't noticed that big a difference. Perhaps it has something to do with the remixed 5.1 for the sound. Marc (aka Vidiot) would be more "in tune" with that issue and the issues that might plague the set if any.

    Perhaps something was done with the pitch during the 5.1 conversion. I have no idea.
     
  9. Jason W

    Jason W Forum Resident

    Location:
    Mill Valley, CA
    i'm looking at more episodes now on a different system. i'm seeing some much better visuals (maybe the episodes are inconsistent). the pitch sometimes sounds about normal- until i compare. many viewers might not notice and will be ok overall with it. i'll still try to shoot some samples.
     
  10. chacha

    chacha Forum Resident In Memoriam

    Location:
    mill valley CA USA
    It's definitely pitched higher. Possibly not as high as the Optimum converted to NTSC but still noticeably faster. Image quality was all over the place when viewed on a properly calibrated Pioneer Kuro and Oppo player. YMMV.
     
    Last edited: Nov 11, 2014
  11. Jason W

    Jason W Forum Resident

    Location:
    Mill Valley, CA
    uploading a new comparison video now= pitch sounds to me like an exact match to the Optimums we checked out. watched in isolation, many people might not be bothered (?), but it's there. definitely seeing some better picture quality, but as you say, it seems all over the place. i'll link the video once it's up...
     
  12. Image quality is better but this doesn't look as film like as "The Prisoner"--it's a bit soft compared to what I would expect as well--I suspect this has to do with compression and less the way the show was shot. Contrast is also a bit bright which probably hides some of the co pressing artifacts and loss of detail. Still an Improvement over the DVD's but not quite what they could have been.
     
  13. Jason W

    Jason W Forum Resident

    Location:
    Mill Valley, CA
    so true about comparison to The Prisoner. we were saying that last night, as well. i'd love to see The Avengers with that same surface quality.
     
  14. Jason W

    Jason W Forum Resident

    Location:
    Mill Valley, CA
  15. Todd Fredericks

    Todd Fredericks Senior Member

    Location:
    A New Yorker
    Thanks Jason!
     
  16. modrevolve

    modrevolve Forum Resident Thread Starter

    So I should keep it?
     
  17. Jason W

    Jason W Forum Resident

    Location:
    Mill Valley, CA
    see what you think re: pitch. maybe it's subtle enough to be ok for you?
     
  18. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

  19. chacha

    chacha Forum Resident In Memoriam

    Location:
    mill valley CA USA
    Yuck. I'm completely flummoxed about the speed on this. As well as the giant inconsistency with image quality. Some of the episodes we sampled looked like decently average blu ray at best and others looked close to poor DVD/VHS. The new Batman release kills this in comparison with rich vibrant color, deep blacks and depth. Hopefully some episodes of this Avengers release look great - I'm not holding my breath at 8 hours a disc. The Batman set is half that. WTH?
     
  20. Mr Wensleydale

    Mr Wensleydale Forum Resident

    Location:
    Derbyshire, UK
    No original mono soundtrack? This sounds like a disappointing release. Hopefully the UK release next year will get it right but I won't hold my breath.
     
  21. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    Region 2 dvds are sped up even watching them in Europe?
    Well'the BD is a no-no imo.
    What's the best available DVD wise?
     
    Last edited: Nov 12, 2014
  22. jupiter8

    jupiter8 Forum Resident

    Location:
    NJ, USA
    Glad I only paid $20.

    Unfortunately, it was the $20 I saved with my "Batman' preorder :realmad:
     
  23. HGN2001

    HGN2001 Mystery picture member

    I'm going to send this back to Amazon, unopened. I can't excuse a higher-pitched audio track for no good reason.

    Harry
     
  24. HGN2001

    HGN2001 Mystery picture member

    From what I understand, there's only a DD 5.1 soundtrack - and there are reports that it's kind of phasey-sounding at times. That sounds suspiciously like the 5.1 track in THE PRISONER Blu-ray that I usually turn off in favor of the original mono.

    Harry
     
    Mr Wensleydale likes this.
  25. Mr Wensleydale

    Mr Wensleydale Forum Resident

    Location:
    Derbyshire, UK
    Thanks. That is really disappointing. Think I'll wait for the UK release next year and see what that's like.
     
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