A Chinese Ghost Story: R2UK HKL vs R2DE EMS vs R3HK IVL
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A Chinese Ghost Story: R2UK HKL vs R2DE EMS vs R3HK IVL
I should've done this comparison ages ago, but I just couldn't be bothered.
Let's start with the subs.
Note: the songs aren't subtitled on the IVL.
Note2: the EMS version doesn't have english subs.
HKL top.
EMS middle.
IVL bottom.
In terms of translation, the HKL subs are more precise and accurate, but they are also way too long.
If you're not a fast reader (and if you don't mind engrish subtitles), you might want to try the IVL.
Picture quality:
HKL has an additional yellow colour filter.
IVL just has a typical blueish Fortune Star tint.
The HKL shows obvious signs of contrast boosting and lack of shadow detail.
Funnily enough, the IVL suffers from a form of brightness boosting, resulting in a loss of detail in bright areas.
Lose the blacks or lose the whites, take your pick.
Let's start with the subs.
Note: the songs aren't subtitled on the IVL.
Note2: the EMS version doesn't have english subs.
HKL top.
EMS middle.
IVL bottom.
In terms of translation, the HKL subs are more precise and accurate, but they are also way too long.
If you're not a fast reader (and if you don't mind engrish subtitles), you might want to try the IVL.
Picture quality:
HKL has an additional yellow colour filter.
IVL just has a typical blueish Fortune Star tint.
The HKL shows obvious signs of contrast boosting and lack of shadow detail.
Funnily enough, the IVL suffers from a form of brightness boosting, resulting in a loss of detail in bright areas.
Lose the blacks or lose the whites, take your pick.
Last edited by tom2681 on 07 Sep 2007, 17:31, edited 2 times in total.
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Now I'm just "that weird french guy with a cat avatar who comes to BnB once a year for no reason and then disappears again".
- bradavon
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Overall I'd give it to the FS. I remember the very first few batches of FS transfers looking awesome, what went so wrong Fortune Star?
The problem with all that contrast boosting is it makes the picture look so unreal and fake. I've been playing with it on some of my photos and at first I think it's an improvement (as colours are often more vivid) BUT then you notice how fake it looks. It ceases to look real and becomes a digital image.
The problem with all that contrast boosting is it makes the picture look so unreal and fake. I've been playing with it on some of my photos and at first I think it's an improvement (as colours are often more vivid) BUT then you notice how fake it looks. It ceases to look real and becomes a digital image.
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EMS
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v716/ ... CGTEMS.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v716/ ... GTEMS1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v716/ ... GTEMS2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v716/ ... GTEMS3.jpg
sorry, no subtitle samples. I don't know any german, wouldn't know if I was capping the correct lines
(if somebody really needs them then let me know and I'll try)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v716/ ... CGTEMS.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v716/ ... GTEMS1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v716/ ... GTEMS2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v716/ ... GTEMS3.jpg
sorry, no subtitle samples. I don't know any german, wouldn't know if I was capping the correct lines
(if somebody really needs them then let me know and I'll try)
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- Markgway
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Without subs the EMS is irrelevent, so for me it's between the HKL and the IVL.
Both images have flaws, as expected, but it seems to me the IVL is an improvement in many regards.
The IVL subs are less refined, but get the point across, which does me fine.
Tom, how is the audio? That's important as a Fortune Star 5.1 remix is WORSE than an HKL remix.
Both images have flaws, as expected, but it seems to me the IVL is an improvement in many regards.
The IVL subs are less refined, but get the point across, which does me fine.
Tom, how is the audio? That's important as a Fortune Star 5.1 remix is WORSE than an HKL remix.
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You think me and Ken threw the german originals away?Markgway wrote: Besides it's nice to have a boxed original for my collection.
The EMS is actually my third version of the film, and the first one I'm satisfied with. HKL was too dark and messy, IVL was remixed (although it was one of their better remixes) and had poor subs... I recall preferring the IVL transfer over the HKL though.
EDIT: from what I recall the HKL audio too has something that doesn't belong there... but to much lesser extent than IVL of course.
- bradavon
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I can't either. I've done it 3 times for titles that you cannot get with English subs in decent form (1 of them you can now) but it's a right faf. You may have to use more than 1 program and it takes 30-45 minutes then time again to re-burn it.Markgway wrote:I can't be arsed making my own DVDs.
I doubt I'd bother now. If I really wanted to it's far quicker just to plug my laptop into my TV, and that's too much hassle really. There just aren't that many examples where you cannot get a decent enough DVD to have to do it.
It's not as if the German DVD looks miles better.Markgway wrote:Neither the HKL or the IVL is that bad that it's worth buggering about with an unsubbed French or German disc.
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From a comparison point of view of course but I wouldn't bother buying them. German DVDs are expensive and as I've already said the German DVD doesn't look any better anyway.Knetan wrote:each to their own but the EMS discs aren't to be counted out of the bigger picture just because a percentage of you lot "can't be arsed making your own DVDs."
- HungFist
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25€ for the 4 dvd box set. Expensive?bradavon wrote:German DVDs are expensiveKnetan wrote:each to their own but the EMS discs aren't to be counted out of the bigger picture just because a percentage of you lot "can't be arsed making your own DVDs."
To your eyes that is.bradavon wrote: and as I've already said the German DVD doesn't look any better anyway.
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muldoon / asiandvdguide wrote:I only have e-m-s' High Definition Remastered A Chinese Ghost Story DVDs which are very good and much better than the HKL DVDs (too dark) and IVL DVDs (too bright). e-m-s' A Chinese Ghost Story DVDs are also the only anamorphic DVDs that retain the original look of the film.
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Re: A Chinese Ghost Story: R2UK HKL vs R2DE EMS vs R3HK IVL
Two questions:
1. How do you tell if ACGS's mono track is the/a downmix? (I remember some talk about alternate music/dialogue...?). I have a Spanish edition downloaded but no idea if its mono is kosher. Should the scene where Joey hides Leslie in the bathtub be with or without music, for example?
2. Are there any 16:9 remastered versions known to have Cantonese mono for sure? French DVD, perhaps?
1. How do you tell if ACGS's mono track is the/a downmix? (I remember some talk about alternate music/dialogue...?). I have a Spanish edition downloaded but no idea if its mono is kosher. Should the scene where Joey hides Leslie in the bathtub be with or without music, for example?
2. Are there any 16:9 remastered versions known to have Cantonese mono for sure? French DVD, perhaps?
- grim_tales
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Re: A Chinese Ghost Story: R2UK HKL vs R2DE EMS vs R3HK IVL
On the old MIHK VHS I dont remember any extra dialogue at the start... on the HKL theres a bit of spoken dialogue, subtitled as "In books we possess" or something
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Re: A Chinese Ghost Story: R2UK HKL vs R2DE EMS vs R3HK IVL
I think the French discs were not released by HK Video, but by another label owned by the same parent company... or maybe it was a late HK Video release. In either case, the risk of FS downmix is notable, even likely.Markgway wrote:Two questions:
1. How do you tell if ACGS's mono track is the/a downmix? (I remember some talk about alternate music/dialogue...?). I have a Spanish edition downloaded but no idea if its mono is kosher. Should the scene where Joey hides Leslie in the bathtub be with or without music, for example?
2. Are there any 16:9 remastered versions known to have Cantonese mono for sure? French DVD, perhaps?
I've got the German dvd. I think there was something slightly "wrong" the audio, perhaps an additional piece of music or two added effects (by Media Asia?), but in any case it's good enough for me. In sync, no Fortune Star crap, sounds great to me. If you want more detailed info, ask Spannic at KFC, he probably knows.
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Re: A Chinese Ghost Story: R2UK HKL vs R2DE EMS vs R3HK IVL
OK. I can tell the difference now just from the opening scene.
For anyone interested...
The original mono doesn't have the sound of the howling wind or the lantern hitting the bucket full of water.
If you hear those you're watching a remix (either by Media Asia or Fortune Star).
What we need is a custom fan edition that gives us Fortune Star's image, Deltamac's audio, and HKL's subtitles.
More chance of that than any distributor getting it right.
For anyone interested...
The original mono doesn't have the sound of the howling wind or the lantern hitting the bucket full of water.
If you hear those you're watching a remix (either by Media Asia or Fortune Star).
What we need is a custom fan edition that gives us Fortune Star's image, Deltamac's audio, and HKL's subtitles.
More chance of that than any distributor getting it right.