The Amazon Bargains Thread!

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 14 May 2008, 21:39

Oh right fair enough. Fullscreen means a 4:3 aspect ratio. I'm looking at it now using my TVs 4:3 mode and it looks like non-anamorphic 1.66:1 to me. There are no black bars on the left or right.

It's difficult to guarantee a downloaded DivX/Xvid is in the correct aspect ratio anyway. I'd imagine 1.66:1 is pretty close to the correct aspect ratio. In short Virgin1 display it fine.

I doubt a DivX/Xvid download would look much better, if at all. Presuming it was also SD.

romerojpg · Post by **romerojpg** » 15 May 2008, 16:05

Ahh I always go for the High quality downloads

they take a lot longer and are large 1gb+ files per episode, but its easy to tell as many good people comment on them and say exact specs etc.. the quality of the HD versions I downloaded was very nice.

Still Blu Ray will be even better

as no bloody TV logo in the corners

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 15 May 2008, 16:09

Fair enough, those will be better. I usually go for the 300-400Mb versions. I rarely download them though.

romerojpg · Post by **romerojpg** » 15 May 2008, 16:20

Nor do I, I hate having to download a TV show

but really wanted to see what it was like and it looked appauling on Virgin TV for me, unwatchable in fact.

I liked it enough to buy it, so downloading worked for me

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 15 May 2008, 17:05

I'd hate to be you, hating everything on Freeview so much I couldn't watch it

.

romerojpg · Post by **romerojpg** » 15 May 2008, 17:09

Hey we still have unbearable quality signal for Freeview

sometimes its fine (not flashy), some times it realy is like Lego blocks. We still loose channels if the signal goes so low! and we get a black screen.

IronMonkey · Post by **IronMonkey** » 15 May 2008, 17:11

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles was indeed definitely cropped on Virgin 1 when I saw it. It was a 14:9 transmission, which is what often happens on these sorts of channels - they buy the program on the cheap so they get a non-widescreen version.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 15 May 2008, 17:15

I've not lost a Freeview channel thankfully for years (at my current and previous address) but do find ITV2 (for example) at times awful quality, blocky hell. Other channels are perfectly fine IMO. The main 5 are usually good.

IronMonkey wrote:It was a 14:9 transmission, which is what often happens on these sorts of channels - they buy the program on the cheap so they get a non-widescreen version.

It's not 14:9 for me. 14:9 would leave black bars to the sides when my recordings just have very minor black bars to the top/bottom.

IronMonkey · Post by **IronMonkey** » 15 May 2008, 17:46

Yes, which more than likely means your TV is stretching 4:3 / 14:9 images to fit the screen. TRUST ME, it was 14:9 on Virgin 1.

This is on a direct feed to the Freeview tuner in my plasma, no going through a DVD recorder or anything first to confuse the issue. It was DEFINITELY 14:9.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 15 May 2008, 18:03

4:3 stretched to 16:9 would be obvious (Mr. Streched face). My recording isn't 14:9 as a 14:9 would fit the screen as well as 16:9 vertically and there are minor black bars at the top and bottom. It looks representative of 1.66:1 non-anamorphic. That's how it looks to me.

I don't really care tbh. It's a good but not outstanding TV Series. It was some form of Widescreen so I was perfectly happy. On a disc based format I'd want it in the proper aspect ratio but programmes aired on TV regularly get their aspect ratio messed around with so I really don't care.

IronMonkey wrote:No going through a DVD recorder or anything first to confuse the issue.

I said I recorded it on my PVR not DVD Recorder

. PVRs record the raw Freeview Stream. It's a Humax 9200 PVR in my case.

IronMonkey · Post by **IronMonkey** » 15 May 2008, 19:21

Your TV would more than likely be stretching the 14:9 image to 16:9 which is a lot less noticable. Minor black bars at the top & bottom is normal for 14:9 broadcasts on 16:9 TVs that are set to an aspect which shows the wole image (i.e. 16:9).

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles was transmitted on Virgin 1 in 14:9.

bradavon wrote:I said I recorded it on my PVR not DVD Recorder . PVRs record the raw Freeview Stream. It's a Humax 9200 PVR in my case.

I was talking about at my end, not yours! And I'm well aware of how PVRs work - its my JOB, thankyaverymuch!

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 15 May 2008, 20:00

Calm down

. I understood when you said it was in 14:9, I also understand when you said IT WAS 14:9 and I still understand you now you've said it's 14:9.

Your TV would more than likely be stretching the 14:9 image to 16:9 which is a lot less noticable.

Nope. I keep saying:

It looks like 1.66:1 non-anamorphic
IT LOOKS LIKE 1.66:1 NON-ANAMORPHIC
It looks like 1.66:1 non-anamorphic

1.66:1 non-anamorphic looks nothing like 14:9. Non-Anamorphic when merely stretched horizontally to 16:9 results in Mr. Stretched face. It may have been 14:9. I never disagreed with that.

I also said: I don't give a flying fuck. I don't care if it's 14:9, 16:9 or 1 billion:1. It's a good but not outstanding TV show, which really doesn't need that much scrutinising.

You say 14:9, I don't, let's call the whole thing off

.

saltysam · Post by **saltysam** » 15 May 2008, 20:22

bradavon wrote:
It looks like 1.66:1 non-anamorphic
IT LOOKS LIKE 1.66:1 NON-ANAMORPHIC
It looks like 1.66:1 non-anamorphic
it looks like shit

.

agreed !Virgin 1 as a channel truly sucks.The bandwith must be abysmal.it looks poor on freeview & sky.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 15 May 2008, 23:16

I never said "it looks like shit". Except for the Terminator series I've barely ever watched it. It's a pretty poor channel really.

saltysam · Post by **saltysam** » 16 May 2008, 13:55

amazon 2 for $30 on selected blu-ray. not much of a selection but Pan's & blade runner 5 disc are there.around £20 shipped for 2.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/r ... =193640011

romerojpg · Post by **romerojpg** » 16 May 2008, 14:15

I wanted The Rock and Con Air, but amazon and wrongly labeling the prices is a joke, so customs will get it

saltysam · Post by **saltysam** » 16 May 2008, 16:12

i don't think so because this isn't a buy one get one free deal.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 16 May 2008, 16:46

$30 is £15, so you "should" be okay. It's a hard one to call though. I wouldn't be surprised if they put the full retail value of both on the package.

It's certainly a risky one it. It was a right faff to get my money back last time.

romerojpg · Post by **romerojpg** » 16 May 2008, 18:46

Thing is they are fairly cheap elsewhere, so I would only be saving maybe £4-5, but hell

saltysam · Post by **saltysam** » 26 May 2008, 17:58

this amazon seller has some cheap blu-rays including kung fu hustle at £6.70 delivered! type blu-ray into the search engine.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/shops/index. ... VO9NSTFYVC

romerojpg · Post by **romerojpg** » 26 May 2008, 18:20

Aamzon markets etc.. do seem best latley I have bought a lot from many sellers on there. Stops you spedning over £10 a Blu Ray thats for sure.

Had a few for just over £5-6 latley, which is nice

all sealed and brand new too.

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 27 May 2008, 20:56

BD sale.

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 27 May 2008, 22:24

OK prices (nothing more). But the postage makes them less attractive. If it was a BOGOF offer...

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 27 May 2008, 23:43

Thanks Eva.

After postage they're about the same new from Wherehouse.com, provided you use a free postage voucher.

Markgway wrote:If it was a BOGOF offer...

It being Amazon.com, you'd then only get stung by Customs.

romerojpg · Post by **romerojpg** » 28 May 2008, 16:15

Markgway wrote:OK prices (nothing more). But the postage makes them less attractive. If it was a BOGOF offer...

OK as in cheaper elsewhere sadly

use amazon UK market place for many of them, you can pick up tonnes of bargains far cheaper than them, which are not that bad I guess, if you live in america that is

If postage was free, it would be better, but even then some will be cheaper elsewhere.

If only amazon.co.uk would sell them for £10 and under!