A Better Tomorrow 2: R1 AB vs. HK IVL vs. UK HKL vs. ND SB

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 28 May 2006, 18:38

R1 Anchor Bay:

HK IVL Fortune Star:

UK HKL:

Nordic Scanbox:

R1 Anchor Bay:

HK IVL Fortune Star:

UK HKL:

Nordic Scanbox:

R1 Anchor Bay:

HK IVL Fortune Star:

UK HKL:

Nordic Scanbox:

ABT2 Anchor Bay is much better quality than Part 1 with most of the grain gone.

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 01 Jun 2006, 05:36

R0HK IVL:-
https://www.bulletsnbabesdvd.com/forums/ ... t2ivl1.jpg
https://www.bulletsnbabesdvd.com/forums/ ... t2ivl2.jpg
https://www.bulletsnbabesdvd.com/forums/ ... t2ivl3.jpg

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 01 Jun 2006, 11:56

Thanks Eva.

The IVL is much better. Is there something wrong with your second capture? I don't remember anyone saying ABT2 had framing issues.

I'll be keeping my IVL unless HKL do better, which they should. I have little fail in what Dragons Dynasty will do with these and besides we have no idea of release dates anyway.

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 01 Jun 2006, 12:17

bradavon wrote: Is there something wrong with your second capture?

No, it's just the interlaced transfer. The combing is unavoidable if I wanted to get the exact frame that you captured.

saltysam · Post by **saltysam** » 14 Sep 2006, 15:13

HKL region 2 not exact frames but pretty close

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i278/ ... 164088.jpg
http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i278/ ... 158256.jpg
http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i278/ ... 152839.jpg

gojensen · Post by **gojensen** » 15 Sep 2006, 08:52

Those frames don't quite match up. The visuals seems like a cross between the IVL and AB (not so dark as the AB, yet not as light as the IVL. The IVL seems sharper though, and there seems to be a halo of EE on HKL). Other than that it looks like the HKL is the least cropped? At least from the kitchen scene frame...

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 15 Sep 2006, 14:32

The image with Ti Lung and Dean Shek is most cropped on the HKL so it obviously varies.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 20 Sep 2006, 21:38

EvaUnit02 wrote:R0HK IVL:-
https://www.bulletsnbabesdvd.com/forums/ ... t2ivl1.jpg
https://www.bulletsnbabesdvd.com/forums/ ... t2ivl2.jpg
https://www.bulletsnbabesdvd.com/forums/ ... t2ivl3.jpg

Eva your caps look to be faulty? Could you fix them please.

saltysam wrote:HKL region 2 not exact frames but pretty close

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i278/ ... 164088.jpg
http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i278/ ... 158256.jpg
http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i278/ ... 152839.jpg

Thanks. The HKL is much better than the AB (no surprise) but as I can't see the IVL caps it's hard to say which wins.

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 21 Sep 2006, 00:46

bradavon wrote:Eva your caps look to be faulty? Could you fix them please.

My caps are fine. The IVL transfer is interlaced and the combing is unavoidable, remember?

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 21 Sep 2006, 19:01

What they load for you? All I see is a white box and a weird link: http://127.0.0.1:1025/clear.cgi?

The IVL transfer is interlaced and the combing is unavoidable, remember?

Yep but I remember it still being decent enough. My expectation of pre-2000 HK films is usually really low.

The HKL definitely looks better than the AB but I can't see the IVL to compare.

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 22 Sep 2006, 00:02

bradavon wrote:What they load for you?

Yup, they load fine.

All I see is a white box and a weird link: http://127.0.0.1:1025/clear.cgi?

Sort it out with Mordib then.

tom2681 · Post by **tom2681** » 22 Sep 2006, 00:09

Weird. I can see the IVL just fine.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 22 Sep 2006, 00:22

It was ZoneAlarm as per usual :shock: . Norton Internet Security is shit but it was a whole lot better at working out what security is appropriate.

ZoneAlarm just blocks the lot. I'll have to work out what aspect it doesn't like on the Bullets Image links (it's only those it doesn't like). It makes sense as 127.0.0.1 is the IP for the local machine (i.e - mine).

By default it even stops animated gifs from animated. That's overkill.

Otherwise a fantastic product (ZoneAlarm Internet Security), so I can live with it. I just have to from time to time amend it's security settings.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 22 Sep 2006, 00:26

Now I can see all three. It's a close call between the IVL and HKL but overall the HKL wins. The AB is a mess. The IVL does have Mono but I bet the HKL's DD5.1 is discrete, it should be as they're not using a FS print.

I'm going to keep my box set as overall it's decent, if flawed but frankly all ABT prints are flawed.

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 22 Sep 2006, 00:56

The 3rd image looks best on the IVL, but none of the series ever look that hot.

It's one of the problems with HK cinema. Good films, less good prints and remastering.

I really wouldn't bother with the HKL unless you don't already own a copy. Seems like they haven't put much effort in.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 22 Sep 2006, 17:56

Markgway wrote:I really wouldn't bother with the HKL unless you don't already own a copy. Seems like they haven't put much effort in.

Agreed, a few years back it would be Platinum for sure or at least have much more 1 disc extras.

You'd also have to work which ABT to get. The UK UE Tin being the best single release but that's not much cop either. Like you say old school (i.e - pre 2000) HK films will never look decent, personally I don't expect it.

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 22 Sep 2006, 18:16

The UK releases of ABT stink.

The IVL is best not because it's great but by default.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 22 Sep 2006, 18:30

Markgway wrote:The UK releases of ABT stink.

I wouldn't say the Tin stinks, it just should've been better. It has decent extras, and acceptable PQ (I think, it doesn't flicker like the IVL which many hate).

captainjoe · Post by **captainjoe** » 22 Sep 2006, 19:29

Man, all those aren't very good. The anchor bay has less EE but is way too dark and soft. The IVL has better colour and sharpness but is too sharp, grainy and is interlaced. In my opinion the HKL is the best even though it has bad edge enhancement.

gojensen · Post by **gojensen** » 21 Oct 2006, 19:31

I took comparison shots from the new Nordic Scanbox John Woo collection box sets; It's a bit soft, but there's no digital enhancing nor any restoration for that matter.

Here ya go...

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 21 Oct 2006, 23:57

A bit soft? It's downright hazy. The HKL is definitely the best IMO, it doesn't have that framing issue too.

Cheers Gojensen.

HungFist · Post by **HungFist** » 22 Oct 2006, 00:37

I'd say HKL is either the worst or the second worst. Nordic release is terribly soft, but the edge enhancement on HKL looks totally appalling.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 22 Oct 2006, 01:39

Agreed it's not great but then none of them are, it looks better to me than the rest which except for the IVL are a mess.

ABT2 Review, giving lots of praise on the PQ but otherwise pretty lame:

http://www.dvd.reviewer.co.uk/reviews/r ... User=35825

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 22 Oct 2006, 03:14

IVL still looks the best, even though it's interlaced.