Top: R1 Bottom: R1 SE (Upcoming HD-DVD is said to be sourced from this master)
Image Comparisons:
Generally the SE is better. It is cleaner but it seems a little too contrasty at times. Detail is better but the darkness is
questionable, especially cap 3. Overall this could've been better but the film is gritty in tone and it is certainly better
than the original release which was quite flat and looks like it had DNR applied to it.
Last edited by captainjoe on 28 Dec 2007, 00:37, edited 3 times in total.
Most people of our generation tend to skip right to the car chase (I don't blame em, it is fantastic).
Otherwise the film is pretty bland, direction (by Peter Hyatt IIRC) is mediocre; the Lalo Scrifrin score is awful (I'm pretty biased though, since I hate all of Scrifrin's film scores from the 60's/70's); there are sub-plots that go nowhere (eg Bullitt's girlfriend). Where there should be tension, there is none (eg the baddie running away in the airport at the end - nothing but blah sound effects like those of plane turbines, zilch usage of music at all).
Contrast boosting increases the sharpness to such a degree, but it does mean the darkening of detail .
The original DVD has better detail but it's miserable, soft and hazy presentation fails to brighten the likelyness of a bold, more stable and sharper image.
Ugh, both have big problems. The old one is washed out (probably sourced from tape) while the new one is too contrasty and incorrectly framed.
As I'm an aspect ratio nut and dislike dark images, I'd probably prefer the old washed out version, but I bet most people will go for the sharpness/clarity of the new one.
FinnurE wrote:Ugh, both have big problems. The old one is washed out (probably sourced from tape) while the new one is too contrasty and incorrectly framed.
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