Page 1 of 2

Zatoichi - BD-UK vs. HDTV vs. R1 vs. R2UK

Posted: 06 Jul 2008, 09:22
by Lourdes
HDTV caps come from the 1080i transport stream of a Japanese MPEG2 broadcast.

https://www.bulletsnbabesdvd.com/dvd/zatoichi/1.bd-uk.jpg
https://www.bulletsnbabesdvd.com/dvd/zatoichi/1.hdtv.jpg
https://www.bulletsnbabesdvd.com/dvd/zatoichi/1.r1.jpg
https://www.bulletsnbabesdvd.com/dvd/zatoichi/1.r2uk.jpg

https://www.bulletsnbabesdvd.com/dvd/zatoichi/2.bd-uk.jpg
https://www.bulletsnbabesdvd.com/dvd/zatoichi/2.hdtv.jpg
https://www.bulletsnbabesdvd.com/dvd/zatoichi/2.r1.jpg
https://www.bulletsnbabesdvd.com/dvd/zatoichi/2.r2uk.jpg

https://www.bulletsnbabesdvd.com/dvd/zatoichi/3.bd-uk.jpg
https://www.bulletsnbabesdvd.com/dvd/zatoichi/3.hdtv.jpg
https://www.bulletsnbabesdvd.com/dvd/zatoichi/3.r1.jpg
https://www.bulletsnbabesdvd.com/dvd/zatoichi/3.r2uk.jpg

https://www.bulletsnbabesdvd.com/dvd/zatoichi/4.bd-uk.jpg
https://www.bulletsnbabesdvd.com/dvd/zatoichi/4.hdtv.jpg
https://www.bulletsnbabesdvd.com/dvd/zatoichi/4.r1.jpg
https://www.bulletsnbabesdvd.com/dvd/zatoichi/4.r2uk.jpg

https://www.bulletsnbabesdvd.com/dvd/zatoichi/5.bd-uk.jpg
https://www.bulletsnbabesdvd.com/dvd/zatoichi/5.hdtv.jpg
https://www.bulletsnbabesdvd.com/dvd/zatoichi/5.r1.jpg
https://www.bulletsnbabesdvd.com/dvd/zatoichi/5.r2uk.jpg

https://www.bulletsnbabesdvd.com/dvd/zatoichi/6.bd-uk.jpg
https://www.bulletsnbabesdvd.com/dvd/zatoichi/6.hdtv.jpg
https://www.bulletsnbabesdvd.com/dvd/zatoichi/6.r1.jpg
https://www.bulletsnbabesdvd.com/dvd/zatoichi/6.r2uk.jpg

https://www.bulletsnbabesdvd.com/dvd/zatoichi/7.bd-uk.jpg
https://www.bulletsnbabesdvd.com/dvd/zatoichi/7.hdtv.jpg
https://www.bulletsnbabesdvd.com/dvd/zatoichi/7.r1.jpg
https://www.bulletsnbabesdvd.com/dvd/zatoichi/7.r2uk.jpg

https://www.bulletsnbabesdvd.com/dvd/zatoichi/8.bd-uk.jpg
https://www.bulletsnbabesdvd.com/dvd/zatoichi/8.hdtv.jpg
https://www.bulletsnbabesdvd.com/dvd/zatoichi/8.r1.jpg
https://www.bulletsnbabesdvd.com/dvd/zatoichi/8.r2uk.jpg

https://www.bulletsnbabesdvd.com/dvd/zatoichi/9.bd-uk.jpg
https://www.bulletsnbabesdvd.com/dvd/zatoichi/9.hdtv.jpg
https://www.bulletsnbabesdvd.com/dvd/zatoichi/9.r1.jpg
https://www.bulletsnbabesdvd.com/dvd/zatoichi/9.r2uk.jpg

Posted: 06 Jul 2008, 09:25
by Lourdes
I always like to get hold of unadulterated Japanese HDTV, some of their broadcasters unlike almost every other around the world use sufficient bitrates for the content; so what's aired looks clearly better than the DVD and there isn't a more detail vs. more artefacts debate.

Posted: 06 Jul 2008, 12:52
by bradavon
Cheers Lourdes.

The JP HD transfer is clearly the best.

I hate it when either SD Digital or HD pictures which are supposed to be superior are transmitted in such a low bitrate (to cram in other shite channels) the quality is so utterly atrocious it can be almost unwatchable, except at a distance (where the artefacts are harder to spot).

"Some" of the Freeview channels are transmitted at a shockingly low bitrate.

Posted: 06 Jul 2008, 15:18
by romerojpg
Region 1 for me, there is bugger all colour in them other 2, the sky is suposed to be blue for gods sake! its white or murkey shite in the HD version.

No contrast either in the HD version, barley no blacks, what an ugly transfer compred to the nice colourful, deep blacks Region 1.

Extra detail is nice, but not if it looks like bland shite :roll:

Posted: 06 Jul 2008, 15:23
by bradavon
Even if it's how Kitano wanted it?

I'm not one who always insists on going with what the directors intended but the R1 does look bolstered.

Posted: 06 Jul 2008, 15:28
by romerojpg
Thats the thing we have no idea how it suposed to look. I like colour, the washed out, faded HD version looks awful to me.

Posted: 06 Jul 2008, 15:56
by bradavon
We have a good idea. Only the R1 looks this way, all the others look faded including crucially all Japanese versions.

Posted: 06 Jul 2008, 16:04
by romerojpg
Well thats open to debate, just becuase something looks one way all over the world does not mean it is right.

Still I aint upgrading until a good version comes along on HD, could be some time to go, in the mean time I will stick with my Japense standard dvd.

I saw it in the cinema as well, but honestly when people say I saw it in the cinema and it looked this way or that, I think they are talking bull, as frankly I cannot remember what the last film I saw looked like never mind Zatoichi years ago :D apart from it was wrongly cropped :D

Posted: 06 Jul 2008, 16:14
by bradavon
I'd imagine Kitano at least saw the Japanese versions.
romerojpg wrote:I saw it in the cinema as well, but honestly when people say I saw it in the cinema and it looked this way or that, I think they are talking bull, as frankly I cannot remember what the last film I saw looked like never mind Zatoichi years ago :D apart from it was wrongly cropped :D
Agreed overall. I do remember Zatoichi looking muted at the cinema though.

I do think it's bull when they claim to remember how a film looked they saw a decade ago.

Posted: 06 Jul 2008, 16:19
by romerojpg
A decade :D some people say they know what films 50 years old looked like :lol:



and hey many directors have nothing at all to do with the dvd at all, I have listened to comenteries where they say it looks wrong beyond words. The studio does the dvd, not the director. Some oversee them, but seriously that costs cash, so thats why they dont involve them.

Posted: 06 Jul 2008, 16:24
by smarterray
It's supposed to be that "bland" color. I remember watching a making-of (I think it was on the R3HK) and they had this whole part about the silver filtering/processing of the film to make it feel not only more muted, but vintage and aged as well (keeping in line with the whole jidai-geki genre).

Posted: 18 Nov 2008, 22:13
by Kris
Does anyone have the UK Zatoichi Blu-ray? Or Caché? I'm curious to see how Artificial Eye has handled their first batch of BDs as they have some good stuff coming up, but so far I haven't been able to find out anything.

Posted: 14 Apr 2009, 18:19
by romerojpg
http://hmv.com/hmvweb/displayProductDet ... 301e0f928a

Blu Ray £9.99 or less if you have vouchers and Quidco :)

Posted: 16 May 2009, 15:32
by romerojpg
Well after watching it again on HD still a stunning film, the HD transfers not the best sadly :( lines going up the screen sort of like compression etc.., so I had to sit far futher back.

and as for the ugly washed out look, it kind of makes little sense when Kitano says he wanted lovely BLUE skys in some sequences, so they went out and found them on days when it was sunny and bright blue.
Yet in the film every sky has been blown out by the transfer, so they all look white! that alone tells me its maybe bullshit that he wanted it looking this way and it was a mess up somewhere down the line surley.

Posted: 11 Jul 2009, 21:09
by Lourdes
Added the UK BD from Artificial Eye.
Pretty horrific, oversharpened, too bright, crushed blacks and loads of artefacts. The HD broadcast looks better, doesn't quite have the detail but a nicer image and less(!) artefacts. Same source as their DVD and not a new telecine from the look of it.

Re: Zatoichi - BD-UK vs. HDTV vs. R1 vs. R2UK

Posted: 04 Sep 2009, 19:33
by gasteropod
The (visually very different) Miramax BD has been added to the DVD Beaver comparison, have a look why don't you: http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film2/DVDRevie ... lu-ray.htm

Re: Zatoichi - BD-UK vs. HDTV vs. R1 vs. R2UK

Posted: 04 Sep 2009, 19:46
by romerojpg
Decimates the shitty UK Blu Ray from miles away! time to get the USA version then and dump the UK Turd.

Re: Zatoichi - BD-UK vs. HDTV vs. R1 vs. R2UK

Posted: 04 Sep 2009, 19:57
by bradavon
You do realise you're the "only" person who considers the boosted colours to be better? UK BD all the way.

The USA BD looks sharper but otherwise it's a mess. It doesn't look like the same film any more. How can you say this is better but equally say other studio inteferences such as EE and DVNR to be worse? It's all extreme tinkering with the picture. Mr. Hypocritical strikes again.

Did you notice they've fucked the audio AGAIN. Giving the dub DTS-HD MA and Japanese DD5.1. Things aren't looking good for Iron Monkey. Why the fuck did they start this worring trend?

Re: Zatoichi - BD-UK vs. HDTV vs. R1 vs. R2UK

Posted: 04 Sep 2009, 20:01
by romerojpg
Yeah if you say so.

Re: Zatoichi - BD-UK vs. HDTV vs. R1 vs. R2UK

Posted: 05 Sep 2009, 00:29
by Lourdes
I'm keeping my MPEG2 transport stream. Both BD's are so horrid.

Re: Zatoichi - BD-UK vs. HDTV vs. R1 vs. R2UK

Posted: 05 Sep 2009, 09:12
by bradavon
The HDTV captures above look the same as the UK BD just darker.

Re: Zatoichi - BD-UK vs. HDTV vs. R1 vs. R2UK

Posted: 05 Sep 2009, 12:55
by Shingster
They don't look the same at all!

Re: Zatoichi - BD-UK vs. HDTV vs. R1 vs. R2UK

Posted: 05 Sep 2009, 14:51
by romerojpg
Seriously he must have the worst EYES ever.

Re: Zatoichi - BD-UK vs. HDTV vs. R1 vs. R2UK

Posted: 09 Sep 2009, 20:02
by bradavon
And now in English Romero?

Re: Zatoichi - BD-UK vs. HDTV vs. R1 vs. R2UK

Posted: 10 Sep 2009, 00:41
by Shingster
He's edited the post now! :D