James Bond on Blu-ray/4K

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  • j_w_pepperj_w_pepper Born on the bayou, but I now hear a new dog barkin'
    Posts: 9,035
    I'll sit out 4K just like I sat out 3D, which has all but vanished. Never watched a 3D movie, and still think that Full-HD satisfies my every desire in regard to sharpness...I'm still thrilled when I watch a movie on my big screen. Also, I still feel that 10 Euros or less for a movie should be enough.
  • NickTwentyTwoNickTwentyTwo Vancouver, BC, Canada
    Posts: 7,551
    j_w_pepper wrote: »
    I'll sit out 4K just like I sat out 3D, which has all but vanished. Never watched a 3D movie, and still think that Full-HD satisfies my every desire in regard to sharpness...I'm still thrilled when I watch a movie on my big screen. Also, I still feel that 10 Euros or less for a movie should be enough.

    I'm with you. I think you'd need a fairly massive screen for your eyes to need something higher than 1080p.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,974
    I love 4K for the most part but the upgrade just isn't really worth all that money, I'd say. It's "better," sure, but nothing like the DVD-to-blu-ray jump. In fact, when blu-ray was fresh and I was upgrading, I loved every upgrade I bought into. 4K? I've found several blu-ray versions of the same films that were clearly superior in quality, CR and QoS included. This is (hopefully) the last time I upgrade formats like this.
  • JamesBondKenyaJamesBondKenya Danny Boyle laughs to himself
    Posts: 2,730
    j_w_pepper wrote: »
    I'll sit out 4K just like I sat out 3D, which has all but vanished. Never watched a 3D movie, and still think that Full-HD satisfies my every desire in regard to sharpness...I'm still thrilled when I watch a movie on my big screen. Also, I still feel that 10 Euros or less for a movie should be enough.

    But 3d is a gimmick that went away, 4K is actually a step forward in resolution, making the home media experience closer to the intended product by the filmmaker.
  • RyanRyan Canada
    Posts: 692
    I've just been upgrading a handful of my favourite films to 4K. While better for the most part, I agree that the jump to 4K is nothing like the jump from DVD to Blu-ray. I doubt I'd go crazy on my whole collection - with the exception of Bond.
    Ryan wrote: »
    Wasn't there something about Casino and Quantum only being shot in 2K and therefore a full 4K upscale isn't likely to improve much in terms of visuals? I feel like I remember reading that somewhere.

    They were shot on film but mastered in 2K. A 4K remaster is possible but will cost money. WB had to remaster LOTR in order to get true 4K.

    Understood, so there's hope I suppose. I thought the current versions looked fine myself, but definitely not a significant upgrade over the Blu-ray other than having those "unrated" shots from CR restored.
  • Junglist_1985Junglist_1985 Los Angeles
    Posts: 1,033
    I’m mostly going straight from DVD to 4K, and since I can’t ever see 8k being worthwhile, I’m going ALL IN on the 4K stuff.
  • j_w_pepperj_w_pepper Born on the bayou, but I now hear a new dog barkin'
    edited January 2022 Posts: 9,035
    I’m mostly going straight from DVD to 4K, and since I can’t ever see 8k being worthwhile, I’m going ALL IN on the 4K stuff.

    But why can't you see 8k being worthwhile? Basically for the same reason I don't see 4K being worthwhile (for upgrading at the rate of thousands of euros/dollars/ pounds). I still find Full HD absolutely smashing whenever I start my BD player on my 12-year-old Full-HD-projector (hey, I even replaced the bulb recently!) lighting up my 14-ft-screen, and I'm certainly not going to "upgrade" on that. Especially at usually more than double the price of a disc in question.

  • Junglist_1985Junglist_1985 Los Angeles
    Posts: 1,033
    Blu Ray is fantastic quality! I’ve just read a bunch of info that the human eye can’t even detect 4K to 8k, so what’s the point?
  • MakeshiftPythonMakeshiftPython “Baja?!”
    Posts: 8,185
    I only convert to 4K depending on the transfer. For example, if there’s a Bond film that I want to see improved from blu-ray, it’s GOLDENEYE, because the blu is VERY flawed.
  • MakeshiftPythonMakeshiftPython “Baja?!”
    edited March 2022 Posts: 8,185
    I’ve been going over the 4K titles on Amazon Prime and it looks like these are different digital copies from iTunes. Two things stuck out. The 2012 MGM logo is shortened. So it doesn’t start from within the eye of Leo, but rather just a second before he roars. Also the transfers I watched are visibly MORE grainy than the iTunes copies. I’m not sure that means iTunes used DNR to smooth out the grain on their transfers or if Amazon didn’t master them right. The titles I watched that appeared more grainy were the 80s films, GE, and CR (the grain on that is actual more prominent than the 4K disc!!!)

    In terms of color they don’t look too different from the iTunes copies, but I haven’t done a side by side comparison yet so I may have to get around to that.
  • Posts: 0
    Kananga wrote: »
    I hate the art work... I am hoping for a continuation of the previous 4K releases.

    Me too. The UK sleeve design for Dr. No - Die Another Day has remained unchanged since 2013.

    However, Fox Home Video issued the films on behalf of MGM until summer 2020. Now it’s Warner who do it. So any new releases from here on would have a new design.
  • Posts: 0
    If they don’t announce it during the summer, then I’ll be concerned.

    I’m beginning to think now that we’re not going to get these UHD discs by October after all. If there isn’t an announcement by the end of July, I’d definitely bet against it.

    The Bond 50 Blu-ray set was announced as early as January 2012!
  • Junglist_1985Junglist_1985 Los Angeles
    edited June 2022 Posts: 1,033
    I was just having this thought the other day… not a good sign they haven’t announced anything yet. I’m literally ready to drop $300-$400 on a full 4K set.

    That being said, I would be massively disappointed if it didn’t include a proper 4K remaster of CR/QOS.
  • Posts: 0
    I was just having this thought the other day… not a good sign they haven’t announced anything yet. I’m literally ready to drop $300-$400 on a full 4K set.

    That being said, I would be massively disappointed if it didn’t include a proper 4K remaster of CR/QOS.

    I would prefer to buy the titles individually myself, not a fan of those cardboard wallets with them all together like how the Bond 50 collection was presented. Or the one we got when Spectre was released, which was 3 cases packaged together with a boring looking design.

    After the Bond 50 set was released in September 2012, we had to wait until March - May the following year for the individual Blu-ray releases. Even then, it was only the first 20 films which got the collector sleeve design. Not that they were any good.

    I don’t think you’ll see a proper 4K release of Casino Royale or Quantum of Solace at any point in the foreseeable future. Rather like the 4K Bond films that are already found on certain streaming platforms such as Apple which aren’t true 4K either. That’s what we’d get on UHD disc this time.
  • MakeshiftPythonMakeshiftPython “Baja?!”
    Posts: 8,185
    Yeah, it’s looking like a 4K disc release of all the Bonds is unlikely for this year, which is extremely unfortunate.

    Interestingly, when the complete five film set for Craig’s run was released this year, the first four films were still the same discs manufactured by Fox back in 2020, rather than new ones by WB or Universal.
  • Posts: 0
    Yeah, it’s looking like a 4K disc release of all the Bonds is unlikely for this year, which is extremely unfortunate.

    Interestingly, when the complete five film set for Craig’s run was released this year, the first four films were still the same discs manufactured by Fox back in 2020, rather than new ones by WB or Universal.

    I think the question we should be asking ourselves now is, ‘will all the Bond films ever be released on UHD disc?’

    Either MGM have decided that it isn’t commercially viable, or there is some snag with the legal rights that’s holding it up.

    I would be happy with them just getting re-packaged with collector sleeves (all 25 films) on standard Blu-ray. Preferably with decent artwork, unlike what we got in 2013.
  • Posts: 367
    DR NO Steelbook -

    https://www.zavvi.com/blu-ray/dr-no-60th-anniversary-special-edition-steelbook/13924429.html

    No 4K, I don't think we're ever going to get them.....
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,974
    That looks worth the price, at least, too bad it's Region B locked.

    Yes, if we were getting the rest of the series in 4K, it would've leaked or popped up elsewhere by now. It's almost August.
  • MakeshiftPythonMakeshiftPython “Baja?!”
    Posts: 8,185
    Pretty disappointing they’re not using the 60th anniversary to release the complete 25 film set. Even just giving each of the actors their own box sets (aside from Lazenby for obvious reasons) would have been doable.
  • Junglist_1985Junglist_1985 Los Angeles
    Posts: 1,033
    This is quite infuriating actually… not just because I upgraded to 4K TV/4K player in anticipation of an upgraded box set, but also because they rarely get such a clean break with an actor’s tenure finishing during a major anniversary.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,974
    I thought for sure we'd get one in the (long) run-up to NTTD, so seeing that it's still unlikely (unless they're keeping their cards held tightly to their chest) for the 60th anniversary is pretty underwhelming. Barring a big surprise or an unexpected announcement on the next era, it doesn't seem like they have anything big in store planned for this one, though I'd love to be wrong.

    Crazy how time flies, feels like just yesterday I was celebrating the 50th with you lot.
  • Posts: 60
    So I am new to the Community. And this is a long thread. So this may have been brought up earlier in the thread. If so, I'm sorry for repeating it.

    But I have the Bond 50 blu ray box set. I purchased this in 2012 for the 50th Anniversay and it had the space in the book for "Skyfall".

    I already had all the DVD's. And so I wanted to upgrade to blu-ray and full 1080p.

    I was very happy with the set. Although removing the discs is always a cause for concern as there is always the fear you will damage the disc.

    But really I just wanted the crystal clear HD in 1080p. And the films all looked amazing.

    However, the extras and "The Mission Dossier: The Making of..." features (as narrated by Patrick MacNee) a few of them (I don't recall which, off the top of my head) have some sort of glitch. When you watch them some of them are just a little tiny square in the middle of the screen.

    I didn't notice this immediately as the Mission Dossier's were all on the DVD's. So I had watced them all. And the fact that they are like this wasn't enough for me to return it. Even though it was likely too late by the time I noticed.

    Has anyone else noticed this? Was there a batch with the glitch. Did they attempt to replace the discs? Is everyone copy like this or did they fix it on later releases?
  • Posts: 16,167
    So I am new to the Community. And this is a long thread. So this may have been brought up earlier in the thread. If so, I'm sorry for repeating it.

    But I have the Bond 50 blu ray box set. I purchased this in 2012 for the 50th Anniversay and it had the space in the book for "Skyfall".

    I already had all the DVD's. And so I wanted to upgrade to blu-ray and full 1080p.

    I was very happy with the set. Although removing the discs is always a cause for concern as there is always the fear you will damage the disc.

    But really I just wanted the crystal clear HD in 1080p. And the films all looked amazing.

    However, the extras and "The Mission Dossier: The Making of..." features (as narrated by Patrick MacNee) a few of them (I don't recall which, off the top of my head) have some sort of glitch. When you watch them some of them are just a little tiny square in the middle of the screen.

    I didn't notice this immediately as the Mission Dossier's were all on the DVD's. So I had watced them all. And the fact that they are like this wasn't enough for me to return it. Even though it was likely too late by the time I noticed.

    Has anyone else noticed this? Was there a batch with the glitch. Did they attempt to replace the discs? Is everyone copy like this or did they fix it on later releases?

    Welcome to the forums, @Universal_Exports83. I've got the Blu-ray set that was released around the time of SPECTRE.
    I believe a handful of those documentaries got an upgrade for the Blu-rays enchancing the images for 16:9 televisions. Some of them didn't and ended up in the old 4:3 format. Thus you get the bars on the sides (as well as the tops for scope clips).
  • Posts: 60
    ToTheRight wrote: »
    So I am new to the Community. And this is a long thread. So this may have been brought up earlier in the thread. If so, I'm sorry for repeating it.

    But I have the Bond 50 blu ray box set. I purchased this in 2012 for the 50th Anniversay and it had the space in the book for "Skyfall".

    I already had all the DVD's. And so I wanted to upgrade to blu-ray and full 1080p.

    I was very happy with the set. Although removing the discs is always a cause for concern as there is always the fear you will damage the disc.

    But really I just wanted the crystal clear HD in 1080p. And the films all looked amazing.

    However, the extras and "The Mission Dossier: The Making of..." features (as narrated by Patrick MacNee) a few of them (I don't recall which, off the top of my head) have some sort of glitch. When you watch them some of them are just a little tiny square in the middle of the screen.

    I didn't notice this immediately as the Mission Dossier's were all on the DVD's. So I had watced them all. And the fact that they are like this wasn't enough for me to return it. Even though it was likely too late by the time I noticed.

    Has anyone else noticed this? Was there a batch with the glitch. Did they attempt to replace the discs? Is everyone copy like this or did they fix it on later releases?

    Welcome to the forums, @Universal_Exports83. I've got the Blu-ray set that was released around the time of SPECTRE.
    I believe a handful of those documentaries got an upgrade for the Blu-rays enchancing the images for 16:9 televisions. Some of them didn't and ended up in the old 4:3 format. Thus you get the bars on the sides (as well as the tops for scope clips).

    Thank you @ToTheRight

    Usually the 4:3 format has the side bars on 16:9. These ones do have the top bar as you described. So the picture is very small. I can't off the top of my head think of which ones were like this (I think, On Her Majesty's Secret Service and A View To A Kill). But not all of them are this way. Which made me think it was a glitch. I guess they just got bored upgrading them or ran out of time before the release?

    I'm glad they've corrected it. Although I just bought Spectre and No Time To Die on seperate blu-rays. I doubt I'll buy the blu ray set that was released around Spectre.
  • Posts: 16,167
    ToTheRight wrote: »
    So I am new to the Community. And this is a long thread. So this may have been brought up earlier in the thread. If so, I'm sorry for repeating it.

    But I have the Bond 50 blu ray box set. I purchased this in 2012 for the 50th Anniversay and it had the space in the book for "Skyfall".

    I already had all the DVD's. And so I wanted to upgrade to blu-ray and full 1080p.

    I was very happy with the set. Although removing the discs is always a cause for concern as there is always the fear you will damage the disc.

    But really I just wanted the crystal clear HD in 1080p. And the films all looked amazing.

    However, the extras and "The Mission Dossier: The Making of..." features (as narrated by Patrick MacNee) a few of them (I don't recall which, off the top of my head) have some sort of glitch. When you watch them some of them are just a little tiny square in the middle of the screen.

    I didn't notice this immediately as the Mission Dossier's were all on the DVD's. So I had watced them all. And the fact that they are like this wasn't enough for me to return it. Even though it was likely too late by the time I noticed.

    Has anyone else noticed this? Was there a batch with the glitch. Did they attempt to replace the discs? Is everyone copy like this or did they fix it on later releases?

    Welcome to the forums, @Universal_Exports83. I've got the Blu-ray set that was released around the time of SPECTRE.
    I believe a handful of those documentaries got an upgrade for the Blu-rays enchancing the images for 16:9 televisions. Some of them didn't and ended up in the old 4:3 format. Thus you get the bars on the sides (as well as the tops for scope clips).

    Thank you @ToTheRight

    Usually the 4:3 format has the side bars on 16:9. These ones do have the top bar as you described. So the picture is very small. I can't off the top of my head think of which ones were like this (I think, On Her Majesty's Secret Service and A View To A Kill). But not all of them are this way. Which made me think it was a glitch. I guess they just got bored upgrading them or ran out of time before the release?

    I'm glad they've corrected it. Although I just bought Spectre and No Time To Die on seperate blu-rays. I doubt I'll buy the blu ray set that was released around Spectre.

    Probably no point in double dipping, though I do love the 2015 Blu-ray set.
    A bit disappointing several of those INSIDE documentaries didn't get the upgrade. Might've been costly to redo all of them. I find special features done today a bit lacking. CR aside, the extras on the Craig era films aren't as lavish.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,974
    Yes, after a while it seems like the only reason to buy any new sets, past upgrading in format, is just for a cool looking case or cover art. I don't even double dip on steelbooks anymore, I just don't look at them enough to justify the extra purchase, but I did love a few of those Best Buy steelbooks years back enough that I had to pick some of them up.
  • RemingtonRemington I'll do anything for a woman with a knife.
    Posts: 1,534
    The Inside documentaries were upgraded on the movies that were released on Blu-ray in 2008 (Connery's first four, LALD, MR, FYEO, TWINE, DAD). Not sure why the rest weren't.
  • Posts: 16,167
    If the films were re-released with new transfers other than the Lowery restorations, I'd be more than happy to double dip.
    Unless I'm mistaken all the re-releases since 2006 have used the same Lowery transfers.
  • Posts: 60
    Remington wrote: »
    The Inside documentaries were upgraded on the movies that were released on Blu-ray in 2008 (Connery's first four, LALD, MR, FYEO, TWINE, DAD). Not sure why the rest weren't.

    Ahh that must be it then. It seems strange the rest weren't. Unless there was a deadline? In fact because of this and the black bars at the sides and top of the inside documentaries means they actually look better on the DVD's.
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