wago70

Can anyone shed some light on the differences between the quality of these releases?

UKingdom

I can't speak for Pioneer, but considering the "content" is the same and the new version is so much cheaper (you can pick it up for $14 anywhere), I'd get the new one.

I have the new one and it's great. The disc art and the box is nice, and the movie itself is classic. You get a trailer but that's it. No special features, but neither on the Pioneer. Audio in original French or English dubs, although I prefer French.

bboisvert

The picture quality of the new MGM version is a slight improvement over the Pioneer (not much at all, mind you, but slight).

In keeping with the companies inability to release anything properly that involves subtitles, MGM has inexplicably released it with English subtitles based on the dubbed version and not the French translated version.

This could really annoy most fans of the film, especially if they are used to the older subtitles on the previous releases...

mugwump

Yeah, what bboisvert said. I will gladly sacrifice the picture quality of the new MGM release to keep the accurate subtitles of the Pioneer version. Also, I've heard that the French Dolby Surround of the older version is quite a bit better.

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Mugwump's DVDs

weargle

I can't comment on the MGM version, but the original had no time encoding either which can be VERY annoying.

ipkevin

For those of you guys who said the MGM picture was only marginally better, can you please check out the restaurant shootout scene? Actually, just before the shootout, when Nikita and Tcheky Karyo are entering the restaurant. There's a shot of all the gold gilded decorations in the restaurant. In the old DVD, there was MAJOR aliasing going on. MAJOR aliasing. Pulsing steps all over the screen. Is this the case with the MGM disc? Is there still a lot of aliasing?

Peep

How does the original (French) audio tracks compare? I heard that the audio on the OOP release was significantly better.