The Pianist (Limited Edition) (3 Discs)
 

I was just wondering if anyone is picking us this version? I think its an Canadian Exclusive. Any ideas if the US will have its own "Special" Edition?


http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/ASI...720153-5233160

just picked up the domestic...and this one should be here in a few days:thumbsup:.

Apparently the Canadian version has an inferior transfer.

Some screenshots are available here:

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...hreadid=140872

One issue regarding motion-blur on the 2nd page of the thread.

Looks like the transfer was taken from a PAL master.

Yup bad motion blur on those screencap examples. I wonder if someone with a Malata player tried changing the video filter setting to fix this problem. I don't own the Canadian release (yet) but I've had similar blur issues on other discs that were "fixed" by changing the filter setting.

I'm not a member so can someone ask on that hometheater forum thread if someone with a Malata tried to change filter setting?

eXcentris:
 

Assuming that it does fix the problem. Is there anything that somebody WITHOUT a Malata player can do?

Try to blink every 3 frames?

I don't see any way to solve those motion and compression artifacts with player settings. They screwed up the transfer, plain and simple. Disappointing.

(Luckily, I hadn't gotten around to buying this yet...)

Well, that's why I put "fixed" in quotes. So solve? No. Make it better? Possibly. Worth a try for those who have the disk.

Apparently from the previous post you supplied, looks like Alliance is bad transfer comapany, and the company that is releasing the Canadian Version has no such crap record.

Alliance isn't releasing this disc - but the same company that is releasing "The Pianist" also screwed up "The Brotherhood of the Wolf" last year.

Typical.

I hope they offer a replacement, although I won't hold my breath.

-- Jough

Also, don't forget the huge screw-up Lion's Gate made with The Art of War.

People with 4x3 sets (the huge majority of the population) had to watch the DVD with stretched images. It sat on the store shelves like this, even though they were aware of the problem.

They're running an amateur operation over there.

I got my Canadian Pianist disc yesterday.

The transfer looks fine to me. It's not reference, but it's way above average. (FYI - I watched it on a Panasonic 4:3 36" flat-screen tube HDTV w/ anamorphic squeeze through component cables, w/ a Panasonic progressive scan dvd player.)

I'm not saying that this "ghosting blur" isn't there - I just didn't notice it at all. I was closely looking for it too.

The only thing that bugs me is that on the documentary there are player generated French subtitles that you cannot turn off. This just doesn't make sense to me. I wouldn't mind if it defaulted to them being on - but why make it so you can't turn them off?

I got this on Tuesday, but haven't watched it yet. Still, I think the complaints over the Brotherhood of the Wolf was pretty overblown, so hopefully this is similarly done. It is a nice looking package otherwise, for whatever that's worth.

I read somewhere that you can fix this by going into the setup portion of disc 2 and selecting "no subtitles"

I looked for a setup screen, but didn't find one. I'll check again tonight.

I'll also go through parts of the film frame by frame and see if I notice the transfer problems there.

Okay, so it sounds like you REALLY have to be looking for the transfer defects. I feel better about this now.

I'd still have kept the 3-disc version just for the extras and packaging, and may yet pick up the U.S. version if I feel compelled to do so by a sub-par transfer, but still, it's too bad they didn't get it exactly right...

-- Jough

Ok, now I'm torn. I had already ordered the 3-disc before I heard the bad news about the transfer, so I tried to cancel but it had already shipped. Now I am hearing that the problem isn't so bad after all. My delima is that if I want to return the DVD once I get it, I won't be able to open it and watch it to see the transfer for myself. I would much rather just keep it and not go through all the hassles of returning.

So can anyone in a similar situation tell me what you plan to do? And can anyone else confirm how bad the problem really is?

I'm going to open it, watch it, and if it's not so hot I'll watch the extras. If they're not so hot, I'll sell the whole package on eBay, probably for more than I paid for it, a few months from now when it's OOP.

So either way, I really can't lose. I just wish the transfer was getting rave reviews.

-- Jough

You're going to get a different answer every time. These ghosting defects appear to different degrees depending on what equipment you have. Bottom line though, is that it's obviously a defective transfer, so the Universal disc appears to be best option.

Here's another review of the Canadian disc thta shows the same defect:

http://207.136.67.23/film/DVDReview/pianist.htm

I just watched both the film and the documentary and I couldn't detect anything wrong with the picture. Also, the non-removable French subtitles that someone here mentioned did not appear in my copy. When you load the Docu disc, you are given an option for either "English" or "French." I chose "English" and there is no option for a "French" subtitle. Viewed the discs on a JVC 27" and Toshiba 1800 player.

OH my god, the edge enhancement in the first pic is terrible.

That's not edge enhancement. That's the "ghosting" defect that occurs when a PAL source is transfered incorrectly to NTSC. The incorrect running time on the Canadian disc is another indication that this was a PAL transfer that wasn't converted properly. If that running time is accurate, then even if you don't see the ghosting, you're still watching the film at PAL speed.

For what its worth I have read that the American version does not have any of the artifacts -- only the Canadian version.

Seems that two different transfer were made. One was done correctly and one was not.

When you put the disc in, you are given the option to pick English or French menus. I picked English and did not have any French forced subtitles. Are you perhaps selecting the French option by accident?

*******

Last night, I opened my Canadian copy. I had already bought and watched my US copy the night before. The reason I bought a US copy was because of threads like these making me lose faith in my long-preordered Canadian version.

I did really like the quality of the US image and color on my 53" calibrated Pioneer. Last night I compared the two versions. It was clunky, as I only had one player and had to "memorize" scenes and then check them against the other disc.

To cut a long story short, I did prefer the image quality of the US version. But although the Canadian version does the have the transfer issues so well noted above, I didn't find the difference to be that enormous as you might expect from threads like these.

If you have the Canadian version and are happy with it, then more power to you. Its a nice set. But if you are a perfectionist, then the US is the way to go. However, I wrote this post to emphasize that IMHO the difference is just not of the magnitude you might think from reading some of these posts. Some of you who are worrying about what to do with your Canadian copies might well be happy with them, should you choose to open them.

The version I will be giving away, will however be the Canadian one.

Supposedly some people have reported the Canadian edition as not being "as bad" as everyone has claimed... Guess it partially depends on your setup.

Similar thing happened with the Brotherhood of the Wolf release by TVA... A lot of people bashed the transfer, but a lot of people including myself found it to be acceptable. I should get the 3 disc DVD in the mail anyday now. I'll check it out and re-post with my thoughts.

I only have a 20 inch Sony tv so probably don't notice most of the things people complain about.....but I didn't really see any problem with the discs....I dislike the fact that it was a PAL transfer and thus the running time is altered, but I'm happy enough with the discs to not feel tempted to get the US release as well.