Does anyone think the remastered version will be updated on Vudu if I do the disc to digital conversion?

That's not true. From the review in post #168

I read another review from somewhere else, but I can't find it now. They also mentioned that it fixed the balancing issue with the audio. You no longer have to turn it up to hear the dialog and then turn it down again when the action starts. That was a big issue for me with the first release.

I'd say there's at least a 90% chance that the 5.1 mix has simply been re-encoded from Dolby TrueHD to DTS-HD, with the only difference between them being the removal of DialNorm, and the person who made that comment is merely reacting to the soundtrack being played 4 dB louder.

Unless I'm missing something, that would still create the same issue then, would it not?

I guess that's what I meant, it's not full remastered audio, just an update of the previous release. Not a significant step up.

Picked up my copy at my local Wal-Mart today.

It wasn't on the shelves, so I asked a few Associates about it. When they checked the Stockroom, they brought out a box that they said was marked 'Set 5/16/17'. When they opened the box, it just had the Heat Blu-Rays in there and once scanned, there was no issue, so they sold me a copy.

If you don't see it on the shelves of your Wal-Mart stores, this might be the issue as the confusion of these Blu-Rays being marked to be set on an Endcap next week.

Found a lone copy at my local Fry's for $7.88.

Might be one of those titles that you don't see until there is a specific sale or display for it to be part of. Like the Fathers Day sales and displays that will be starting soon.

How much? $7.88?

I'm glad about this release. If this is Mann's true vision then I'm all for it. New extras for under $8? That's crazy not to upgrade if a 4K release is not on horizon...

Yup! It rang up $7.88 in-store!

Using the UPC, you can check your local store inventory for it via Brickseek.

Amazon sent me a copy with a hole in the front of the slipcover. I'm wondering if it's worth the trouble of returning.

Just ask them and see what they say. If they ask to return, you can decide then. Or, they may even send you a case for free, or a full copy.


So did anyone watch this? I watched the first 45 minutes, and uh.....there's not a great improvement. Not in the least. I kind of wonder why it got such high ratings for this release. Nothing substantial on the picture quality from the last release.

A transcode from TrueHD to DTS-MA isn't an "update" at all. It's just a change in compression format, and both are already lossless anyway.

I just received the disc yesterday and haven't had a chance to watch it yet, much less try to compare to the old Blu-ray. It just seems incredibly unlikely to me that there will be any difference in the audio at all. Switching compression codec and removing DialNorm won't make the soundtrack "better." It's still the same soundtrack, regardless of which logo comes up on your receiver's front display. And DialNorm doesn't change the quality of the audio, just the default playback volume. (Almost all DTS tracks default to playing 4 dB louder than Dolby tracks.)

There's a very high likelihood that the person who boasted about great improvements in the soundtrack was really just responding to listening to it louder. He could have gotten the exact same result by pushing the Volume button on his remote a few times.

If Michael Mann were going to remix the movie's soundtrack now, don't you think he would have done it in 7.1 or Atmos? Why bother redoing it just to leave it in 5.1?

Thanks for all of that info, Josh. I imagine that if a reviewer is not acutely aware of the fact that, as you say, almost all DTS tracks default to playing 4 dB louder than Dolby tracks, then yeah, they would definitely think the DTS was "better" just by listening to them side-by-side on the same equipment set to the same volume. They would have to know to either turn the Dolby track up 4 dB, or turn the DTS track down 4 dB to get the same output. I doubt the reviewer in question was aware of that, since they didn't mention it.

I drove my daughter home from school yesterday. When we got to the front door, I saw an Amazon package sitting on the front door step. "Yes!" I said. I ripped open the package, showed the Blu Ray to her and said "This is the new remaster of "Heat", one of the greatest movies of all-time!". My teenage daughter, who really respects my movie taste and share a lot of the same tastes, looked at me like I was crazy and incredulously asked me "The Sandra Bullock - Melissa McCarthy movie???". I slowly shook my head and said "No, not the Sandra Bullock - Melissa McCarthy movie".

Sadly, upon looking closely at the package, you then realized that Amazon had sent you this:

It hasn't had great ratings. Your opinion reflects the prevailing sentiment. The sound is upgraded and there are some nice new extras, but the transfer is a toss-up with the VC-1 encode.

Priceless.

Hey Shannon, I will give you my slipcover, if you want it.
You'd just need to cover the cost for me to ship it.
I don't need it, and it's still in minty-fresh condition.
Let me know.

I watched the 1 hour panel that Christopher Nolan moderated last night.

I believe it was shot last Fall. A colleague of mine attended it. They brought in a lot of the key cast members De Niro, Pacino, Amy Brenneman, Val Kilmer, Mykelti Williamson etc. Plus, some crew members like Michael Mann.

The 1st 20-30 minutes was just Mann, Pacino, and De Niro. Let's just say it's a little difficult to watch. Pacino and De Niro look like 2 tired old men who really didn't want to be there. Mann does most of the talking. Nolan tried to ask a lot of really intelligent questions, but Pacino and De Niro really didn't add anything interesting. You're asking these 2 tired old men to recall a movie they did over 20 years ago. De Niro hardly spoke at all. He just sat there nodding his head most of the time. Mann actually did most of the talking.

And holy crap, when Val Kilmer started speaking...wow. He was definitely suffering from his throat cancer treatments. He said his tongue was swollen and you could barely understand him. Felt bad that he wasn't really in good shape.

It's worth a watch at least once, but honestly this wasn't really one of my favorite BD extras that I've seen recently. It was kind of dry for the most part.

It's now at $6.99 on Amazon.

5 year bump. But this seems the best place to mention this. The new 4K disc just came out recently and if you’re contemplating spending the $25 to upgrade. You might want to reconsider if you’re hoping for a big picture upgrade. This reviewer, Jeff from Films at Home, reviewed the disc and he was disappointed with the picture. He showed a few screen comparisons and the picture is actually darker in some scenes on the new disc. Also there is no audio upgrade. It’s the same mix from 2017. The extras are also all the same too from 2017 and they are only on the Blu-ray. The 4K does have Mann’s commentary. I suppose if you don’t already own the 2017 version, you could wait for a sale. So it’s up to you. I’m going to pass on this and just keep my BD.

I know opinions on picture quality are subjective and not everyone has perfect vision to analyze it.



Shane Lee from Spare Change reviewed it also and gave the picture a 7.5. Shane showed a picture from a scene that was clearly mid day and bright. The 4K made it look darker with an overcast.

Didn’t watch those videos, but it’s been reported pretty much everywhere Mann did his usual revision BS with this movie. I’m officially at a point where I’ve stopped chasing after stuff like this by seeking out an older version just because the changes done. Mann revised it yet again which means the studio will fully support it and make all previous versions extinct.

I'm sticking with the disc that came out in 2017. I don't feel the need to upgrade this one.