Matthew Chmiel

It will most likely be the same transfer, just encoded differently. Was the TCM disc a BD-25 or BD-50? Mill Creek's will be BD-25.

sleepyhead55

The first release was a BD-25. Second one was a BD-50, although it was only around 27 GB. I suspect if they dumped most of the extras they could probably squeeze it into a BD-25 if they wanted.

Here the screen caps and comparison from both versions from DVDBeaver:

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film4/blu-r...ai_blu-ray.htm

BambooLounge

I know, screen grabs are an imperfect method of analysis (esp on this laptop I'm using), but the "new version" doesn't seem significantly better, just darker.

It does sort of blow my mind though that a Welles film is going to be released by Mill Creek. How does this not get to Criterion or even Masters of Cinema across the pond?

Matthew Chmiel

Mill Creek has confirmed they're using the same 4K master as the TCM disc, but to answer that question: Sony doesn't give a shit.

They licensed a large majority of their library to the highest bidder as they don't value their catalog and Mill Creek was that winner. Buena Vista was at least careful and deliberate with Mill Creek by giving them films a majority of the public would never want to own rather than giving them high profile titles. Sony just said fuck it and let them have access to films which I am still genuinely surprised aren't on Blu-ray yet.

It sucks as there's distributors that would love to have that content or I would love to have that even some access to a catalog like that (Arrow, Criterion, Kino, and Shout Factory to name a few), but at the end of the day, Sony is bleeding money and its more quantity over quality at the moment.

sleepyhead55

The cover is at least better than the TCM one:

rw2516

Mill Creek is releasing The Wild One

Alan Smithee

But SONY is releasing Troop Beverly Hills! Catalog titles are back!

laidbacklarkin

Do I cancel my TCM order of LFS that's been on back order since BF 2014 ? is that worth more than 2x this or is it just slicker packaging ? but really, Mill Creek ????

Dick

At least the Sony material looks pretty excellent even if released through Mill Creek, which says to me that MC isn't tampering with the transfers Sony is providing. MR. SARDONICUS, SHIP OF FOOLS, THE ANDERSON TAPES, etc. all look splendid. No special features, but if you're a "I just want the movie" person, you could do much worse than Mill Creek.

PhantomStranger

Someone at Sony has definitely hand-picked the better HD transfers for Mill Creek.

Paul_SD

The thing I would worry about with Mill Creek is the encoding/compression. Lazy, indifferent compression can make the best 4K master look like shit.