Gallant Pig

I was perusing HK Flix, and noticed they had a HK version of Yi Yi. Knowing the USA version is screwed up by Fox Lorber/Winstar, I'm very interested in this edition. Also being cheaper helps too.

Any experience on this title?

http://www.hkflix.com/xq/asp/filmID.1178/qx/details.htm

Blade

I think the people who can best answer your question are in the International forum.

I'm moving your thread there, but you might want to skim over this one too: http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthr...hreadid=131405

Gallant Pig

Thanks Blade. I tried searching for Yi Yi on the forum but it won't allow it (less than 3 characters or something like that).

I scanned that thread and it seems like no one mentioned the HK version's quality specifically other than speculating about it. So the question stands

I might as well pick it up, but I'm not super eager about it if it's low quality.

dleedlee

The HK version is also flawed. As described at HKFlix:

"URGENT NOTE: This DVD from Winson Entertainment has no sound on the right channel. There is only sound on the left channel. We strongly recommend this excellent film, but want to warn you ahead of time about this technical problem. "

http://www.hkflix.com/xq/asp/filmID.1178/qx/details.htm

So, no good video releases yet, I'm afraid. Well, there is the Japanese R2 release,
and possibly the vcd version.

Gallant Pig

So if I watched this in Mono I'd be in good shape?

Krug

Funny I thought they were selling it for $3/4 previously...
ah well market forces.

ScreachingWeasel

Didn't Fox Lorber take care of the mastering problem or whatever it was? If they did that should look pretty good since the print seemed very clean with good color on the first printing.

garmonbozia

yes they did.
The first version would not even play in my machine.
The corrected version does. As far as I could tell though, there is no way to tell the corrected version from the first pressing from the packaging. I got my corrected version from DDD so I know they have them in stock, and it is only 14.99

dleedlee

Is the picture still very soft? I hadn't heard about a remaster. Which
problem was it to solve?

garmonbozia

From what I have read on dvdtalk when the disc was first released, I understood it was to solve both the immense # of players that the disc would not play in and the faulty transfer. The first version would not play for me in any of the players I had access to (not even in my DVD-rom) so I have no idea what the first version looked like, i.e. I have no basis for comparison.
I only have a 20-inch Sony Trinitron monitor, so do not have the best equipment to advise people on picture qulaity. I was not distracted by anything with the picture quality and it was certainly not the horror that Fox Lorber is capable of.
I would suggest giving it a try (I got what I believe to be a newer version from DeepDiscountDVD for less that $15 shipped) but on the other hand, I don't want to be responsible for somebody buying something they are ultimately not happy with. One way to look at it is this: this may very well be the best it's going to get since people stated above that the other region versions aren't very good either.

HKFlix

Just so everyone knows, there's now a great anamorphic version from Korea. It's by far the best version currently available, featuring Mandarin (or Japanese) audio with removable English (or Korean) subtitles. It also has some nice special features, which are unfortunately in Korean only, but things like the Trailers don't really need English much anyway... I loved this movie, so I'm glad there's finally an appropriate DVD available now.

DVDTalk link:
http://www.hkflix.com/xq/asp/filmID....qx/details.htm

kenchi1983

Dont know about u guys, but i enjoyed the movie from Wedding to Funeral. i have the Winson version, and it is indeed left side audio only....i also tried to switching it to mono mode.....but it did not work. (or is it because dvds dont support? because my vcds work in mono mode). having a subwoofer helps the sound quality though.

i also use a Sony Trinitron 20" tv to watch this film. all i can say is that the video quality is sharp enough to see facial lines, and not abit (not even) soft as some of u say about the fox version.

the audio defect did not detract me from loving this film. or maybe because i do not have high expectations since this is not one of those action bullet flying flicks.

and spending 14 dollars is well worth the long 3 hour drama.

also of note, in order to watch this movie without sleeping......u need to have some rest before and prepare for somewhat slow involving peace.

The ending wraps Yi Yi so well.

lwdog

Sigh... I hope a new transfer with Chinese subtitles will appear soon.

Hendrik

...and then there's a French DVD (anamorphic 1.85:1, several language tracks, French subtitles only)...

http://www.dvdfr.com/dvd/fiche.php3?id=3085

. . . . . .

Richard Malloy

Wow... thanks for the news!

I can't believe I hadn't heard of this. If I understand you correctly, this disc is region-free, NTSC, and with English subtitles (on everything but the extras)?

If this really is, finally, a decent transfer of this film, then I'd love to get a slim, 2-disc case so I can make this version the "Primary feature" first disc along with my Winstar directory-commentary version as the "Special Feature" second disc. Now that'd be a worthwhile DVD edition!

OK, so now I have questions! Let me just throw these out there:

Decent English subtitles? Or has it been translated by the Korean equivalent of babelfish.com?

No PAL-speedup? I noticed that the running time is listed as 173 minutes, which is the same as Winster/FL, but three minutes longer than the listed time for the French DVD that Hendrik linked to. Often, one can't trust these time listings - plus, there's been some accusations that the problems with the Winstar disc are from poor PAL>NTSC conversion - so does anyone really know whether this is time-correct, pitch-correct, etc?

And I'm very happy to see that the soundtrack is listed as DD-2.0 surround. Hopefully, this won't be like some other imports with the overpumped rear channels and oddly placed effects. And I'd hate it if that simple, wonderful little theme got all strained and "phasey".

Any help would be very much appreciated!

Richard Malloy

(And just so no one's confused, I'm talking about the Starmax release that HKFlix linked to, not the Winson version that dleedlee linked to, warning of the flawed, no-sound right channel.)

lwdog

This is getting very confusing... Where is the best place of purchasing the Korean version, then?

dleedlee

Dvdasian.com has it in stock. In response to my inquiry today:

Hurray !

Donald Brown

My copy of the Korean/Starmax edition arrived a few days ago, and I've had the opportunity to watch it twice -- once by itself and a second time side-by-side with the Fox Lorber disc (my Wega's split screen feature has finally come in handy!).

Sharpness
Softness is one of the biggest gripes we owners of the FL edition have had, so I'm pleased to confirm that the Starmax version is sharp throughout. Details that were fuzzy and indiscernible are now crystal clear: the characters' eyes, the hair on their heads, the lines on their faces; patterns on carpets; background details such as city lights are in perfect focus.

There is a noticeable amount of grain in some scenes, but I suspect this is natural and not a defect in the transfer. I'm sure the soft transfer on the FL disc simply obscured the grain.

Contrast/Black Level
Starmax is also the clear winner in this category. Blacks are black, the tonal range is large and smooth; some of the more dimly lit scenes do appear to be excessively dark.

The Fox Lorber edition looks washed out, hazy, and just too light overall. Shadows are often grey, highlights are blown out.

Color
Color is a quality that's not so easy to objectively gauge. There are many factors which determine the color cast of a film, such as the film stock, the kinds of lighting, and any filters used, not to mention that variable known as DVD mastering. Unfortunately, this last variable has reared its ugly head and is giving me fits.

The color on both editions appears to me to be incorrect, but without knowing Edward Yang's intentions, it's hard to say for sure if either one is right. The Starmax edition has a greenish cast in most scenes, though the colors seem more natural towards the end of the film. The Fox Lorber edition looks red/magenta most of the time.

Sound
Starmax's soundtrack possesses a clarity not heard on the FL disc, and subtle details such as foosteps and cabinet doors opening sound better, more natural.

Subtitles
Both editions feature optional English subs and their translations are 95% of the time word-for-word the same. Sentences are occasionally phrased slightly differently but always seem accurate on boths discs. The Starmax edition sometimes translates background dialogue that gets left untouched on the FL edition. For example: early in the film, during the wedding reception, an off-screen character is talking to someone else about the Japanese character Ota, who later plays an important role in the film.

One slightly annoying thing about the Starmax edition is the subtitling of the English dialogue spoken between Ota and NJ; I prefer the way Fox Lorber leaves this unsubtitled.

Image Stability/Artifacting
This is the other major failing of the Fox Lorber transfer: pulsing as a result of a poor PAL-to-NTSC conversion plagues nearly every scene. Stairs, blinds, carpets, tiles, etc. are always in flux, throbbing and bobbing as if afloat at sea. Starmax's transfer is relieving in its stability, though there are occasional moments where compression artifacting is evident -- very infrequently, though.

Naturally, since FL's transfer is a PAL-to-NTSC conversion and Starmax's is straight NTSC, there is a difference in running time. When I watched the two discs together I cued them up so that they were perfectly in sync. Inevitably, the FL disc kept outpacing the other one, so I frequently had to pause it to allow the Starmax disc to catch up. To rule out the possibility that the difference in speed was due to a difference in the two DVD players I was using, I ran them simultaneously again after switching players; I didn't compare them scene-by-scene this time, but I checked back towards the end of the film to discover that the Fox Lorber DVD had advanced ahead of the Starmax disc by a few minutes.


Edward Yang's commentary may by reason enough to hold onto the Fox Lorber disc, but anyone who loves this film needs the Starmax version as well. The differences between the two are staggering.

dleedlee

Thanks for the comparison. I ordered my copy of the Starmax version last week.
I originally saw the film in a theater but I cannot recall the "correct" color. It was
a one time, sold out showing and I was just excited to be able to see the
film after queing about an hour. Darn the commentary on the Fox Lorber release,
unless you say it's terrible (which I doubt), I might have to get that version too.

ScreachingWeasel

Thank's for the great review Donald. I guess I'm now going to pick up the Korean disc as well.