Indiana Jones DVD reviews...Part II
 

Rules of this thread:

This thread is here as a review thread for the different versions of bootleg Indiana Jones Trilogy DVDs.

Please DO NOT post any links to sellers of these DVDs or name any sellers of these DVDs. Also please do not email me asking where I got these DVDs (I have already gotten a few). I did not order these online so I have no idea where to get them online...but use your imagination :)

Also let's keep the discussion civil and don't take it personally if the opinion is different than yours.

My review

My review of two different complete sets of the trilogy is basically the video quality is about on par with the widescreen VHS releases and in no way comes close to the LD versions of the trilogy.

My review of these DVDs were done by viewing them on a calibrated HDTV doing a side by side picture in picture comparison with the bootleg and the laserdisc trilogy I own and the widescreen VHS trilogy that I own.

The two sets I had were...

Set 1: Snakeskin style art in a carboard slip-case with tri fold case insert.

Set 2: Original artwork in keep-cases.

Unfortunately those pics posted in the last thread were deleted along with the thread. I didn't order these online so I don't have access to the pics. If someone has those pics please post them.

Both sets had the same exact transfer obviously from the LD, however they were very poorly done. Video was very bad and only slightly edged out the VHS in comparison. Audio did not even come close to their laserdisc counterparts.

The aspects of the video were poor detail and washed out colors. No amount of adjusting the TV had any improvment of the video quality.

Bottom line...IMO they are a waste of money if you have the VHS or LDs. I would wait for a better bootleg or the real thing.

Wow...

ok...here we go again. It's hard to Re-state everything we've already gone through with the other thread.

Supposedly there are 3 different versions:

1) Snake skin artwork with separate sleeves

2) Regular movie artwork that is a fold out with 4 panels

3) keep cases

If I am correct, all 3 have been reviewed now and it is unanimous that these discs are not worth the money that people are spending.

As for my review...I'll try and post everything again.

My package was the 4 paneled version. It came sealed in a box with a great deal of Chinese writing symbols all over it. In fact, I think it just said "raiders" and not even "of the lost ark" on it.

Each DVD was in a plastic clear case inside on each panel. The plastic cases were even starting to come off when i opened it.

The DVD's have menus with blurry images from the movie on one part of the screen and a "still" on the other. They also have music to go along with them.

You can choose to view the film, choose a soundtrack, or bonus materials.

THe bonus materials consist of a photo gallery that is nothing more than STILL FRAMES from the movies themselves. They look just like the films which we will get into later. There are also biographies of Ford and Spielberg that are totally in Chinese.

The Chapter stops are full motion. You're better off watching those for quality.

The movies themselves are all in widescreen and were apparently mastered from the laserdiscs. THey all look horrible. There is very little detail and they are pretty washed out. Very devoid of color and look quite old. Almost like you're watching it on a bad TV set.

The audio is not much better. They have fake 5.1 soundtracks as well as 2.0. The 5.1 is just ludicrous and sounds horrible. The sounds are pretty much all over the place depending on the movie. Raiders and Temple were pretty left-heavy. The 2.0 soundtracks are all front heavy. They are not indicative of the great soundtracks that are available on the laserdisc counterparts.

Final thoughts: I have the laserdiscs. They are VERY good. They sound and look excellent. I'm not telling anyone to go out and buy a laserdisc player. If you already have one, go out and get this trilogy. You won't be sorry you did. If not...either wait for better bootlegs to surface or think about purchasing even a used one. I'm all for bootlegs of these movies as well as the Star Wars ones if they refuse to be released. But at least let them be of the quality that the newest Star Wars 5 Star releases. Nothing less will be tolerated.

Paleblue...i'd like to keep this thread running as long as we can. Perhaps we should take a note from the similar Star Wars thread and post some rules and regulations...and give it an OFFICIAL thread title. We don't want to remember that other one ever happened. ;)

Thanks for the reviews. I think you've steered me clear of this set.

Wow. The whole thread deleted??!! I did not catch the tail end of the last one but it began to get bloody when I went to bed last night. Actually I am glad it was deleted. I got very confused about what was actually out there (how many different sets) and the actual quality of the set(s). I came very close to purchasing one based on what (I guess) turned out to be bad info. Thanks to digitalfreaknyc for setting me straight. At least the info in this thread is consistent so far ;).

Anyway, I would like to suggest that one of the rules be that no discussion of PRICING be allowed. I made the mistake of mentioning the price I paid for the Star Wars set and then people began posting for me to e-mail them (since my e-mail address is not in my profile - for a reason!). Other people such as astro44 are getting the same requests. Go look at how much discussion there is about pricing in the Star Wars thread. Pricing is purchase information that should not be allowed in a bootleg review thread.

One question. It appears that all of the actual disks in the various sets are the same transfers only the packaging is different. Is this an accurate assessment?

Very accurate :)

I didn't see the end of the other thread and I guess it's gone now, so I may have missed something, but I thought that some people in other thread found these discs to be acceptable or even pretty good. Is there some reason we should discount these claims now?

There were very few actual reviews in the previous thread and of those fewer still from anybody who actually had anything to compare them to. Late in the thread some such as digitalfreaknyc who actually had the laserdisks and bought a set based on the originator's review chimed in with very negative reviews.

What made this worse is that the originator slowly softened his stance about how "good" they were and ended up basically saying they were just better than VHS. That is when I went to bed. Apparently it got very ugly after that and now the thread is gone.

digitalfreaknyc, care to fill us in on what we missed?? or is that better left in the past. As curious as I am, I have a feeling we had better not revisit it.

No, it had better not be.

Neither party needs to address this again, and if it is mentioned again, I'm going to have to close this thread and any more like it because it is not worth the effort required to maintain civility in this thread vs. the value of this thread to our members.

If anyone wants to say anything more about this, EMAIL me.

Thank you.

Don't now how much good this may do you but I found this online

And has it been established that there is actually a quality difference between the two?

How bout this one? My copy looks like neither of these copies. Besides the corners having different information on them...mine does not say "of the lost ark." Just "Raiders"

Got mine the other day, latest bootleg, I assume same as the 4 flap foldout, as pictured in the auction, but I received a 3 paneled one. I think the disc artwork was different, there was a lot more english on the box than the old one.

Quality: Crap. But not that crappy, as someone who's never owned the widescreen VHS's or laserdiscs, I was happy with my purchase. I'd do it again. Colors were washed out, but I prefer it to my fullscreen McDonalds copies from 10 years ago. The sound was ok on all of them, but the first 40 minutes of Temple of Doom have the voices coming out of the left speaker in the 2.0 version, 5.1 just makes everything echo.

No big deal, I'm glad I got them, better than $40 om Amazon going to Lucas for the VHS set.

a new set
 

A new set of the trilogy are expected to arrive by the end of this month. DVD9 and 3 folded.

Re: a new set
 

Care to enlighten us with a little more detail (if you have any)?

Given the relative quality of previous sets (or rather lack thereof) we may not be able to get anyone to take a chance on the new set for a review.

What would help is knowing whether or not the new set will be mastered by the same folks responsible for the recent Star Wars sets which are of much higher quality. Since the Star Wars sets were not covered in oriental words/symbols, maybe the appearance of the packaging/disks will give us clues.

From what I have picked of info on the net, it´s a remastered version on DVD 9. Just like the Star Wars 5 star version.

Each title comes in snakeskin 3-fold keepcase.
Not the Korean kind or any other kind for that matter. I just found I that it supposed to be out already starting this weekend.

OK...great

sounds EXACTLY like one of the other releases...

what's the deal??? Can't they come up with SOME other type of packaging for these things?

What other releases? Do you have picture of them?

I'm working on a nice set of keepcase covers for the Indy discs, since most people seem unhappy with the packaging so far. I've finished the Last Crusade, which can be seen here. any comments/suggestions are appreciated :)

Please forgive but what good are beautiful covers when the disc themselves are horrible???

And Dane...please read the above posts about these discs. What you're describing is exactly what has been out for months.

We're trying to narrow down the good from the bad and so far, there isn't any good.

for the people that have the discs already. If you're stuck with them, they might as well look nice on the shelf, since they can't on your set :P I personally haven't seen any of the Indy discs yet, as I'm quite content with my WS laserdiscs.

This is some awesome artwork mdX! I quickly printed the coverart on my inkjet printer just to see what the quality was like. Not only can you not tell that it has been printed from an inkjet printer but the words are also legable. Where sis you get the front cover from? I can't want to see what it will look like on premium paper printed from a color laser printer. Looks like my printer dropped about a 1/2" off of the front of the cover.

The only I see is that the box for the upc code is kind of small.

These are not the ones that have been out for months. From what I´m told in other forums the Glassmaster, from where you make the transfer, have just finished being made.
Trust me, these are whole new set.

Regardless...

Until we see the packaging, there is going to be no way of telling the difference. And *I* for one will not be buying new discs until someone of some authority can assure us that these will be worth it.

Care to reveal your source or is this all speculation?

I´ve send you an e-mail. Let me no what you think.

Well...it seems to be true guys.

There is a NEW version of these discs coming out soon...as soon as this weekend apparently.

These bootleggers sure work fast.

I've got a few websites that are supposedly going to be selling them so if I decide to bite and get the new set, I'll let you all know how it turns out.

Hopefully they didn't muck it up like last time.

All the artwork and text were scanned from my laserdisc jacket (including the UPC). The logos are just stock ones I've come across and have accumulated. The layout/design is 100% my own though =)

check out dvdcoverart's help section for info on how to avoid losing that last 1/2". I'd also guess your inkjet will look much better than all but the best color laser.

can we expect custom covers for RAIDERS and TEMPLE OF DOOM as well? i hope so! very nice work on LAST CRUSADE.

you sure can, as soon as my LDs of Raiders and ToD arrive (I won them on ebay a few days back so I should have them next week sometime)

MDX, the covers look awesome. Good work!

Well, I took a chance and bought Raiders the other day. I got the Korean release and it looks quite good to me. I haven't seen the Chinese versions but the Korean version I have looks as good as my LD. As a matter of fact, it looks almost identical to the LD. In any event, I will hold out on the other 2 until I see what the reviews are on the new versions.

Jeff

I am glad to hear that Truffat!

How much did you pay for your copy?

Most people that buy these bootlegs already own the VHS or LD of this trilogy. The DVD disk just makes it more convienent! For the most part most people will be happy with LD quality on DVD disks for now.

Regards

Well...we're gonna need a little more information.

We have people that have purchased 3 different sets and they've all had horrible quality when direct (or non-direct) comparisons were made to the lasers.

Can you describe the packaging or how you know Korean from Chinese?

The new sets were due out this weekend. I'm waiting to hear.

Thanks for the heads up digitalfreaknyc. I was thisclose to obtaining an old version of the trilogy, but i found this thread [and your post]. So, i think i'll hold up. [since your SW DVDs reviews were so accurate :) ]

Keep in mind that I compared them on a 26" monitor, so the results could be different on a large projection set. My LD player is many years old, so possibly a high-end LD player could make a difference. Anyway, on my setup I couldn't see any difference. I saw zero artifacting whatsoever, no chroma noise, no audio-sync problems, none of the problems that would keep me from keeping a bootleg. The resolution certainly isn't what you'd expect from an official release, but it seemed to be the same amount as the LD. Don't get me wrong, it isn't the most goregous DVD I've ever seen but certainly light-years better than the horror stories I read here. All I wanted was to be able to replace my LDs, now I am able to do that (although I will wait to see if the new DVDs are better before buying the other 2).


I am basing it on the fact that I ordered it from a Korean etailer and mine looks identical to the Korean version pictured in this thread.

Jeff

Thanks for your comments, Rogue. Honestly, I'm a bit of a quality whore and I want everything to look and sound the best it can and I know when things aren't up to snuff.

As far as everyone emailing me to ask me about the new discs...

I am going to answer you in this forum and a private email if I get the chance.

I got A LOT of emails asking me where I got my info from and where I'm planning on purchasing them from. And I'm sorry to tell you that I'm not going to answer you. Honestly, I'd rather purchase a set myself and check out the quality rather than steer 20 people wrong...who will then go and tell ANOTHER 20 people...and soon it'll be all over the net. If these new discs are as bad as the others, then I'd rather that not happen. If they are great...I'll be the first one to open up my email address to inquiries. I'm sorry if you think it's unfair but I think it's the best way to handle the situation.

Still have to get rid of my old version on *insert auction site here* ;)

At times like these, I regret getting rid of my Amiga4000 along with the Video Toaster and the full-frame timebase correction gear. I know someone with a DVDRW recorder, so it would be tempting to make a few DVD backups of laserdiscs....

It seems like when one of the major bootleg chinese places reformed their company into multiple different names based upon genre (anime, cartoons, asian live-action, etc), they also discovered gatefolds and timebase correctors. Their quality has improved somewhat along with the subtitles.

Actually...

I have DVD-R copies of the laserdiscs...and thus far I am HIGHLY unimpressed with DVD-R's capabilities. I saw macroblocking galore and there were lots of problems that I haven't encountered with "bootleg" copies of movies.

Besides the fact that bootleggers can still record in 5.1 and the "lay people" cannot.

Not that this matters with Indy but it's still an issue.

They also can do dual layered discs.

They're still beyond us.

And we still buy.

Nah. That's DEFINITELY the way to handle it. If these new disc turn out to be subpar, there's two possible outcomes...

•They're supporting a bootlegger by purchasing this inferior product.
•They'll put your head on a pike by saying "That so-and-so digitalfreaknyc...he directed me to this site so i could waste my hard earned $$$ on these pieces of s**t" [Ignoring the fact that you didn't put a gun to their head to make 'em buy them :)]

So, i guess i can wait. Hell, it's been how long now? Another couple of weeks or so won't hurt. :)

Digitalfreaknyc, I second the above noted post and appreciate your above noted comments and hopefully your review once you get the new disks. Hopefully you can post your comments on this post.

Here's the newest info from my supplier:

The new version is coming out soon, we are not sure when as yet, due to a few faults, but we are expecting it to come out late this month. They will be between $34.99 to $39.99US.

I got this email today. I don't really know what a couple of things mean. He said later this month but it's already the 21st. Does that mean next week? Or did he possibly mean the end of NEXT month? I emailed him about this.

I also emailed him in regards to "a few faults." I'm assuming this means tehre was a problem with the initial pressing and they're fixing them. This may be good news. Better to catch problems before they come out than to have an Empire Strikes Back 5 Star-like problem.

I'll keep you updated as I find things out.