MrT

I've just recieved the four new Ealing Studios releases from Optimum and found the quality on "San Demetrio London" to be somewhat below standard. The sound level is again low (not quite as bad as "The Long Arm") but in addition the picture is not particularly sharp and the opening BBFC board has been cut. So all in all, stick with your recording from the last C4 screening in 2005, which beats this Optimum release on all counts. Despite this, the other three releases (Square ring, Pink string and sealing wax and Johnny frenchman) are more acceptable in terms of quality.

What is it with Optimum - their quality control is just so poor. We've now had serious problems with The Alec Guinness and George Formby sets, plus individual issues. Maybe they don't care but I don't think I will pre-order any of their forthcoming releases.

Mike (MrT)

Harbottle

No good at all, fortunately my San Demetrio is a decent home recording thanks for the warning Mr T!

I missed the problems with the Alec Guinness sets though, anything to keep an eye out for?

batman

I have The Square Ring (currently on offer as a prize in the competition section) and both picture and sound are perfectly OK.

I wish I had claws.

Steve Crook

Or record it again on Friday

Steve

MrT

The Alec Guinness set that I received contains a disc that is labelled "Kind Hearts and Coronets" but on playback the film on the disc is "The Ladykillers"!!!!!!!

Mike (MrT)

Brief Encounter

I imagine the more complaints they get the more they will be inclined to do something about it.

asiamiles

Anyone else have Optimum's NIGHT OF THE EAGLE? Watched it this evening, and the ghosting on the 52" Sony LCD was pretty horrendous; since this was a 16:9 transfer and licensed from Studio Canal I'm wondering what's wrong here.

batman

The size of your TV probably ... mine plays perfectly on my 32" job.

I wish I had claws.

mariocki

All of these concerns about Optimum's quality control across various titles doesn't bode well for their release of Robbery next month.

You crazy idiots - my name's McGill!

batman

I have several Optimum titles and have never had a problem with any of them.

I wish I had claws.

asiamiles

In all fairness, the ability of a DVD to look good on 32" TV is hardly something to be celebrated with a thumbs up, though if it plays "perfectlly" on your set then, of course, you have no reason to complain. But a 16:9 DVD from 2007 (note that I'm making a distinction here from a budget release utilising a 20-year old VHS master) shouldn't be exhibiting such problems, whether viewed on a LCD, Plasma, Projector or CRT, and I'm just wondering what's wrong here. Luckily I still have my old Orion laserdisc, which I would hold onto anyway for the Matheson commentary.

batman

My point was that some DVDs do not look good when played on a large screen super technolgy TV. The picture sometimes gets 'stretched' and creates image difficulties. Quite why you should get the hump when someone offers a possible explanation for your problem in friendly way is beyond me.

I wish I had claws.

asiamiles

I wasn't getting the hump, Bats, at least not with you (sorry if my wording made it sound that way)...maybe with the DVD! As I already have the LD, I pretty much wasted my money "upgrading" to this DVD. I do hear your "explanation", but there's no reason why a DVD released last year and given a new 16:9 transfer should not look good on a large screen, except that the someone, somehow, screwed up.

Harleybloke

My credit card has been debited for 'San Demietrio' and 'The Boys in Company C'.

No sign of them yet though........................

.....You couldn't hear it, if they were shooting at me with howitzers!

DocRobertPepper

Bought myself a Hitachi 42" full 1080p a few weeks ago standard TV and DVD look really bad on it but when i use a PS3 playing a Blueray disc it looks fantastic