Another duff release from Optimum?

[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]

name='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)

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.

[Steve Crook]

name='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.

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]

name='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.

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

[mariocki]

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

[batman]

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

[asiamiles]

name='batman']The size of your TV probably ... mine plays perfectly on my 32" job.

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]

name='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.

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.

[asiamiles]

name='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 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........................

[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

[asiamiles]

name='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

Is that a plasma or LCD? I've used both and yeah, broadcast TV won't look particularly great on either but DVD's have the ability to shine on both...could be your player or TV aren't set-up correctly or the latter needs calibrating (factory settings always need changing) or that you're using the wrong cables?



Curiously, I watched a really old Cinema Club VHS of CONFESSIONS OF A WINDOW CLEANER last night, zoomed-in to 16:9, and while it obviously looked very grainy at least it didn't exhibit the artifacting of THE NIGHT OF THE EAGLE DVD that totally removed me from the film...so maybe you can understand why I came across as a tad annoyed with Optimum, Bats.

[Harleybloke]

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



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

.......The Boys in Company C has arrived.......................

[Harleybloke]

name='Harleybloke'].......The Boys in Company C has arrived.......................

And San Demeitrio..............

[Andy H]

Hmmm. I had great hopes for Optimum, but they've let me down a couple of times now.

Their release of the film 'Quatermass and the Pit' (Andrew Keir stars) looks a bit shabby and is off-centre (a black line down one side).

Their 'Nurse on Wheels' seems to be from a very ropey print with lots of scratches and jumps and if I'm not mistaken it has been assembled in the wrong order, as though two reels have been changed over. I'm not sure about this without comparing it with my VHS copy, but some of the plot elements seem out of whack.

And on the back of the case it clearly states 'aspect ratio 16:9', but it's actually a bl**dy 4:3 presentation! When I emailed them about this, they said they 'could only go with the master supplied'! So why say it's widescreen when it's not?

And the ultimate faux-pas - the production team and cast listed on the back seems to be for 'Carry On Regarless'!

Far from optimum in my view!

[Mr Martin]

I have another post mentioning Optimum Releasing DVD release errors.



Nurse On Wheels - I thought it was me but the story plot does seem to be the wrong way round in the middle of the film. I knew the cast was wrongly listed, but did'nt connect it wth the Regardless film



Also noticed with some DVD releases - the titles are in Widescreen, when the film starts it then goes back to 4.3 shape, but still showing on full frame (this depends on the TV setup) Think "Watch Your Stern" has similar problems



Hope Optimum releasing gets back to producing good British Films on DVD, because if they make a little effort and take more care - ie put the customer first, this company should be capable of issuing more of the best British films ever made. It is a great shame the DVD's have these problems.







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