Total Recall (and Blu-ray Double Dipping)

[Iconoclast]

Anyone own Total Recall on BD?

I find it soft & more DVD quality vs. Other BDs. I only own a few BDs to date but, many hundreds of DVDs. I repurchased this one even though I own TR Special Edition on DVD. In addition there are few special features compared to the DVD. TR BD was only $10.00 at Wal-Mart. This has made me re-think repurchasing titles I already own on DVD.

I will only do that if I read a few reviews on the quality of the transfer & compare the Sp. Features. Or if my DVD was not anamorphic.

I guess this lack of special features has been an issue with many BDs compared to the various DVD Special Editions. Once BD sales increase, I wonder if the studios are going to play the different release game they have done with DVDs? Release a bare bones edition followed in a few months by one or more special editions.

[MrBoylan]

Anyone own Total Recall on BD?

I find it soft & more DVD quality vs. Other BDs. I only own a few BDs to date but, many hundreds of DVDs. I repurchased this one even though I own TR Special Edition on DVD. In addition there are few special features compared to the DVD. TR BD was only $10.00 at Wal-Mart. This has made me re-think repurchasing titles I already own on DVD.

I will only do that if I read a few reviews on the quality of the transfer & compare the Sp. Features. Or if my DVD was not anamorphic.

I guess this lack of special features has been an issue with many BDs compared to the various DVD Special Editions. Once BD sales increase, I wonder if the studios are going to play the different release game they have done with DVDs? Release a bare bones edition followed in a few months by one or more special editions.

I haven't seen the Blu-ray version of Total Recall so I can't comment specifically on that. But to your other point, many of the studios (Warner/New Line, Disney/Miramax and Sony come to mind) are already stepping right up to that double dip Blu-ray fountain, releasing titles that they know will sell in a basic version on Blu-ray, to be followed later by super-deluxe special editions. I Am Legend, No Country for Old Men, Casino Royale, The Terminator, Stranger Than Fiction all come to mind. And now with the theatrical editions of Lord of The Rings Trilogy now available for pre-order on Blu-ray Disc, we're getting shafted once again. Seriously, 50 Gigabytes of Blu-ray Disc per film isn't enough to include the Extended Cuts and Theatrical Editions on a single Blu-ray Disc per film? Bullshit.

Personally, I think this practice is deplorable, and I lose respect for a studio every time I see this happen. Don't they realize that every catalog title released on Blu-ray Disc already *IS* a double-dip from the DVD? If they want to encourage adoption of a new format, I think they should at least put the best of the DVD extras into the first Blu-ray release of the film. "Blade Runner: The Final Cut" is a fine example of how to release a catalog title on Blu-ray Disc - remaster the crap out of it, put in every version of the film known to man, along with some excellent extras, and charge a reasonable price for the set. Sure they probably could have sold a few copies of "Blade Runner" in a bare bones version on early Blu-ray Disc, but this would not have been the best course of action.

We need more "Blade Runners", and less "I Am Legend " and "No Country for Old Men" collector's editions. Vote with your dollars, and if a studio releases a double dip special edition hot on the heels of the regular version then don't buy it. Or if a studio plans the release of a film or films in a basic version that is clearly just a SET-UP for a double-dip (LOTR Trilogy), then don't buy that. Or if a Blu-ray release of a film suffers from inadequate picture or sound quality, then pass on that too. Eventually the studios will figure it out, but only if we don't keep letting them get away with it.

You can read our reviews of most titles before or near their release dates in our Blu-ray Reviews section of the site.

-CB

[Daylightdon]

Just Picked this up at Walmart for a Jefferson....

TOTALLY worth the price just for the DTS soundtrack!!!

This is the first of about 30 Blu-Ray discs I've purchased where ALL SEVEN POINT ONE! channels were active at one time or another.

It was a GREAT Sub-Woof workout too!

The overall sound was crisp, intelligable and room filling.

I also found the picture very sharp and color was great!

I'm going to go listen to it again!!!