LOTR Blu Ray

[Hairsonfire]

Just an observation as I am currently halfway through the second installment. First movie at first did not impress me with it's high definition treatment as unfortunately we all tend to judge any bluray presentation with the very best that we have seen. "The Two Towers" is MUCH better, even reference quality to my eyes and I am very impressed with just how well it was directed and edited. Just a joy to experience.

That's all I had to say . . .

[audio amateur]

So you jumped on the theatrical release?

I wonder why there would be a difference in picture between the two.

[Hairsonfire]

Yes, I have no mind of my own, I just buy what's there when it's there. I would like to hear Sir Terence chime in here why there would be disparity with the first movie's picture quality since I believe all three were pretty much filmed at the same time.

[audio amateur]

You can read about it in this thread I started earlier this year:
Interesting stir at Amazon's LOTR Blu-ray reviews

Sir T will surely have an answer regarding the picture. But I want to know... how does it sound? Is your home theater DTS Master/Dolby True HD ready?

[Hairsonfire]

Sounds wonderful.

[audio amateur]

I like that! What's your setup?

[Sir Terrence the Terrible]

Yes, I have no mind of my own, I just buy what's there when it's there. I would like to hear Sir Terence chime in here why there would be disparity with the first movie's picture quality since I believe all three were pretty much filmed at the same time.

I kinda knew I was going to have to explain this sooner or later.

FOTR is the only one of the three films that didn't go through a complete DI process. In a DI stage, the entire film is scanned (in this case at 2K), all the post work is done, and the 2K file is then recorded back out to film and converted to anamorphic digitally. With FOTR, only 70% of the film was scanned/manipulated, then it that footage was recorded back out as Super-35 negative and intercut with the 30% of footage that wasn't ever scanned, then the movie went through a traditional photochemical finish and optical Super-35 to anamorphic conversion. The BDs of the later two will always look better because they're starting from those 2K DI files and just doing a conversion- they don't go back to the film output- whereas FELLOWSHIP has to be rescanned from the film, so you're essentially rescanning an output of a scan for 70% of the film.

The pq on that film is also pretty soft as a result of some DNR(this is Warner you know), but the reality is, all of the films have DNR and some processing applied to them.

[Hairsonfire]

I knew you would have an explanation.

My setup is Rotel 1570 Pre-Pro

Polks RTia9's x4 w/Matching Center

Samsung 58" Plasma

Energy XL 12 Sub

PS3 Slim

Acurus 125 x3 and Acurus 125 x 2 Amps

[audio amateur]

That pre/pro looks mint! I'm jealous.