PQ OK on Miami Vice?

crobo · 11-02-2007, 12:01 PM

Watched Miami Vice on HD-DVD last night and the PQ was good but didn't seem stellar. Part of this is probably down to technique with Mann apparently going for more realistic, grainy types of shots. But I was not as impressed as I have been with other HD-DVDs. Music was very good though (and slightly to my surprise, after mixed reviews, I did like it). Anyone else care to comment on this HD-DVD?

Mr.D · 11-02-2007, 12:08 PM

Watched this on a barco DP100 (2k theater grade projector) a few weeks ago and its a stunning transfer. The fact you can notice all the hallmarks of the digital photography says it all. Excellent film as well.

Uruloke · 11-02-2007, 2:34 PM

I too don't like the overly grainy look of this film. I think it's a great cop thriller, and some scenes - most notably the light ones - look fantastic; dark shots however look very grainy, making it hard to imagine it looking much better than the standard DVD really.

There's some natural film grain in the HD transfer of The Departed if you look for it, but only if you actually look for it. In Miami Vice the grain pretty much slaps you in the face...

Mr.D · 11-02-2007, 2:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uruloke

In Miami Vice the grain pretty much slaps you in the face...

The "noise" is an inherent part of the original photography. The thing people miss is that you would not get the night scenes to look that way if you used a film camera. There would be zero detail in the blacks. The night scenes in miami vice are really rather special. Mann is probably the only director actually trying to use the digital capture formats on their own terms rather than as a cheap alternative to film.

The HD-DVD master is outstanding and captures all the nuances of the digital photography. If you think it looks little better than an SD master you really need to challenge your own ideas about image aesthetics.

crobo · 11-02-2007, 3:05 PM

I agree with the comments on unusual filming style and this is one of the things I liked about it; it's just that bright scenes usually look pin-sharp and more 3-D in high-def but some objects didn't in this one. Very stylish film though.

featherhall · 11-02-2007, 8:53 PM

As above, the PQ suffers due to the way the film is intended to look.

I was not at all impressed, and the film had me even less impressed. A poor buy for me

Nic Rhodes · 11-02-2007, 11:02 PM

A good quality disc.

the_pauley · 12-02-2007, 1:12 AM

A great movie and a great quality transfer. If the grain is inherent in the original master then the HD DVD is accurately reproducing what is there. Besides, it adds a texture and a gritty feel to the movie.

Nice to see a high profile Hollywood production aimed at an adult sensibility - all too rare these days. Just watched the unrated HD DVD cut after having seen the shorter SD cut twice. Couldn't see anything in there that would have troubled the MPAA's 'R' category.

Mr.D · 13-02-2007, 9:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by the_pauley

Couldn't see anything in there that would have troubled the MPAA's 'R' category.

Probably more to do with the recut not being submitted for approval to the MPAA rather than there being anything "unratable" per se.

the_pauley · 13-02-2007, 3:17 PM

Ah!

hottstuff · 13-02-2007, 3:26 PM

Mann’s decision to shoot everything on HD again, primarily using the Viper camera system that he used on COLLATERAL , was fantastic IMO.
During the scenes at the club and on the rooftop and in a few parking lots, there’s a definite grain to the image, and for some people, that won’t look like a “movie.”
Personally, I think Dion Beebe deserves an Oscar nomination for his cinematography. I think it’s brave, visually extreme in even the quiet moments. There’s an immediacy to the way Mann uses his camera, putting you right in the middle of things, and it’s a perfect match for the way his script works. Even better, once the film breaks free of the nighttime and Mann plunges you into the brilliant Miami daytime, all that grain disappears, and suddenly, this is a film of stunning color and brightness. It’s beautiful. Mann’s showing off the full range of what that Viper camera can do, and this doesn’t look a thing like SUPERMAN RETURNS, shot on the Genesis camera. That has a sort of candy-colored artifical feeling that the Viper doesn’t. This camera, especially in bright light, seems to be capturing the world as it really is.

jon smith · 13-02-2007, 4:29 PM

Miami Vice may just be my fave transfer across all the HD-DVDs and BluRay discs i've seen. Absolutely stunning.

I've watched both versions, but went for the UK version as I prefer the theatrical cut.

**Bald Monkey** · 13-02-2007, 6:59 PM

I admired the PQ in Miami Vice also, I'm not a massive fan of the noise/grain although I could definately see the quality of the film. The difference between the two cameras, Viper and Genesis, is interesting... I had seen both and although I've not thought about how they compared, after reading 'hotstuffs' comments I've got to agree, there is a real difference, and would say I prefered the genesis (Miami Vice)....... Cheers for the input guys

Any other Genesis / viper noteworthy HD-DVD's out there?