Hitchcock on Universal DVD and Blu-ray

Discuss North American DVDs and Blu-rays or other DVD and Blu-ray-related topics.
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Finch
Joined: Mon Jul 07, 2008 5:09 pm
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Re: Hitchcock on Universal DVD and Blu-ray

#626 Post by Finch » Wed Sep 16, 2020 3:30 pm

EddieLarkin wrote:
Wed Sep 16, 2020 6:14 am
I saw that, but his wording seems to imply he thinks they are all "downmixes" because they are 2.0 mono tracks rather than 1.0. Which only demonstrates his ignorance on such matters.

Yes it is confirmed to be the original.
Thanks Eddie. Think I'll take the plunge into UHD Christmas next year as we may move back to Europe next summer if the US jumps over the cliff in November.

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jsteffe
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Re: Hitchcock on Universal DVD and Blu-ray

#627 Post by jsteffe » Fri Sep 18, 2020 2:19 am

I was taken aback at first by the saturated color in the new VERTIGO restoration, but I've come love it. I'm seeing details and colors that I haven't noticed before, and they look precisely chosen. The restoration team treats it - rightly - as Hitchcock's most beautifully photographed and designed color film. This 4K UHD presentation is a perfect way to rediscover the film and fall in love with it again.

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Finch
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Re: Hitchcock on Universal DVD and Blu-ray

#628 Post by Finch » Fri Sep 18, 2020 8:57 pm

caps a holic has comparisons between the UHD of the Hitch titles and the previous Blu-Ray set, here is the link for Vertigo's.

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dwk
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Re: Hitchcock on Universal DVD and Blu-ray

#629 Post by dwk » Thu Oct 29, 2020 9:45 pm

Reportedly the fixed Psycho UHD isn't, and it still has the the downmixed audio.

RIP Film
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Re: Hitchcock on Universal DVD and Blu-ray

#630 Post by RIP Film » Fri Oct 30, 2020 1:05 pm

Looks like Vudu has the UHD Vertigo on sale for $5, with movies anywhere.

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hearthesilence
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Re: Hitchcock on Universal DVD and Blu-ray

#631 Post by hearthesilence » Fri Oct 30, 2020 3:34 pm

dwk wrote:
Thu Oct 29, 2020 9:45 pm
Reportedly the fixed Psycho UHD isn't, and it still has the the downmixed audio.
Yeah, Bill Hunt of Digital Bits has already relayed that info to Universal.

Also, they're doing a shitty job of packing the replacements, in most cases simply tossing both discs into a big padded envelope. (Meaning there's more than enough space for the discs to slide around and scratch up against each other.)

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domino harvey
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Re: Hitchcock on Universal DVD and Blu-ray

#632 Post by domino harvey » Sat Oct 31, 2020 1:57 pm

My replacement copy arrived yesterday via FedEx— Universal required someone be present to receive, btw, in case you aren’t still working from home. Disc was indeed just thrown in a padded mailer, but it looked fine. Someone would have to take a hammer to it to matter. Identical art on the disc with nothing to differentiate it, but different coded numbers on underside of Blu ring

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therewillbeblus
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Re: Hitchcock on Universal DVD and Blu-ray

#633 Post by therewillbeblus » Sat Oct 31, 2020 2:44 pm

domino harvey wrote:
Sat Oct 31, 2020 1:57 pm
My replacement copy arrived yesterday via FedEx— Universal required someone be present to receive, btw, in case you aren’t still working from home
It's so strange who requires what - my new MacBook Pro arrived the other day via FedEx from Apple and I was shocked when, while at work not at home, I saw it had arrived sitting in my apt lobby where packages have been taken in the past. But then again, this is Psycho we're talkin' about

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hearthesilence
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Re: Hitchcock on Universal DVD and Blu-ray

#634 Post by hearthesilence » Mon Nov 09, 2020 10:18 pm

FWIW, Universal sent this to me, but I'm not sure if this means they're really going to correct this or if they misinterpreted the complaint and are going to send yet another copy of the re-press that mistakenly uses the downmix rather than the original mono mix:

Dear Customer,
I apologize for the mix up, unfortunately the wrong disc was sent out, they are working to correct this issue, thank you for notifying us.
A replacement copy will be sent to you within 2-4 weeks.
We value your satisfaction with our products and hope that you will enjoy this and future Universal releases.
Sincerely,
Consumer Relations
UNIVERSAL PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMENT

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tenia
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Re: Hitchcock on Universal DVD and Blu-ray

#635 Post by tenia » Tue Nov 10, 2020 3:46 am

Looks like an automatic replacement of the "replacement".

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hearthesilence
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Re: Hitchcock on Universal DVD and Blu-ray

#636 Post by hearthesilence » Sun Dec 13, 2020 4:28 pm

I haven't heard a word from them so I tried checking with other forums. Results are mixed, possibly because a lot people were buying them much later than others (the set was marked down quite a bit for Black Friday on Amazon) and hence didn't contact Universal until recently.

Regardless, a FEW people who already received uncorrected discs as replacements have received a second replacement, again via FedEx, without prior notification from Universal. The catch is they only got the UHD disc, not the regular Blu-Ray disc. But they also got it in a plastic case rather than having it loose in the envelope.

It sounds like the original theatrical mix has been more or less reinstated, but apparently there's ANOTHER mistake with the sound mix that has yet to be corrected - it's on the uncensored version, and it's when Arbogast is stabbed at the bottom of the staircase. The uncensored version has him getting stabbed three times, not once. But on the new UHD, he doesn't scream until the third stab. This is incorrect. You can hear the correct sound on the previous German release of the uncensored version, where he correctly screams while getting stabbed the FIRST time.

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hearthesilence
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Re: Hitchcock on Universal DVD and Blu-ray

#637 Post by hearthesilence » Wed Dec 16, 2020 5:44 pm

Actually got my replacements, and they sent me both a UHD and standard BD in a plastic case. I'm not sure why some people are getting only one disc, but regardless, keep an eye out for it - it will come via FedEx.

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domino harvey
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Re: Hitchcock on Universal DVD and Blu-ray

#638 Post by domino harvey » Sat Dec 19, 2020 4:19 pm

For some reason Universal just sent me ANOTHER replacement disc almost two months after I received the last one, in a black UHD case even though it’s just the Blu-Ray

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hearthesilence
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Re: Hitchcock on Universal DVD and Blu-ray

#639 Post by hearthesilence » Sat Dec 19, 2020 5:24 pm

They're sending everyone a second set of replacements. The first set didn't correct the mono audio option - it still used the 5.1 mixdown with additional and newly-recorded foley effects instead of the original theatrical soundtrack. The new set in the black plastic case will have the corrected audio (except for the one error I mentioned about the restored, uncensored bits).

I got both formats, but some have only gotten UHD and I guess some are getting only BD. I have no idea what's behind this discrepancy.

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Drucker
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Re: Hitchcock on Universal DVD and Blu-ray

#640 Post by Drucker » Sat Dec 19, 2020 6:43 pm

Do the blu-rays within the newly released Classics Collection include the new restorations?

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EddieLarkin
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Re: Hitchcock on Universal DVD and Blu-ray

#641 Post by EddieLarkin » Sat Dec 19, 2020 6:44 pm

Yeah, ditch the first replacement, it's just the same as the original disc.

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Drucker
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Re: Hitchcock on Universal DVD and Blu-ray

#642 Post by Drucker » Sat Dec 19, 2020 7:49 pm

Sorry just to be 100% clear: the blu rays included in this set are derived from the same restoration that the 4ks are, not the 2012 masters, right?

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EddieLarkin
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Re: Hitchcock on Universal DVD and Blu-ray

#643 Post by EddieLarkin » Sat Dec 19, 2020 9:00 pm

'Fraid not. That's only the case for Psycho, because it carries the new cut. Universal very rarely bother to update their Blu-rays to use new UHD based transfers, unfortunately.

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Finch
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Re: Hitchcock on Universal DVD and Blu-ray

#644 Post by Finch » Sun Dec 20, 2020 3:02 am

Really disheartening that quality control is this bad even with a household name like Hitch.

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swo17
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Re: Hitchcock on Universal DVD and Blu-ray

#645 Post by swo17 » Sun Oct 03, 2021 5:53 pm

For the benefit of anyone that might have just bought the 4K set on sale from Amazon, could someone please summarize which discs need replacements? Is it just the UHD and BD for Psycho? Is there a way to tell which versions of the discs you have? Perhaps the copies now circulating are already fixed?

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brundlefly
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Re: Hitchcock on Universal DVD and Blu-ray

#646 Post by brundlefly » Sun Oct 03, 2021 6:00 pm

Mine had the replacement copy of Psycho, according to the numbers mentioned in this thread.
The only difference I can tell on the disc are the batch numbers next to the Ultra HD logo.

Old Disc: 2130182 - 1132996
New Disc: 2130182 - 11502224

Chull
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Re: Hitchcock on Universal DVD and Blu-ray

#647 Post by Chull » Sun Oct 03, 2021 6:17 pm

Same here.
brundlefly wrote:
Sun Oct 03, 2021 6:00 pm
Mine had the replacement copy of Psycho, according to the numbers mentioned in this thread.

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swo17
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Re: Hitchcock on Universal DVD and Blu-ray

#648 Post by swo17 » Sun Oct 03, 2021 6:27 pm

Thanks! What about the Blu-ray disc?

Chull
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Re: Hitchcock on Universal DVD and Blu-ray

#649 Post by Chull » Sun Oct 03, 2021 7:00 pm

Based on the "squeak" test the BD is the same - it's there on the 5.1 and not there with the 2.0.

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brundlefly
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Re: Hitchcock on Universal DVD and Blu-ray

#650 Post by brundlefly » Sun Oct 03, 2021 7:02 pm

swo17 wrote:
Sun Oct 03, 2021 6:27 pm
Thanks! What about the Blu-ray disc?
Hadn't checked that assuming that if Universal was releasing sets with the corrected UHD they would also include the corrected blu. But it looks to be the case as my blu's 1147481 jibes with this:
Further, while the black disc art is all but identical, there is a number on the new discs that is different. On the left hand side, the text printed around the edge of the disc starts with a number before "Blu-ray™ Disc...". On both faulty Blu-rays, that number is "1130624", while the corrected Blu-ray is "1147481".

I can't look at the UHD discs in a player or on my PC, but as with the Blu-rays, the number in the same spot (on the left hand side at the outer edge, before "Blu-ray™ Disc...") is different. For the UHD disc I have in the box set, the number is "1132996", while the one I received today is "1150224", so hopefully, that's a properly corrected UHD BD.

So again, the number on the left hand side of the disc art at the outer edge of the corrected Blu-ray should be 1147481, while the (hopefully) corrected UHD should be 1150224.

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