Titanic 1997

[Graham Ritchie]

Here is a very interesting chat with James Cameron on the up and coming 25th anniversary cinema re-release on 3D. I wonder what local cinema he is going to watch it

PS The blu-ray 3D is impressive on our Epson VP..

The last week before the cinema closed back in 2011 we ran the 35mm print of it for the cinema staff etc. The young staff had never seen it on the big screen so it was quite a treat, armed with pizza and drink it was a great way to finish of the 20 years of the cinema. The print looked great.

[Ken Finch]

A digital version of Titanic is being screened at our local cinema on 23 Feb, in celebration of the 25th anniversary of its release. How the years seem to have flown by! Ken Finch.😊

[Ed Gordon]

Titanic SUPER 3D Trailer

The release in UHD and 3D presents a dilemma:

If/when I get a new TV, if it supports both 4K UHD and 3D, then when I want to buy a movie on disc, I'll be forced to choose the 3D Blu-ray version OR the 4K UHD Blu-ray version. I can't have it in 3D 4K UHD because 4K UHD Blu-rays do not support 3D (with the exception of anaglyphic 3D). In addition, my understanding is that most studios reserve the Dolby Atmos and DTS:X audio tracks for 4K UHD Blu-rays and put 7.1-channel (at best) tracks on regular Blu-rays and on 3D Blu-rays.

All of this means that there's a trade-off between 4K UHD Blu-rays and 3D Blu-rays. If I buy a movie on 3D Blu-ray, I will not be able to watch that movie in 4K (on a future TV) and Atmos or DTS:X (on a future sound system setup) but I gain 3D. If I instead buy that same movie on 4K UHD Blu-ray--in a multi-pack that includes a 2D 1080p Blu-ray version that I can watch on my current TV--I gain 4K UHD (on a future TV) and possibly Dolby Atmos or DTS:X (on a future sound system) but I lose 3D.

Source: https://www.avsforum.com/threads/4k-...u-ray.3109800/

[Alan Myers]

I had to laugh today, I see the trailer (advertised on this forum) for sale, but what comes up on that page as items of interest?
Raise the Titanic, super 8. It's almost like a sequel. When they raise it, does it go down again?

[Graham Ritchie]

I bought both the flat and later the Scope Super 8 Titanic 1997 trailers new from Derann. both are very good, but for me the Scope one wins out. The larger Scope frame suits the subject much much better. The cost new according to one of only a few of my Derann news letter to survive was listed at 15.99 pound for the flat and 16.50 pound for the Scope, I did think about getting a new 16mm Scope trailer advertised for quite a while at Derann, but that was a bit more expensive at 34.99 pound, so stuck to Super 8 instead. The running time for both flat and Scope is very generous, which really makes them worth getting.

Anyway I am in two minds at the moment about going to Reading cinema to watch it in 3D on a large screen, will see

[Ken Finch]

Graham, There was no mention in the trailer I saw about the anniversary screening that it was in 3d. When I saw the original release 25 years ago it was the Scope version. That is also the one I have on DVD. I really cannot see the point of having 4k dvds. To me it is just another media hype. Is anyone ever going to have a screen or tv big enough to justify it? Ken Finch.

[Ed Gordon]

... I really cannot see the point of having 4k dvds. To me it is just another media hype. Is anyone ever going to have a screen or tv big enough to justify it? Ken Finch.

On a 55 inch TV the difference between a DVD (720p) vs a Bluray (1080p) the difference in quality is very noticeable, but when you project a Bluray (1080p, 2k) on to a 12 foot scope screen, 2k is the minimum you will want. When you move up to 4k, the difference in resolution becomes very obvious. It is like having 70mm film in your home cinema.

[Graham Ritchie]

Hi Ken

The latest from our local.

I will go and see it next week
I took this photo of the 35mm print from 2011 while making it up.

It was a good way to finish up the cinema, it was time to move on.

And lastly my 3D blu-ray

[Ed Gordon]

Graham, I hope you realize you will miss Puss N Boots: The Last Wish if you attend to Titanic screening.

Since you have projected the 35mm in a large theater, and watched it in 3D in your home cinema, your review of the 3D screening will be interesting. So much to compare!

[Brian Fretwell]

On a 55 inch TV the difference between a DVD (720p) vs a Bluray (1080p) the difference in quality is very noticeable, but when you project a Bluray (1080p, 2k) on to a 12 foot scope screen, 2k is the minimum you will want. When you move up to 4k, the difference in resolution becomes very obvious. It is like having 70mm film in your home cinema.

Plus a lot of people including John Clancy say it is the High Dynamic Range on 4k that makes it a much greater improvement om normal Bluray.

[Ken Finch]

Hmm. It may be that my screen in scope format is only 9ft 6 in’s wide, and my Epsom upgrades to 2k. I presume however that the 3d version requires the use of the usual Polaroid type glasses which would affect the quality of a 2k image. I have always understood that high dynamic range refers to sound but then at my age it is hard to keep up to date with terminology. I still think it is just another ploy of the media giants to get you to dump your existing gear and buy the latest version. I have heard that the next generation of mobile phones will be 8k! Look how many video formats have come and gone in the last 40 years compared to film. None of which have been backwards compatible. What a waste and what is worse quite a lot is still usable and not currently re cycleable. Ken Finch😔

[Steve Klare]

I remember the days of Titanic (1997) very well!

We knew a few people that saw it literally weekly for months.

Someone my wife worked with said this at the lunch table: "That was so sad! It's a good thing nothing like that never really happened!"

(Of course the part SHE thought was sad, didn't...)

I was born 50 years to the day she left the shipyard: I try to be extra careful on icy days!😉

[Ed Gordon]

Hmm. It may be that my screen in scope format is only 9ft 6 in’s wide, and my Epsom upgrades to 2k. I presume however that the 3d version requires the use of the usual Polaroid type glasses which would affect the quality of a 2k image. I have always understood that high dynamic range refers to sound but then at my age it is hard to keep up to date with terminology. I still think it is just another ploy of the media giants to get you to dump your existing gear and buy the latest version. I have heard that the next generation of mobile phones will be 8k! Look how many video formats have come and gone in the last 40 years compared to film. None of which have been backwards compatible. What a waste and what is worse quite a lot is still usable and not currently re cycleable. Ken Finch😔

The nice thing about technology is that it keeps improving. The bad thing about technology is that it keeps changing. If money is no object you can buy the latest and greatest every year. The "sweet spot" will be different for each individual. If your current video system is a DVD player that "upgrades" DVD content to 2k and you are happy with it, you are in your "sweet spot". There is nothing you need to change at this time.

Eventually equipment will have to be replaced. When that time comes you can determine what new technology will take you to your new "sweet spot".

On 3D:
When the interest in 3D spiked with the release of Avatar, there several manufacturers of 3D televisions. When interest in 3D dropped, 3D televisions where no longer made. It is only available on video projectors now. The best 3D projectors support Active Shutter 3D glasses.

An active shutter 3D system (a.k.a. alternate frame sequencing, alternate image, AI, alternating field, field sequential or eclipse method) is a technique of displaying stereoscopic 3D images. It works by only presenting the image intended for the left eye while blocking the right eye's view, then presenting the right-eye image while blocking the left eye, and repeating this so rapidly that the interruptions do not interfere with the perceived fusion of the two images into a single 3D image.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Active_shutter_3D_system

What Is HDR (High Dynamic Range)?

Move over 4K. HDR is another important television feature that can vastly improve what you watch. Here's what you need to know about HDR, HDR10, Dolby Vision, and HLG.

...To put it more simply, HDR content on HDR-compatible TVs can get brighter, darker, and show more shades of gray in between (assuming the TVs have panels that can get bright and dark enough to do the signal justice; some budget TVs accept HDR signals but won't show much of an improvement over non-HDR signals). Similarly, they can produce deeper and more vivid reds, greens, and blues, and show more shades in between. Deep shadows aren't simply black voids; more details can be seen in the darkness, while the picture stays very dark. Bright shots aren't simply sunny, vivid pictures; fine details in the brightest surfaces remain clear. Vivid objects aren't simply saturated; more shades of colors can be seen.

Full article at: https://www.pcmag.com/news/what-is-h...-dynamic-range

[Ken Finch]

Ed, with the u.k. economy being what it is for the foreseeable future there will not be many of those large flat screen t.v.s sold. In any case, few u.k. homes have rooms big enough to accommodate them. At the end of the day we watch films for the story not the finer points of the image being displayed. In any case, films do lose a lot of impact when viewed on a tv compared with a cinema unless watched in a darkened room, because of the distractions of the surroundings. The other problem we have is the short lifespan of modern equipment. How long will new dvd players be available? Hopefully, my current equipment will see me out but I think that in the near future we will only. Be able to watch films via “streaming” to a tv. Ken Finch.😔

[Steve Lee]

I remember showing Titanic on it's release as if it was yesterday, but more importantly two questions I was asked at the time.
Firstly what is TIT-A-NIC ? And secondly " this film Titanic, what's it about ?" which was soon followed up by " Those times out there, are they the times for the film ? " to which I replied " No, we just put them out there for a laugh " The joys of working with the general public !

As for the 3d release on blu ray, it is quite remarkable how they were able to convert a standard film over to 3d, with the results being as spectacular as this. The same can be said for the Jurassic park 3d version as well.
The only trouble with Titanic is its running time. Wearing shutter glasses for this amount of time, the novelty starts to wear off after the first two hours. And you find yourself sitting there doing a Eric Morecambe with the glasses, to get them off the bridge of your nose.
But still well worth watching.