[versions] House on Haunted Hill 1999 - UK Blu-Ray

[SpaceBlackKnight]

I'm aware of the lovely Shout Blu using a 2k scan of an IP, and the German Blu using a 35mm German release print that looks quite decent all things considered. However, I have read of this Blu being released in the UK https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/House-on-...ay/124188/.

Many people have said this UK release is terrible, but they don't really elaborate much as to why. I've heard one report saying it uses the German 35mm transfer with a worse encode (and DD 5.1 audio). Some say it uses a completely different transfer to the German one, a European HD master or some upconverted source that opens up with a J&M Entertainment logo (the Shout has Warner Bros and the German one opens up with Buena Vista International and Helkon all before the Dark Castle logo). It's also said to have dupe frames or field blending from being encoded without any speed adjustments in 1080p 24, which if it were indeed 1080i25 or 50i originally could explain the problem.

Anyone have this Blu? I'd like to hear and possibly see screen grabs on how the transfer and such is.

[SpaceBlackKnight]

Forgot I had made this post. Anyone have the UK Blu to check?

[dvdmike]

Yeah somewhere give me a minute find it


Has a 2.0 and a 5.1 mix
The 5.1 is lossy Dolby Digital and quiet compared to the 2.0 lossy mix

Bitrate is low and the picture skips

[SpaceBlackKnight]

Thanks for replying! Does it start with a J&M logo or is it Buena Vista International/Helkon like the German BD is?

[SpaceBlackKnight]

Updates:

Thanks to dvdmike, I can confirm the UK Blu uses the same transfer as the German BD. The UK BD unfortunately appears to be in 1080i 50hz with dupe frames and has lossy, quiet sounding audio for both 2.0 and 5.1 tracks.

On the other hand, I was told that there's a Spanish BD out there that might use a different transfer than the UK/DE Blus and the SF one. A good chunk of Blu-Ray releases from Spain are bootlegs made from BDRips, HDTV/WEB prints, and sometimes shamelessly taking fan projects and dumping them onto disc for quick cash (True Lies and The Abyss).

However, this Spanish BD for House on Haunted Hill '99 is an official release from Video Mercury Films (part of Spanish company Sogepaq, known for films such as Day of The Beast, Tesis, and Open Your Eyes). It's also said to have lossy 2.0 audio for both English and Spanish tracks (all other releases have a 5.1 option, lossy or lossless).

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/House-on-...ay/122150/

https://www.amazon.es/House-on-Haunted-H...Code=xm2&m=

This release is OOP and a bit pricey like the UK and German Blus. Unlike trying to find the UK BD in a pricey haystack, I found a Amazon seller in the US with the Spanish Blu at a very good price. I should have it by Monday and report on the transfer. I have a feeling it might use the same Buena Vista/Helkon master as the German and UK releases do, but stranger things have happened!

[SpaceBlackKnight]

Just got the Video Mercury Spanish BD in from Amazon not long ago. Transfer is the same as the UK and German and audio is DD 2.0 for the English track and DD 5.1 448kbs for Spanish. It has a Video Mercury Films logo at the front, not only replacing the Warner/Buena Vista and Dark Castle logos, but coming along with a sloppy edit that trims off the films score and starts smack right into the credits! Even the ending post credits scene is entirely missing as it stops right when the credits are about to end! Luckily the transfer runs 24fps proper and dosen't exhibit any skips or frame blending, but the compression is so-so at it appears the grain structure is mushier than the DE Blu and possibly the UK one.

Audio tracks sound OK, but the Spanish 5.1 appears to be a lazy upmix by having the same L/R content in all channels (sub included) instead of the proper DPL methiod.