Pink Panther Films

[wongfeihung]

TPP - I own the MGM (UK) Blu-ray. Dolby Digital Audio English 224 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 224 kbps (according to DVD Beaver).

ASITD - I have a BD rip but not sure about the audio. The video is from the Shout release. The audio is DTS-HD MA 48000hz Stereo S24. Is there any way to tell between the original mono and any downmix?

TROTPP - I own the Fabulous (UK) Blu-ray. English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono. No idea how that compares to Shout's mono.

TPPSA - I have a custom rip with the mono re-edited and synced from the DVD. I seem to recall doing this one myself so it's probably not that great... LOL

The remixes have phasing errors and move effects and dialogue all around. The stereo versions I think were mostly down mixes  of the 5.1. The 5.1 was originally done by mgm for the dvd se boxset.
The mono on the original film should be the same as it’s still the mgm disc. Ditto for Return as the master was made for the dvd reissue and released on bd in Germany first before shout used it.
I suck at doing syncs myself so don’t worry. I would’ve tried something similar but I got so infuriated with the Shout Blu I turned it off and finished on LD. To me it’s a film where LD and dvd are the way to go. I still hope to one day see the long cut of Strikes Again with all the cut footage.

ASITD - the audio on my rip sounds like mono so hopefully that's what it is.

TPPSS - I think I ripped the mono audio from the DVD and synced it to the Shout master. It required some editing in places to keep the sync. I think I did an OK job on that. If you need that track let me know.

I don't have any laserdisc audios.

Keep hoping that someone like Eureka Classics will do a box set in the UK... but I wait in vein.

REVENGE has its moments, but the last time I watched it felt like a let down.

TRAIL is garbage, worth it only for the PPSS deleted scenes. I'd rather they'd done a series documentary or restored the scenes to the film they belonged to. Many of them (plaster cast on plane, hotel room "massage") were in the first cut - as evidenced by the closing credits - only to be cut at the last minute. Thankfully it seems as though the series' worst skit (with Harvey Korman as "Balls") was deleted early on.

CURSE and INSPECTOR CLOUSEAU I have nothing much to say about...

[captainsolo]

Resurrecting an old thread because I'm digging into the entire audio transfer history of the series.
This is far more convoluted than I originally realized. The mono mixes have been either high quality vault element transfers or lesser elements with wear. Sometimes they were reused but typically scrubbed to death. Sometimes the later remastered DVD monos could be better in areas. Then came the HD masters and Shout BDs with their problems. Now the Kino UHDs of the new 4K masters are a series of new problems.

Chronology: Initial pan and scan analog era video releases, letterbox LD remastered new transfer, 1999 DVD port of the LDs with anamorphic video and lossy audio plus flipper disc with pan and scan version, 2004 DVD boxset SE remaster with new scans clearly grain managed and monos that are a mix of scrubbing the LD mono or using a different source that's possibly better. Also had new pointless 5.1 remixes. HD masters with their problems, 4K masters with their problems.
I will update this as I rip the BD audio for further comparisons. I refuse to buy the screwy Kino releases and am merely reporting what others have found so far.

TPP
1983 LD-pan and scan boosted color and fuzzy. Audio is analog but an odd fake stereo the has the effect come and go in the left channel. Lot of hiss but I guess could sound okay if folded to mono-but the fake stereo attempt is really weird.
Letterbox LD-good transfer though framing is different. Mono seems untouched and very robust. Same source as the 1983 disc without any issues.
1999 DVD-port of LD master plus pan and scan flipper.
2004 DVD-image clearer with different color. Mono is the LD mono but scrubbed like crazy. All the high end is gone making it extremely muffled.
MGM/Shout BD-New transfer with more muted looking color, image distortion problem never addressed. MGM better encoded.
4K master-Image problem fixed thankfully. No mono because Kino sucks.

ASOTD
Pan and scan versions
Letterbox LD-print sourced but looks good despite wear, mono is left alone so has hiss and some slight dropouts and notable wear but sounds completely natural. I can't tell if it's a print or printmaster element that was used on the audio.
1999 DVD-port of LD anamorphic plus flipper p&S version
2004 DVD-transfer new but overprocessed and brighter. Audio is surprisingly good with hiss intact and none of the major defects of the LD source. I can't tell if they did a new cleaner transfer of the same source or found a better one. However, it does feel a bit brighter and veiled in places compared to the LD. Especially the main title. This is kinda a bit of a draw. I prefer the hands off LD pcm but this needs really detailed study.
BD-new scan
UHD-For some unknown reason now this film has mono pitch problems so this is useless.

Return
Original video masters
Pan and Scan digital audio LD
Letterboxed remastered LD-Very good looking master no major issues, clear seemingly untouched mono, the best source I think.
1996 FHE VHS-LD on vhs in 1.33 with hifi mono that's a bit volume boosted. Sounds excellent still.
First DVD-port of LD remaster
2006 Universal DVD-New HD master, looks very good, mono sounds fine but 1996 LD still better.
Blu-ray-Universal European releases and Shout use HD master now in 1080p with same mono.
UHD-new scan

Strikes Again
initial releases pan and scan analog
Letterbox LD-excellent disc, clear mono pcm
1999 DVD-port of LD master plus p&s flipper
2004 DVD-remastered transfer brighter smoother, mono actually sounds clearer than LD mono so it's possibly a new scan or different source. Yet it still sounds filtered where the LD isn't. The LD can sound a bit muffled comparing directly-but it isn't normalized so some of the sound effects are mixed differently in the LD mono vs the DVD mono. For example, when the hunchback disguise goes off with the explosions, the DVD mono has everything at a mostly consistent level. On the LD the effects build and fall off in loudness so the intensity is entirely different because they were mixed that way for comedic effect.
Shout BD-new scan with major issues, brightness issues and damage. Mono has bad pitch issues and so does stereo remix. 5.1 remix is fine.
Kino UHD-new scan, mono without pitch issues

Revenge
*At some point the mono had differences introduced. Some dialogue is missing along with some music cues in later releases.
initial releases
Letterboxed LD-very good transfer, absolutely perfect mono with great dynamics, no issues.
1999 DVD-port of LD master plus p&s flipper
2004 SE DVD-new master, mono is good until comparison. It is notably noise reduced against the LD in the high end but still sounds good for what it is. This seems to be the first version of the different mono missing things.
2006 MGM DVD reissue-same transfer but mono has the audio partially fixed
Shout BD-Same DVD era master source used, mono is partially fixed 2006 mono
Kino UHD-presumably the same as shout.

Trail
Initial vhs/beta/LD. No letterboxed LD.
2004 DVD SE-new transfer and mono.
Shout BD-Seems to be same overall source.
Kino refused to release a UHD. They teased a possible Blu-ray later.

Other films

Inspector Clouseau
early video releases
MGM DVD-letterboxed with mono
Kino BD-Newer scan with mono

Curse of the Pink Panther
MGM initial VHS/Beta. LD was Japan only.
2004 DVD-new master, widescreen, mono
Kino BD-new master, mono

Son of the Pink Panther
MGM Letterboxed LD pcm Dolby stereo
DVD port
Kino BD-new master