The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

[NorthStar]

i have the Sony 4K projector, the VPL-VW1000ES. my son has helped me with a little full 4K content through his computer. i purchased a 24fps 45 minute 4K movie called 'Timescapes' which requires him to use 2 hard drives as it needs lots of bandwidth. as far as how real it looks, it does look very good, but it's a 'time lapse' movie shot with hi megapixel digital cameras one frame at a time. unless you are a Hollywood production company you cannot really do 4K real life movies.....yet.

----Hi Mike, Happy Christmas & Merry New Year! :b

I've read reviews about your Sony 4K front projector; all excellent!

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* Sony says 10,000 U.S. movie theaters are already using 4K projectors, and a growing number of theatrical movies are being shot in 4K.

At the worldwide unveiling of the XBR-84X900 (Sony 84-inch 4K LCD HDTV), Sony CEO Kaz Hirai said 4K "virtually eliminates the line between television and reality to offer an unprecedented and revolutionary viewing experience. It's so immersive that you simply will want to touch what is in front of you. You will never see a pixel, even in the closest proximity to the screen, regardless of whether you're watching 2D or 3D content."

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*** 'The Hobbit' was also mixed and released in Dolby Atmos.

Dolby Atmos is a discretely controlled system with up to 62.2 channels today, but once it's mixed, the spatial metadata can be adapted to any playback system present or future. To have this in your home would require software encoded with Dolby Atmos, an AVR (or pre/pro surr. processor) with a Dolby Atmos decoder that could interpret and steer that data, and enough amplifier channels and speakers (including the required ceiling speakers) to execute some semblance of what's being done in the theaters so equipped. That's a lot to accomplish, and no plans for bringing Atmos to the home theater environment have been announced so far by Dolby, any Hollywood studio, or any AVR (Surr. Sound Processor) manufacturer. ...It wouldn't even fit on a Blu-ray Disc anyway.

=> http://vimeo.com/40699179

 

[NorthStar]

Thanks Bob.

---- Merry Christmas & Happy New Year Phil. :b

 

[jadis]

---- Merry Christmas & Happy New Year Phil.

:b

Happy Holidays too, Bob.

 

[R Johnson]

I may be the last to know this, but I always wonder in theatres today do they still use those reel spools like in the old days or do they use digital discs now to beam the movie onto the screen? And if it was still film spool, how is the digital dolby or THX or DTS played via that film spool?

Reels of film are becoming history at a fast clip. Most theaters in the US have converted to digital projectors by now. Some sources think that the worldwide conversion to digital will be essentially complete by 2015. Digital movies are most often delivered on hard disks and then "ingested" to servers at each theater. Most theaters use DLP projectors (technology by Texas Instruments, projectors by Barco, Christie or NEC) or SXRD projectors from Sony.

 

[cjfrbw]

I love the 4k Sony projectors at my local theaters. They are like "super" versions of my VPL VW200, and they look very cinematic to my eye.

I had a passing interest in the current Sony 4k home projectors, but they use UHP rather than Xenon bulbs. I have never seen a home UHP projector that had proper colors, they always have a problem rendering whites, reds, greens etc. The Xenon variants have magnificent colors and shades.

I love the VPL VW200 and really can't see needing any upgrades indefinitely unless source material eventually demands an upgrade. I get my 3D kicks with Sony OLED visors.

 

[NorthStar]

-- ...Saw 'The Hobbit' yet at the Theater?

 

[cjfrbw]

I would love to see "The Hobbit" in full IMAX and 3d, but I doubt it will stay in the theaters long enough for me go get "sneak time" to see it. My wife, alas, does not share my enthusiasms for large screen presentations at the movie theater, and the only time I get to go is when she is visiting a friend or otherwise engaged.

You can all start the P-whip, chorus, now.

 

[Keith_W]

I watched it today. Incredibly long, drawn out and ultimately unsatisfying. After the movie I said "I can't wait for the Extended Director's Cut version to come out on Blu-Ray". This elicited some laughter among the people nearby

 

[vinylphilemag]

-- ...Saw 'The Hobbit' yet at the Theater?

Yep, in 2D. I very much liked it, even with the little changes made here and there. But the tie-ins with LOTR are also great, with the same cast where possible, same director, etc., make for a GREAT epic.

 

[NorthStar]

I would love to see "The Hobbit" in full IMAX and 3d, but I doubt it will stay in the theaters long enough for me go get "sneak time" to see it. My wife, alas, does not share my enthusiasms for large screen presentations at the movie theater, and the only time I get to go is when she is visiting a friend or otherwise engaged.

You can all start the P-whip, chorus, now.

---- ...Nah, you'll never get that from me; I'm just too much like you. :b

 

[Imperial]

Gollum is CG. They used the actors movements on a "green screen" and he provided VO

Yes, and this dude also gave "moves" to King Kong... and the voice! It really is him making the gorilla sounds, not a gorilla..
Serkis is a master in body acting!! Really man, he is so good at this! It is a joy to watch!!

Awesome!! This new genre with CGI acting is very interesting. New talents are emerging! It's almost like you have silent movie stars coming back. The face starts to talk... and what a voice!!! Sotto voce... indeed!

Zoe Saldana as Neytiri in Avatar, most fantastic!! Can't wait for Avatar II (In production now 'I believe!!)

But I think Serkis is the master, I really do. There is him, and everybody else should just learn... Awesome!

This is really like the second coming of the word not spoken!!! (not to forget Chaplin!!!)
I absolutely love this, directors that know how to make actors speak by talking between the words we are able to hear!
Equally important! Adds to drama, realism and effervessence!!

Imperial.

 

[NorthStar]

-- Reminds me of Marcel Marceau, the famous French actor and mime.

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[R Johnson]

I saw The Hobbit with Dolby Atmos sound over the weekend at the Showplace Icon in Chicago. The show was in 3D with 48fps High Frame Rate.

It appeared that there were two rows of five ceiling speakers plus another five or six along the back wall. There was a Dolby Atmos trailer before the movie. I even noticed poster ads for Dolby Atmos in the nearby CTA subway station!

I thought the Atmos system worked quite effectively. However, I don't think I'd go too far out of my way for another screening with the system.

I may be in a minority, but I really liked the 48fps HFR. Afterwards, I watched a few minutes in another auditorium of the 2D 24fps (digital) version. The 2D version's auditorium was much better attended -- $10.00 vs $13.50 perhaps -- so I only had a rather poor seat. I didn't really mind the loss of 3D or Dolby Atmos, but the motion in 24fps was noticeably "jerky".

I enjoyed the movie, but it was overlong. Making a trilogy from one book is a bit much...

 

[NorthStar]

-- Thank you R Johnson for that excellent feedback!

I think like you; HFR (48fps) is the true winner here. ...Next would be 4K.

Happy New Year! :b

Bob

 

[Nightlord]

Saw it a couple of days ago on Swedens widest screen. Had heard all sorts of issues, found none. People reporting those cannot have been very interested in the storyline... Best picture in a cinema for a long time, normally I wonder if it wouldn't have been a better experience at home, but not this one.

If I have one small issue - they overdid the use of the musicl them a bit. The sung version gave me goosebumps, though. Pity it wasn't longer...

 

[andromedaaudio]

Bought the dvd , hmm dont like it as much as LOTR , i miss frodo in the movie
I dont find the story line as interesting

 

[vinylphilemag]

Bought the dvd , hmm dont like it as much as LOTR , i miss frodo in the movie

Frodo wasn't in the original book (not even at the beginning, unlike the movie), so why would he be in the movie?

I'll buy the movie on Blu-ray, but only when they release the Extended Edition trilogy boxed set (as they no doubt eventually will). Then it will sit next to my LotR Extended Edition boxed set.

 

[Mike]

-- Reminds me of Marcel Marceau, the famous French actor and mime.

________

I have the Best of Marcel Marceau on cd.

 

[JackD201]

Bit of a snoozer this movie was. I know I'll still end up watching the continuation for more snoozing. There wasn't much that could be done with the novel in the first place but somehow they managed to do TOO much. Looked and sounded awesome but that's it.