User Profile: Jay - Original Trilogy

Post: #64288
Topic: ...from the Digital Bits review..
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/64288/action/topic#64288
Time: 14-Sep-2004 6:01 PM

Quote
Originally posted by: Bossk
Hey Mackey, how'd you get Jay to change your descriptor to "Zombie"?

He asked and I had nothing better to do.

Post: #63860
Topic: Search Feature for the list
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/63860/action/topic#63860
Time: 13-Sep-2004 6:58 AM

No worries

Post: #63847
Topic: Search Feature for the list
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/63847/action/topic#63847
Time: 13-Sep-2004 5:33 AM

No no no no no...don't sign up again. I monitor the list for profanity and such, but the confirmation procedure is automatic. Duplicate names/addresses go through.

Let me know what e-mail address you would've used to sign up, and I can search based on that.

It really is time I built a public search tool for the signature list. I'll try to get to that this week. I'm guessing traffic is going to increase a bit over the coming months.

Post: #63576
Topic: GL Quote for the front page...
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/63576/action/topic#63576
Time: 12-Sep-2004 12:18 AM

I had some free time, so I made a minor change to the home page.

Post: #63567
Topic: Star Trek Generations DVD recalls
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/63567/action/topic#63567
Time: 11-Sep-2004 10:34 PM

From what I read over at HTF, there was something advertised on the jacket that wasn't actually on the disc (a trailer or something). Paramount recalled the discs so they could reprint the jacket. It should be available again on the 28th.

Post: #62166
Topic: Who Here has a Home Theather Setup.
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/62166/action/topic#62166
Time: 1-Sep-2004 6:42 AM

Quote
Originally posted by: JangoxFett
I what just wondering if you guys and gals here at the OT had a Home Theather, Big Screen or Projector with Sound System Setup?.

I am planning to get one to view my star wars films on. I want a 16x9 150" wall screen and Projector to add to my 5.1 Sound System.

so far I see that most "Good" projectors are Very Pricey. almost like a used car. I saw one for 1599.99.

I would love to see some pics of your set up for more ideas.

Thanks.

As a home theater enthusiast, I suggest you stay out of the hobby. It quickly becomes an obsession and will drain your wallet faster than any woman ever could

It all started back in junior high school when I dug an old stereo receiver and a pair of speakers out of my mom's attic. One of the tweeters didn't work, but I didn't even care back then. I used some summer job money to pick up a Technics CD player and became hooked on home audio.

The next year I picked up a cheap Magnavox stereo receiver (50W per channel I think), a Technics 5-disc carousel changer (I precariously perched the first one on top of a cardboard box and it fell victim to my jumping cat), and my mom bought me a pair of Bose Interaudio 4000 XL speakers for Christmas (now sitting inside my front door and heading toward the dumpster). I also bought a 19" Sony Trinitron around the same time since I had a bad gaming addiction.

Right before I graduated high school, I upgraded to an Onkyo Dolby Pro Logic receiver, but never could afford the speakers to complete the setup because I was heading into college and needed beer money. That receiver was a tank and, along with my trusty Trinitron, survived 4 years at Penn State (okay, 5 years

) and was just recently sold on ebay. 12 years altogether--a pretty good run, and 12 times longer than I could go now without upgrading.

After I graduated and moved to Jersey, I picked up another Onkyo--a 797 THX Select 6.1 receiver--and paired it with a Polk speaker setup. Picked up a 32" Sony Wega and was in heaven. The old Trinitron went to my nephew's bedroom and is still there. This, I thought, was the ultimate. It couldn't get any better. My neighbors hated me and I was in home theater nirvana.

Then I stumbled across the AVS Forum where I learned about front projection. This is where it gets really nasty.

I'm on my fifth digital projector in two years.

Sold the Onkyo 797 due to some glitches (which, it turns out, weren't glitches at all, just bad internet press and misinformed customers) and upgraded to a Rotel RSP-1066 preamp and RMB-1075/RB-1050 amps for a 7.1 setup. It sounded great, but now the Polks were the weak link in my system. They simply couldn't resolve the detailed sound of the Rotel gear.

In comes a complete M&K S-150 THX Ultra speaker system. The sub is larger than most people's TVs. This setup completely blows away the Polks. I keep the front Polk towers and subwoofer and hook them up to the college tank Onkyo (remember him?) in the office with the 32" Sony Wega. This is my gaming rig. Streets of Rage never looked or sounded so good. The rest of the Polks (two center channels, two bookshelf speakers, and two dipole surrounds) sit in my closet until I decide to put them up for sale. I originally wanted to use them for a 5.1 gaming rig, but space was too tight. Maybe when I buy a house.

After a few months, I decided the feature set of the 1066 was too limited, so I upgraded to an Anthem AVM 20. Unbelievable piece of equipment. Built like a tank and sounded amazing. I kept the Rotel amps because they were more than enough power for my small theater.

Just last week, I sold my AVM 20 and bought a Harman Kardon DPR 2005 receiver. Rather than traditional analog amplification, it uses a digital amplifier. This means anything sent to the receiver digitally (Dolby Digital, DTS, a CD player connected via optical or digital coaxial) stays digital until it's sent to the speakers. Let me tell you, these new digital amps are going to bring audiophile-quality sound to the masses.

In terms of price and feature set, this is a downgrade from the AVM 20, but in terms of sound quality, it's definitely an upgrade. This thing sounds better than the AVM 20/Rotel amps ever did, and is 1/3 the price. There is ZERO background noise and the dynamic range is incredible. The 2005 is a higher-end digital amp (about $1100 street), but that's because the power output is insane for a receiver (200W x 7 channels at 4 ohms). There are much less expensive models from companies like Panasonic and Kenwood that sound just as good but don't have the power to drive large, hungry speakers. If any of you are in the market for a receiver, I highly recommend trying one with a digital amp (SA-XR50 or SA-XR70 from Panasonic, some from Kenwood and Sony also). There are guys out there who are dumping thousands of dollars in gear and hooking up their $10K+ speakers to a $300 Panasonic digital amp because it sounds that good.

The M&K's are also on their way out. Upgrading to James Loudspeakers. This upgrade is bordering on sick, but I'm an American, and excess is a way of life for me.

Oh, my current projector is a Sharp XV-Z12000 DLP projected onto a 92" screen. I calibrated it with a colorimeter and special PC software. Looks like a giant reference monitor.

Hi. My name is Jay, and I'm a home theater addict.

Post: #60019
Topic: 1995 VHS
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/60019/action/topic#60019
Time: 17-Aug-2004 5:45 AM

Quote
Originally posted by: Luke Skywalker
you guys think they'll ever do away with pan and scan?
or think it will always have a market?

HBO currently crops 2.35:1 films to 16:9 (1.78:1) for their HD broadcasts. Super 35 films have the mattes removed.

Even when widescreen TVs become the standard, there will still be 16:9 P&S for wider aspect ratios. Fortunately it's a rare thing for studios not to release DVDs in their proper aspect ratio, so I imagine the trend of dual P&S/OAR releases will continue into our widescreen future.

Post: #59907
Topic: Signature Pics
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/59907/action/topic#59907
Time: 16-Aug-2004 11:07 AM

I don't have any problem with it as long as they're not huge (neither in pixel dimensions nor file size).

Post: #59906
Topic: Reminder: Bootlegs of commercially available DVDs (such as the upcoming trilogy release) are NOT PERMITTED
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/59906/action/topic#59906
Time: 16-Aug-2004 11:05 AM

While all this is fascinating, let's stick to the topic at hand

Post: #59796
Topic: General DVD Talk
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/59796/action/topic#59796
Time: 15-Aug-2004 2:38 PM

Quote
Originally posted by: bad_karma24
Criterion's The Rock. No DVD could ever surpass it's quality of transfer.

Agreed. Reference video quality. An extremely natural, unfiltered look with about as much detail as the DVD format can provide.

Superbits are all marketing hype. There is nothing technically different about the process Columbia/Sony uses when producing the discs. They just increase the bitrate. There are plenty of high-quality, high-bitrate discs from other studios that blow away most Superbit releases without any lame marketing BS.

Post: #59481
Topic: HD-DVD vs. Blu-Ray
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/59481/action/topic#59481
Time: 13-Aug-2004 6:10 AM

Quote
Originally posted by: bad_karma24
Sounds like a nice set-up. I assume you've gone and calibrated the gray-scale, tightened the guns, etc. It reminds me of Bjoern's.

The one thing I don't like about HD on HBO and Showtime is that more often or not they're broadcast in 1.85:1 regardless of their OAR. Very annoying.

It's a DLP, which is digital. No guns to tighten

Focus is tack-sharp and doesn't require all the fiddling CRTs do. I did grayscale and complete color calibration using a colorimeter and test patterns (OpticONE and Avia PRO). The Sharp 12K has a highly configurable user menu that allows you to adjust not only red, green, and blue bias/gain, but also adjust the color decoder so you can plot red, green, blue, yellow, cyan, and magenta on a CIE chart with near-perfect accuracy. I calibrated the projector to mimic the characteristics of SMPTE-C phosphors, which are the phosphors used in professional monitors during mastering. I'm about as close to seeing what the telecine operator sees when he creates a master from original film stock as anyone can be.

Bjoern has an incredible setup though. My "theater" is really just an extra 14' x 11' bedroom in my apartment that I dedicated to my movie watching activities. I'll probably be buying a house in the next few years, and when that happens I'll design and build a true home theater. Should be fun.

HBO does tend to crop scope films to 1.78:1 (16:9), which sucks. Sometimes they open up the mattes on Super 35 stuff like they did with Harry Potter, which also sucks. Showtime is almost always OAR.

Post: #59416
Topic: HD-DVD vs. Blu-Ray
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/59416/action/topic#59416
Time: 12-Aug-2004 4:34 PM

Well, think of it this way. It's not like you have to dump your existing DVD collection to adopt HD-DVD or BluRay. Your DVD player isn't going anywhere, and the new decks will be backwards-compatible. There's no reason you can't continue to enjoy your DVD collection while making new purchases of HD material. I certainly won't get rid of my DVDs until they have HD replacements. And I certainly wouldn't worry about HD-DVD/BluRay failing. I'd say there's a very slim chance of that. It also won't be replaced for MANY years. All the studios are currently doing their HD masters in 1080p. They'd have to go back and do the masters again if they wanted to go even higher, not to mention the fact that going higher than 1080p would yield no benefit to 99% of consumers. Only people with 100"+ projection screens would benefit from that.

In your case, and in the case of many others, screen size is what determines your need for HD. Viewing distance also comes into play. I'd say for the majority of users, DVD is more than satisfying at 60" or less. The differences between DVD and HD are less apparent, especially if you haven't been exposed to significant amounts of good HD material. For me, aside from resolution, color accuracy and depth are the most noticeable improvements. If you ever have occasion to see the exact same material in both DVD format and HD (I see this quite often because many of my DVDs are broadcast in HD on HBO and Showtime), the differences are easier to spot. I watched a bit of Matrix Reloaded on HBO in HD a while back, and even the reference-quality image on the DVD couldn't touch the HD version.

Another issue is the ability of the display to resolve everything HD has to offer. Most CRT-based projection TVs are limited to 1080i/540p (or 480p if your TV supports it natively, many don't). A select few support and can actually resolve 720p. The holy grail--for now anyway--is 1080p. It's really only possible on CRT displays with 9" guns and the latest digital displays. As 1080p-capable digital displays filter down to more reasonable price brackets, then you'll see HD in its full glory and the differences will be much more apparent.

I sit about 11' away from my screen. I have a Sharp Z12000 DLP projector, which is 1280x720. I'd like more pixels than that. It looks really good, especially after I calibrated it with a colorimeter (HD looks like film), but I can still make out the pixel structure sometimes. Contrast is about 4000:1, and with the lights out it looks like a giant plasma.

Post: #59369
Topic: 1997 SE officially bootleg fodder?
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/59369/action/topic#59369
Time: 12-Aug-2004 1:06 PM

If I changed the name of the other forum, it would be the "Theatrical Cuts vs Crap Editions vs Even More Lame CG Crap Editions".

No bootleg talk on the SEs. They're too close to the 2004 versions. I mean hell, if you actually like the SEs, just buy the 2004 editions. That's all you should need. The more awkwardly-inserted garbage the better, right?

Post: #59366
Topic: HD-DVD vs. Blu-Ray
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/59366/action/topic#59366
Time: 12-Aug-2004 12:51 PM

I try not to get into these DVD vs HD-DVD vs BluRay debates anymore because I recognize that my priorities are different from most consumers. I actually look forward to the day I can sell all my DVDs on ebay and replace them with HD versions.

Watching movies at the screen size I do (92" diagonal 16:9), DVDs are inadequate. The resolution is too low and the color fidelity isn't there. I hear a lot of people claim that with proper scaling and higher pixel counts on digital displays, DVDs can approach HD quality. That's true in part. Closeups on reference DVDs look outstanding on my setup. Medium shots look really good. Watch any far shots with lots of small details, and you'll see a huge difference between DVD and HD. DVDs look soft and muddy in comparison.

HD on disc will start out as a niche format, but sales of HD displays are booming. Whoever wins in the end--HD-DVD or BluRay--will do just fine because morons like me will buy the first deck out the door. If there are a significant number of titles available on HD-DVD that I can't get on BluRay, then I'll just have to buy both.

Also keep in mind who's pushing HD on disc; it's not the studios. They're happy to sell you the same content again, sure. The real push is coming from manufacturers who can't profit on DVD player sales anymore because Chinese manufacturers are flooding the market with $40 DVD players. Manufacturers need a new format so they can sell expensive decks.

To address a few points I'm too lazy to go back and quote:

Claiming laserdisc failed because it didn't offer enough of an improvement over VHS is silly. The benefits over VHS are huge on a good TV. The best LDs I've seen are superior to most non-anamorphic DVDs. LDs failed because they're 12" wide and many movies required two or three discs. DVD took off not primarily because of image quality improvements, but because it's a 5" disc that reminds consumers of CDs, which they loved to death until they started raping content providers by downloading MP3s. Lazy consumers prefer convenience to quality. That's why microwaves are so popular.

Claiming HD has no advantage over DVD because one D-VHS movie doesn't look all that great is absurd. Having had HD via cable for about two years now, I can tell you that the best HD broadcasts--which have lower bitrates and overall lower quality than D-VHS--completely decimate DVD on a good setup. View a D-VHS tape such as Fight Club, and you'll see what HD can do. As digital displays evolve to support 1080p, then you'll really see some shit.

Post: #59043
Topic: 2004 box set changes
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/59043/action/topic#59043
Time: 10-Aug-2004 3:48 PM

Quote
Originally posted by: Zombie Chewbacca
Anyone else think film alteration is a lot like plastic surgery? The changes don't exactly improve anything save a quick boost of self-esteem. Oh, and it's highly addictive.

Funny that you posted this. Here's a post I made at the AV Science forums just last night:

"Lucas's repeated edits to the trilogy are like Michael Jackson's attempts to fix his bad plastic surgery with even more bad plastic surgery.

If only we could transport both men back in time and show them nothing was really wrong with the original in the first place."

Post: #58918
Topic: Okay, I just have to get this off my chest!!!!
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/58918/action/topic#58918
Time: 9-Aug-2004 9:06 PM

Everybody cool down and stop the personal attacks. You'll just have to agree to disagree on this one.

Thread closed.

Post: #58750
Topic: Reminder: Bootlegs of commercially available DVDs (such as the upcoming trilogy release) are NOT PERMITTED
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/58750/action/topic#58750
Time: 9-Aug-2004 11:04 AM

I don't have a problem with small stuff like that.

Post: #58704
Topic: Reminder: Bootlegs of commercially available DVDs (such as the upcoming trilogy release) are NOT PERMITTED
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/58704/action/topic#58704
Time: 9-Aug-2004 6:12 AM

I'm seeing links to bootleg downloads for the upcoming release of Star Wars.

DO NOT POST SUCH LINKS!

The original theatrical cuts are unavailable on DVD in an official release, so I turn a blind eye to those. Not everyone can have a laserdisc player and the original LDs.

However, the upcoming 2004 cuts will be available for you to purchase if you want them. Whether you agree with the changes or not, PAY FOR THE DAMN BOX SET if you want to watch it.

I understand many of you would like to see just how much has changed from the originals; I have the same desire. This site can't afford to defend that position. If we're associated with distributing bootlegs, or even allowing them to be provided via our forums, we could get into serious trouble.

It's not hard to find such things on the internet. Just don't post them here.

Post: #58703
Topic: Reminder: Bootlegs of commercially available DVDs (such as the upcoming trilogy release) are NOT PERMITTED
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/58703/action/topic#58703
Time: 9-Aug-2004 6:12 AM

I'm seeing links to bootleg downloads for the upcoming release of Star Wars.

DO NOT POST SUCH LINKS!

The original theatrical cuts are unavailable on DVD in an official release, so I turn a blind eye to those. Not everyone can have a laserdisc player and the original LDs.

However, the upcoming 2004 cuts will be available for you to purchase if you want them. Whether you agree with the changes or not, PAY FOR THE DAMN BOX SET if you want to watch it.

I understand many of you would like to see just how much has changed from the originals; I have the same desire. This site can't afford to defend that position. If we're associated with distributing bootlegs, or even allowing them to be provided via our forums, we could get into serious trouble.

It's not hard to find such things on the internet. Just don't post them here.

Post: #58702
Topic: Reminder: Bootlegs of commercially available DVDs (such as the upcoming trilogy release) are NOT PERMITTED
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/58702/action/topic#58702
Time: 9-Aug-2004 6:11 AM

I'm seeing links to bootleg downloads for the upcoming release of Star Wars.

DO NOT POST SUCH LINKS!

The original theatrical cuts are unavailable on DVD in an official release, so I turn a blind eye to those. Not everyone can have a laserdisc player and the original LDs.

However, the upcoming 2004 cuts will be available for you to purchase if you want them. Whether you agree with the changes or not, PAY FOR THE DAMN BOX SET if you want to watch it.

I understand many of you would like to see just how much has changed from the originals; I have the same desire. This site can't afford to defend that position. If we're associated with distributing bootlegs, or even allowing them to be provided via our forums, we could get into serious trouble.

It's not hard to find such things on the internet. Just don't post them here.

Post: #58701
Topic: Reminder: Bootlegs of commercially available DVDs (such as the upcoming trilogy release) are NOT PERMITTED
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/58701/action/topic#58701
Time: 9-Aug-2004 6:10 AM

I'm seeing links to bootleg downloads for the upcoming release of Star Wars.

DO NOT POST SUCH LINKS!

The original theatrical cuts are unavailable on DVD in an official release, so I turn a blind eye to those. Not everyone can have a laserdisc player and the original LDs.

However, the upcoming 2004 cuts will be available for you to purchase if you want them. Whether you agree with the changes or not, PAY FOR THE DAMN BOX SET if you want to watch it.

I understand many of you would like to see just how much has changed from the originals; I have the same desire. This site can't afford to defend that position. If we're associated with distributing bootlegs, or even allowing them to be provided via our forums, we could get into serious trouble.

It's not hard to find such things on the internet. Just don't post them here.

Post: #58700
Topic: Reminder: Bootlegs of commercially available DVDs (such as the upcoming trilogy release) are NOT PERMITTED
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/58700/action/topic#58700
Time: 9-Aug-2004 6:08 AM

I'm seeing links to bootleg downloads for the upcoming release of Star Wars.

DO NOT POST SUCH LINKS!

The original theatrical cuts are unavailable on DVD in an official release, so I turn a blind eye to those. Not everyone can have a laserdisc player and the original LDs.

However, the upcoming 2004 cuts will be available for you to purchase if you want them. Whether you agree with the changes or not, PAY FOR THE DAMN BOX SET if you want to watch it.

I understand many of you would like to see just how much has changed from the originals; I have the same desire. This site can't afford to defend that position. If we're associated with distributing bootlegs, or even allowing them to be provided via our forums, we could get into serious trouble.

It's not hard to find such things on the internet. Just don't post them here.

Post: #58676
Topic: Okay, I just have to get this off my chest!!!!
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/58676/action/topic#58676
Time: 8-Aug-2004 9:35 PM

Joe_H and jimbo have different IP addresses. Unless jimbo earned an English degree overnight, I seriously doubt they're the same person.

I think jimbo adds something this forum desperately needs: a strong pro-SE sentiment. It helps maintain a certain balance.

I obviously don't have the time to watch every thread unfold. I certainly didn't expect gay bashing to occur in a thread about a Mark Hamill interview.

Such behavior will not be tolerated here.

jimbo, your contributions regarding Star Wars are welcome. Your bigotry is not.

Consider this your final warning. Unlike your previous temporary "vacation" from the boards, this time will be permanent.

Post: #58321
Topic: HD-DVD
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/58321/action/topic#58321
Time: 6-Aug-2004 9:11 AM

I don't understand why everyone thinks adding BluRay to the PS3 is going to send the MSRP through the roof. The original PS2s sold for $300 USD, but they cost a lot more than that to produce.

Sony is in this for the long haul, and they'll take another loss on the hardware in order to achieve market dominance. They also know that modern "game machines" are being sold more to young adults with deep pockets than to kids, so it wouldn't surprise me if they take the chance of bumping up the introductory price to $400 USD and easing their losses a bit. Game addicts will bitch like crazy, then hand over their credit cards.

I don't think Sony will go with a rich man (BluRay) / poor man (no BluRay) dual PS3 release. Don't forget that incorporating BluRay into the PS3 isn't just about being able to play movies; the extra storage space will certainly help push the next generation of games even closer to reality. With two different machines, developers would be forced to choose between maximizing game quality by taking advantage of the massive capacity of BluRay or maximizing sales by making games that are compatible with both machines. You also end up with format confusion among consumers, not to mention a separate production line, which would drive up manufacturing costs even further. Running two different lines might even negate any cost savings incurred by building a non-BluRay machine.

Post: #58145
Topic: a Star Trek thread...
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/58145/action/topic#58145
Time: 5-Aug-2004 10:42 AM

Exactly. Most Trek stuff is for Trek fans only. Chances are you won't like most Trek shows and movies if you don't like the Trek universe in the first place.

Khan is not just a good Trek movie; it's a good movie period. I don't see how anyone who claims to be a fan of scifi-drama can not like Khan.

And Ricardo Montalbahn is a GREAT villain.

Shit, I have to watch it after work. I'm all fired up now.

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