"The Ten Commandments"... looked like bad VHS on ABC-HD at DVinfo.net

Boyd Ostroff · April 15th, 2006, 07:49 PM

When I saw they were showing this tonight I thought it might be fun to watch since it's been a long time. But when I went to the ABC-HD channel I was surprised to see that they were presenting it in really poor quality pillarboxed 4:3. According to IMDB it was originally released as 1.85:1, then later re-released as 2.20:1. http://imdb.com/title/tt0049833/technical

What a disappointment! This makes me think that wide adoption of HD may be further off than I had thought....

(EDIT) Hmm... as an afterthought... perhaps it was just the local (Philadelphia) outlet that was showing the movie and not the network?

Michael OKeefe · April 15th, 2006, 07:54 PM

Unfortunately, no. My local ABC affiliate has had commercials for weeks about it- I'm dissapointed to hear that it's not using 16x9, and indeed, that the quality is so poor.

Boyd Ostroff · April 15th, 2006, 08:01 PM

Well then, "rasberries" to ABC for such a poor job!

David Jimerson · April 16th, 2006, 08:49 AM

Biggger raspberries for that even worse remake.

Edward Slonaker · April 16th, 2006, 10:22 AM

Well, thank goodness. I thought I was being overly critical when I could only take the first 10 minutes of the cheezy acting before deleting both parts off my TiVo. That and the bad video quality made for a very disappointing remake.

Michael Wisniewski · April 16th, 2006, 10:36 AM

My neighbor and his family watched the whole thing on their new widescreen TV. Not only was it mangled and cropped for 4:3 but then their TV re-stretched back to 16:9. Talk about crashing consumer standards. The humanity, the humanity ...

Boyd Ostroff · April 16th, 2006, 11:49 AM

Actually that's interesting... if I watch regular analog channels, or SD digital channels then I can choose the screen format (full, zoom, stretch, etc), but if I watch an HD broadcast then none of those options are available, you have to watch it in 16:9 mode. So in the case of that program I had 4:3 pillarboxed inside the 16:9 frame.

Michael Wisniewski · April 16th, 2006, 02:13 PM

Yeah, I'm pretty sure it's not connected properly. But I'm diplomatically not saying anything about it, until I can pull my neighbor aside privately.

Jim Arthurs · April 29th, 2006, 05:25 PM

You know, the "Ten Commandments" was shot on VistaVision... 35mm 8 perf (just like 35mm still camera film frame size) moving sideways through the camera. Amazing sharpness, closer to 65mm in image area but cheaper to shoot. So, it's a great pity that more care isn't given in the transfer to HD.

About ten years ago a local theatre showed a print of it over the Easter weekend... it was terrific, so I know better can be done with it.

I have fond memories of that movie on TV when I was young... I think it was the first thing I saw on -gasp- COLOR TV... also gave me my interest in visual effects...

Regards,

Jim Arthurs

Alexander Benesch · June 4th, 2006, 06:30 PM

Amateurism? Or were they too cheap to give it the necessary attention?

Boyd Ostroff · June 4th, 2006, 06:53 PM

How do you like the quality of this "restored" version? :-)

http://youtube.com/watch?v=CJBsyePY8...20commandments

Christopher Lefchik · June 4th, 2006, 10:00 PM

The last time I caught The Ten Commandments on network "HD" television (don't remember which network it was) it was aired in 4:3. I didn't even know it had been originally shot in widescreen. At least the network didn't air it pillerboxed, which meant I could watch it fullscreen on our 4:3 HD CRT.

And I can't believe someone would even contemplate remaking The Ten Commandments. There are some movies that just can't be redone.

April 15th, 2006, 07:49 PM	#1
Boyd Ostroff Wrangler Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Mays Landing, NJ Posts: 11,802	"The Ten Commandments"... looked like bad VHS on ABC-HD When I saw they were showing this tonight I thought it might be fun to watch since it's been a long time. But when I went to the ABC-HD channel I was surprised to see that they were presenting it in really poor quality pillarboxed 4:3. According to IMDB it was originally released as 1.85:1, then later re-released as 2.20:1. http://imdb.com/title/tt0049833/technical What a disappointment! This makes me think that wide adoption of HD may be further off than I had thought.... (EDIT) Hmm... as an afterthought... perhaps it was just the local (Philadelphia) outlet that was showing the movie and not the network?

April 16th, 2006, 08:49 AM	#4
David Jimerson Jubal 28 Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Wilmington, NC Posts: 872	Biggger raspberries for that even worse remake. __________________ www.wrightsvillebeachstudios.com

April 16th, 2006, 10:22 AM	#5
Edward Slonaker Major Player Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Hell's 6 acres in S. Texas Posts: 203	Well, thank goodness. I thought I was being overly critical when I could only take the first 10 minutes of the cheezy acting before deleting both parts off my TiVo. That and the bad video quality made for a very disappointing remake. __________________ Edward Slonaker El Pilon Productions San Patricio, Texas www.elpilon.com

April 16th, 2006, 10:36 AM	#6
Michael Wisniewski Wrangler Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Makati, Metro Manila Posts: 2,706 Images: 32	My neighbor and his family watched the whole thing on their new widescreen TV. Not only was it mangled and cropped for 4:3 but then their TV re-stretched back to 16:9. Talk about crashing consumer standards. The humanity, the humanity ... __________________ "Ultimately, the most extraordinary thing, in a frame, is a human being." - Martin Scorsese

April 16th, 2006, 02:13 PM	#8
Michael Wisniewski Wrangler Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Makati, Metro Manila Posts: 2,706 Images: 32	Yeah, I'm pretty sure it's not connected properly. But I'm diplomatically not saying anything about it, until I can pull my neighbor aside privately. __________________ "Ultimately, the most extraordinary thing, in a frame, is a human being." - Martin Scorsese

April 15th, 2006, 07:54 PM	#2
Michael OKeefe Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Hudson, NH Posts: 53	Unfortunately, no. My local ABC affiliate has had commercials for weeks about it- I'm dissapointed to hear that it's not using 16x9, and indeed, that the quality is so poor.

April 15th, 2006, 08:01 PM	#3
Boyd Ostroff Wrangler Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Mays Landing, NJ Posts: 11,802	Well then, "rasberries" to ABC for such a poor job!

April 16th, 2006, 11:49 AM	#7
Boyd Ostroff Wrangler Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Mays Landing, NJ Posts: 11,802	Actually that's interesting... if I watch regular analog channels, or SD digital channels then I can choose the screen format (full, zoom, stretch, etc), but if I watch an HD broadcast then none of those options are available, you have to watch it in 16:9 mode. So in the case of that program I had 4:3 pillarboxed inside the 16:9 frame.

April 29th, 2006, 05:25 PM	#9
Jim Arthurs Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Colorado Springs CO Posts: 120	You know, the "Ten Commandments" was shot on VistaVision... 35mm 8 perf (just like 35mm still camera film frame size) moving sideways through the camera. Amazing sharpness, closer to 65mm in image area but cheaper to shoot. So, it's a great pity that more care isn't given in the transfer to HD. About ten years ago a local theatre showed a print of it over the Easter weekend... it was terrific, so I know better can be done with it. I have fond memories of that movie on TV when I was young... I think it was the first thing I saw on -gasp- COLOR TV... also gave me my interest in visual effects... Regards, Jim Arthurs

June 4th, 2006, 06:30 PM	#10
Alexander Benesch New Boot Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Feuchtwangen, Bavaria, Germany Posts: 14	Amateurism? Or were they too cheap to give it the necessary attention?

June 4th, 2006, 06:53 PM	#11
Boyd Ostroff Wrangler Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Mays Landing, NJ Posts: 11,802	How do you like the quality of this "restored" version? :-) http://youtube.com/watch?v=CJBsyePY8...20commandments

June 4th, 2006, 10:00 PM	#12
Christopher Lefchik Trustee Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: US Posts: 1,152	The last time I caught The Ten Commandments on network "HD" television (don't remember which network it was) it was aired in 4:3. I didn't even know it had been originally shot in widescreen. At least the network didn't air it pillerboxed, which meant I could watch it fullscreen on our 4:3 HD CRT. And I can't believe someone would even contemplate remaking The Ten Commandments. There are some movies that just can't be redone.