Star Trek 3 different on Amazon Video

[AnotherGalaxys]

Hello!
I was viewing Star Trek III: The Search for Spock in Amazon Prime Video and i noticed a strange difference with the standar Blu Ray version.

As some of you might now, in some scenes the ships appear with a "box" surrounding them, some kind of vestige from the composited shots by ILM. These were not present in VHS/DVD due to low resolution but they appeared in the Blu Ray. But now for some reason i didnt see them in the Prime Video ( what was a pleasant surprise), but that is supposed to be the same transfer.

Does Simeone know what is the cause?

 

[Christopher]

As some of you might now, in some scenes the ships appear with a "box" surrounding them, some kind of vestige from the composited shots by ILM. These were not present in VHS/DVD due to low resolution but they appeared in the Blu Ray. But now for some reason i didnt see them in the Prime Video ( what was a pleasant surprise), but that is supposed to be the same transfer.

Sounds like you're talking about the garbage mattes, which are the result of a slight difference in opacity between the filtered-out bluescreen background and the black masks they put around the camera to hide crew, equipment, etc. The contrast is subtle enough not to be seen on the big screen, but tended to be much more pronounced when the film was transferred to video (I remember The Empire Strikes Back had this problem big time). I'm surprised they show up in the Blu-Ray; I would've thought they'd clean them up for an HD edition like that. I'm not sure why they'd be there but not on Prime Video.

 

[Maurice]

It also has to do with the way the contrast is adjusted when the film was telecined or scanned, and if you mess with the contrast they pop out more.

 

[Kor]

Are you watching both of these on your TV? Or watching the Amazon copy on a computer? The settings on the device may be different.

Kor

 

[AnotherGalaxys]

Are you watching both of these on your TV? Or watching the Amazon copy on a computer? The settings on the device may be different.

Kor

On TV Amazon Prime with Fire Stick TV. The biggest difference is in the Enterprise Aproaching Spacedook scene with that matte garbage around the Enterprise clearly visible on the Blu Ray but not present in Amazon.

 

[HGN2001]

On a slightly different note, we put on STAR TREK: INSURRECTION last night, just to watch some of the beginning and to fill up some time.

I noticed that the Amazon Prime version streamed last night was only at a ratio of 1.78:1, filling up the TV screen. The Blu-ray is surely 2.35:1 or thereabouts, giving the top and bottom black bars.

Checking this morning, the other Amazon STAR TREK films available with prime are at the wider-screen aspect ratio. Why was INSURRECTION cropped on the sides?

 

[BillJ]

Checking this morning, the other Amazon STAR TREK films available with prime are at the wider-screen aspect ratio. Why was INSURRECTION cropped on the sides?

Cutting out as much of a bad movie as possible! *runs*

 

[AnotherGalaxys]

Cutting out as much of a bad movie as possible! *runs*

Really good movie, i loved it since i watched it in an old TV with 4 years. It has some weak points, but overall is a great movie made in TNG look and spirit. I don´t know why they cropped it but i think Amazon would fix if they´re told about that.

 

[BillJ]

Really good movie, i loved it since i watched it in an old TV with 4 years. It has some weak points, but overall is a great movie made in TNG look and spirit.

Tough to argue nostalgia at that age, you fall in love with something warts and all. It was when I was first introduced to TOS back in 1975. Watching Insurrection when it came out, I was 27, and found the movie completely underwhelming, especially as a follow-up to First Contact. Though I do have a soft spot for the "Gilbert and Sullivan" bit at the beginning of the film.

 

[drt]

Hello!
I was viewing Star Trek III: The Search for Spock in Amazon Prime Video and i noticed a strange difference with the standar Blu Ray version.

As some of you might now, in some scenes the ships appear with a "box" surrounding them, some kind of vestige from the composited shots by ILM. These were not present in VHS/DVD due to low resolution but they appeared in the Blu Ray. But now for some reason i didnt see them in the Prime Video ( what was a pleasant surprise), but that is supposed to be the same transfer.

Does Simeone know what is the cause?

It may only stream at 720, which might be just enough loss of resolution that the garbage mattes are no longer visible.

 

[BillJ]

It may only stream at 720, which might be just enough loss of resolution that the garbage mattes are no longer visible.

Just looking at the movie on my 65” 4K TV, it does look softer than the Blu-ray. So it is likely being streamed at 720p.

 

[Kor]

On a slightly different note, we put on STAR TREK: INSURRECTION last night, just to watch some of the beginning and to fill up some time.

I noticed that the Amazon Prime version streamed last night was only at a ratio of 1.78:1, filling up the TV screen. The Blu-ray is surely 2.35:1 or thereabouts, giving the top and bottom black bars.

Checking this morning, the other Amazon STAR TREK films available with prime are at the wider-screen aspect ratio. Why was INSURRECTION cropped on the sides?

That's strange. Perhaps somebody accidentally clicked the wrong setting when porting it over to their platform?

Kor