**The Wizard of Oz - Oct. 25, 2005**

[MadonnasManOne]

I have to say that the 3-Disc Collector's Edition is the way to go. Everything from the packaging, to the extra's, and the AWESOME reproductions/facsimilies are wonderful!

I haven't watched all of disc three, but from what I have seen (just skimming), it's very interesting. The documentary of L. Frank Baum is very good, and the pre-1939 versions of Oz are interesting. I think it is a VERY good purchase, especially for $33.99!

[MickeyMousePal]

Sorry RJKD23 and Escapay I forgot that Costco isn't nationwide...

[my chicken is infected]

Anyone else having problems with the 3-Disc set? I've heard of some people complaining that the 1933 cartoon is not included in their set. And in my case, I bought a copy, but it was defective and would pixelate/freeze/jump. I exchanged it for a new copy, and it did the same crap again, but this time in different spots than in the first copy.

[Loomis]

Anyone else having problems with the 3-Disc set? I've heard of some people complaining that the 1933 cartoon is not included in their set. And in my case, I bought a copy, but it was defective and would pixelate/freeze/jump. I exchanged it for a new copy, and it did the same crap again, but this time in different spots than in the first copy.

Oh, I got mine last week and haven't watched yet.

Now I'll have to rush home and check check check it out.

[Big Worms]

Anyone else having problems with the 3-Disc set? I've heard of some people complaining that the 1933 cartoon is not included in their set. And in my case, I bought a copy, but it was defective and would pixelate/freeze/jump. I exchanged it for a new copy, and it did the same crap again, but this time in different spots than in the first copy.

I haven't tried my copy yet. But question, have you tried it in a different player? I will say that in 2 other forums I follow, not a single person has reported any problems with this set.

[Escapay]

I've got the 3-disc, and the 1933 cartoon is intact, though I heard it might be Canadian copies that's missing the cartoon.

Zulu, King of the Dwarf People

[Loomis]

I've now checked my Disc 3 and the cartoon is definitely on there.

I'll have to watch the film through to check these pixelation issues. I've had similar problems with multiple copies of the same disc on other titles, and it is usually a player compatability issue.

[my chicken is infected]

I think I need a new player. So I'm going to get one soon.

[2099net]

Just a word of warning, despite the cartoon being listed on the UK HMV 3-Disc set, it is missing. Obviously Warner only has the rights for the USA.

[brownie]

I thought the dvd was pretty good. I didn't watch all of the special features, but I learned a lot so far.

P.S. 2099net, I LOVE Freaks and Geeks! Bill's mom really is hot. I also noticed that she was in Atlantis: The Lost Empire.

[kbehm29]

Sorry to drag up an old topic, but I FINALLY snatched this one up off my wish list. Man - after looking through it all, what a great collector's edition! I am amazingly impressed. Even all the nostalgic replicas of all the newspaper articles and Chinese Theater brochure and everything is great to be able to own. Fully worth the $37 I paid for it.

I can't believe this awesome movie is almost 70 years old - it's been one of my favorites since I was born, and has TRULY stood up to the test of time.

[my chicken is infected]

Hey! It's never too late to pick up one of the finest DVD sets ever!

[Beastboyravenz]

I'm thinking of purchasing the three disc set, what do you guys say? How's the restoration? Was it too drastic? I tried reading this whole thread but couldn't, my poor eyes can only take so much. I recently saw the 1999 dvd and thought it looked pretty good, skin tones were a bit saturated, so I'm thinking skin tones on this new transfer are more natural. By the way who restored this film, was it Lowry? I would love someones input.

[Disneykid]

Hmm...well, if you find the old 1999 restoration too saturated, you may not like the 2005 one at first. The former is actually quite pale in comparison to the latter. Personally, I love the new one. It better represents the idea of Technicolor and has a very warm color pallete. The older one, on the other hand, made things overly bright and gave everything a cool color pallette in an attempt to make it look modern. In terms of clarity, on first glance the 1999 restoration seems to reveal more detail because of the brightness and contrast levels, but the 2005 one on further inspection is actually sharper, especially on an HDTV. The older one also has more print flaws, especially in the Kansas sequences. The newer one is completely clean.

Lowry didn't do Oz, even though they've expressed interest in doing so in the past. The Wizard of Oz features an exclusive type of restoration process from Warner Brothers called Ultra-Resolution. Basically, it takes the three technicolor registers (red, blue, and green) and scans each one separately onto the computer. The computer re-aligns all three so that they fit perfectly and offer the highest detail and sharpness levels possible. Then the computer will compare all three registers and will detect dirt, hairs, and splices by replacing a portion of that frame with the other two registers that happen to be clean in that area. The restoration team has to carefully check this, though, because sometimes things like sparkles will not match up exactly in all three registers, and the computer will think it's dirt and remove it. In Oz's restoraton featurette, they talk about (and show) how the computer automatically filtered out Dorothy's ruby slippers and made them a solid blue because it throught the sparkles were dirt on the red register. Other movies done in this Ultra-Resolution process are Gone with the Wind, Meet Me in St. Louis, Easter Parade, Singin' in the Rain, and Ben-Hur. The results really are spectacular and on-par with much of Lowry's work.

DVDBeaver has comparisons of both Oz restorations, but I don't think the screencaps show the true difference. The improvements are far more noticeable in motion and on a large display.

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/dvdcompare/wizard.htm

Wow, I've typed WAY more than I intended to. Case in point: Nab the Three-Disc Collector's Edition. You won't regret it; I promise.

[Disney Duster]

The restoration team has to carefully check this, though, because sometimes things like sparkles will not match up exactly in all three registers, and the computer will think it's dirt and remove it. In Oz's restoraton featurette, they talk about (and show) how the computer automatically filtered out Dorothy's ruby slippers and made them a solid blue because it throught the sparkles were dirt on the red register.

Hmmm...I wonder if it would have handled a certain transformation scene that had a lot of sparkles better than another company...

I'm glad you wrote a lot. That was very insightful and interesting.

[yamiiguy]

I think I'll get the 3-Disc from HMV soon, they have it for £8

[Beastboyravenz]

Thanks DisneyKid, you really gave your input. I really appreciate you going through all the trouble to explain technical issues. I love when people here go in depth with how films such as this one are restored. You have persuaded me to purchase this set, I honestly was gonna purchase either way I'm a huge fan of this movie. Thanks again.

[slave2moonlight]

Wow, I need to pick up this 3-disc set too. I'm a huge fan as well! I have the old DVD giftset in the big green box right now. It seems that all my fave films have come out with superior editions I still need to get, like "A Christmas Story" and the Star Wars films that now have the original versions on the same discs.

[Beastboyravenz]

Sorry Slave2moonlight, what do you mean "original versions" on the same disc? Is it the restored version and the "original version"? Both on the same disc?

[slave2moonlight]

Sorry Slave2moonlight, what do you mean "original versions" on the same disc? Is it the restored version and the "original version"? Both on the same disc?

I mean the latest releases, as I understand it, have the Special Editions of the films (you know, new scenes, effects, CGI, etc...) AND the pre-special edition versions. Don't know what the restoration situation is on those though. As far as I know, the Star Wars classic trilogy has been released 3 times here in the U.S. so far. I got the first release in the widescreen boxed set. The second release was just the same boxed set without the extras disc, if I'm not mistaken. But they recently released the films again with the non-Special Edition versions as a bonus (probably on the flipside), so I want to get those to see them as I did as a kid, though I have nothing against the Special Edition versions. I'm not sure if this latest release is available in a boxed set or not, but, actually, I think I saw them boxed in a tin on a holiday visit to Best Buy.