Is Heat anamorphic ???

[simmo]

according to the dvd times review it is non-anamorphic but according to rewind it is anamorphic ? which one is correct ?

[Tyler Durden]

R2 is 2.35.1

[Ben Martin]

the region 1 disc is definitely anamorphic, and i'm 99% certain that the region 2 is as well.

[Richie]

R2 is indeed anamorphic

[simmo]

right cheers folks.will now go and order from play for £7.99 :D

[McD]

Yup, it's anamorphic and a fab audio and visual experience. Shame about the lack of extras and the snapper case. Still a snip at £8.

The picture does have its critics (cue: Jimmyboy) but I thought it was fabulous myself.

[Jimmyboy]

Originally posted by McD

The picture does have its critics (cue: Jimmyboy) but I thought it was fabulous myself.
Well the transfer is a mixed bag ranging from excellent to poor.
Outdoor scenes look stunning, but there are occasional dark indoor scenes which look more like an over enlarged mpg.
I've heard people claim that this was intentional by the Director but I don't buy that myself.
Still, its only a minor-rareish fault, 90% of the time the transfer looks excellent & the audio is worth the price of the DVD alone.

[Robby]

Originally posted by Jimmyboy
the audio is worth the price of the DVD alone.

Agreed this is an excellent audio track. I sometimes forget how loud i have it until that gunfight kicks in. Gets me reaching for the remote in no time. Shame as i haven't had the balls to keep it up really loud all the way through that scene.

Oh for a sound proof house.:rolleyes:

[Ben Martin]

jimmyboy, have you read thedigitalbits review (http://www.thedigitalbits.com/reviews/heat.html) of heat?

they seem to think that maybe the transfer was made from two separate prints. here's the part of the review that covers the picture:
Quality certainly isn't an issue on this DVD. The film was shot in 2.35:1 widescreen, using anamorphic lenses. Thankfully, it's presented that way on DVD, so that those with 16x9 TVs, and anamorphic-capable projectors, can enjoy the film in its full widescreen glory at max rez. The film is dark and atmospheric, and is well presented on the disc, transferred from a print of generally very good quality. There is the occasional speck of dust, and you'll see some film grain here and there, but hey - that's just how film is, folks. The contrast is, on the whole, excellent, with nice-looking blacks, and plenty of detail in the darker picture areas. The color is spot on, with the exception of an odd color dropout in the middle of a shot in chapter 17 (about 54:27 into the film, as the woman De Niro is talking to on the phone hangs up). It looks almost like two separate prints were used in the transfer, each with slightly different color timing, and this scene was the edit point. Why the color shift wasn't corrected is anybody's guess. The image also does occasionally look a little soft, but again, I suspect that's a print issue. Looking at the bitrate meter, I noticed that it varies wildly throughout the film, much like Image's Dances with Wolves (which at 181 minutes, is just slightly longer). As with Dances, that doesn't effect the quality - the MPEG-2 digital compression has been very well done, with few artifacts visible as a result. And, thankfully, I've been told that this is a brand new, fully-digital transfer, so there's no analog noise or edge enhancement apparent here. I certainly wouldn't call this a reference quality picture, but it's generally very good.

[APPRIA40WR]

It's a pretty 'old' transfer now but the last I watched it I was still very impressed (Region 1).

One of my first 10 DVDs so it holds many good memories.

£7.99 is a great price but www.under18.org.uk have it for 50p less! :D

[Drel]

Or Amazon.co.uk have it for 3 pounds eighty if you have a "friend" refer you a gift certificate.

[Roberto]

Originally posted by robby


Agreed this is an excellent audio track. I sometimes forget how loud i have it until that gunfight kicks in. Gets me reaching for the remote in no time. Shame as i haven't had the balls to keep it up really loud all the way through that scene.

Oh for a sound proof house.:rolleyes: I remember seeing this at the cinema, and whenthe gun fight since kicks in the sound goes crazy!! By the end of that since my nerves was in tatters and my heart was pounding! :D Loved it!