Anybody have Hostage or Death Sentence?

[horrorbusiness]

I'm really interested in purchasing these imports and I couldn't find any reviews on these?

Anybody have these? Thumbs up? Thumbs down?

Thanks for any response

[Kid Banana]

Yes, I've got them both and would have to give them a thumbs up ***with some important caveats***

Hostage: Video is a VC-1 encode and looks very good but the audio is incorrectly listed on the packaging. The box indicates DTS-HD MA in 5.1 and DTS 2.0 but the soundtracks on the disc are actually DTS-HD HR in 5.1 (@2.0 Mbps) and DTS-HD MA in 2.0.

Death Sentence: Video is a AVC encode, often at 30Mbps bit rate. The error on this one is that the movie is encoded at 1080i rather than 1080p. That said, I wouldn't have been able to tell this from the video quality on my 46" LCD as it looks fine. Owners of larger displays or displays that do not correctly de-interlace may find this more of an issue than I did. Sound is a run-of the mill DD 5.1 @640kbps.

Both titles are released in the UK by Entertainment in Video, a label known to UK buys for is amazingly inconsistent quality control, as evidenced by the caveats on the above discs. Fortunately, they are also know to UK buyers as a label whose titles become available at heavy discounts very quickly and this is the case with the above as I paid under £7 ($14)for each.
Overseas buyers would be wise to try and pick the titles up from Amazon.co.uk Zsellers as they can be obtained very cheaply there.

The 1080i issue aside, the video on both titles is quite strong and the grainy, gritty, look of both movies is well represented.

[iNCREDiPiNOY]

I only have the UK version of Death Sentence.

[horrorbusiness]

Kid Banana:

Thanks for the awesome review, much much more that I had anticipated as far as a response is concerned.

Only other question I have is the copy of death sentence is a German one that I found on xploitedcinema.com and it states it has a DTS HD soundtrack...is this the same one that you have that only has a core DD?

thanks again

[SilentNight]

I believe Death Sentence is the R rated version on the UK import. Is this correct?

[horrorbusiness]

Originally Posted by SilentNight

I believe Death Sentence is the R rated version on the UK import. Is this correct?

I looked everywhere on the xploitedcinema webpage and I couldn't find a rating listed anywhere. I'm pretty sure the UK version is R, but I don't know if the German one is different...maybe?

[kannisto]

There are user reviews with some pics of the HD DVD version of German Death Sentence release here:
Death Sentence (Concorde) & RE: Extinction (Highlight) - Pictures & Impressions

The German Blu-ray is probably pretty much identical in terms of PQ/AQ. I'd guess the transfer is exactly the same as Concorde released in both formats.

[dat]

I have the German Release of Death Sentence, and Uk release of Hostage, I love both.

I thought the UK version of Death Sentence was not region Free as the Concorde German version???

[horrorbusiness]

I wanted to watch Death Sentence on Blu, but couldn't hold out any longer and had to rent the dvd, it's been awhile and I hear nothing but good things and will be picking up the Blu.

Thanks to everyone on this.

[Kid Banana]

Originally Posted by horrorbusiness

Kid Banana:

Thanks for the awesome review, much much more that I had anticipated as far as a response is concerned.

Only other question I have is the copy of death sentence is a German one that I found on xploitedcinema.com and it states it has a DTS HD soundtrack...is this the same one that you have that only has a core DD?

thanks again

No problem.

Its the UK Death Sentence that I've got and it only has DD 5.1. The German disc has different specs (I forgot this was also released in Germany).