'Springsteen: Live in Dublin' - High-Def Digest Review

[jed]

Just posted Peter's review of 'Bruce Springsteen and the Sessions Band: Live in Dublin.' He found the concert itself (particularly Springsteen's performance) truly captivating. Unfortunately, as Blu-ray release, he says this one's a mixed bag -- while the soundtrack defintely measures up, the video transfer is on the weak side, and the supplemental package includes only a couple of bonus tracks.

Full review here:
http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/bruc...eindublin.html

[BluRay_]

i just saw the trailer today on PSN , the trailer looked horrible, but i cant judge, its just a trailer.

[Space_Butler]

Originally Posted by BluRay_

i just saw the trailer today on PSN , the trailer looked horrible, but i cant judge, its just a trailer.

While true, it would fit in line with the weak video reported in the review.

[olli66]

it's the music that counts!!!! sure thing I would have loved a better transfer, too, but this disc captures the most beautiful music performance in history. all my friends (Bruce fan or not Bruce fan) agree

[Dave Mack]

Well, I got it yesterday. (Early father's day gift, my FIRST! )
and MAN, what a dissapointment in the PQ. Ok, I know they went for a darker look in the concert lighting then say, the PBS show in London but even then it looks REALLY dark. Like the cameras were stopped down a bit (or done in post production) It has that "shot on video but processed to look like film frame rate" thing going and it is VERY soft. I mean, VERY. Longshots have virtually no detail, just a blur. Looks not just like a DVD but a mediocre one. About on par with the image quality of Live in Barcelona and not as good as the Live at MSG DVD! The bit rate was very healthy, in the upper 20's and going over 30 quite often so I honestly think that when they did post production they just filtered the HELL out of it. Perhaps because the lighting was so dim they had the cameras' irises WIde open and that produced video digital noise and they wanted to get rid of it. I don't know. All in all, I could not believe this was a BD 1/2 the time. It literally looks like a mediocre, very filtered DVD. Honestly. I would LOVE to hear the explanation.
The audio on the other hand was superb and the concert was very good but the PQ just...

When the non techie fiancee actually says (after having seen the PBS show in HD)
"Is this Blu Ray? It looks blurry." then you KNOW something is rotten in denmark.
Honestly, "The Last Waltz" and even the concert sequences (not the 16mm doc. stuff) in "Rattle and Hum" look much better!

If it had been just a DVD, it would have been ok but a bit disappointing. As a BD, it is unacceptable IMHO.
Especially after all the "Shot with 9 HD cameras!!!! yada, yada..."
If you're going to process and filter it down to sub DVD quality, why bother? I have shot mini-DV footage of events, gigs and plays with my Sony vx2000 prosumer camera in SD that blows this way, way, WAY out of the water.

Once again. Not knocking the concert, Springsteen or anything just the crap production of the BD.

Springsteen and the fans deserve WAY better.



Peace!