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 S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

(aka "Korol Lir" or "King Lear")

directed by Grigori Kozintsev
Soviet Union 1969

Posters

Theatrical Release: April 23rd, 1971 - Finland

Reviews    More Reviews  DVD Reviews

DVD Comparison:

RusCiCo (2 disc set) - Region 0 - PAL vs. RusCiCo (2 disc set) - Region 0 - NTSC

Big thanks to Gregory Meshman and Michael Brooke for the Screen Captures!

(RusCiCo (2 disc set) - Region 0 - PAL LEFT vs. RusCiCo (2 disc set) - Region 0 - NTSC - RIGHT)

DVD Box Cover

    

(rbcmp3 only seems to sell the NTSC version)

    

Distribution

Ruscico

Region 0 - PAL

Ruscico

Region 0 - NTSC
Runtime 1:06:44 (4% PAL speedup) + 2nd disc 1:04:48 (4% PAL speedup) 1:06:44 (4% PAL speedup) + 2nd disc 1:04:48 (4% PAL speedup)
Video

2.58:1 Original Aspect Ratio

16X9 enhanced
Average Bitrate: ? mb/s (2nd disc - ? mb/s)
PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s

2.58:1 Original Aspect Ratio

16X9 enhanced
Average Bitrate: 9.29 mb/s (2nd disc - 9.28 mb/s)
NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s

NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes
Bitrate:

Ruscico NTSC

Disc 1

.

Bitrate:

 

Ruscico

NTSC

Disc 2

 

Audio Russian (Dolby Digital 1.0); Russian (Dolby Digital 5.1), DUB: English (Dolby Digital 5.1), DUB: French (Dolby Digital 5.1) Russian (Dolby Digital 1.0); Russian (Dolby Digital 5.1), DUB: English (Dolby Digital 5.1), DUB: French (Dolby Digital 5.1)
Subtitles Russian, English, French, German, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, Hebrew, Chinese, Arabic, Swedish, None Russian, English, French, German, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, Hebrew, Chinese, Arabic, Swedish, None
Features Release Information:
Studio: Russian Cinema Council

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen letterboxed - 2.58:1

Edition Details:
• Shakespeare biography
• featurette about composer D. Shostakovich
• Still Gallery
• Filmographies
• Photo Album
• Trailers for Andrei Rublyov, Agony, Anna Karenina

2nd disc:

• Interview with G. Volchek (Regan)
• Filmographies
• Photo Album
• Trailers for War and Peace, Ashik Kerib, A Cruel Romance

DVD Release Date:
Keep Case

Chapters 16 + 15 = 31

 Release Information:
Studio: Russian Cinema Council

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen letterboxed - 2.58:1

Edition Details:
• Shakespeare biography
• featurette about composer D. Shostakovich
• Still Gallery
• Filmographies
• Photo Album
• Trailers for Andrei Rublyov, Agony, Anna Karenina

2nd disc:

• Interview with G. Volchek (Regan)
• Filmographies
• Photo Album
• Trailers for War and Peace, Ashik Kerib, A Cruel Romance

DVD Release Date:
Keep Case

Chapters 16 + 15 = 31

 

 

Comments What we have is a very interesting clinic in native PAL and improperly converted NTSC DVDs. RusCiCo has not gone through the correct procedures to properly convert this film to NTSC DVD, and as it was native in PAL they didn't require to for that version. The most striking difference that I initially noted was the contrast - which is so far superior in the PAL version. Also it is obvious to see the sharpness level is at a much higher level in the PAL version than in the NTSC. The NTSC DVD exhibits all the trademark flaws of improper conversion - 'ghosting', haziness, loss of detail and other prevalent artifact deficiencies. Extras, subtitles and sound are both duplicates so the choice is easy - PAL version all the way!

For more information on the PAL-NTSC phenomenon DVDBeaver directs you to this article from Robert-Bresson.com.

 - Gary Tooze

Clearly, there are still some issues with the transfer, though on this evidence I'm more inclined to blame the original source materials: the print is fairly grainy, and there are some noticeable exposure shifts in certain shots.  That said, it's certainly the best version I've seen (previous ones being a taped-off-French-TV VHS and a 16mm print at university).
 

There is absolutely no question that the PAL version is the one to go for - and my experience comparing my own Ruscico discs (all but one of which are PAL) with DVD Beaver's NTSC grabs suggests that that principle holds true for all of them.

 

- Michael Brooke

 

DVD Menus
(SAME FOR BOTH EDITIONS)
 

 

 

Disc 2

(same language and audio options as disc 1)

 

 

 

Subtitle Samples

(Disc 1 RusCiCo = PAL TOP vs. RusCiCo NTSC - Disc 1 - BOTTOM)

 

 

 

(Disc 2 RusCiCo = PAL TOP vs. RusCiCo NTSC - Disc 2 - BOTTOM)

 

 

Screen Captures

(RusCiCo (2 disc set) - Region 0 - PAL TOP vs. RusCiCo (2 disc set) - Region 0 - NTSC - BOTTOM)

 

 

(RusCiCo (2 disc set) - Region 0 - PAL TOP vs. RusCiCo (2 disc set) - Region 0 - NTSC - BOTTOM)

 

 

 

 

(RusCiCo (2 disc set) - Region 0 - PAL TOP vs. RusCiCo (2 disc set) - Region 0 - NTSC - BOTTOM)

 

 

 

 

(RusCiCo (2 disc set) - Region 0 - PAL TOP vs. RusCiCo (2 disc set) - Region 0 - NTSC - BOTTOM)

 

 

 

(RusCiCo (2 disc set) - Region 0 - PAL TOP vs. RusCiCo (2 disc set) - Region 0 - NTSC - BOTTOM)

 

 

 

 

(RusCiCo (2 disc set) - Region 0 - PAL TOP vs. RusCiCo (2 disc set) - Region 0 - NTSC - BOTTOM)

 

 

 

 

 

(RusCiCo (2 disc set) - Region 0 - PAL TOP vs. RusCiCo (2 disc set) - Region 0 - NTSC - BOTTOM)

 

 

 

(RusCiCo (2 disc set) - Region 0 - PAL TOP vs. RusCiCo (2 disc set) - Region 0 - NTSC - BOTTOM)

 

 

(RusCiCo (2 disc set) - Region 0 - PAL TOP vs. RusCiCo (2 disc set) - Region 0 - NTSC - BOTTOM)

 

 

(RusCiCo (2 disc set) - Region 0 - PAL TOP vs. RusCiCo (2 disc set) - Region 0 - NTSC - BOTTOM)

 

 

 

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