Terrible picture quality on DVD
Anyone else notice this problem? It was probably the worst picture quality I've ever seen on a DVD. Why?
shareBecause it's from an ancient analogue master, and may well have been converted from the European PAL to the American NTSC system as well (you don't say which label released it).
By contrast, the upcoming DVD release from the UK's Second Run is from a brand new Wajda-approved digital restoration of the original theatrical cut, and looks absolutely spectacular - it's included in their 'Polish Cinema Classics Volume II' box, out at the end of March.
The US DVD isn't an analogue master. It's a digital master of the now-rejected director's cut; however, it's a circa-2000 digital master when a lot of 1.66:1 titles were being slightly cropped or stretched to anywhere between 1.70:1 and 1.78:1. The US version is of course PAL-converted (like the Ruscico releases, the US disc is one of those ones with multiple language menus and multiple subtitle choices (although English only on the extras). The image is hazier and less detailed than the Second Run disc with boosted colors that make most of the white clothing and set dressings look yellowish and skin tones of paler characters look jaundiced. The bitrate is also lower because there's about an hour of interviews (short interviews that seem to be excerpted from some TV special) and 5.1 audio (it's an actual remix undertaken by Wajda not an upmix).
The Second Run edition is the way to go for the better image quality, original cut and audio, a better subtitle translation, and a better director's interview (as well as a nice booklet that talks about the source novel).
I believe the miniseries version is (or was) out on disc in Poland. Presumably it hasn't been digitally remastered.