A new DVD of this movie is to be released in The Netherlands on the 30th of march. Appearantly it has a new higher quality mix and a DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack. This release is NOT related to the Brazilian dvd that is available at some places.
See http://www.videofilmexpress.nl/html/Assortiment-content.asp?id=367 for details (if you can read Dutch that is).
does that dvd have a regional code.
shareThe recently released Canadian version (released January 25th) is much better. It can be played on US dvd players, too.
shareIs it better beacause US dvd players can take it in? Because mine (a dutch one) is Regional Code free
share[deleted]
I have the DVD from the Netherlands - it has excellent sound (inc. 5.1) and is a full-screen edition. Visually, for me who is a desperate die-hard fan who doesn't know any better, it is acceptable - not really that bad (at least there is a coherrent picture!). This also has optional english subtitles, which was good 'cause then I could actually read what Sheila E rapped on in 'It's Gonna Be a Beautiful Night'. Every song is chaptered. Only bonus was a trailer for this film. This is also a (O)region-free PAL-formatted disc so any place can play this.
I also have the version available from Amazon Canada (ASIN code: B0006HC5SC). The picture is EXCELLENT - except for the 'U Got the Look' music video sequence which slightly resembles something taken from someone's old '80's music VHS collection... but that's still acceptable to me! Otherwise, the good news is that the rest of it looks as if it was recorded just yesterday! Sound is excellent 5.1 as well. Picture is yaye, widescreen!!!! No subtitles, no bonus features but it doesn't matter when you have sound and picture quality like this. Every song is chaptered. (NOTE: to date, only Amazon Canada sell this excellent version. Don't(yet)get it from the AMAZON US or buy second hand copies unless you know it is this particular edition you want. If you want to get second hand, contact your seller to confirm edition details!!!). This is also Zone 1 disc with NTSC picture.
Is the zone-issue very serious? Here in NZ, all-region DVD players (unless very old models) are standard so everything is easy to play :O)
It would be really good to know what other copies are floating around, but reading all the posts, I can surmise that Amazon Canada's version is the best!!! (until further notice). Like I always say, let's hope they do an ultimate edition! I wonder if Warner Bros. will even think it's worth it (but I can understand, if demand is low then priority is low). Hopefully our generation that grew up watching and loving this will be alive to see such a great thing. Please Warner Bros., please consider! Like 'Purple Rain', do a special 20th anniversary edition ready for 2007!!! They could contact me or any of the Prince fans here (and everywhere else!) if they want ideas for such an edition! It would be a great thing to premier such an edition in America since it's one of the few places which don't (but should!) have this officially released on DVD. (Kind wishful thinker!)
The Dutch dvd turned out to be a pretty bad one indeed. A new version was released about a month ago and the difference in picture quality is one of "day" and "night". I think that the new version is basically identical to the Canadian dvd while the old version was nothing more than a copy of the Brazilian dvd. Anyway: American fans should definitly pick up the Canadian dvd.
shareCalling it bad would give the term understatement a new definition… Any idea what the aspect ratio for the new version is? It has been released in cinemas back in 1987, so 4:3 doesn't seem right.I'm beginning to feel like a potted plant.
Just wanted to add my 2 cents on the Canadian version available from Amazon Canada. Was kinda sceptical prior to purchasing it 'cause I wasn't sure what quality DVD I'd get. When it arrived, I quickly fired up my DVD player and was shocked to see horizontal streaks throughout my tv screen. I was greatly disappointed until I remembered something about tv pixel rates being different abroad than in the US. Perhaps it was mastered differently? Well, I tested my theory by loading the disc into the DVD drive of my laptop computer. What I saw was the sharpest, most vivid picture I've ever seen on a DVD! The audio was so dynamic that I felt as if I was listening to SOTT for the first time...and I've owned the VHS version for years. The only thing I regret is having waited so long to purchase it. This is a MUST HAVE for any Prince fan.
shareAgreed - Dutch version = VHS on a disc. Ick
shareThe reissue really isn't that bad. It's actually pretty good.
The original DVD was of very poor quality though.
I bought a DVD copy from Ebay - a Korean seller. I remember seeing the movie in the theater and it was very darkly filmed. And the DVD is no better than the film. I don't know why they filmed it darkly like they did. I wonder if Prince was pleased with the final results?