[DVD/Video] Le Mans 2011 DVD (Duke)

[Simmi]

Just watching the Blu-Ray now. Absolutely glorious HD transfer. It's perfect on so many levels.

[photopigg]

Been watching the blue-ray version think one word sums it up AWSOME, well worth waiting for the blue ray version ;-)

[Mockenrue]

I've just ordered a copy from Amazon.

[tlongman]

This will work on my US DVD/Blu-Ray player right? Its a PS3 that I'm planning on playing it on if it makes a difference.

[Simmi]

Originally Posted by tlongman

This will work on my US DVD/Blu-Ray player right? Its a PS3 that I'm planning on playing it on if it makes a difference.

I don't think Blu-Ray's ever used to have regions on them. Not sure about now but it might be worth dropping Duke a quick email to ask.



On the subject of Duke. I seem to have a kind of love/hate relationship with the company. On the one hand I own so many of their DVDs, yet some have poor technical faults and part of me thinks they make a lot of money from transferring old videos directly to DVD.

But all that aside, I feel like they really should be applauded for this latest Le Mans DVD/Blu-Ray. In no area can they be accused of cutting corners. It is a superb and fitting document to sit alongside the race. Maybe it's all the more special to me since it was my first trip to La Sarthe, but I must have watched the thing about five times since it arrived a few months ago.

I would encourage people to buy it in some form to try to ensure Duke do the same thing for next year's race. We know this isn't the 'official review' as released directly by the ACO, but by all accounts it would appear to be far superior. It's about time the race got a DVD of this quality after a string of laughable attempts. So thank you Duke.

[rblanshard]

Originally Posted by tlongman

This will work on my US DVD/Blu-Ray player right? Its a PS3 that I'm planning on playing it on if it makes a difference.

I have a 4 year-old fat PS3 and I've not been able to get my Blu-Ray to work. I get a loading screen to a black screen back to the XMB.

When I asked Duke whether it would work, I was told it was hit or miss on working in the US. I took a chance.

I'm not, however, overly upset about this. I've been shopping for a blu-ray drive for my new PC and the various software packages I've read about will let you play region-free.

But as for this Blu-ray on the PS3, mine doesn't work.

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by Simmi

But all that aside, I feel like they really should be applauded for this latest Le Mans DVD/Blu-Ray. In no area can they be accused of cutting corners. It is a superb and fitting document to sit alongside the race. Maybe it's all the more special to me since it was my first trip to La Sarthe, but I must have watched the thing about five times since it arrived a few months ago.

I would encourage people to buy it in some form to try to ensure Duke do the same thing for next year's race. We know this isn't the 'official review' as released directly by the ACO, but by all accounts it would appear to be far superior. It's about time the race got a DVD of this quality after a string of laughable attempts. So thank you Duke.

Agreed 100% Simmi. After the magnificent Sportsseen years, we've put up with years and years of footage with (in comparison) woeful added on commentary and this years review came like a breath of fresh air. I've watched it several times too - marvelous.

[Le Vieux]

My copy only arrived today (one of Santa's afterthoughts) and I spent the afternoon watching it. Undoubtedly the best annual review of LM so far. As far as I'm concerned it's set a new benchmark. Well done Duke Marketing!

Big question: will my party of 20 or so Le Maniacs want to sit for that length of time watching it? - they're not all dedicated idiots.

[JAG]

I had to laugh at the Evo magazine review who said (to paraphrase) the DVD dragged and the RLM commentary wasn't enthusiastic or informative.

I think they missed the point the DVD was about giving an authentic flavour of the event, not meant to keep you on the edge of your seat. Also got hold of the old RLM reviews, so much better than the standard copy and paste commentary you tend to find on these DVD's.

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by JAG

I had to laugh at the Evo magazine review who said (to paraphrase) the DVD dragged and the RLM commentary wasn't enthusiastic or informative.

I think they missed the point the DVD was about giving an authentic flavour of the event, not meant to keep you on the edge of your seat. Also got hold of the old RLM reviews, so much better than the standard copy and paste commentary you tend to find on these DVD's.

The Evo comment about the RLM commentary is a little puzzling, bearing in mind that Evo have been RLM 'partners' for several years now.... The review was clearly written by someone with zero knowledge of Le Mans or Le Mans fans, it would seem!

[rblanshard]

I'm an idiot....(but then again, maybe some of you already knew that )

I bought the DVD/Blu-Ray combo. I got my discs and put the BRD immediately in my PS3 and it didn't work. It wasn't until tonight did I think about putting the DVD in my PC. What do you know...I'm watching it right now.

So, to tlongman, if you buy the combo or the DVD, it should run on your US PC/Mac.

Now I've just got to find time this weekend to watch it all.

[isynge]

Currently finally managing to watch the last hour of the 2011 Duke DVD, and am astonished by Evo's comment - it's consistently managed to build a level of anticipation about who's actually going to win it, and is something dramatic about to happen?

The one downside I can see is at four hours, not split into logical chunks, it's not something I'll sling on late at night to kill an hour before bed (as is the case with the 'standard' Le Mans videos) and is more a long term investment of time, but I'll take this any day of the week, not just over the appalling 2009 offering, but over some of the early 2000s films which I still have a lot of time for, but at times annoyed commentary wise ("all important qualifying", "little LMP2").

[Le Vieux]

Originally Posted by isynge

Currently finally managing to watch the last hour of the 2011 Duke DVD, and am astonished by Evo's comment - it's consistently managed to build a level of anticipation about who's actually going to win it, and is something dramatic about to happen?

The one downside I can see is at four hours, not split into logical chunks, it's not something I'll sling on late at night to kill an hour before bed (as is the case with the 'standard' Le Mans videos) and is more a long term investment of time, but I'll take this any day of the week, not just over the appalling 2009 offering, but over some of the early 2000s films which I still have a lot of time for, but at times annoyed commentary wise ("all important qualifying", "little LMP2").

I agree, but the upside is that the whole thing flows much better. In the hour long versions, the action seems to "jump" too readily - a typical example being that car A leads car B by fifty seconds, then in almost the next breath, the gap is two minutes, because the action has moved on a couple of hours and a few pitstops - all without explanation. I felt that it was much easier to follow the pattern of the race with the four-hour format. As one who doesn't stay up all night to watch the race (don't tell Ayse!), I really appreciated getting "the story"

[Aysedasi]

Heck, I'll let you off that now It's the youngsters who get beered up and sleep through the one essential night of the year who amaze me......

[rich07]

Still gotta get this, thanks for reminding me guys, all these rave reviews should do the trick.

[wewantourdarbyback]

Originally Posted by JAG

I had to laugh at the Evo magazine review who said (to paraphrase) the DVD dragged and the RLM commentary wasn't enthusiastic or informative.

I think they missed the point the DVD was about giving an authentic flavour of the event, not meant to keep you on the edge of your seat. Also got hold of the old RLM reviews, so much better than the standard copy and paste commentary you tend to find on these DVD's.

I wonder if they could have been confusing the RLM bits with the rest of the commentary.

Having just got the Rocky's crash on the DVD I could see why they would accuse that of not being enthusiastic.

[Victor_RO]

Just getting round to watching it, only managed to watch two reviews with the "added-on" Tate commentary, but I wonder if they actually got Tate and Addison into a commentary booth on race day and recorded them commentating live for this one? (Only 17 min in right now out of the 4 hours though, expecting RLM later as per reviews ) Maybe it's the fact that they got Addison to commentate on it as well, he isn't too bad on the Blancpain Endurance Series commentary job (basically on his own).