Here's hoping...

I read that whole article in movie talk. Pretty funny - I've seen the saying all over the board the last couple of days. I think I'm going to start using it at work and see how many strange looks I can get.

The only Superbits I've ever purchased are ones that came in an SE (a la the 5th Element). Don't see the allure.

Speaking of 'superbits'. Has anyone been able to find the SB of Tommy for $10 or under at stores?


Is the original release of the film 16.9 enhanced at least? The packaging does not state so. But I have heard many early Sony titles were 16.9 enhanced despite not saying so on the package.

So before I pick up the early release. Is it 16.9 enhanced,or can the SB release be found dirt cheap now?

According to the 2001 ultimate edition of Widescreen Review magazine, an extremely reliable source for A/V technology information, and reviews, the original DVD release of Tommy is 16x9 anamorphic widescreen, with an OAR of 1.85:1

They're probably selling better now considering the $10 price at Best Buy.

I guess I'm not sure what your definition of significant is, but either way your statement would be false.

I've directly compared 12 different Superbits on my equipment and saw improvement on 11 of the 12 (the 12th was equal). Now, if you're watching most of your movies on a 25" screen, then yes, you're probably right in that you won't see much improvement.

I have a Panny 700 projector shooting onto a 126" screen. With a screen that size, Superbits are beautiful. I care much more about picture and sound then I do about "extras". If you care about "extras" then SB's aren't for you. If you care about the best possible picture and sound for that particular movie, then you should get the SB. They have the best picture and they also include a dts soundtrack which most of the original releases don't.

You can knock Sony for multiple releases. You can knock them for not including a second disc of extras on SB's. You can knock them for the prices of SB's (although I've never paid more than $15). But don't say the PQ isn't better. That's a false statement.

The question is "Better than what?" Most Superbits do show some improvement over the non-Superbit version of the same title from the same studio (Sony), but all that really says is that Sony produces really mediocre non-Superbit discs. There is nothing special about Superbit that makes it better than other quality releases from different studios that don't use the Superbit branding.

I find that frustrating also! Why not come out with a decent PQ on non-superbit in the first place. But I have to admit I gobbled up quite a few SB's during the BB 9.99 sale. I also enjoy the DTS sound vs. Dolby.

There are certainly other DVD's from other studios that look as good or better than SB's. Of the 10 or so DVD's that I have that I consider reference, only 2 of them are SB's. I don't think, however, that Sony produces mediocre non-SB's necessarily.

I can get a movie from another studio and I have no idea how good the PQ is until I get it and watch it. If there's two versions of a movie from another studio, I also don't really know which is better unless I get them both and compare them side by side. Superbits might not be perfect, but at least I know that it is the best PQ for that particular movie and that overall the PQ is going to be very good to great. No other studio has a format that I can say that about (except possibly Criterion).