Terminator (Blu-Ray) Review!!!
 

UpcomingDiscs is the first review site to have the Blu-Ray edition of Terminator reviewed...

http://www.upcomingdiscs.com/dvd_rev...type=disc_type

"As one of the launching Blu-Ray titles, The Terminator defines everything a launch title should for a new format; fine visual and audio examples all encompassed inside of a great film. Blu-Ray didn’t need to convince me to purchase The Terminator as I love the film and will continue to purchase new edition after new edition. My friends, Blu-Ray has arrived and the red carpet has been laid out for an all-star film. Highly recommended!"

Awesome! Looks like this will be one of my first BD purchases instead of The Fifth Element. Hopefully this edition ditches the lame remastered track from the last SE (the one where it sounds like Arnie is using a silencer to kill the first Sarah Connor)?

You wanna trade off? you come to my place for HD and I go to yours for BD? ;)

LOL, you'll have to wait till August, because if I have to drop a grand for a Blu-ray player it won't be on a Samsung.

you're the only person i know that would ;)

This sounds amazing, but... am I reading this correctly? Has the mono track (which was on the previous DVDs) been dropped entirely?

I have an issue with that, especially given how terrible this new soundtrack is, with newly recorded foley effects, etc.

Nope, that 5.1 track is now the "official" sound mix for the movie, and is what's been included on the Blu-ray.

That's what it looks like based on the review. If so, I'll never get the Blu-Ray version. I HATE that 5.1 "remix".

Great news about the picture quality... lame about the original audio - this does not bode well for future releases. (atleast from Sony) Here they are dumping hundreds of millions into their technology and releases, yet what to us seems like obvious and basic features are being overlooked.

Amazon has this for pre-order for 11.99!

Big price drop from 20.29 a week ago.

It looks like this 5.1 mix is not the same one that was used on the special edition. At least that's what the review makes it seem like, as they say that the DVD mix was disappointing, while this one wasn't at all.

and my fingers are crossed that T2 - is also demo worthy

There is only one 5.1 mix for the movie. Van Ling spent a great deal of time and money re-recording sound effects and remixing the entire track from scratch. Whether you like it or not, that is now the official sound mix for the movie, and the studio isn't going to do it all over for the benefit of a few whining fanboys.

Various DVDs and Blu-rays may encode that 5.1 track in different audio formats, which may offer improved fidelity to the new master, but the master itself is the same one used for the Special Edition DVD. That includes all of the inappropriate new sound effects and awkward directional panning.

I don't need them to do it over. I just want them to include the mono track so we're given a choice.

I wonder if there was room on this Blu-Ray for an extra audio track.

I can't imagine how a Blu-Ray disc with all the extra storage capabilities couldn't fit a mono track.

They're using a less efficient video codec and, since they're using a single layer, actually have less space than an HD DVD. (Maybe not even 25 gigs, if some reports are to believed.) Remember, they don't even have room for all of the extras from the DVD on some of these Blu-ray discs, so I wouldn't be surprised if the mono track had to be ditched too.

Well...

With a SL BD combined with production problems yields ~20 GB discs, based on earlier reports (did anyone report what size the Blu-Ray discs are that are in people's hands?).

With MPEG-2 compression, you are looking at ~8-10 GB per hour. Terminator is 108 min. That is ~16 GB. Add in the extras (even at SD) and you are looking at least another 2 GB -- up to at least 18 GB. Now add in the audio track(s) (does this disc have any HD audio tracks?) and you could easily be at the 20+ GB stage.

It's not inconceivable, at least in my mind. Hopefully the move from MPEG-2 (to VC-1 or AVC) comes quickly. It cannot happen soon enough.

Ok, I stand corrected. Of course, this begs the question why did Sony go with MPEG-2 to begin with? The HD-DVD ports haven't had to drop anything thus far(aside from Universal ditching trailers like they always do lately).

VC-1 is a Microsoft developed codec, and Sony doesn't want to pay their chief video game console competitor the licensing fees.

I will buy this arguement, however, Sony is already using H.264 with their UMD movies so there is no logical reason for them not going with that codec for their HD discs. That codec is probably on par with VC-1 and would have solved some of the space issues with the single layed discs.

I would imagine it's a question of their decoding software not being ready yet. It's actually pretty bizarre.

That is part of the problem, but I still have to question why. Why if HD DVD is ready on day one with dual layered discs, DD+ support and VC-1 can Blu-ray not be ready with any of these things? The discs I understand since there are still manufacturing problems, but the other two are not so easily explained away when you consider Blu-ray launched a few months later. Blu-ray should have implemented DD+ decoding in their $1000 players and they should have had their tools ready for encoding the HD material.

I think the DD+ decoding being left out is Sony greed. They want people using LPCM instead which would be fine if they also had dual layered discs.

The Blu-ray launch is a disaster. There is no other way to spin it. Not only is the first player released a dud that will have to be replaced next year by anyone serious about the format, but the discs will all have to be replaced as well when and if they get a second release down the road.

I just wish Fox would see the light so I can eliminate my need for a Blu-ray player at all.

Sony has a stake in PCM?

Blu-Ray is screwing the pooch....

I'm assuming they would have to incure additional cost for a Dolby Digtal plus decoder so why not use the technology Sony uses for Super Audio CD instead. I'm assuming Sony wouldn't have to pay anything to use that.

However, with space a major issue that uncompressed audio is a killer.

Again, I'm just speculating. I honestly see no logical reason for DD+ decoding to be left out of a player that costs a grand when the competition is doing it on a player half the cost.

That is NOT the technology they use for SACD, which is DSD. It is the technology used for CD, stepped up for the 21st century with higher bitrates and longer "words". It is standard, boring, MB-hungry digital audio storage that has been around for years. It's actually closer to DVD-Audio, which is Sony's other enemy. And it is very similar to Dolby TruHD, just not compressed.

I think it more likely that they aren't pushing LPCM so much as simply not getting it done for the compressed codecs.

One way or the other, this is a giant mess. Sony has always been all about the hype, but this rollout is ridiculous.

What's really shocking is that Pioneer is not including any of these audio codecs.

Full Metal Jacket,Blazing Saddles and now The Terminator. It's not looking good for original mono audio mixes on the newer formats of older films.

And of the three films,The Terminator has the worst of the audio remixing. But I guess they only care about those who think of movies/home theater systems as video games instead of the real fans,and the people who made the films in the first place.

No arguement from me. I did buy Blazing Saddles, but I still have the original Warner DVD release as well with the mono track and the remix is decent.

I find it frustrating because these HD formats should really be aimed at the film enthusiasts, but instead their focus is on style over substance. With all the storage these discs now have there is really no excuse not to include the mono track as an option.

Full Metal Jacket and Blazing Saddles had already dropped the mono tracks on their 2nd DVD releases, so WB was just porting everything over to the HD-DVD version.

And in defense of WB, they usually do respectable 5.1 remixes. There are exceptions of course. I was pissed they never included the original audio for Superman: The Movie, but they're reportedly rectifying this for the upcoming 14-disc boxset.

Yes, we complained back then, too.

It's not a matter whether the remix sounds 'tolerable' or not. It's a matter of films being presented as they were originally intended. And there should be no excuse for not using the original mix.

And 99% of the time,I've always chosen the original audio mix whether it be mono or stereo when a 5.1 remix was also an option for older films. Since they have always sounded better(natural) to myself no matter how 'careful' the mixers were to not overdo artificial surround action.

Just because technology has improved and films released in 5.1 is the norm is no excuse to justify remixing all older films not made in surround sound or even stereo for that matter. Just like the fact that 16.9 is slowly becoming the norm for tv,is no excuse to crop films into that format only when they were made in other aspect ratios.

But that seems to be the case with the industry and tech fans who pretty much act stuck up about 'purists' actually wanting a film as it was originally intended to sound.

Re: Terminator (Blu-Ray) Review!!!
 

Quick question:

I know with the new movie coming out they're releasing the Sky Net Edition of T2 but are there any rumors or reports of a new/special edition of the first Terminator on Blu Ray?

I was waiting for a full box set of some sort to come out with all 3 movies but then with the Sky Net version I figured I'd buy them individually. So any news or just go ahead and buy the $10 version at Wal Mart lol?

Re: Terminator (Blu-Ray) Review!!!
 

Probably when T4 hits DVD/BD.

Re: Terminator (Blu-Ray) Review!!!
 

I dont think we will ever see a box set of all the terminator movies since part one is a mgm release(through sony) part 2 is lionsgate, parts 3 and 4 are warner bros.
the best you can probably hopefor is once we get part 5 and 6 (since this new terminator is the first part of a trilogy) a box set with parts 3 through 6.

same reason we will never see a box set for the Narnia or Transporter series of films.

Re: Terminator (Blu-Ray) Review!!!
 

I believe they are rumored to be doing a full remaster of Terminator 1 for BD. Still, given the age and budget of the film, keep your expectations in check.

Re: Terminator (Blu-Ray) Review!!!
 

It's currently being worked on by the same company behind the Indiana Jones and Star Wars restoration and clean-up, Lowry Digital.

Re: Terminator (Blu-Ray) Review!!!
 

I read the samething, this should look fantastic Lowry does some really great work

Re: Terminator (Blu-Ray) Review!!!
 

Just got the $10 copyof Terminator on BD last week... argh. Glad to see a cleaned up one. will definitely upgrade to the better BD when it comes out.

Re: Terminator (Blu-Ray) Review!!!
 

There are persistent rumors a new release is coming out this year.