HD DVD / Blu-ray Reviews and Recommendations
11-14-07 | 03:09 PM
#651
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From: Dallas, TX
My wife and I watched Pride and Prejudice hd-dvd last night. Great movie btw.
The picture quality was just ok some time and not good at times. Detail was better than standard dvd, but overall, it didnt look much better than standard dvd.
The TrueHD sound was very good, but obviously it rarely (rainy scenes only I think) used the surrounds.
The picture quality was just ok some time and not good at times. Detail was better than standard dvd, but overall, it didnt look much better than standard dvd.
The TrueHD sound was very good, but obviously it rarely (rainy scenes only I think) used the surrounds.
11-14-07 | 03:20 PM
#652
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From: Boston, MA
Originally Posted by RockStrongo
My wife and I watched Pride and Prejudice hd-dvd last night. Great movie btw.
The picture quality was just ok some time and not good at times. Detail was better than standard dvd, but overall, it didnt look much better than standard dvd.
The TrueHD sound was very good, but obviously it rarely (rainy scenes only I think) used the surrounds.
The picture quality was just ok some time and not good at times. Detail was better than standard dvd, but overall, it didnt look much better than standard dvd.
The TrueHD sound was very good, but obviously it rarely (rainy scenes only I think) used the surrounds.
11-20-07 | 10:50 PM
#653
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From: New York City
How is the picture quality of Superman The Movie (1978) on Blu-ray? It's a shame that all the extras have from the standard DVD was not ported over. Thanks!
12-11-07 | 06:35 PM
#655
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Buy 1 Get 1 Free Sale on HD DVDs.
Last edited by gechris; 12-11-07 at 06:42 PM.
12-12-07 | 02:29 AM
#656
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From: Los Angeles, CA
Originally Posted by gechris
Buy 1 Get 1 Free Sale on HD DVDs.
12-12-07 | 09:37 AM
#657
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From: Dallas, TX
Originally Posted by ziondog
Can anyone recommend Digital Video Essentials DVE for HD-DVD?
Should I pick it up to calibrate my HDTV?
Should I pick it up to calibrate my HDTV?
Basically, the HD version includes DVE on one side and then the reference material in HD on the other side (no instructional aspect on the HD side though).
I found that when I calibrated with the standard dvd, I didnt tweak it at all with the HD material.
01-02-08 | 08:38 PM
#659
01-05-08 | 02:44 PM
#660
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From: Formerly known as achau9598 - Baltimore, MD
Quick question - I was in Best Buy and they had a Sony BluRay player connected to a 46" plasma HDTV. They were plaing a short scene from POTC: Dead Man's Chest, and the picture was so crystal clear that it didn't look like a movie, but instead a live stage play. Is this normal PQ with BD? I thought it crossed the line into looking too good and no longer being movie-like. Perhaps someone could explain it to me, as it just didn't have that "movie" feel to it.
01-05-08 | 05:45 PM
#662
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From: Formerly known as achau9598 - Baltimore, MD
I don't know, but the image was so clean and clear that it looked nothing like a movie, and that concerned me.
If it was on of the TVs you mention, is that an adjustable image quality?
If it was on of the TVs you mention, is that an adjustable image quality?
01-05-08 | 05:56 PM
#663
Just wanted to post my thought on 2 titles I recently watched.
Eyes Wide Shut - I assume this was shot intentionally soft. It was pretty much like watching an upconverted DVD. Pretty disappointing but I assume this is how it's supposed to look.
Shoot 'Em Up - On the other end of the spectrum this film spared no one's pretty face. You could count the individual hairs on Giamatti's beard and see that Monica Bellucci really is that stunning.
Eyes Wide Shut - I assume this was shot intentionally soft. It was pretty much like watching an upconverted DVD. Pretty disappointing but I assume this is how it's supposed to look.
Shoot 'Em Up - On the other end of the spectrum this film spared no one's pretty face. You could count the individual hairs on Giamatti's beard and see that Monica Bellucci really is that stunning.
01-16-08 | 10:51 PM
#664
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Originally Posted by achau9598
I don't know, but the image was so clean and clear that it looked nothing like a movie, and that concerned me.
If it was on of the TVs you mention, is that an adjustable image quality?
If it was on of the TVs you mention, is that an adjustable image quality?
01-17-08 | 12:50 AM
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From: Cheyenne, WY
I just watched The Graduate (French HD-DVD). I highly recommend this release. It looks and sounds fantastic for an older film.
Also, it's interesting that the menus are in English on the French HD-DVD. It's an extremely English-friendly release.
Also, it's interesting that the menus are in English on the French HD-DVD. It's an extremely English-friendly release.
01-17-08 | 12:10 PM
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Originally Posted by vcuram
I just watched The Graduate (French HD-DVD). I highly recommend this release. It looks and sounds fantastic for an older film.
Also, it's interesting that the menus are in English on the French HD-DVD. It's an extremely English-friendly release.
Also, it's interesting that the menus are in English on the French HD-DVD. It's an extremely English-friendly release.
Does the audio have the pitch problem? If it hasn't been done already, it'd be really nice if someone could put together a definitive list of which import discs have it and which don't.
01-17-08 | 12:17 PM
#668
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Originally Posted by applesandrice
Does the audio have the pitch problem? If it hasn't been done already, it'd be really nice if someone could put together a definitive list of which import discs have it and which don't.
01-17-08 | 12:23 PM
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Originally Posted by Hammer99
A few people reported pitch problems on this title, but I disagree & so does this review, it sounds right to me.
That's good news, thanks!
01-27-08 | 10:30 PM
#671
Watched The Rock today and was very impressed by how good it looked. Very detailed. The PCM audio kicked ass, which is expected since this is a Michael Bay flick.
I briefly previewed Man on Fire and it also looks terrific.
I briefly previewed Man on Fire and it also looks terrific.
01-27-08 | 10:33 PM
#672
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Originally Posted by vcuram
Yeah, I noticed the pitch problem right away on Mulholland Dr, but didn't on The Graduate. Simon and Garfunkel sounded exactly as they should!
03-27-08 | 08:56 AM
#673
I've only gotten through about 45 minutes of I, Robot, but damn is that a great transfer. I can only listen to the DTS "core" mix, but it also sounds great. This title has certainly moved up near the top of my demo list.
However, No Country for Old Men may now be the best transfer I've seen so far. It is flawless. A non-animated film or one that lacks CGI always impresses me a little more since you're dealing with real photography at all times.
However, No Country for Old Men may now be the best transfer I've seen so far. It is flawless. A non-animated film or one that lacks CGI always impresses me a little more since you're dealing with real photography at all times.
04-23-08 | 09:08 AM
#674
I got around to watching Predator last night. This is a gritty looking film, so the picture quality isn't amazing, but it is a step up above the dvd. There are plenty of scenes with heavy grain, but there are also several shots that contain quite a bit of detail. The scene where Mac is on watch at night is one of the better looking scenes. But in all, it's definitely a mixed bag.
05-07-08 | 12:34 PM
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I'm so angry with Fox right now I can barely unclench my fists to type. According to the highdefdigest review of the new "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" Blu-ray, not only has Fox dropped half the special features from the 2-disc DVD, the video quality sounds like absolute crap. What a slap in the face. That was going to be my first Fox Blu-ray purchase.
Anyway, here's the link to the review:
http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/611/...ndancekid.html
. . . and here's what they had to say about the PQ specifically:
Anyway, here's the link to the review:
http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/611/...ndancekid.html
. . . and here's what they had to say about the PQ specifically:
The Video: Sizing Up the Picture
The early buzz on this first-ever Blu-ray release of 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid' has been dreadful. Based on an overseas high-def release, word was to expect the worst -- a feeling not entirely confirmed but hardly refuted by this actual 1080p/MPEG-2 transfer. It's not the completely unmitigated disaster I anticipated, but I certainly can't give it high marks.
The problems are many. The source is poor. The inconsistent grain is not unexpected given the age of the material, but the print is often worn (with instances of dirt, dropouts, and even a few hairs on the film). Blacks are pretty atrocious, with obvious fading (especially on the bottom of the frame) and a washed-out, diffused look. To be fair, the film is flush with soft-focus filters, but compare this to a top-flight remaster of the same vintage such as, say, Universal's 'The Sting,' and the comparison is night and day. Colors are likewise on the faded side, with only a few midnight blues and some bright exteriors having any sparkle. Detail is generally middling, and depth is flat as a board. The MPEG-2 encode is also not a wise choice (even spread over a BD-50 dual-layer disc), with some noise and a few posterization artifacts noticeable. I did find 'Butch Cassidy' at least watchable, but that's faint praise indeed.
The early buzz on this first-ever Blu-ray release of 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid' has been dreadful. Based on an overseas high-def release, word was to expect the worst -- a feeling not entirely confirmed but hardly refuted by this actual 1080p/MPEG-2 transfer. It's not the completely unmitigated disaster I anticipated, but I certainly can't give it high marks.
The problems are many. The source is poor. The inconsistent grain is not unexpected given the age of the material, but the print is often worn (with instances of dirt, dropouts, and even a few hairs on the film). Blacks are pretty atrocious, with obvious fading (especially on the bottom of the frame) and a washed-out, diffused look. To be fair, the film is flush with soft-focus filters, but compare this to a top-flight remaster of the same vintage such as, say, Universal's 'The Sting,' and the comparison is night and day. Colors are likewise on the faded side, with only a few midnight blues and some bright exteriors having any sparkle. Detail is generally middling, and depth is flat as a board. The MPEG-2 encode is also not a wise choice (even spread over a BD-50 dual-layer disc), with some noise and a few posterization artifacts noticeable. I did find 'Butch Cassidy' at least watchable, but that's faint praise indeed.