I have to agree, Children of Men and Transformers had amazing video quality.

My disappointment would certainly be "The Game." I have been waiting for that title for years; having it turn out to mediocre was a let-down.

Italian Job BD(though I think this might have come out in 2006). Horrible transfer and mediocre audio.

Mine was Bram Stoker's Dracula.

Plenty of network dramas are still shot on film, although I think most of the sitcoms are shot on HD video these days.

For those of you whom have the the Mojo network. Watch their shows Dr. Danger or Three Sheets. Both are broadcast in 1080p and filmed in HD. Now thats the standard as far as I am concerned. I did watch BR dvd's on my buddies 42inch Toshiba LCD(I also have Toshiba) and Curse of the Golden Flower looked amazing but several other titles looked like shit.

Dont get me wrong, HDDVD is SOMETIMES an improvement but not always. The variance in quality is inconsistent IMHO but thats because its a new medium. I think its best to wait on an HD purchase if you ask me. In another 10 years the quality will be consistent and most of the newer movies will be filmed in HD.

This thread is filled with crazy (and uninformed in how movies are shot and transferred to home medium) talk!

As a previous poster noted, I would also point out that most of the shows you probably have in mind are shot on film, then edited and broadcast in HD.

In general, I think many TV shows (shot on film or video) are intentionally shot with a more middle-of-the-road look as opposed to the wider artistic range (color palette, contrast range, brightness/darkness, grain, framing, ratio of wide/medium/close shots, etc.) that some theatrical filmmakers use. This is for various reasons, including budget, maintaining a consistent look while many different directors and photographers work on the show throughout the series run, and shooting for mass market appeal and the lowest common denominator viewers watching on a 20" standard TV. The end result is what you could call a "clean" look, while the same look in a theatrical film might be considered bland.

The oddest thing about The Game is that on the special features menu it says you can flip the disc to get the standard definition version of the film, despite the fact that its not a combo disc.

I doubt the broadcast you are viewing is true 1080p. Your cable or satellite provider is probably compressing the signal before it gets to your home. I've heard this on HDTV Podcast and read it in a home theater magazine. My HD DVD and Blu-ray players deliver a better picture then my HD cable, including MOJO and Discovery HD Theater.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/in...9082259AAGRTKo

http://www.hdtvsolutions.com/hdtv_reference_guide.htm

Agreed. I am continually amazed at the number of people that think something that is "shot in HD" is higher resolution than film.

That's the problem with poor marketing and denying education to the masses. Either that or no one wants to listen. Granted I can definitely see how confusing it could be for most people, so it's hard to blame them. With so many formats, so many resolutions, so many different ways to connect their hardware, it's easy to get lost. I can see how people can get confused with the whole "shot in HD" thing. Hell it was confusing enough for people when marketing teams told consumers their DVD players were "HD-Ready" and then got pissed off when they bought HD-DVDs and they didn't work.

The best we can do is explain the reality to confused consumers in the most straightforward way possible.

Kudos!

There are no 1080p broadcasts, Mojo included. HD broadcasts are either 720p or 1080i. Mojo is 1080i.

And to reiterate what others have written, 35mm film is higher resolution than native HD video.

And sometimes HD video is good and sometimes it's bad. Michael Mann's "Miami Vice" was shot (not filmed, because no film was involved) in HD video and has very inconsistent quality.

DVD has been around for more than 10 years and the quality there is still inconsistent. It isn't the medium, it's how it's used.

The absolute worst that I have seen and own (fortunately it was a freebie) is House of Flying Daggers. I had the DVD and it looks better than the Blu-Ray. Terrible transfer or source. I wish Sony would correct this one like they did for Fifth Element, but it probably won't happen.

I will chime in on Transformers - looks phenomenal on my 52 inch JVC D-LIA running at 720p!

My personal mark for HD detail is when it's so pristine that my eyes almost hurt - that happened with Blade Runner (BD) and Crank (BD).

Yup. Again, people would be wise to do some research before they open up their mouths and look dumb.

Don't get me wrong. I love Three Sheets. But A) it is broadcast in 1080i (the advertisements even say so) and B) if that's the standard, I'd be pissed off. The production values of that show are not terribly high.

Seconded.

Children of Men looked exactly the way it did in theatres. I am willing to bet that A Mighty Heart did too: it looked blurry and without detail in theatre, like it was filmed on videotape. Some movies benefit less from the switch to HD.

I was actually somewhat disappointed by The Fifth Element. The new remaster seems like it is filled with edge enhancement. Better than the DVD for sure, but not flawless.

Yes its 1080i, sorry for the mistake. Be that as it may, the standard I am talking about is not the production value of the show but the clarity of the picture. The shows shown in 1080i on Mojo blow away anything I have seen yet on HDDVD on anyones tv.

So far, HD is great for sports, nature and some movies. Eventually it will all look amazing...still waiting.

I know where you're coming from, but Children of Men looks so much better than the SD broadcast/DVD that it's pretty ridiculous to have it listed here.

That said, yes, stuff shot on HD looks better in HD than film -> HD.

An odd one for me was Infernal Affairs, the SD-DVD just looked so bad that even the average HD transfer looks amazing in comparison.

Nonsense. I've rented a few of the HD shot documentaries and own Planet Earth and all pale in comparison to movies like the Searchers and Grand Prix that are quite old.

You may have a personal preference to things shot with HD digital cameras, but it is not superior to film.

Fine.

Far and away the worst Blu-ray I own.