AndreasB Posted May 19, 2008 Posted May 19, 2008 Hey all. I haven't watched Simpsons, or any other animated features on Blu-ray yet, and I haven't seen any comedies either. My question is, is it worth the extra expense? The way I see things with my HD purchases I look at movies that are fully featured, i.e. lots of action or adventure, something that would be challenging in terms of picture quality. So far I have bought 300, Beowulf, The Pirates Trilogy, Jame Bond, Goodfellas, Shoot Em Up, and Layer Cake. I will continue to buy DVD's strictly for comedies and animated movies. What are all your thoughts and habits now that Blu-Ray is the go?
DrP Posted May 19, 2008 Posted May 19, 2008 My own feelings are that for 'flat' animations such as the Simpsons HD really doesn't have much purpose. Textured animations such as those from Pixar benefit from HD nicely. As for the comedies... most of them aren't watchable on DVD let alone HD. More than picture quality is required to get me to watch something.
NBJizzy Posted May 19, 2008 Posted May 19, 2008 hello sir andreasb. my name is boog and i wish to know where u aquire shoot em up for bluray in australia. thankyou sincerely boog
AndreasB Posted May 19, 2008 Author Posted May 19, 2008 hello sir andreasb. my name is boog and i wish to know where u aquire shoot em up for bluray in australia.thankyou sincerely boog I got it from the UK
ekkieTHUMP Posted May 19, 2008 Posted May 19, 2008 As far as comedies go i haven't bought any unless you count Hairspray.They still make great rentals though and Wild Hogs would be easily the most impressive i've seen so far.Anime is brilliant on blu ray and i would buy any good ones in a heartbeat.Only problem is the yanks only make kiddie stuff as a general rule and we just have to wait with baited breath for the good Japanese titles to make there way to BD.Paprika and Tekkonkinkreet so far are both sensational.There is a mountain of great stuff that Japan could unleash,not just features but 26 ep series.Just imagine Gantz blu ray
Arecsa Posted May 19, 2008 Posted May 19, 2008 I don't buy anything on DVD that I can get on Blu-ray. Check out The Simpsons Blu-ray preview available for download on the PS3 store, it completely destroys the DVD in terms of picture quality - Animation definitely benefits from Blu-ray.
AndrewW Posted May 19, 2008 Posted May 19, 2008 I don't buy anything on DVD that I can get on Blu-ray. Check out The Simpsons Blu-ray preview available for download on the PS3 store, it completely destroys the DVD in terms of picture quality - Animation definitely benefits from Blu-ray. I agree. The most impressive (and depressing) part of the Simpsons BD is the trailer for Futurama. I own all the Futurama DVDs, and believe me they have never even come close to looking this good.
momaw Posted May 19, 2008 Posted May 19, 2008 My own feelings are that for 'flat' animations such as the Simpsons HD really doesn't have much purpose. I'm going to have to disagree with this comment sorry Dr P. I buy a "reasonable" amount of anime on DVD and they are sorely in need of HD Transfers. The amount of artefacting that is present is atrocious. And these are not bootlegs or cheap imports, these are official releases. The problem with animation is because it is so two dimensional and the way the colors are done, artefacts such as moire can run rife giving an awful picture. 2D animation is just as prone to banding as 3D animation. Tekonkinkreet, a traditional 2D anime is one of the best looking BD's there is. Compare the BD release of Afro Samurai or Patlabor 1, 2 & 3 to the DVD's and you would never even consider DVD over BD again.
tonyjg Posted May 19, 2008 Posted May 19, 2008 Hey all.I haven't watched Simpsons, or any other animated features on Blu-ray yet, and I haven't seen any comedies either. My question is, is it worth the extra expense? The way I see things with my HD purchases I look at movies that are fully featured, i.e. lots of action or adventure, something that would be challenging in terms of picture quality. So far I have bought 300, Beowulf, The Pirates Trilogy, Jame Bond, Goodfellas, Shoot Em Up, and Layer Cake. I will continue to buy DVD's strictly for comedies and animated movies. What are all your thoughts and habits now that Blu-Ray is the go? if the 'question' is about expense and cost - then I may question : at what 'cost' will studios like FOX (Simpsons, Family Guy, Futurama .... gee thats a bit of a bunch of the animated market there !!) CHARGE PER SEASON for these shows (especially based on their current PRICE form towards old titles on Blu-ray ???). If the Simpsons are about $30 per season on DVD - will or would you pay $60 for Blu-ray ???? and who would be looking at 'upgrading' to Blu-ray for these titles - more so since they've all been out on DVD for many years - and ON SALE several times over !!??!! SURE - there will always be the odd geek whom will say it looks 'clearer' on Blu-ray - BUT are you really watching Family Guy for the backgrounds ??? or are you listening to the jokes ??? I'm for the latter !!!!!
Arecsa Posted May 19, 2008 Posted May 19, 2008 I agree.The most impressive (and depressing) part of the Simpsons BD is the trailer for Futurama. I own all the Futurama DVDs, and believe me they have never even come close to looking this good. Yes! I can't believe Fox aren't bothering to release the Futurama movies on Blu-ray day and date with the dvd versions..... no, actually I can, this is Fox, the greediest most bone-headed studio going around who are also responsible for the cancellation of numerous great tv shows.
peterjcat Posted May 19, 2008 Posted May 19, 2008 The Simpsons is awesome on BD. The lines are cleaner, the colours are better, there are no compression problems like there are in the DVD. And the DTS-HD MA sounds great. A lot of people are skeptical about this movie in particular but they've really got to see it. Many comedies also benefit from the HD treatment, just like any other movies. The colours are richer and more lifelike, they seem more fun to watch, and again don't forget the audio. Superbad on BD is a terrific transfer with a great mix. Also comedies like Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz have plenty of action in them too, definitely worth the extra.
djanscak Posted May 19, 2008 Posted May 19, 2008 I completely agree with Arecsa. I too avoid SD if I can get the HD equivalent. I saw the Simpsons Movie on DVD and became fixated with the all the motion artefacts and the like. It didn't ruin my enjoyment of the movie but it certainly got in the way. When I go Blu, that's definitely one movie I'd like to watch again. For me, HD isn't about high resolution and detail for visually spectacular movies; rather, I see it as an opportunity to ignore the medium and enjoy the content as it was meant to be seen, without that MPEG compression filter between my eyes and the movie itself. I think this applies to all genres, even animation and comedy. Just as an aside, I think my take on this comes from my experiences with buying my first HD TV 12 months ago. I spent plenty of time viewing various displays before making my choice and noticed how much more apparent macroblocking and the like were on certain panels. After plonking down lots of hard earned cash for my telly, I found I couldn't switch off my critical viewing. When I got into HD-DVD late last year, I found that I could enjoy my viewing a lot more without these annoying (admittedly, self inflicted to some degree) distractions.
djanscak Posted May 19, 2008 Posted May 19, 2008 (edited) Oops, double post Edited May 19, 2008 by djanscak
Sunshine Ed Posted May 19, 2008 Posted May 19, 2008 I'd be really interested in seeing what Akira, Ghost in the Shell or Karas looked like on blu ray. I've not watched my Patlabor DVD's yet to see what the upscaling is like, but I have watched Dinosaur, The Wild and The Incredibles on DVD through the PS3. All of them looked pretty fantastic, even though they weren't blu ray. If I see Beowulf anywhere for a decent price I'd be tempted to pick that up, as I imagine the PQ would be pretty incredible. As for comedies, I can't think of a single one I'd want to own on blu ray. If I watch one once, I never really feel the need to watch it again and haven't got any comedy DVD's. I just don't get the point of buying stuff like Mrs Doubtfire or Ace Ventura on blu ray. Even really funny stuff like Anchorman or Young Frankenstein isn't worth spending the extra money on for the slightly improved PQ.
the_wonderchild Posted May 19, 2008 Posted May 19, 2008 Ratatouille and Cars are tremendous showpiece material, packed to the brim with detailed extras and a worthy upgrade over SD. They are both efficient in their story and quit well executed in terms of delivering a solid feature presentation. Pixar Short Films was a slightly differnet kettle of fish, however. The storytelling and atmosphere is sublime, but the disc just lacks any real sort of depth with its short run time and lack of extras. Worth the extra expense over SD? Yes, perhaps, but as with all Blu-Ray's, i'd be troubled to pay a full R.R.P as it stands.
AndreasB Posted May 19, 2008 Author Posted May 19, 2008 Thanks for the opinions. I may end up renting a couple of comedies / animated movies to see if, in my mind it would be worth getting them on HD. Simpsons first I think...
beem130 Posted May 20, 2008 Posted May 20, 2008 From my own experience EVERYTHING benefits from high definition provided the transfer is good. There are some movies that aren't worth purchasing anyway in any genre on BD or DVD . If you have to question whether or not you should get the BD version of something then why bother getting into blu-ray in the first place. If you've gone through the hassle and paid the cost of upgrading all your hardware to high definition then why feed it with lower quality content. If I really like the movie, BD version always for me. With new releases there's usually only $10 (sometimes less) difference between the DVD and the BD version, catalogue titles are a different matter but then you're likely to already own the DVD version so yes you're rightly more likely to scrutinise whether you should replace your existing DVD copy with a new BD copy. Personally I rather see less mindless action movies coming to BD that the marketing departments seem to think where the high definition market is at. I like a good action movie but I want to see more movies released for genuine movie buffs which includes more movies from other genres not just action movies with lots of CGI.
the_wonderchild Posted May 20, 2008 Posted May 20, 2008 Personally I rather see less mindless action movies coming to BD that the marketing departments seem to think where the high definition market is at. I like a good action movie but I want to see more movies released for genuine movie buffs which includes more movies from other genres not just action movies with lots of CGI. now that is something we should all hope for. There's certainly more to movies than CGI and big explosions/action scenes; so i can only second your comments. The Shawshank Redemption is a title i look foward to.
beem130 Posted May 21, 2008 Posted May 21, 2008 now that is something we should all hope for. There's certainly more to movies than CGI and big explosions/action scenes; so i can only second your comments. The Shawshank Redemption is a title i look foward to. Shawshank is one title I'll have no hesitation getting on BD to replace my existing DVD. It's slated for a November release this year in the US. It's a Warner title so region free a definite amazon order if no release date announced for oz.
broadbean Posted May 21, 2008 Posted May 21, 2008 Cars is really worth it. Haven't checked my other ones yet.
quansta Posted May 21, 2008 Posted May 21, 2008 I love my animation, I have almost all off them on Blu Ray: Cars Corpse Bride Chicken Little Dinosaurs Final Fantasy Happy Feet Ice Age 2 Open Season Surf's up The Wild And on HD-DVD: Ant Bully Happy Feet (i know, why have it on both formats?, it was cheap at the time) Polar Express Shrek the 3rd TMNT I love them, and so do the kids, to my eyes, they are clearer than DVD, so i don't mind forking out the extra $$ for them, and I have most of them on DVD as well, so I can watch them in the car DVD unit, as well as the kids can still watch it in their toys room I'm still on the look out for the following Simpsons Movie (eventually, not high on my wants list) Ice Age 1 (when it's released in Aus region) Bee Movie (Maybe not hahahaha)
the_wonderchild Posted May 22, 2008 Posted May 22, 2008 Cars is really worth it. Haven't checked my other ones yet. If you liked Cars, Ratatouille will be a great follow-up. Perhaps less 'gutbusting', it's a more intricate and involving story that makes for a great disc.
pbouzaid Posted May 22, 2008 Posted May 22, 2008 If you liked Cars, Ratatouille will be a great follow-up. Perhaps less 'gutbusting', it's a more intricate and involving story that makes for a great disc. +1 Ratatouille was an awesome movie which just looks stunning on blu-ray (assuming your TV is up to scratch of course)
quansta Posted May 22, 2008 Posted May 22, 2008 rat is next on my list.... hired it out the other night!!!!................... beautiful colors and the story is not too bad either
iainl Posted May 23, 2008 Posted May 23, 2008 Comedies are just as funny on standard-def, yes. But I like to watch films, and HD media looks a lot more like a film than DVD does. As a semi-random example, I watched the HD-DVD of Sneakers recently. Sure, there was nothing in it that shouted "ooh, look at the image quality", and the improved sound quality was similarly wasted. But I just sat there for the duration enjoying the film, and at no point got distracted by blurry images, dull colours, excessive edge enhancement, macroblocking or any of the other things that annoy me with the average DVD transfer. That's what's worth the money for me.
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