Stephen Dawson Posted December 8, 2008 Posted December 8, 2008 Stephen,My point is simply that using an upscaled DVD in this case would not detract from the film. Zohan is not a filn that requires immense clarity to add value to the experience (unlike a Pixar creation, or something like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) It was not meant to be a discussion whether upscaled DVD is better / worse / equal to Blu Ray Ah, now that I re-read it, I see that what you wrote can be taken that way.As it happens, I disagree. I generally watch discs with a front projector giving a 38 degree wide field of view (equivalent to sitting 1.5 metres from a 42 inch panel). I find that the problems with DVD picture quality detract significantly from my enjoyment of most movies in that format. Those problems are, mostly, picture softness due to the lower resolution of the source, and in most cases MPEG2 compression artefacts. Often the DVD creators take steps to reduce picture softness by applying edge enhancement or picture sharpening. This also tends to enhance the MPEG2 artefacts, and adds additional artefacts of its own. So, for me at least, the only time (so far) that a Blu-ray won't improve on the DVD experience is if the movie is so bad I don't want to watch it either way, or so good that I get drawn entirely into the world of the movie and no longer see the picture problems.
Guest BlackFlash Posted December 12, 2008 Posted December 12, 2008 Dances With Wolves: Region B german release, locked, run time approx 234 minutes, MPEG4AVC codec Picture quality: Other than some white speckle print damage very early on in the movie and three scenes where the picture was somewhat soft, it's hard to fault this excellent transfer. The level of detail is perhaps not always as high as one might wish, particularly in those scenes where the image is notably soft, but it is for the most part well above average. The movie, being mostly outdoors in bright daylight, lends itself to fabulously rich autumnal colours (pale yellow, red and green) and a superb level of contrast giving that 3D effect. I don't own the DVD of this movie, so have nothing to compare against but I've never seen this movie look better. Highly recommended for those who cannot wait for a local or US release. Quality is on a par with the recently released Pale Rider, 9 out of 10. Audio: There is a 7.1 DTS HD audio track available.
botto Posted December 17, 2008 Posted December 17, 2008 (edited) The Dark KnightRegion ABC PQ: 4.8/5 - This is an absolutely awesome picture transfer, the depth of the blacks in this are stunning and given the amount of dark scenes in this movie there is plenty of scope to judge this. I realise this score puts it up there with yorac's score for I Robot but I think this blu-ray is worthy of it (of course others may disagree) especially given how much of it is dark scenes. AQ: 4.75/5 - The audio on this is also brilliant through the entire movie. The Movie- I was never a Batman fan until BB and this movie surpasses it. Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker is just brilliant and there's action a plenty in this one. Edit: typo I agree with your evaluations but feel that I, Robot just shades it in PQ. This is one of the first blu-rays that I had to manually switch to Dolby TrueHD. I was disappointed with the movie and felt it didn't live up to the hype. Heath Ledger's performance was exceptional, as was the editing to move the story along, but I much prefer Iron Man and Spider Man as super hero movies. I felt a greater empathy for those characters and really didn't care whether Batman lived or died. IM and SM had better exposition as to their motives and included more humour to give it light and shade. Christian Bale was exemplary in American Psycho but this outing just left me detached. Seventeen year old boys will love TDK though. It smacks of angst and has plenty of action! Edited December 17, 2008 by botto
momaw Posted December 18, 2008 Posted December 18, 2008 Tropic Thunder Picture Quality: This movie looks fantastic. There is so much detail. The jungle comes alive. Some minor edge enhancement doesn't stop this being top tier picture quality. Audio: As brilliant as the picture is, the audio sucks ass. You have explosions, choppers, firefights and all this title can muster up is the most lackluster flat and lifeless audio. Music sounds great but the rest is simply boring. This should have been pure demo material with all the elements, but it is just ho hum. Taste in film is personal so I'll leave the debate on the merits of the film to others.
mquin1503560492 Posted December 21, 2008 Posted December 21, 2008 Star Wars - The Clone Wars PQ: 5 - Awesome picture quality as only top quality animation can be. The detail is amazing throughout the movie especially the space action scenes. Cannot fault in any way. Have not seen a better picture quality so I have given this 5 stars. AQ: 4.5/5 - Also incredibly good. Tons of bass, speech is kept clear throughout all of the action (and there is a lot). Top quality music score with a 90 piece orchestra (watch the special feature). Definately reference material for sound. The only better audio I have heard is Black Hawk Down so for that reason only I have deducted half a point (I'm a hard man). The Movie- I bought this for my kids but it now needs to be placed into a position for "reference material" only. My kids love the movie and I throughly enjoyed it as well. The wife wouldn't watch it so I doubt it has much appeal for the better halfs. A definate buy for starwars fans, people with boys aged between 5 and 50, and any fans of scifi and/or action. Cheers Matt
momaw Posted December 21, 2008 Posted December 21, 2008 TThe Prestige Tekkonkreet The Last Samurai There will be Blood The Fly - The Rock The Island Tears of the Sun The Hunt for Red October The Illusionist - Italian Release The Devil wears Prada The Rock Transformers The Mist The Invisible The Day after Tomorrow Tony Bennett: An American Classic The Punisher The King of New York Texas Chainsaw Massacre The Replacement Killers The Fall Now I'm not advocating we introduce the dewey decimal system here, but what school taught you how to sort by alphabetical order?
momaw Posted December 21, 2008 Posted December 21, 2008 The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor I have to say I liked this film. Not as good as the first but better than the second. A good hour 45 of mindless fun. PQ: Not exactly reference quality. A few soft scenes and the image could have been sharper and cleaner at times, but this is hardly a bad transfer. I'd place it on the good but not great side of things. AQ: The DTS HD MA is quite good. Again, I've heard better, but this won't disappoint either. Overall the PQ and AQ match the film, a good show, but not reference. You could do a lot worse for an evening than this.
Eth Nick Posted December 21, 2008 Posted December 21, 2008 (edited) The Descent (Australian Uncut release - Not the US cinema version ending) PQ - Pretty decent. Blacks are impressive in the darkened areas within the cave & so are the more colourful outside sequences which are good for the most part, but some shots lacked sharpness I found. Grainy in parts, but as the original film was also grainy, it's not due to a poor transfer & doesn't take anything away from the film. 3.75/5 AQ - Very clear DTS-HDMA 5.1 track. Top use of surrounds engulfs the viewer so well, you're trapped in there with them. Sharp, detailed sound effects (screeches, helmets on rocks, tool clangs). Bass also gets used throughout to great effect. I was considering importing the US version of this film, thinking i'd missed out on its' PCM soundtrack, but this one's off the top shelf. No regrets buying it locally now. 4.5/5 Edited December 22, 2008 by Ralfi
momaw Posted December 21, 2008 Posted December 21, 2008 Open Season 2 PQ: It's a CGI film direct to BD. Need more be said. No instances or artifacting that I noticed (including no banding). AQ: The DTHD track does an adequate job for the movies needs. Dialog is clear and even throughout. The movie itself is enjoyable. A few moments of laughter. Sure it's no Kung Fu Panda or Pixar film, but the kids will love it (and some of the adults). Definitely worth a rent.
Guest Posted December 24, 2008 Posted December 24, 2008 Now fully updated, thanks to all for reviews....
miata Posted December 24, 2008 Posted December 24, 2008 1000BCPQ: 4/5 Quite an impressive transfer, expecially in the desert scenes which are very bright and detailed. Some of the darker scenes seemed a bit flat. Over all though a good job though AQ: 4.5/5 Its a killer Dolby True HD track. Any scene invlolving the mammoths rocked the sub i can tell you. Dialogue was strong and discrete effect solid. A good demo disc for AQ. Ok so the movie is a bit of a stinker. Not as bad as I was expecting but not much better. The acting is ordinary and the script woeful. Wont even mention the plot. On the plus side the effects were excellent. Top notch. It was a bit of fun but some of the mistakes were funny. In one scene, someone muched on a chili. Chilis were discovered in The New World (The Americas) in the 15th Century AD, 12 and a half thousand years later, and brought to the Old World, by the Portuguese!
THEMAN Posted December 24, 2008 Posted December 24, 2008 (edited) BIG FISH bluray. (AUSSIE VERSION) B I wasn't sure about the movie - didn't really enjoy it when I saw the movie but I kind of needed to buy 1 (B2G1F) and it seemed like the best worst choice. So, on finishing watching it, its better than I remembered but not by much. Movie's probably a 6/10 for me all up. The whimsy in this by burton just felt very haywired. Since I don't own this on dvd, the PQ on the bluray wasn't very sharp and it didn't look very nice at all. I kept thinking it looked like a upscaled dvd. A lot of it had to do with the burtons filmic/processing choice? A lot of bloom. However the scene I expected to look brilliant (freeze time + popcorn) failed to impress. I just checked the Highdef digest review and they gave this a much better score - almost calling it referential. WTF? Movie = 6/10 PQ = 6/10 AQ = 6/10 RESCUE DAWN bluray REGION A ... could have been a better movie in the hands of a more competent movie director + editor. It almost felt like a guerilla film (shot cheap) - the asian/laos actors didn't seem like they were cast. With the exception of the LOST actor, non of them had presence. Since this is bluray, the PQ was excellent. The foilage in the jungle was pin sharp and naturalistic. Which meant, it was uglyish and real. Almost felt like I could step through the screen into the jungle. The start of the film used some cgi airplanes and it looked hokey and fake which lends more to the whole "budget movie" take on the film Movie = 6.5/10 PQ = 8.6/10 AQ= 6/10 MAD MEN SEASON ONE disc one region A USA 5 episodes/ disc. So that's about 40minutesx5 in terms of playtime. This is my first tv on bluray and while its not a pinsharp image, it is very nice looking - a couple of hazy details when its dark but overall the bluray looks great. Blindbuy and really enjoying the show so far. I wish they would release carnivale on blu. PQ 7/10 AQ 7/10 SWEENEY TODD region A USA wasn't as into this as I was in the cinema - the disc holds up extremely well, I'd say the PQ is a 9/10 considering how high contrasty it is. There are a couple of shots where the detail on the bricks/cobble look almost 3D. There is a bit of a weird annoyance now that it is HD - they do this weird digital smearing on Depp's cheeks and on HD (as opposed to the movies), its really apparent and very distracting. Only Depp has it to this degree - watch it and you'll see. Movie however is great and the colours pop almost to the point of being Speedracery during "BY THE SEA". PQ final (7.5/10 - due to the digital smearing on depp's face). AQ = 8/10 (I noticed the speakers going a bit weird during the conversation between the boy and joanna in Todd's loft near the end). It was weird. Kungfu Panda region A USA on bluray tonight - I still question some of dreamworks artistic choices (ugly art - see the upcoming madagascar 2 + monster vs alien) but this one was quite good although I thought the master rat was ugly to look at. That said, it was a great animated feature, the kungfu fighting really put the animators through their motions with the fast motion, slow mos and exciting fight sequences. It's not as wowsome as an overall package as PIXARs WALLE was but its was still very good. I'll revisit this soon! It really is an awesome bluray. Art aside, I think I loved it. Movie 8/10 PQ = 10/10 AQ = 9/10 Edited December 24, 2008 by THEMAN
709er Posted December 27, 2008 Posted December 27, 2008 27 DRESSES Region B I am sure that this is not everyone's "cup of tea", but being of the female gender, I cannot resist a good chick flick. Katherine Heigl is really appealing in this fluffy role centred around the "always the bridesmaid never the bride" type story - of course until Mr right comes along in the guise of a cynical wedding columnist (James Marsden). The chemistry between the two leads is palpable and the picture quality, though not consistent, is excellent and at times stunning - the colours (as you would expect for this sort of subject matter - (weddings, dresses, flowers and cakes) really pop off the screen. A solid 4/5. The DTS HD Master audio track is a bit of an overkill since there are no sound effects to speak of, but the levels are consistent and the sound is clean and unobtrusive allowing the film and dialogue to work it's magic - 4/5. Have a girls night in.
dannycj Posted December 30, 2008 Posted December 30, 2008 American Psycho PQ : Astounding, Picture detail is immense from Skin, Clothing, Knives, Axes and Business Cards Picture depth is deep throughout and colors and sharpness are spot on. Unfortunately some scenes are a little grainy and whites are very bright which can occasionally fizzle causing some noise. despite these couple flaws this transfer is top notch for a catalog release. PQ 4.25 AQ : Dialogue is crisp and clear, the variety of 80's music is well balanced and sounds great. The mix is a little front heavy but to be expected considering majority of the filmis mostly talking. There are a few scenes which really engage the rears. This True Hd track really picks up on all the subtle sounds which i couldn't hear on the DVD version. AQ 4.0 Being a massive fan of this movie i am extremely satisfied with this transfer!
Guest Posted January 2, 2009 Posted January 2, 2009 (edited) The Chronicles of Narnia - Prince Caspian PQ - Starts out brilliantly, but the middle sections of the movie are weak with soft lines and dull colour. Ends with a strong finish in terms of dtnamic colours and vibrancy. 3.75 out of 5 AQ - Possibly one of the best out there. If i suggested to play Part 1 loud, then turn this one up to 11. Everything you want in a soundtrack is here...great backing track, subtle use of surrounds, clear centre channel voices, clean but deep and aggressive bass when needed. Definately a refernce title for AQ. 5 out of 5 All in all, the movies have a nice story line and the kiddies will love them. As Ralf Potts has indicated, they are a Disney version of Lord of the Rings...which has its place. I most liked the closing war scene in The Prince Caspian story,as it steals elements from The Mummy and Spiderman 3 (The Water Man character), Lord of the Rings (The warrior trees) and any number of war movies (the booming marching enemy). Two nice additions to any collection Just finished watching this one and would rate the PQ a little better than you did mate, thought it was fairly ordinary for the first 20 minutes but was reasonably good after that, just my thoughts and of course all dependent on our sources as well..... Audio as you stated is reference Edited January 2, 2009 by Guest
709er Posted January 2, 2009 Posted January 2, 2009 HELLBOY 2 THE GOLDEN ARMY Slightly disappointed with this movie and transfer. The pacing was inconsistent and though the action scenes were excellent, the quieter moments were quite lame - especially the romantic sidelines. I was expecting a 1st class transfer, but can only give it a 2nd class rating. PQ: 3.75/5 - never popped off the screen, though colours were rich. AQ: 3.75/5 - never felt great immersion, just a lot of decibels. Think that I will need to start renting new release titles before forking out the big bucks on the strength of reviews. However, all the titles I have upgraded from my old DVD/laserdisc versions, have been well worth it.
709er Posted January 4, 2009 Posted January 4, 2009 THE TRUMAN SHOW - US version region free I loved this film. The 1.85:1 transfer filled the whole screen with colourful images seeming really 3D and leaping off the screen. I could distinguish every bit of make up on the actors faces and the contrast was excellent. The picture was so good, I did not take much notice of the audio, but the sub certainly got a good workout during the storm scene at the end and I never felt it lacking in any department. PQ : 4.5/5 AQ : 3.75/5 Some blu rays are worth forking out big bucks for after all!
mfedley Posted January 6, 2009 Posted January 6, 2009 (edited) Shawshank Redemption Blu-Book PQ: Warner has done quite a bit of work on this title to make it look as good as it does. It's not in the same league as some other titles around that age (Casino), but it pritty damn close. There is a large increase in quality from the Blu to the DVD. Colours are more vivid, blacks are deeper etc. I also enjoyed the dramatic increase in detail in the picture. For some reason I tend to notice the creases in clothing and texture of rocks in walls in some Blu-Ray movies. Score: 4.5/5 AQ: The audio is crisp and prioritisation occurs when needed, but there is little in the way of using all 5 speakers. As such, the track is very front heavy. I would call the audio a bit of a let down, but this is expected from a movie of this age. Score: 3.75/5 Also, the booklet that comes with it looks good but to me is little more than some glossy pictures. If it comes in two editions when released in OZ (ie one with book, one without), I suggest you keep your money amd buy the title without a book. Edited January 6, 2009 by mfedley
Guest Posted January 6, 2009 Posted January 6, 2009 Guys can we please separate the reviews as I cannot link two or more titles on page 1, other than that they won't be linked and will stay as is
mfedley Posted January 6, 2009 Posted January 6, 2009 Jewel: The Essential Live Songbook Concert Itself: I am going to get so much crap over this, but I'm a big fan of Jewel. After watching this mammoth excuse for a concert (240 odd minutes over 2 disks and comprising of 2 full concerts, and highlights of one more), I must say I'm now an even bigger fan. The concerts are very enjoyable and Jewel even talks a little in the concerts about her life and how she came to be who she is today. It's nice to actually see a down to earth singer!! Also, check out the background at the Red Rocks venue in the extra features (what a place to have a concert). A big reccomend and this title puts Celine Dion to shame!! (plus you don't have to be embarrassed to own this title!!) Score: 4.5/5 PQ: The first thing I will say is that Jewel wears too much make up, as we can see it close up in 1080P clarity. I now know what those other non-mentionable titles would look like in 1080P now . The quality of the picture is high, but I have trouble giving a 5.0 as not much happens and detail could be better. Score: 4/5 AQ: Oh my god, oh my god!! What an audiofiles delight!!! I almost wet myself in excitement from the delight of listening to the first few songs and the quality of the audio, This title is produced by a small company (Koch Entertainment - or I think they are small) and they have created a true reference quality track here. This is the first time I have watched a title and felt as though I was actually there. If this small company can produce such a high quality lossless audio track, why cant they do this for all the new movies coming out (u listening Warner??) This is the best sounding title I have (and I have 200 odd HD's and 90 odd Blu's). Score: 5/5
mrdenn1s Posted January 6, 2009 Posted January 6, 2009 Jewel: The Essential Live SongbookConcert Itself: I am going to get so much crap over this, but I'm a big fan of Jewel. After watching this mammoth excuse for a concert (240 odd minutes over 2 disks and comprising of 2 full concerts, and highlights of one more), I must say I'm now an even bigger fan. The concerts are very enjoyable and Jewel even talks a little in the concerts about her life and how she came to be who she is today. It's nice to actually see a down to earth singer!! Also, check out the background at the Red Rocks venue in the extra features (what a place to have a concert). A big reccomend and this title puts Celine Dion to shame!! (plus you don't have to be embarrassed to own this title!!) Score: 4.5/5 PQ: The first thing I will say is that Jewel wears too much make up, as we can see it close up in 1080P clarity. I now know what those other non-mentionable titles would look like in 1080P now . The quality of the picture is high, but I have trouble giving a 5.0 as not much happens and detail could be better. Score: 4/5 AQ: Oh my god, oh my god!! What an audiofiles delight!!! I almost wet myself in excitement from the delight of listening to the first few songs and the quality of the audio, This title is produced by a small company (Koch Entertainment - or I think they are small) and they have created a true reference quality track here. This is the first time I have watched a title and felt as though I was actually there. If this small company can produce such a high quality lossless audio track, why cant they do this for all the new movies coming out (u listening Warner??) This is the best sounding title I have (and I have 200 odd HD's and 90 odd Blu's). Score: 5/5 No shame in this one. I flagged the DVD a few months ago as a winner to the forum and wished I had held out for the BR
mfedley Posted January 8, 2009 Posted January 8, 2009 Coyote Ugly PQ: Picture was not too bad for a catalogue title, but had a bit too much grain for a film only 8 years old. The picture did not pop out like many of the better catalogue titles. Score: 3/5 AQ: ZZZZZZZ. This title could have had so much more going for it if they did something with the audio. It is serviceable, but should have had more bleeding of music, along with more use of all the speakers. Score: 3/5 NOTE: This is purely a rental unless you love the movie (I don't think there will be many people owning up to that!!)
mrdenn1s Posted January 8, 2009 Posted January 8, 2009 LA Confidential PQ: Not bad. Actually pretty good given the mood they are trying to portray. Clean images as per usual on bluray, but no blemished of note to bring it down. 4/5 AQ: When the guns get firing in the final shootout, the sound and spread across all channels is supurb. The key here is that voice clarity across the movie is very silky and crisp. 4.5/5 Given it is only $25 at most places at the moment, go and get yourself a copy. An enjoyable film with a great cast.
709er Posted January 13, 2009 Posted January 13, 2009 (edited) STRANGER THAN FICTION - UK Region ABC - 1.85:1 - PCM 5.1 I was really looking forward to seeing this film and wasn't disappointed. No CG, explosions or major system workouts, just a colorful, stable, sharp picture that was a pleasure to watch. Surprisingly mellow and romantic while maintaining quirkiness. PQ 4/5 AQ 3.5/5, but difficult to judge Edited January 13, 2009 by 709er
ekkieTHUMP Posted January 17, 2009 Posted January 17, 2009 Matrix I gave this a spin last night.I have to say i wasn't quite prepared for how good it was going to be.I saw it opening week in the theater and the BD not only matches that experience it surpasses it.I don't know but somehow the dvd never really did this movie justice.The dark scenes and the stunning detail come to life in high def. PQ 5/5 as good as it gets for a catalog title. AQ 5/5 The Dolby True HD is a stunner and delivers demo quality home theater. Extras are all in low fi SD but there is a mountain of it there if you want to wade through it.Seems like a strait port of the dvd extras to the BD. I can't say i like the second and third movies much but the original is a must have on it's own for me.
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