Blu-Ray Best Of The Best - for discussing releases only

[Lyris]

but it’s as if those responsible for the authoring as so incompetent they can’t work out how to remove minor damage without ruining the entire image (of not just one frame, but the entire movie!).

Your terminology there brings up an interesting point: I could be wrong, but usually it's not the people doing the authoring who are in charge of that sort of stuff. The big studios (and separate authoring facilities) will probably be so big and disorganised. So the people doing the authoring will just assemble a disc out of the encoded files that they're given.

Going up a level, the people doing the compression will probably just compress the tapes they've been given... and because of the size of HD data right now, it's possible that they'll do so using a VTR interfacing directly with a computer running an encoder. My point here being that they'll encode directly from tape (HDCAM SR most likely) without the movie ever touching hard disk, not giving them any chance to correct single-frame defects because there is no capture.

[Angry the Clown]

Your terminology there brings up an interesting point: I could be wrong, but usually it's not the people doing the authoring who are in charge of that sort of stuff. The big studios (and separate authoring facilities) will probably be so big and disorganised. So the people doing the authoring will just assemble a disc out of the encoded files that they're given.

Well PHL, GDMX?etc can ? and most often do - handle everything from the actual encoding through to the complete authoring of the menus and files?etc. So yes my choice of wording was a little loose in that encoding doesn?t necessarily fall under ?authoring? since encoding is a separate stage in its own right, but most of the time it is the big authoring houses advising and handling all of the above for the studios (Warner who own GDMX, and I guess Sony as well, are really the only two doing it all in house).

My point here being that they'll encode directly from tape (HDCAM SR most likely) without the movie ever touching hard disk, not giving them any chance to correct single-frame defects because there is no capture.

No doubts there (though HD CAM SR has only been seeing common use in the past three to four years. The bulk of catalogue material studios have is still archived on D5 and possibly HD CAM in some cases), and again it just highlights that this is being done to save time and to save a dollar.

You?d think PHL, who have a generally strong track record, would be doing Universal?s discs since they?re right on the studio?s doorstep but that doesn?t seem to be the case. I think I saw the Deluxe logo come up after the credits on Knocked Up but I?d have to go back and check. It's quite posisble they're splitting work amongst various houses resulting in the discrepancy we're seeing in quality between Universal titles that pre-date 2000 and those that post-date 2000. Casino will be the next one to watch.

[Rossco]

I think I asked this before but no-one answered. Whats the best version of Transformers to buy. Any difference at all between US or UK versions?

[Strider]

I think I asked this before but no-one answered. Whats the best version of Transformers to buy. Any difference at all between US or UK versions?

The HD DVD version it's ?3

Seriously though there's no difference between the two regions from what I can tell. Just get whichever is the cheapest/

[Number45]

Doesn't the Blu-Ray version have more audio options?

[ruarai]

Does anyone know what the video is like on Wild China,as I've seen some negative comments on it and noticed it's 1080i where the US one seems to be 1080p?Thanks

[Bydo]

Originally Posted by TonyDA

Anyone picked up the UK R2 of Zodiac DC yet? I'm tempted, as I haven't seen this since I saw it at the pictures, but am wondering whether to wait for the January US release.

Bought it off Amazon (Blu-ray), but still waiting for it to turn up!

Got my copy of Zodiac yesterday. Watched some of it last night.

Have to say that the picture isn't as good as everyone is cracking on (in some scenes). Not sure if it's the VC-1 encode (HD DVD is apparently AVC MPEG-4) or just something you get with a movie filmed in hi-def video, but some of the night-time scenes seem to have some digital noise on them. Even the missus pointed out that there was also vertical lines on some dark scenes at the beginning (haven't watched it all yet, so can't comment in all the whole feature). I suggested these lines were something to do with it being from a digital source (i.e. the video cameras CCD causing them), but I'm probably wrong though.

Anyone else noticed them?

[Dazzyman]

I think I asked this before but no-one answered. Whats the best version of Transformers to buy. Any difference at all between US or UK versions?

The one where you dont buy it cas its crap Buy the anime one instead lol

[Lyris]

Have to say that the picture isn't as good as everyone is cracking on (in some scenes). Not sure if it's the VC-1 encode (HD DVD is apparently AVC MPEG-4) or just something you get with a movie filmed in hi-def video, but some of the night-time scenes seem to have some digital noise on them. Even the missus pointed out that there was also vertical lines on some dark scenes at the beginning (haven't watched it all yet, so can't comment in all the whole feature). I suggested these lines were something to do with it being from a digital source (i.e. the video cameras CCD causing them), but I'm probably wrong though.

Anyone else noticed them?

Yes, I noticed the vertical lines on the HD DVD.

As for the noise, yes, that's what you'll always get shooting in low light, regardless of the format. It's very tricky conditions for any camera.

For what it's worth, the DVD (or at least the Warner European version) is a bit of a train wreck.

[JP]

The insert that Warner are packing in the Poltergeist BD. Centre film, top row is the one that got my attention!

[Lyris]

Aha, they're redoing The Matrix?

[Angry the Clown]

The insert that Warner are packing in the Poltergeist BD. Centre film, top row is the one that got my attention!

Since it is specific to show 'Fellowship of the Ring' I?d assume that only leaves two logical outcomes.

1) that it?s the theatrical edition, or (preferably) 2) it?s the extended or a branched theatrical/extended release with an eye to releasing one movie a year - with Return of the King coming in 2011 to coincide with The Hobbit?s release.

Aha, they're redoing The Matrix?

Not a chance. It?s Warner, and that would take effort. They won?t be re-doing The Matrix. They?ll just take disc 1 from the ultimate collection and stick it in a digibook in celebration of it?s 10th anniversary and availability outside of the boxed set.

[Lyris]

Not a chance. It’s Warner, and that would take effort

And the sites that rated it 10/10 for video would need to add a new 11/10 rating to describe the improved quality on the new version

[Strider]

Considering warner was so instumental in Blu-ray winning, they don't half take the piss with their actual releases. Most films don't have lossless sound and they double dip like it's going out of ****ing fashion.

[ne0star]

I was so disapointed with the Matrix HD-DVD It wasn't even funny. Everything had this stupid 'soft' look to it, and the detail in every dark seen just disapeared into nothing.