BD ratings

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Here is my take on BD titles viewed on the Sony PS3

Display - 1920x1080p
Video Out - 1080p
Connection - HDMI

Mission: Impossible III (2006)

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10

50 First Dates (2004)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 7/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10

The Terminator (1984)

HD Video - 7/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 7/10
HD Audio LPCM - Reference

Saw (2004)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 7/10
HD Audio dts-ES - 9/10

X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio dts - 9/10
HD Audio dts-HDMA - 10/10

Gone in 60 Seconds (2000)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 7/10
HD Audio LPCM - 9/10

Click (2006)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 7/10
HD Audio LPCM - 9/10

Into the Blue (2005)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 9/10

Fantastic 4 (2005)

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio dts - 9/10
HD Audio dts-HDMA - 9/10

Black Hawk Down (2001)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10

The Omen (2006)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio dts - 8/10
HD Audio dts-HDMA - 9/10

Tears of the Sun (2003)

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 9/10

Kingdom of Heaven - Director's Cut (2005)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio dts - 9/10
HD Audio dts-HDMA - 10/10

The Transporter (2002)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio dts - 9/10
HD Audio dts-HDMA - 10/10

S.W.A.T. (2003)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 9/10

Lord of War (2005)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio dts-ES - 9/10

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Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio dts - 9/10

Enemy of the State (1998)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10

Ultraviolet (2006)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10

Underworld: Evolution (2006)

HD Video - Reference
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - Reference

The Devil Wears Prada (2006)

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio dts - 8/10

Speed (1994)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio dts - 9/10

Pearl Harbor (2001)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10

Silent Hill (2006)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 9/10

Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006)

HD Video - Reference
HD Audio dts - 9/10

Total Recall (1990)

HD Video - 7/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio dts - 9/10

Stir of Echoes (1999)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio dts - 8/10

Flightplan (2005)

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - Reference

Superman Returns (2006)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10

[Phoenix]

Question: Do you think the PS3 is an optimal blue-ray disc player?

I know that my PS2 is NOT the optimal regular DVD player (and never was). It was convenient but it just wasn't the greatest DVD player.

Just curious about your opinion.

And of course...do you like the BD better than the HD-DVD format?

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So far the PS3 has given me 0 glitches. I bought & returned 3 Samsung standalone BD players. Every Samsung player would not play back a film without some sort of glitch ala picture freeze, audio dropout, lip sync. Still too early to say wether the PS3 is the best there is for BD movies but I am very impressed so far.

HD DVD has better interactivity features & more extra features on each disc. I only care about the films & the best possible picture & sound quality from the discs but if I needed to have all 'em extras bonus features, I would say HD DVD is better in that regard. Also, I think HD DVD in general has a more consistent picture quality compared to BD. I believe the reason for this is because HD DVD uses only 1 video codec from all Paramount, Warner & Universal titles. In my opinion, that video codec is the best of the 3 that are out there. A plus for BD I find is that the disc surface is smooth & can't be scratched or marked as easily as HD DVD or DVD discs.

All the King's Men (2006)

HD Video - Reference
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10

Not the most entertaining film I ever have seen, but damn.. I couldn't find a single flaw in the PQ. The film shows off an incredible amount of detail without the slightest hint of noise making the 120m runtime all three dimensional looking. The LPCM track is also flawless, but it isn't the type of flick to throw in to wow your friends/family. Practically all front heavy, dialog is crisp & clear all the way through. The dolby mix isn't that bad, but I found the track sounded acoustically flat & the audible output weak in comparison to the LPCM track.

Transporter 2 (2005)

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio dts - 9/10

Flight of the Phoenix (2004)

HD Video - 7/10
HD Audio dts - 8/10

The transfer is inconsistent. Lets see, grain, digital noise, compression artifacts, softness in picture, yada yada. The dts mix is loud, unfortunate they encoded the disc 4.1 Center channel?, we don't need no stupid center channel! Alright not that bad, but it isn't anywhere close to the other channels audible output so you basically need remote in hand to balance the mix yourself.

Monster House (2006)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby - Unrated (2006)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 9/10

Stealth (2005)

HD Video - 7/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - Reference

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio dts - 9/10

House of Flying Daggers (2004)

HD Video - 7/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10

[Phoenix]

Thanks for the clarification Term! It's good to know that Sony has at least made their Blue-Ray on the PS3 a nice bonus. Picture and sound quality are really the only things I care about too. That special feature stuff never interests me.

[Termination]

Basic Instinct 2 (2006)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 8/10

The Benchwarmers (2006)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10

The Covenant (2006)

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 9/10

Kung Fu Hustle (2004)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10

25th title I played back on the PS3, 1st. playback glitch.

A Knight's Tale (2001)

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10

xXx (2002)

HD Video - 7/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 9/10

Alien vs. Predator (2004)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio dts - 9/10

The Guardian (2006)

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10

The Descent (2005)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - Reference

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 9/10

Stargate (1994)

HD Video - 6/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio dts - 8/10

Hitch (2005)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 9/10

Behind Enemy Lines (2001)

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio dts - 10/10

Dark Water (2005)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 9/10

Invincible (2006)

HD Video - Reference
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 9/10

Kiss of the Dragon (2001)

HD Video - 7/10
HD Audio dts - 9/10

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Flyboys (2006)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio dts - 9/10

Casanova (2005)

HD Video - Reference
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 9/10

Rocky (1976)

HD Video - 7/10
HD Audio dts - 8/10

The BD is an improvement over the standard-def version but age has unfortunately caught up to Rocky. The good news is most of the film is crisp & clear & has that 3D pop to it. Overall color & detail & sharpness shine on this transfer with minimal artifacting. It is clear that the worst looking scenes are from the source which I guess could be called a good thing however I somewhat had "restoration" expectations from this classic that were no where to be found. There are some scenes that look horrible with lots of grain & noise, colors washed away, but thankfully they do not take up much of the film's runtime. The dts audio at first sounded like a massive improvement but as the film progressed I noticed a few audible flaws. Again, I think this directly from the source as well. Surrounds are used mainly during Rocky's training & main event fight while the rest of the audio is front heavy. I did pick up on the center channel sounding like mono at one point. I didn't listen to the mono track which is included for die-hard fans. All in all, I think this is the best we will see & hear Rocky on the BD format until MGM goes back & spends more mula for a better restoration.. in the meantime, I do recommend this disc for fans only.

Glory Road (2006)

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10

The Tailor of Panama (2001)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 8/10

Gridiron Gang (2006)

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10

Courage Under Fire (1996)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio dts - 9/10

The Fifth Element (1997)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 9/10

Considered one of the worst HD transfers sinse HD, I was surprised that most reviewers picked on this one so bad after I watched it. While not perfect, it is far from being the worst HD title out & I'll add fanboyism has popped its ugly head out from credible reviewers. :shrug:

The Big Hit (1998)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10

Crank (2006)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 9/10

Open Season (2006)

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 9/10

Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10
HD Audio LPCM - Reference

RV (2006)

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10

Annapolis (2006)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10

Broken Arrow (1996)

HD Video - 7/10
HD Audio dts - 9/10

Chain Reaction (1996)

HD Video - 7/10
HD Audio dts - 8/10

Dinosaur (2000)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio dts - 9/10
HD Audio LPCM - 9/10

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Entrapment (1999)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio dts - 9/10

Finally, a fox catalog title that looks more HD than SD. The video does look flat though with minor specs of dirt & minimal artifacting. Color is vibrant with very little noise to speak of. The dts audio (I am finding on most 20th Century titles) is near perfect for this type of film. I felt the audio sounded "dated" & lacks that nice 360 soundfield I'm used to hearing with LPCM tracks. I'm sure once there are receivers out there that have built-in dts-HD decoders, these Fox titles should sound perfect.

The Devil's Rejects (2005)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10
HD Audio dts - 8/10

I hate intentional grain. That be said, it works quite well for this type of flick. Distinguishing what is & what is not intentional film grain in HD is much more easily done than standard-def. So occasionally, I saw some impressive three dimensional looking images, but not many. Blacks were solid during dim-light scenes & excellent color all around, especially during daylight exteriors. For the most part, I was impressed by the consistency of the picture quality. I guess the real shocker with this transfer isn't the video but the audio. I found that the dolby digital track produced clearer vocals, heavier LFE than the dts track. Even audible output was mixed louder. Switching between the 2 tracks during random scenes, I found the surrounds were on par with each soundtrack. The "Reject's Road" scene was worth the purchase alone. Good stuff.

Goal! The Dream Begins (2005)

HD Video - Reference
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10

The Haunted Mansion (2003)

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10

The Marine (2006)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio dts - 9/10

Phone Booth (2002)

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio dts - 9/10

Saw II (2005)

HD Video - 7/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio dts - 8/10

Saw III (2006)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10
HD Audio dts - 8/10

The Usual Suspects (1995)

HD Video - 7/10
HD Audio dts - 9/10

Planet of the Apes (2001)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio dts - 9/10

Reign of Fire (2002)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10

The Sentinel (2006)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio dts - 10/10

Ladder 49 (2004)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10

Crash (2004)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio dts - 8/10

Young Guns (1988)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio dts - 8/10

Employee of the Month (2006)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10
HD Audio dts - 9/10

Reservoir Dogs (1992)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio dts - 9/10

At first glance this disc looks like reference material but that quickly changes throughout the course of the film. Interior shots have slight grain & noise. I noticed a bit of macro & some edge enhancement as well. Colors really pop & there is a fine level of consistency with the Video transfer. The dts atmosphere is a hint better than the Dolby mix. Randomly switching between the two, I found dialog sounded a bit more crisp with Dolby even though the audible output between the two soundtracks are nearly identical. Surrounds are not that active nor should they be for this flick. Was a bit disappointed with the LFE. A much better release from Lionsgate & a definite upgrade for fans.

The Prestige (2006)

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10

Vertical Limit (2000)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10

Vertical Limit looks like a 10. Aside from a few rough patches & maybe 5 seconds of softness, this disc is something else. 1.85:1 & MPEG-2 & an LPCM track & over 2 hours, this flick must have pushed beyond 25GB. Thankfully Sony used a BD-50 disc for this title cause I seriously doubt the level of consistency with both picture & sound would of been this good otherwise. The LPCM track didn't blow me away, however I couldn't find anything wrong with it neither.. hence the 10 rating. If you are at all a fan of this flick, you won't be disappointed with this transfer.

Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back (2001)

HD Video - 7/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 9/10

Species (1995)

HD Video - 7/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 9/10

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Men of Honor (2000)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio dts - 9/10

The Brothers Grimm (2005)

HD Video - Reference
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 9/10

Bulletproof Monk (2003)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio dts - 9/10

Chicago (2002)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10

The Wild (2006)

HD Video - Reference
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - Reference

The Great Raid (2005)

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10

Sky High (2005)

HD Video - 7/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 9/10

Eight Below (2006)

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 9/10

Stranger Than Fiction. (2006)

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 9/10

The Punisher (2004)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio dts - 9/10

Running with Scissors (2006)

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10
HD Audio LPCM - Reference

Discovery Atlas: Australia Revealed (2006)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10

Discovery Atlas: Brazil Revealed (2006)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10

Discovery Atlas: China Revealed (2006)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10

Discovery Atlas: Italy Revealed (2006)

HD Video - Reference
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10

The Pat Metheny Group: The Way Up (2005)

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio dts - 10/10

Alice Cooper: Live At Montreux (2005)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio dts - 9/10

Black Crowes: Freak ‘n’ Roll... Into The Fog (2005)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 10/10
HD Audio dts - 10/10

Elvis Costello - Club Date: Live In Memphis (2004)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10
HD Audio dts - 9/10

Toto - Live In Amsterdam (2003)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 10/10
HD Audio dts - 10/10

The Holiday (2006)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10
HD Audio LPCM - 9/10

Picture & detail is a bit soft throughout the film. I didn't notice any artifacts & color is great. I did find the picture to look a little dark, could be intentional though. Presented 1.85:1 & transfered in AVC with a VBR in the 30's, the picture quality throughout is very consistent. The Dolby Digital (640kbps) & LPCM (4.6mbps) tracks are surprisingly a wash. I sampled many scenes, the dialog, surround effects used, etc. etc. That said, this obviously isn't the type of film which should rattle your home theater.. Dialog is always clear & what little surrounds are used throughout the course of the film do not interfere with the center channel making this track very front heavy. Overall, a solid transfer & a not so bad flick to boot.

First Blood (1982)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio dts - 8/10

[Termination]

Big Fish (2003)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 9/10

Casino Royale (2006)

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10
HD Audio LPCM - Reference

There is minor noise throughout the picture. I didn't find that it was tweaked, nor had a bad digital processed type look. Color reproduction is excellent & accurate, not to mention skintones. This was something that I looked for most, mainly because of Pete's take over at High-def-digest. Contrast did look a bit tweaked which made some areas of the transfer soft. This is barely a complaint as most of the film is either shot in very light or dark locations. I really wanted to give the video transfer a lower rating but it seriously looks too good & it is overall, very, very consistent throughout which is the highlight to what I expect from all HD transfers. The Dolby Digital track is agressive, much more so than I thought it would be. All speakers get a nice workout but sometimes surrounds can drown out the center whenever action scenes approach. This is easily the best sounding DD track I've heard from Sony yet. The LPCM on the hand suffers just the 1 issue I had with the DD track, vocals & action do not intermix well but the trade off is a mix that not only increases the db output, but also fine tunes each channel to perfection. The soundstage is very dynamic giving it a pleasing 360 feel instead of the DD pingpong effect. Each channel is crisp & clear + the LFE rocks. I don't know what more this track could offer.. unless there was a hidden 7.1 easter egg track. Overall, a very impressive transfer on both fronts, excellent film, & worth all the hype.

Little Man (2006)

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 9/10

Memento (2000)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10

American Psycho (2000)

HD Video - 7/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10
HD Audio dts - 8/10

Rocky Balboa (2006)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 9/10

Chicken Little (2005)

HD Video - Reference
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10

Eragon (2006)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio dts - 10/10

Hart's War (2002)

HD Video - Reference
HD Audio dts - 8/10

Rising Sun (1993)

HD Video - 7/10
HD Audio dts - 9/10

Layer Cake (2004)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 8/10

Windtalkers (2002)

HD Video - 7/10
HD Audio dts - 7/10

Hoosiers (1986)

HD Video - 7/10
HD Audio dts - 7/10

Finding Neverland (2004)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10

Happy Feet (2006)

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10

The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 9/10

Couldn't find anything wrong with the PQ. The LPCM track is a step up on the DD track but not by much as there are only a few scenes in this dialog driven flick to give the surrounds any workout. The film may have had that processed look some reviewers shrug at, but imo I think more of it is intentional now with newer films because of new HD equipment & directorial choice. Anyways, this film is a real winner for Will Smith & his son.

March of the Penguins (2005)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10

Bubble (2005)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio dts - 8/10

Legends of Jazz: Showcase (2006)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby TrueHD - 10/10

Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio dts - 8/10

One Last Thing... (2006)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10
HD Audio dts - 9/10

I am finding most, if not all Magnolia titles, a wash when comparing the DD to dts tracks. Kinda feel like they are just wasting space by providing the 2. ahh well. Dialog is crisp & clear throughout, surrounds rarely used, (not a complaint, just an observation) as well as the LFE channel. Audible output is mixed around 10db lower than most dts tracks I've heard but again this is just an observation & not a complaint. Turn up the volume & overall this soundtrack is very consistent throughout. The PQ is soft throughout most of the film's runtime so rarely any three-dee-ness to the picture which is my only complaint. No noise, no film grain, color reproduction is excellent. No macro, no bleeding, no edge enhancement. A solid transfer & a near 10 all around.

The War Within (2005)

HD Video - 7/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 7/10
HD Audio dts - 7/10

National Geographic: Relentless Enemies (2006)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 10/10

A Scanner Darkly (2006)

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10

[Termination]

Payback: Director's Cut (1999)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10

District B13 (2004)

HD Video - Reference
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 7/10
HD Audio dts - 9/10

The difference in audio tracks is almost night & day. There is very minor film grain which looked intentional. Other than that, I found no flaws & it ranks right up there with the best HD transfers.

Volver (2006)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10

No yellow subtitles. The LPCM track is a hint better than the Dolby one. Dilaog is a bit more crisp but other than that both tracks are a wash. The PQ looks soft in some places & skintones look a bit tweaked towards yellow. However, the colors really pop off the screen & there is lots of detail with no noise & grain.

King Arthur: Director's Cut (2004)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10

G.I. Jane (1997)

HD Video - 7/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10

Identity (2003)

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - Reference

Destiny's Child: Live in Atlanta (2006)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 7/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10

Dog Day Afternoon (1975)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 7/10

Not much of an improvement over the recent 2-disc dvd release. I know its old school, but it seems like no re-tooling was done at all. I noticed a short scene which carried over the same color issues. There is minor grain & occasionally the picture looks soft. That said, for a 32 year old flick, I think this is the best picture that we will see from this film unless double-dips become a HD norm. Doubt it. The audio is presented in a nice 1CH 192kbps just like the standard dvd. One thing I like about this track is its consistency throughout & one thing I loath is the incredible low audible output it is mixed at. Overall, exterior shots are the highlight of this HD transfer & noise is almost non-existent. Audio is well.. standard & while it doesn't give your HT speakers a workout, I found dialog crisp & clear throughout. Like some other catalog HD titles, (The Deer Hunter, The Sting) I can't recommend this disc if you already own the latest dvd incarnation.

Warriors of Heaven and Earth (2003)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 9/10

Incubus: Alive at Red Rocks (2004)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10

John Legend: Live at the House of Blues (2005)

HD Video - 7/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10

The audio tracks are very near identical once you match the audible output on your receiver. The Dolby & LPCM tracks are both good. I found dialog & key notes a tad more distinct, clearer, with the LPCM track. Listening to the two tracks was tough to find a discernable difference because the audible output is -8db lower with Dolby. At 6.9mbps, I thought I'd immediately spot the difference. Anyway, which ever sound option you choose, your good to go. The Video has a lot of grain during shots of the crowd but not so bad on the band thankfully. Lots of detail overall. I never felt like I was watching a SD transfer.. color is ok, but I spotted a few rare moments of Macro & bleeding during bright shots of blue & especially red. Defintely not a title to show off the best of HD video, but if your fan, the audio will certainly please.

Tony Bennett: An American Classic (2006)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10
HD Audio LPCM - 9/10

Planet Earth: The Complete Series - Disc 1 (2006)

From Pole to Pole

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10

Mountains

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10

Fresh Water

HD Video - Reference
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10

Planet Earth: The Complete Series - Disc 2 (2006)

Caves

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10

Deserts

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10

Ice Worlds

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10

Planet Earth: The Complete Series - Disc 3 (2006)

Great Plains

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10

Jungles

HD Video - Reference
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10

Shallow Seas

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10

Planet Earth: The Complete Series - Disc 4 (2006)

Seasonal Forests

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10

Ocean Deep

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10

Deja Vu (2006)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10

The Queen (2006)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 9/10

Night at the Museum (2006)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio dts - 9/10

Failure to Launch (2006)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10

Happily N'Ever After (2007)

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio dts - 9/10

Secret Window (2004)

HD Video - Reference
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10

Dreamgirls (2006)

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 10/10

Donnie Brasco: Extended Cut (1997)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 9/10

Revenge: Director's Cut (1990)

HD Video - 6/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 7/10
HD Audio LPCM - 8/10

The Departed (2006)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10

[Termination]

Catch & Release (2007)

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10

The Fountain (2006)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10

Dirty Dancing (1987)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 9/10

Stomp The Yard (2007)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby TrueHD - Reference

Battle of the Bulge (1965)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10

The Road Warrior (1981)

HD Video - 7/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 7/10

Ouch, this was painful on the eyes. Sound isn't that great either. For a catalog title I was impressed with the level of detail for a film 26 years old. Too bad the intro to the film is more of a tease than anything else. Throughout the course of the 95 minute film, artifacts start to show off their ugly side. Contrast is pumped up making darker scenes blurry & in one scene, blacks have a blue haze. Most of the film has a flat appearance & in some cases look worse than standard-def. I know this must sounds harsh, but I do give a little lenience for older films because of the source. The positives, grain & noise are not bad & are not too distracting. Color is great throughout even during them nasty shots. Some scenes exibit reference type PQ quality. The standard Dolby Digital track (Cough BS) isn't much to shout out about. Maybe if your an analog sound guy who loves 2.0 stereo re-mixed into 6 channels. Dialog is mixed lower than the other channels, yet this track is mostly front heavy. The explosions which occur during the battle scenes sound flat with no real sense of dynamic range. For the most part, this track sounded like a made for tv film. I give Warner 2/5 stars for the sound effort as well as the picture. Maybe this film will receive a proper restoration down the road, so I can only recommend this to die-hard fans.

The Lost City (2005)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 7/10
HD Audio dts - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 9/10

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)

HD Video - Reference
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10
HD Audio LPCM - Reference

Apocalypto (2006)

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 9/10

Letters from Iwo Jima (2006)

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby TrueHD - 9/10

Flags of Our Fathers (2006)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10

Closer (2004)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10

Freedom Writers (2007)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10

Basic Instinct (1992)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 7/10
HD Audio dts - 8/10

Chris Botti Live with Orchestra & Special Guests (2005)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 10/10
HD Audio LPCM - 9/10

Kinda shocked that the 640kbps Dolby mix was a step up on the 13.8mbps LPCM track! Think this is a first. I've heard Dolby tracks besting dts ones, but never LPCM ones. Why include 2 audio tracks you ask? This is why.

Curse of the Golden Flower (2006)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10

Woa man, the colors, the colors. There is minor grain & some areas appear to look flat or soft occasionally. Detail is quite consistent throughout & oh did I mention the colors! Damn, there is almost too much for the eyes to take in. I was gonna mark this title as "reference" just for that reason, unfortunately the rest of the transfer isn't all flawless. The audio sure is though. Almost night & day difference between the Dolby (640kbps) & the LPCM (4.6mbps) one. The only thing the dolby track almost matches the lossless track, is with its dialog. The LPCM one has the surrounds & mains active throughout the action scenes & the musical numbers while dialog is loud & clear. I find the best audio tracks are ones which make noises you can't pin-point the channel it is coming from.. well this soundtrack has plenty of that making an impressive 360 soundstage.

Ultimate Avengers Collection;

Ultimate Avengers: The Movie (2006)

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10

Ultimate Avengers 2 (2006)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10

Weeds: Season One (2005)

You Can't Miss the Bear

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio dts - 8/10

Free Goat

HD Video - 6/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio dts - 8/10

Good Shit Lollipop

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio dts - 8/10

Fashion of the Christ

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio dts - 8/10

Lude Awakening

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio dts - 8/10

Dead in the Nethers

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio dts - 8/10

Higher Education

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio dts - 8/10

The Punishment Light

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio dts - 8/10

The Punishment Lighter

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio dts - 8/10

The Godmother

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio dts - 8/10

Rescue Me: The Complete Third Season - Disc 1 (2006)

Devil

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 9/10

Discovery

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 9/10

Torture

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 9/10

Sparks

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 7/10
HD Audio LPCM - 8/10

Rescue Me: The Complete Third Season - Disc 2 (2006)

Chlamydia

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 9/10

Zombies

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 9/10

Satisfaction

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 9/10

Rescue Me: The Complete Third Season - Disc 3 (2006)

Karate

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 9/10

Pieces

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 9/10

Retards

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 9/10

Only 3 eps left to watch. The picture so far is very consistent. More so than I thought. There are few scenes which look flat during each ep & grain is present during dark light scenes. Other than that I really have no complaints about the transfers. Color reproduction is top notch & there are lots of scenes during eps that stand out with three dimenional looking images. The sound is great too, though not much of a leap ahead of the Dolby Digital track. Surrounds are active during heavy action scenes, but there isn't as many of these type scenes to blow your hair back. Mostly front heavy, dialog is a step up on the DD track as well with clearer, more distinct vocals & the mains also sound more crisp with the LPCM track. From what I've seen & heard so far (10 episodes) I'm diggin the level of consistentcy. Not perfect in both A/V, but pretty darn close.

Rescue Me: The Complete Third Season - Disc 4 (2006)

Twilight

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 9/10

Hell

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 9/10

Beached

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 9/10

The Last Waltz (1978)

HD Video - 7/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 9/10

[Termination]

Blood Diamond (2006)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 9/10

Coming to America (1988)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10

Bruce Springsteen with the Seeger Band: Live in Dublin (2006)

HD Video - 7/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10

Trading Places (1983)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 7/10

The Messengers (2007)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 8/10

For a film less than a year old, the PQ isn't that bad, but not great either. There are a few soft spots (Actually more of blur) which can be distracting & there is also a consistent amount of grain & minor noise. Despite that, blacks are solid & color really leaps off the screen with very fine vivid detail leaving most of the 90 minute runtime with a good level of depth to the overall image. As per audio, subtle sounds are more discrete with the LPCM track but dialog sounds louder & clearer with DD. Also I don't know what the heck happened during mixing, but this track is one heavy sh!t mix. Dynamic Range is completely out of wack. I compare the same time codes btw, when making a final judgement call on which is better. Every test, the DD track was much better balanced throughout + the dialog was more louder & clear. With the LPCM one, everytime there was a scene which had lots of sound effects going on, the db level sky rocketed 15+db . This imo, is not a good mix but because there are scenes where you can easily distinguish sounds which are not apparent at all with the standard DD track, I can't rate one better than the other.

Hellboy (2004)

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 9/10

Norbit (2007)

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10

The Cowboys (1972)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 7/10

Rio Bravo (1959)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 7/10

Ghost Rider (2007)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby TrueHD - 10/10

A minor mix of grain, noise & softness keep this video transfer from being perfect. There are frequent scenes which have excellent level of detail & depth. The color is tweaked out & skintones rarely look natural giving the image a processed look which may be intentional. I found no differences with the 2 lossless tracks. Both have the same soundfield, not one was tweaked over the other during mixing so acoustics, bass, trebile & ambient effects are equel to one another & both make great use of the LFE channel. Dialog & dynamic range is also well mixed throughout which offers both tracks a great level of consistency.

Blood and Chocolate (2007)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10

Cruel Intentions (1999)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 8/10

Daddy's Little Girls (2007)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 9/10

Bridge to Terabithia (2007)

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - Reference

Music and Lyrics (2007)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10

Primeval (2007)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 9/10

Seven Years in Tibet (1997)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 7/10
HD Audio LPCM - 8/10

Hustle & Flow (2005)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10

Black Snake Moan (2006)

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10

Flatliners (1990)

HD Video - 7/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 9/10

The Patriot: Extended Cut (2000)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10
HD Audio LPCM - Reference

The Warriors: Director’s Cut (1979)

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10

The Untouchables (1987)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio dts - 9/10

The Fifth Element - Remaster (1997)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby TrueHD - 10/10

Premonition (2007)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 8/10

Wild Things (1998)

HD Video - 6/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 8/10

Nope, no typo. This film looks as good as The Game for HD DVD. Yikes! Also (besides the softness, washed away colors etc etc) there were frequent scenes which looked like actual frames were missing! Is there a compression term for this? In other words, steady cam shots displayed throughout the film looked stuttered. I noticed this for the first time real bad with Gone in 60 Seconds. Thankfully, it isn't too consistent throughout but it is there & it is distracting. Exterior shots with lots of vivid color & edge enhancement doesn't really help nether. One thing I noticed was an entire elimination of grain & dirt which was present throughout the SD presentation. For that reason alone is why I am not giving this transfer a 5/10. (A rating I'd give if the HD transfer is on par with the SD transfer upconverted) The audio is much better, but I found no discrete ambient sounds when comparing the DD to the LPCM. Take your pick, it really doesn't matter. Dialog is well mixed, surrounds get a minor workout as well as the LFE. There just wasn't anything the lossless track offered more of when compared to the dolby.

Waiting... (2005)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 9/10

Very odd, but the main menu (Thanks again to the PS3) is encoded AVC with a runtime well past 4 hours & an average bitrate around 18mbps in full 1080p!!!!!!! The audio is just 2CH dolby which also runs the entire 4+ hour length. :eek: The info I just gave is just for the main menu & it does not loop!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! + bonus content is elsewhere on the disc with different codecs & bitrates. Why Lionsgate, why? If anything to blame this transfer on, it is this reason for sure. The only issue I had with this transfer was a very fair amount of "House of Wax" lookin' actors. If ya have an MPEG-2 noise blocker on your tv or DVD player, imagine both turned up MAX. Or just be prepared to see another "Ultraviolet" type flick in terms of PQ. In any case, if ya can get past that, the rest of this transfer is solid. I recall one scene which obviously was added as it stood out with colors & details tweaked from the overall look of the film. This wasn't a problem imo. To be real nit-picky, I did see a 2 or 3 second shot which looked soft & the actors in that brief shot looked blurry, again nothing mega. Only issue with audio I had was the center channel level is about 5db below reference. Dynamic range is consistent. If the film had lots of action & musical #'s I believe that would of hurt the LPCM track because of the center volume level issue. Thankfully, most of the film is dialog driven. There is a distinct difference between the 640kbps Dolby & 6.1Mbps LPCM track even when matching volume levels, vocals are clearer & less distorted, subtle surround use has a bit more presence.

Training Day (2001)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10

The HD DVD is 2.40:1 & the BD is 2.35:1. I was shocked that there was next to no difference between the MPEG-2 & VC-1 encodes. Good job Warner!

Living Landscapes: The World's Most Beautiful Places (2006)

HD Video - Reference
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 7/10

Aeon Flux (2005)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10
HD Audio dts - 9/10

16 Blocks (2006)

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10

GoodFellas (1990)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10

Sahara (2005)

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10
HD Audio dts - 9/10

Corpse Bride (2005)

HD Video - Reference
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10

Swordfish (2001)

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10

[Termination]

Babel (2006)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10

Purple Rain (1984)

HD Video - 7/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 7/10
HD Audio Dolby TrueHD - 8/10

Sleepy Hollow (1999)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10
HD Audio dts - 9/10

Black Rain (1989)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio dts - 8/10

Out for Justice (1991)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10

300 (2007)

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby TrueHD - 9/10

The Italian Job (2003)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10

Mission: Impossible (1996)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10

Mission: Impossible II (2000)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10

We Were Soldiers (2002)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio dts - 8/10

Bikini Destinations: Triple Fantasy (2005)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 7/10
HD Audio dts - 7/10

Weeds: Season Two - Disc 1 (2006)

Corn Snake

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10

Cooking with Jesus

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10

Last Tango in Agrestic

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10

A.K.A. The Plant

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10

Mrs. Botwin's Neighborhood

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10

Crush Girl Love Panic

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10

Must find Toes

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10

MILF Money

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10

Weeds: Season Two - Disc 2 (2006)

Bash

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10

Mile Deep and a Foot Wide

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10

Yeah. Like Tomatoes

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10

Pittsburgh

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio dts - 8/10

Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004)

HD Video - Reference
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10
HD Audio dts - 9/10

Four Brothers (2005)

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio dts - 8/10

The Manchurian Candidate (2004)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 7/10
HD Audio dts - 7/10

Nacho Libre (2006)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10

Reds (1981)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10

U2 - Rattle & Hum (1988)

HD Video - 7/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10
HD Audio dts - 9/10

World Trade Center (2006)

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10

The Architect (2006)

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio dts - 8/10

IMAX: Blue Planet (1990)
IMAX: Dream is Alive (1985)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby TrueHD - 9/10

IMAX: Roving Mars (2006)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10

Shooter (2007)

HD Video - Reference
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10

The World's Fastest Indian (2005)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio dts - 8/10

ATL (2006)

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10

The Ant Bully (2006)

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10

[Termination]

Are We Done Yet? (2007)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10

Arlington Road (1999)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 8/10

Blazing Saddles (1974)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10

Bullitt (1968)

HD Video - 7/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 7/10

A Christmas Story (1983)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 7/10

A Guitarscape Planet (2006)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10

Nature's Colors With the World's Greatest Music (2007)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10
HD Audio LPCM - Reference

New Orleans Concert: The Music of America's Soul (2006)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10

Nine Inch Nails Live: Beside You in Time (2006)

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby TrueHD - 10/10

Shuttle Discovery's Historic Mission (2006)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio dts - 8/10

A View from Space With Heavenly Music (2006)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10

The Lives of Others (2006)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 8/10

Immortal Beloved (1994)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby TrueHD - 7/10

The worst balanced TrueHD track I've heard. How the heck did this happen? To clarify, each audio channel does sound good but the mains are 4db above reference, center -2db below reference. The music sounds excellent & actually is the only balanced part of the soundtrack unfortunately. Subtitles are necessary. LFE is sporadic, all over the place in all the wrong moments you'd expect to hear it. A short war scene in the film increases overall db output 25% The video isn't too bad, encoded MPEG-2 I found only color & fine detail as an improvement over SD. Minor speckles of dirt & grain are present & the print seems to have been kept in good shape.

Disturbia (2007)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio dts - 9/10

Final Fantasy - The Spirits Within (2001)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10

TMNT (2007)

HD Video - Reference
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby TrueHD - 9/10

National Lampoon's Van Wilder: Unrated (2002)

HD Video - 7/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 7/10
HD Audio LPCM - 8/10

Doctor Strange: The Sorcerer Supreme (2007)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10
HD Audio dts - 9/10

Chronos (1985)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 7/10
HD Audio dts - 9/10

Vacancy (2007)

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10
HD Audio LPCM - 10/10

Delta Farce (2007)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 9/10

First VC-1 Lionsgate title so I glimpsed at the peak bitrate throughout. I'd say average 32mbps with a peak around 42mbps. Some shots look really good but most of the film is flat as well as color. I was expecting a bit more from the 6.1mbps 7.1 LPCM soundtrack. Dialog is always clear & dynamic range is quite consistent but when action presents itself there isn't much going on in the surrounds.

House of Wax (2005)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10

The Host (2006)

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio dts - 9/10
HD Audio LPCM - Reference

Perfect Stranger (2007)

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio LPCM - 9/10

The Condemned (2007)

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10
HD Audio dts - 9/10

Enter the Dragon (1973)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 7/10

Smallville: Season 6 - Disc 1 (2006/07)

Zod

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10

Sneeze

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10

Wither

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10

Arrow

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10

Smallville: Season 6 - Disc 2 (2006/07)

Reunion

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10

Fallout

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10

Rage

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10

Static

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10

Subterranean

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10

Hydro

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10

Smallville: Season 6 - Disc 3 (2006/07)

Justice

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10

Labyrinth

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10

Crimson

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10

Trespass

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10

Freak

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10

Promise

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10

Smallville: Season 6 - Disc 4 (2006/07)

Combat

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10

Progeny

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10

Nemesis

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10

Noir

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10

Prototype

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10

Phantom

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 8/10

The Wicker Man (2006)

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10

House of 1000 Corpses (2003)

HD Video - Reference
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 9/10
HD Audio dts - 10/10

The Day After Tomorrow (2004)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio dts - 9/10

Halloween (1978)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital - 7/10
HD Audio LPCM - 8/10

Um, yeah.

This catalog title didn't stand out at all when compared to other films of that age. The bad: Aside from some great exterior shots (even though I spotted some blurriness to the PQ) the film is mostly dark (Not a bad thing) & thats where the transfer takes a leap off the deep end. From the sunset on, colors rapidly become bleek & washed out with some color bleeding present as well. Grain is most notable during dark interior shots, & there are frequent scenes which are a bit soft. The Good: From the get-go exterior color reproduction is excellent even though it is tweaked from the director's intent. Skintones (Even in the rough patches) are always spot on & detail is strong throughout. Unfortunately, the overall look doesn't scream HD, more like upconversion with a twist. The LPCM track offered is good but throughout I couldn't help but notice the original mono track present. Huh? Each channel seems to have been remixed ala DSP receiver modes. While the dialog is a tad more crisp than the dolby track it definitely sounds dated & there are a few scenes where dialog suddenly cuts off to make for surround usage. In other words poor channel placement. Thankfully there are only a couple scenes I noticed. The score from the LPCM track definitely adds more presence & mood compared to the dolby track. A solid 3 star transfer in my books.