HD DVD Discussion Thread: Part 3 (2G Players & Batman Begins arrives)
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ChrisJames
Member
jjasper said:
Well, standalone HD DVD players are getting cheaper everyday. I know the A2, which is supposed to be very good, is selling for $350 right now on Amazon with free shipping. This will obviously have HDMI and won't have the sound issues that the 360 add-on has. Personally , I haven't had any complaints or problems with my 360 add-on so it's all personal preference really.
edit: also, the standalone players upconvert DVD's which the 360 add-on doesn't do unless you're using VGA cables.
ChrisJames
Member
ManaByte said:
Oh OK, I didn't know that. That's pretty cool, I guess.
VanMardigan
has calmed down a bit.
The Good Shepherd review at high def digest:
Video:
'The Good Shepherd' comes to HD DVD as a combo disc, making for an easy comparison with the standard-def version. The film's 2.40:1 widescreen aspect is preserved, in a very nice if not quite spectacular 1080p/VC-1-encoded transfer.
The movie does look good. Robert De Niro, working with director of photography Robert Richardson, goes for a classic, elegant feel, with the deep blacks and restrained contrast lending the film a warm, lush texture. Softness is a problem, though. While the HD DVD is certainly an improvement over the standard-def flipside, it still falters in long shots, with backgrounds looking somewhat flat and lacking detail. Depth is the same -- medium and close-ups are quite impressive, but the transfer cannot maintain that three-dimensional quality throughout.
Colors are not incredibly saturated but lifelike and pleasing enough. Fleshtones are also accurate. Shadow delineation and the lack of edge enhancement boost the HD DVD even more over the standard-def version, and the master is certainly as clean as a whistle. There is some minor grain, which can be exacerbated in the darkest scenes, but it is appropriate to the intended visual style and gives the transfer a nice, film-like quality. A very solid, four-star effort.
The Audio: Rating the Sound
The movie's soundtrack is more muted than its visuals. Universal offers a English Dolby Digital-Plus 5.1 surround track (at 1.5mbps), which can't do too much with the film's restrained sound design.
The mix is front heavy, and almost arid. Surround use is sparse -- I could count the number of notable discrete effects on one hand, and ambiance is never sustained. The score by Bruce Fowler and Marcelo Zarvos has a nice presence to it, and serves as just about the only element to fill up the soundfield. Tech specs, however, are fine. Dialogue is always clear and well-recorded, and dynamic range is ample. Low bass is as strong as it needs to be, and there are no issues with high-end distortion or other anomalies. To be sure, this is a perfectly fine soundtrack, just don't expect to be blown away.
The Supplements: Digging Into the Good Stuff
This HD DVD mirrors the standard-def release in terms of bonus features, but that's nothing to get excited about in this case, as it's only a single supplement.
That one supplement is a collection of seven Deleted Scenes, running a total of 16 minutes: "John Comes Home," "Edward and Sam At Train Station," "Edward Confronts John," "Edward Asks Valentin to Play Violin," "John Enters Embassy," "Ulysses Is Trying to Tell Us Something," "Edward and Ray Pack Office." The boring scene titles tell it all, and quite frankly, the 160-minute movie is already long enough. Making matters worse, no optional commentary or other information is provided to give any context to the material and/or explanation for why it was excised.
HD Bonus Content: Any Exclusive Goodies in There?
On the bright side, Universal has compiled a fairly impressive HD-exclusive for this release, another one of their "U-Control" interactive video commentaries. I'm not complaining, but it is a somewhat strange move for the studio, as there is plenty of making-of footage here to have compiled a lengthy making-of featurette (perhaps one is planned for a future double-dip?). There are also recent interviews with most of the principals, and even the usually press-shy Robert De Niro allows himself to be caught in some candid moments. Yes, there are too many long gaps where nothing happens -- especially for a film that runs 160 minutes (and frankly needs all the energy it can get), but still, I have to applaud Universal for including such a robust exclusive for HD DVD fans. Too bad it wasn't in service of a better flick.
also
Universal Goes Into the 'Breach' with HD DVD/DVD Combo
Bringing another new release exclusively to the HD DVD format, Universal Studios Home Entertainment has announced a June 5 arrival for the political thriller 'Breach.'
A fictionalized account of the the greatest security leak in the history of the U.S. government, 'Breach' stars Ryan Philippe as FBI upstart Eric O'Neill, who enters into a power game with his boss, Robert Hanssen (Oscar-winner Chris Cooper), the real-life agent who was ultimately convicted of selling secrets to the Soviet Union.
Universal will release the $35 million-grossing critical hit as an HD DVD/DVD combo. Tech specs include a 1080p/VC-1 transfer and Dolby Digital-Plus 5.1 surround track (at 1.5mpbs).
Among the nice assortment of extras are an audio commentary, two making-of featurettes, an segment focusing on the real-life case from 'Dateline NBC,' and 18 minutes of deleted and alternate scenes.
Universal has set their usual $39.98 combo price for the release.
Video:
'The Good Shepherd' comes to HD DVD as a combo disc, making for an easy comparison with the standard-def version. The film's 2.40:1 widescreen aspect is preserved, in a very nice if not quite spectacular 1080p/VC-1-encoded transfer.
The movie does look good. Robert De Niro, working with director of photography Robert Richardson, goes for a classic, elegant feel, with the deep blacks and restrained contrast lending the film a warm, lush texture. Softness is a problem, though. While the HD DVD is certainly an improvement over the standard-def flipside, it still falters in long shots, with backgrounds looking somewhat flat and lacking detail. Depth is the same -- medium and close-ups are quite impressive, but the transfer cannot maintain that three-dimensional quality throughout.
Colors are not incredibly saturated but lifelike and pleasing enough. Fleshtones are also accurate. Shadow delineation and the lack of edge enhancement boost the HD DVD even more over the standard-def version, and the master is certainly as clean as a whistle. There is some minor grain, which can be exacerbated in the darkest scenes, but it is appropriate to the intended visual style and gives the transfer a nice, film-like quality. A very solid, four-star effort.
The Audio: Rating the Sound
The movie's soundtrack is more muted than its visuals. Universal offers a English Dolby Digital-Plus 5.1 surround track (at 1.5mbps), which can't do too much with the film's restrained sound design.
The mix is front heavy, and almost arid. Surround use is sparse -- I could count the number of notable discrete effects on one hand, and ambiance is never sustained. The score by Bruce Fowler and Marcelo Zarvos has a nice presence to it, and serves as just about the only element to fill up the soundfield. Tech specs, however, are fine. Dialogue is always clear and well-recorded, and dynamic range is ample. Low bass is as strong as it needs to be, and there are no issues with high-end distortion or other anomalies. To be sure, this is a perfectly fine soundtrack, just don't expect to be blown away.
The Supplements: Digging Into the Good Stuff
This HD DVD mirrors the standard-def release in terms of bonus features, but that's nothing to get excited about in this case, as it's only a single supplement.
That one supplement is a collection of seven Deleted Scenes, running a total of 16 minutes: "John Comes Home," "Edward and Sam At Train Station," "Edward Confronts John," "Edward Asks Valentin to Play Violin," "John Enters Embassy," "Ulysses Is Trying to Tell Us Something," "Edward and Ray Pack Office." The boring scene titles tell it all, and quite frankly, the 160-minute movie is already long enough. Making matters worse, no optional commentary or other information is provided to give any context to the material and/or explanation for why it was excised.
HD Bonus Content: Any Exclusive Goodies in There?
On the bright side, Universal has compiled a fairly impressive HD-exclusive for this release, another one of their "U-Control" interactive video commentaries. I'm not complaining, but it is a somewhat strange move for the studio, as there is plenty of making-of footage here to have compiled a lengthy making-of featurette (perhaps one is planned for a future double-dip?). There are also recent interviews with most of the principals, and even the usually press-shy Robert De Niro allows himself to be caught in some candid moments. Yes, there are too many long gaps where nothing happens -- especially for a film that runs 160 minutes (and frankly needs all the energy it can get), but still, I have to applaud Universal for including such a robust exclusive for HD DVD fans. Too bad it wasn't in service of a better flick.
also
Universal Goes Into the 'Breach' with HD DVD/DVD Combo
Bringing another new release exclusively to the HD DVD format, Universal Studios Home Entertainment has announced a June 5 arrival for the political thriller 'Breach.'
A fictionalized account of the the greatest security leak in the history of the U.S. government, 'Breach' stars Ryan Philippe as FBI upstart Eric O'Neill, who enters into a power game with his boss, Robert Hanssen (Oscar-winner Chris Cooper), the real-life agent who was ultimately convicted of selling secrets to the Soviet Union.
Universal will release the $35 million-grossing critical hit as an HD DVD/DVD combo. Tech specs include a 1080p/VC-1 transfer and Dolby Digital-Plus 5.1 surround track (at 1.5mpbs).
Among the nice assortment of extras are an audio commentary, two making-of featurettes, an segment focusing on the real-life case from 'Dateline NBC,' and 18 minutes of deleted and alternate scenes.
Universal has set their usual $39.98 combo price for the release.
The Main Event
Member
Copy-pasted from the HD Digest forum:
http://www.flp.com/indexFLHE.aspx
Not too familiar with their movies, but it's great to see smaller movie studios getting their content in HD.
http://www.flp.com/indexFLHE.aspx
Not too familiar with their movies, but it's great to see smaller movie studios getting their content in HD.
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