Some recent Blu Ray purchases...pic quality

[steveinaz]

Reviews based on Blu ray video quality only, for your reference. Feel free to add to the list:
__________________________________________________ ________________________________
* keep the SDVD
** an minor improvement over the SDVD
*** a worthwhile improvement over SDVD
**** very nice, just missing that last degree of 3-dimensional imaging/accurate color, contrast
***** reference transfer, excellent. Contrast and color saturation extremely realistic
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Ratatouille: ***** Looks like a film, excellent.
Cars: ***** Just when you though it coudn't get any better...it does.
Unforgiven: *** 1/2 Good transfer, but lacks the 3-dimensional quality in better transfers
Underworld: **** Dark scenes and lack of color don't do HD justice, but the fine detail/textures are there.
License to Wed: **** Good transfer, excellent color accuracy
Meet the Robinsons: ***** Reference transfer, TONS of color
Apocalypto: **** Nice clean edges, colors a touch too saturated with skin tones
2001 a Space Odyessy: **** Excellent for a movie over 30 years old---no, excellent period.
Fantastic 4: **** 1/2 Very nice, approaches the pixar stuff

Coming soon...

Planet Earth (BBC):
Underworld Revolution:
The Patriot:
A Few Good Men:

NOTE: On Cars and Ratatouille the SDVD's are outstanding--somehow Blu Ray manages to pull even more detail and deeper colors. Look at the sidewalls of the tires on Cars, note the nicks/scratches that you don't see on the SDVD. Ratatouille almost looks like a film--the Blu Ray brings more 3-dimensional feel to it than the SDVD, and again, colors are richer--contrast more realistic. Meet The Robinson's is for the color junkies out there. I don't think it looks as real as the other 2; it's more "cartoonish" in the way the animation is done, but the color is beautiful eye candy.

[millerman 3732]

The tires on the cars in Cars are also what I noticed the most.

[steveinaz]

Cool isn't it. The colors are also less "neon" looking and more rich/deep. The high definition DVD's really give a nice, more realistic contrast ratio--less in-your-face and better shadow detail.

[BlueMDPicker]

Thanks Steve! Keep 'em coming, I have the DMP-BD30K and a 58" plasma on the way (TH-58PZ700U). Threads like this are golden--much appreciated!

[Sherardp]

For those of you with Cars on BD, watch the extra "One Man Band" excellent PQ and the Audio is fantastico. The Cars movie is a great demo disc for the BD format.

[steveinaz]

Thanks Steve! Keep 'em coming, I have the DMP-BD30K and a 58" plasma on the way (TH-58PZ700U). Threads like this are golden--much appreciated!

Mike,
FWIW, I just used my standard definiton DVE disk for calibration, and it worked beautifully. My 50" DLP is 720p native, so I have the BD30 outputting 720p via HDMI. I tried 1080i---720p looked a touch better.

[avelanchefan]

I want to comment on Unforgiven since I just watched it yesterday. There were at times where I thought that it was an average transfer at best. But after sticking in the SDdvd to get a better look, the closeups look almost the same but much clearer, it's the background that really pops through in the BR edition. The grass, tree's, mountains are more vibrant. The further distant shots of landscape do not blur out like the SDDVD does.
So while on the surface at first glance it looks like a half done transfer, I find it to actually be a very well done transfer.

[steveinaz]

Unforgiven is definitely an improvement on Blu ray, no doubt, just not as crisp as I have seen on better transfers. I guess the best way I could put it is, if I didn't know I was watching the Blu Ray version, I could have mistaken it for a really well done standard definition DVD.

[shadowofnight]

Here is a HUGE database of exactly what you are doing here....works great for weeding out subpar transfers. http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=858316 Tier 3 is the lowest I will purchase

My favorite Blu-Ray demo is a Tier 0 called The Wild...the animation is flawless....down to the animals single strands of hair ...amazing.

[steveinaz]

Cool, thanks!