**Official Blu-Ray & HD-DVD Thread Part II**

[GAMEC0CK2002]

Re: **Official Blu-Ray & HD-DVD Thread Part II**

I would just get the DVD. With older movies, I dont see that much of a difference between the DVD version and the Bluray. At least not enough difference to justify paying 10-15 bucks more.

2001: Space Odyssey looks amazing in hi-def. Easily worth the upgrade.

[Blzer]

Re: **Official Blu-Ray & HD-DVD Thread Part II**

Normally I would agree with you because alot of older movies do have have BR versions that are nothing special but movies like the Godfather saga, The Rock, Blade Runner and Face Off are a serious grade above the DVD versions. It's always good to look at reviews online before committing to older movies.

The Godfather looks terrible on Blu-ray. That's not really anybody's fault... it's a fine transfer from its original image, but it's just an old movie, and like the poster above you said, sometimes it's not worth the step up.

IMO, it's always worth the step up, because you're still getting an uncompressed 1080 lines of beauty. Unfortunately, The Godfather just doesn't hold up to others, but it definitely outdoes its DVD counterpart.

[DTX3]

Re: **Official Blu-Ray & HD-DVD Thread Part II**

I've heard nothing but good things about The Godfather Collection.

[Seymour Scagnetti]

Re: **Official Blu-Ray & HD-DVD Thread Part II**

The Godfather looks terrible on Blu-ray. That's not really anybody's fault... it's a fine transfer from its original image, but it's just an old movie, and like the poster above you said, sometimes it's not worth the step up.

IMO, it's always worth the step up, because you're still getting an uncompressed 1080 lines of beauty. Unfortunately, The Godfather just doesn't hold up to others, but it definitely outdoes its DVD counterpart.

You're kidding right? The Godfather is sometimes soft with high contrast and then some scenes the colors are muted because that was the intent of Coppola. It's intended to look like a film that takes place over a half century ago andf the image conveys that time period. Its not meant to be watched with picture perfect sharpness and clarity like a Transformers movie. The blu ray version is the most faithful representation to date of what the movie was supposed to be watched as. Watching it in Bluray makes it feel like I'm watching it for the 1st time again. The difference is night and day compared to the regular DVD and well worth the upgrade. I'm still stunned how they pulled it off considering the age and condition of the source material. In fact it may be Bluray's biggest achievement to date in regards to restoring an old classic.

Another example is Saving Private Ryan. It was filmed with a heavy grain image because that was Speilberg's intention. It suits the movie and would lose alot of it's effect if it was crystal clear.

Bluray was intended to be a medium used that would most closely resemble the source material in scope, not to make every movie look like it's from MTV.

[RockyTop1]

Re: **Official Blu-Ray & HD-DVD Thread Part II**

drops are happening at amazon already...

Untraceable (+ BD Live) - $16.99 from $22.99
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street - $16.99 from $27.99
SHOSTAKOVICH: Symphonies Nos. 5 & 9 - Acoustic Reality Experience [7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio Disc] - $22.49 from $29.99 (Pre-order 12/06)
James Bond Blu-ray Collection Three-Pack, Vol. 1 (Dr. No / Die Another Day / Live and Let Die) - $52.49 from $57.99

Amazon.com Blu-ray Price Adjustment(s) ** 11/27 -- Updated 8:30AM
Transformers (Two-Disc Special Edition + BD Live) - $9.99 from $19.99
Animalia: Talent-O-Topia (Blu-ray) - $19.49 from $21.99 (Pre-order 03/24)
The Simpsons Movie - $16.99 from $24.99
The Untouchables (Special Collector's Edition) - $8.99 from $19.99
Aeon Flux - $9.99 from $17.99
Black Rain (Special Collector's Edition) - $9.99 from $17.49
Failure to Launch - $9.99 from $17.49
Sky Captain & the World of Tomorrow - $9.99 from $16.99
A Clockwork Orange - $10.99 from $13.95
Battle of the Bulge - $10.99 from $13.99
The Aviator - $10.99 from $13.95
Saw - $11.99 from $15.99
Commando - $12.99 from $14.99
Courage Under Fire - $12.99 from $17.49
Pathfinder - $12.99 from $19.99
Predator - $12.99 from $15.49
House of 1000 Corpses - $14.95 from $16.99
Prom Night (Unrated + BD Live) - $15.99 from $25.99
Sunshine - $15.99 from $17.49
Alien vs. Predator - $16.99 from $19.95
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid - $16.99 from $19.95
Hitman (+ Digital Copy) - $16.99 from $22.99
Independence Day - $16.99 from $19.95
Mr & Mrs Smith - $16.99 from $19.95
Rambo - $16.99 from $22.99
The Departed - $16.99 from $17.99
Good Luck Chuck (Unrated) - $17.95 from $21.99
Mad Men - Season One - $17.95 from $31.99
Rambo 1-3 Boxset - $17.95 from $24.99
The Condemned - $17.95 from $19.99
Ultimate Avengers Collection - $17.95 from $22.99
War - $17.95 from $22.99
Flags of Our Fathers - $8.99 from $17.49
Trading Places (Special Collector's Edition) - $8.99 from $17.49
Black Snake Moan - $9.99 from $19.99
Coming to America (Special Collector's Edition) - $9.99 from $17.99
Dreamgirls (Two-Disc Showstopper Edition) - $9.99 from $19.99
Freedom Writers - $9.99 from $18.49
Hustle and Flow - $9.99 from $17.99
Norbit - $9.99 from $20.99
Reds (25th Anniversary Edition) - $9.99 from $17.49
The Manchurian Candidate - $9.99 from $17.99
Out for Justice - $10.99 from $13.95
The Searchers - $10.99 from $13.99
Under Siege 2 - Dark Territory - $10.99 from $13.95
Wyatt Earp - $10.99 from $13.95
American Psycho - $11.99 from $16.99
Reservoir Dogs (15th Anniversary) - $11.99 from $14.99
Swordfish - $11.99 from $13.95
The Shining - $11.99 from $13.99
Windtalkers - $12.99 from $18.49
Dirty Dancing (20th Anniversary Edition) - $14.95 from $17.99
King Of New York - $14.95 from $18.99
Saw II - $14.95 from $16.99
21 (+ BD Live) - $15.99 from $17.99
Across the Universe - $15.99 from $25.99
Die Hard 2 - Die Harder - $15.99 from $20.49
Eragon - $15.99 from $23.99
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World - $15.99 from $17.49
Me, Myself & Irene - $15.99 from $25.99
Wall Street - $15.99 from $24.99
300 - $16.99 from $17.99
Aliens vs. Predator - Requiem (Extreme Unrated Set + Digital Copy) - $16.99 from $25.99
Bee Movie - $16.99 from $26.99
Fantastic Four - Rise of the Silver Surfer - $16.99 from $19.49
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - $16.99 from $23.99
Kung Fu Panda - $16.99 from $19.99
Live Free or Die Hard - $16.99 from $24.49
Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium - $16.99 from $27.99
Mrs. Doubtfire - $16.99 from $27.99
Phone Booth - $16.99 from $24.49
Superbad (2-Disc Unrated Extended Edition) - $16.99 from $26.99
The Bank Job + Digital Copy - $16.99 from $21.99
The Love Guru (Two-Disc Special Edition) + Digital Copy - $16.99 from $26.99
3:10 to Yuma - $17.95 from $18.99
Belly - $17.95 from $18.99
Black Mask - $17.95 from $19.99
Delta Farce - $17.95 from $19.99
Lord of War - $17.95 from $19.99
Saw IV - $17.95 from $22.99
The Doors - $17.95 from $18.99
The Eye [Blu-ray + Digital Copy] - $17.95 from $21.99
The Forbidden Kingdom (2-Disc Special Edition) - $17.95 from $24.99
The Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow - $17.95 from $18.99
Tyler Perry's Meet The Browns + Digital Copy - $17.95 from $26.49
Weeds - Season Three - $17.95 from $23.99
Witless Protection - $17.95 from $22.99
Dan in Real Life - $19.95 from $23.99
Grey's Anatomy: The Complete Fourth Season - $53.95 from $62.99
Vantage Point (+ BD Live) - $15.99 from $24.99
Cloverfield - $16.99 from $19.99
The Invincible Iron Man - $17.95 from $18.99
Dr. No (James Bond) - $17.99 from $23.99

[Hammerhunker]

Re: **Official Blu-Ray & HD-DVD Thread Part II**

Do I possibly have a setting wrong? I have a 42" Panny plasma. Beautiful picture; however, watching a bluray movie on my PS3 looks nothing better than when I watch a dvd on my regular dvd player. It is clear and vibrant but doesn't look anything like the displays at Bestbuy. Could the difference in 720p and 1080p be that different? The bluray displays at Bestbuy look almost 3D they are so sharp and clear. Thanks.

[Seymour Scagnetti]

Re: **Official Blu-Ray & HD-DVD Thread Part II**

Do I possibly have a setting wrong? I have a 42" Panny plasma. Beautiful picture; however, watching a bluray movie on my PS3 looks nothing better than when I watch a dvd on my regular dvd player. It is clear and vibrant but doesn't look anything like the displays at Bestbuy. Could the difference in 720p and 1080p be that different? The bluray displays at Bestbuy look almost 3D they are so sharp and clear. Thanks.

All depends, does regular cable look the same to you as the Hidef channels? If it does then your TV may be too small to really enjoy the benefits of Bluray and hidef. If not check your cables and check to see the PS3 settings are correct by letting it beep 3 times holding down the power button.

[Hammerhunker]

Re: **Official Blu-Ray & HD-DVD Thread Part II**

All depends, does regular cable look the same to you as the Hidef channels? If it does then your TV may be too small to really enjoy the benefits of Bluray and hidef. If not check your cables and check to see the PS3 settings are correct by letting it beep 3 times holding down the power button.

I sure would think 42" is big enough to benefit from Hi-Def. My Directv HD is definitely better than the regular def. It is just that the Blueray is not better. I haven't heard of the power button technique to check the settings. Will try it out. Thanks.

[Blzer]

Re: **Official Blu-Ray & HD-DVD Thread Part II**

I sure would think 42" is big enough for to benefit from Hi-Def.

I would hope it is if it is night and day for me on my 23" (versus the same movie upconverted on DVD).

[Fresh Tendrils]

Re: **Official Blu-Ray & HD-DVD Thread Part II**

I would hope it is if it is night and day for me on my 23" (versus the same movie upconverted on DVD).

Same here.

[GAMEC0CK2002]

Re: **Official Blu-Ray & HD-DVD Thread Part II**

Do I possibly have a setting wrong? I have a 42" Panny plasma. Beautiful picture; however, watching a bluray movie on my PS3 looks nothing better than when I watch a dvd on my regular dvd player. It is clear and vibrant but doesn't look anything like the displays at Bestbuy. Could the difference in 720p and 1080p be that different? The bluray displays at Bestbuy look almost 3D they are so sharp and clear. Thanks.

Don't be misled by the Best Buy displays or any BM store. Those tvs are set on high contrast and in vivid/torch mode. Probably have motion enhancer on as well.

The newer SD-DVDs can look darn good upconverted. That might be a reason while you're not noticing a huge difference too.

[Hammerhunker]

Re: **Official Blu-Ray & HD-DVD Thread Part II**

Don't be misled by the Best Buy displays or any BM store. Those tvs are set on high contrast and in vivid/torch mode. Probably have motion enhancer on as well.

The newer SD-DVDs can look darn good upconverted. That might be a reason while you're not noticing a huge difference too.

Could you elaborate more on the high contrast, vivid/torch setting?

[Blzer]

Re: **Official Blu-Ray & HD-DVD Thread Part II**

Could you elaborate more on the high contrast, vivid/torch setting?

I'm not sure what your display names them, but you're probably on a default "Dynamic" setting, that's absolutely destroying the life and look of your television. The contrast, black adjust, dynamic contrast, backlight, sharpness, and color settings are probably dialed way up and need some adjusting. Likewise, it's probably set on a Cool tint, which isn't a natural look (look for either a Normal or Warm tint for more natural colors). Then there's probably more tint or color calibration that you can do in detailed settings, but the important thing is to lower those first sliders quite a bit. I mean, contrast can stay pretty high up, but you want to avoid white crush and such.

Your backlight and sharpness are probably the first two things that need to go down, though. Sharpness (as well as edge-enhancement) are unnecessary and just destroy the better image that your TV can display because they bring out a halo effect that is distracting to the eyes (my sharpness is set to 0 on my TV). The backlight is exactly that... it brightens both your whites and your blacks. Find a setting with your backlight that gives you jet-black in jet-black appropriate areas, then use your brightness setting until you can differentiate your blacks. Or do it the other way... use backlight till you get the whites you want, then use brightness until you find jet-black. Contrast is just separation of whites and blacks, but again, you want to avoid it maxing out for loss of detail reasons.

Overall, find another default setting like Movie or Standard and adjust from there. Supposedly, it's worth the $300 to get your television professionally calibrated if you're looking toward the best possible TV image that you can get. There are many options to choose from once you buy your TV, it's just up to you to decide how you're going to utilize them.

[goh]

Re: **Official Blu-Ray & HD-DVD Thread Part II**

Just to clear up 2 things...

1. Your TV is 720p?

2. What's it hooked up to the TV with?

I leave mine on standard with default settings for most PS3/360 games and Blu-ray. I think it looks too dark in other modes for those.

I switch to movie mode (with settings from AVS) for PS2 games and any PS3/360 games that are really bright wich has so far been Mirror's Edge and Shaun White Snowboarding. (None for the 360 yet)

I've yet to find a use for dynamic.

[ExtremeGamer]

Re: **Official Blu-Ray & HD-DVD Thread Part II**

Got Hancock from Netflix to see if the movie got any better from the first time I saw it over the summer. The movie is still dog ****, and the transfer was quite ****ty for Blu-ray IMO. The problem lied whenever Hancock flew around, it looked so fake in HD, literally too clear.