AVRev.com Reviews HD DVD Titles and Toshiba Player

http://www.avrev.com/ Avrev.com has put a bunch of HD DVD software
titles up for review this month as well as a comprehensive review of
the Toshiba HD-XA1 HD DVD Player.

Unforgiven (HD DVD)

"Warner's HD DVD release of "Unforgiven" is simply stunning. The
pristine, razor sharp image is perfect on all counts.
"Unforgiven"'s extreme range of dark tones and contrasting scenes
of colors and brightness are a data compressor and DVD author's worst
nightmare."

Read full review: http://www.avrev.com/hddvd/revs/0606/unforgiven.shtml

Swordfish (HD DVD)

"HD Video Resolution: "Swordfish" is indicative of the HD DVDs that
are being unleashed on the entertainment shelves. Packed with the extra
pizzazz of true high-definition, the video quality of the movie is
nothing less than amazing. The slo-mo detonation of the walking
Claymore mines in Chapter 2 demonstrates the explosive nature of the HD
video format."

Read full review: http://www.avrev.com/hddvd/revs/0606/swordfish.shtml

Goodfellas (HD DVD)

"Although the disc is billed as an HD DVD, "GoodFellas" suffers
from a noticeable lack of digital quality. The images are not much more
than two-dimensional and tend to have softness around the edges. Near
the beginning of the film, the colors don't seem as vibrant and look
washed out. For film, for DVD, the picture quality is good. But the
"GoodFellas" HD DVD experience simply doesn't deliver."

Read full review: http://www.avrev.com/hddvd/revs/0606/goodfellas.shtml

Full Metal Jacket (HD DVD)

'"Full Metal Jacket" is a welcome but odd choice for Warner's
first wave of HD DVD releases. It's a lightly grainy film and was
originally released in Kubrick's preferred mono soundtrack. The disc
is a visually perfect rendition of the film and the HD encoding
captured the soft grain of the photography and its various scenes of
low light and smoke without digital artifacts or macro-blocking.'

Read full review:
http://www.avrev.com/hddvd/revs/0606...l_jacket.shtml

Toshiba HD-XA1 HD DVD Player

"With tremendous hype and noted delays, HD DVD players have hit the
market, allowing consumers to see HD movies from a commercially
available disc for the first time. Two players mark the launch of the
format: the Toshiba HD-XA1 ($799.95) and HD-A1 HD DVD ($499.95)."

Read full review: http://www.avrev.com/equip/toshiba_hdxa1_a1/

AVRev Reviews

On 7 Jun 2006 14:51:25 -0700, AVRev Reviews wrote:
> Full Metal Jacket (HD DVD)
>
> '"Full Metal Jacket" is a welcome but odd choice for Warner's
> first wave of HD DVD releases. It's a lightly grainy film and was
> originally released in Kubrick's preferred mono soundtrack. The disc
> is a visually perfect rendition of the film and the HD encoding
> captured the soft grain of the photography and its various scenes of
> low light and smoke without digital artifacts or macro-blocking.'
>
> Read full review:
> http://www.avrev.com/hddvd/revs/0606...l_jacket.shtml

Wait, this release is in WS? Whatever happened to "Kubrick wants all the
home video releases of his films in 4:3"?

-Jay

On 6/9/2006 5:07:08 AM, Jay G. wrote:

> On 7 Jun 2006 14:51:25 -0700, AVRev Reviews wrote:
>> Full Metal Jacket (HD DVD)
>>
>> '"Full Metal Jacket" is a welcome but odd choice for Warner's
>> first wave of HD DVD releases. It's a lightly grainy film and was
>> originally released in Kubrick's preferred mono soundtrack. The disc
>> is a visually perfect rendition of the film and the HD encoding
>> captured the soft grain of the photography and its various scenes of
>> low light and smoke without digital artifacts or macro-blocking.'
>>
>> Read full review:
>> http://www.avrev.com/hddvd/revs/0606...l_jacket.shtml
>
> Wait, this release is in WS? Whatever happened to "Kubrick wants all
> the home video releases of his films in 4:3"?

I'm pretty sure he won't be complaining.
--
"We were planning an intervention, but I got
alcohol poisoning that night."

Now playing: the radio.

"Jay G." <> wrote in message
news:...
>> '"Full Metal Jacket" is a welcome but odd choice for Warner's
>> first wave of HD DVD releases. It's a lightly grainy film and was
>> originally released in Kubrick's preferred mono soundtrack. The disc
>> is a visually perfect rendition of the film and the HD encoding
>> captured the soft grain of the photography and its various scenes of
>> low light and smoke without digital artifacts or macro-blocking.'
>>
>> Read full review:
>> http://www.avrev.com/hddvd/revs/0606...l_jacket.shtml
>
> Wait, this release is in WS? Whatever happened to "Kubrick wants all
> the
> home video releases of his films in 4:3"?

The OAR for the film is 1.85:1. The fact that Kubrick was a black bar
hater and died before he could change his mind shouldn't be held against
everyone who'd like to see his movies as they were actually composed.

On Fri, 9 Jun 2006 19:16:12 -0400, Joshua Zyber wrote:

> "Jay G." <> wrote in message
>>> Read full review:
>>> http://www.avrev.com/hddvd/revs/0606...l_jacket.shtml
>>
>> Wait, this release is in WS? Whatever happened to "Kubrick wants all
>> the home video releases of his films in 4:3"?
>
> The OAR for the film is 1.85:1. The fact that Kubrick was a black bar
> hater and died before he could change his mind shouldn't be held against
> everyone who'd like to see his movies as they were actually composed.

I agree. However, I've seen many arguments against OAR even on DVDs of
Kubrick's work, with people often citing his "artistic vision" for movies
on home video.

It's just amusing to me that WB cited Kubrick's preference for 4:3 as hard
fact the entire time they were releasing the DVDs, insisting they were
following the "director's wishes," yet they quickly abandon this position
when it comes time to release an HD version of the film.

Of course, I've thought OAR versions of his films in HD were likely for
about 3 years now:
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.v...97b98fb48cc890

-Jay

On Fri, 9 Jun 2006 07:07:08 -0500, "Jay G." <> Gave us:

>On 7 Jun 2006 14:51:25 -0700, AVRev Reviews wrote:
>> Full Metal Jacket (HD DVD)
>>
>> '"Full Metal Jacket" is a welcome but odd choice for Warner's
>> first wave of HD DVD releases. It's a lightly grainy film and was
>> originally released in Kubrick's preferred mono soundtrack. The disc
>> is a visually perfect rendition of the film and the HD encoding
>> captured the soft grain of the photography and its various scenes of
>> low light and smoke without digital artifacts or macro-blocking.'
>>
>> Read full review:
>> http://www.avrev.com/hddvd/revs/0606...l_jacket.shtml
>
>Wait, this release is in WS? Whatever happened to "Kubrick wants all the
>home video releases of his films in 4:3"?
>
>-Jay

I had forgotten all about that after watching the HD DVD of it UNTIL
I placed the old DVD version in the player to compare the two.

Problem is that they only found a fairly grainy print to digitize
(or they used the old master), so the upconverted DVD looks just as
good, except that it is in the KubTard's demanded AR. I'll have to
put it in my old player to compare raw visuals. Sound is a bit more
dynamic and "bright".

Contrasting that is the BEAUTIFUL Blazing Saddles release, which
looks like film grain quality! Very much different than the DVD
release.

I was disappointed with the FMJ, except that I finally got it in the
CORRECT AR! Very grainy looking.

On Fri, 9 Jun 2006 23:28:43 -0500, "Jay G." <> Gave us:

>On Fri, 9 Jun 2006 19:16:12 -0400, Joshua Zyber wrote:
>
>> "Jay G." <> wrote in message
>>>> Read full review:
>>>> http://www.avrev.com/hddvd/revs/0606...l_jacket.shtml
>>>
>>> Wait, this release is in WS? Whatever happened to "Kubrick wants all
>>> the home video releases of his films in 4:3"?
>>
>> The OAR for the film is 1.85:1. The fact that Kubrick was a black bar
>> hater and died before he could change his mind shouldn't be held against
>> everyone who'd like to see his movies as they were actually composed.
>
>I agree. However, I've seen many arguments against OAR even on DVDs of
>Kubrick's work, with people often citing his "artistic vision" for movies
>on home video.

Except that it was "artistic blindness", and we have all gone over
it several times and know that is what it was.
>
>It's just amusing to me that WB cited Kubrick's preference for 4:3 as hard
>fact the entire time they were releasing the DVDs, insisting they were
>following the "director's wishes," yet they quickly abandon this position
>when it comes time to release an HD version of the film.


They saw the light at the end of the bank statement.

>Of course, I've thought OAR versions of his films in HD were likely for
>about 3 years now:
>http://groups.google.com/group/alt.v...97b98fb48cc890

Tooting your own horn now? Are you sure your name isn't Max? Oh...
that's right... he was far more stupid than you are.

Roy L. Fuchs wrote:
> Tooting your own horn now? Are you sure your name isn't Max? Oh...
> that's right... he was far more stupid than you are.

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On Sat, 10 Jun 2006 05:57:10 GMT, Roy L. Fuchs wrote:

> On Fri, 9 Jun 2006 23:28:43 -0500, "Jay G." <> Gave us:
>
>>On Fri, 9 Jun 2006 19:16:12 -0400, Joshua Zyber wrote:
>>>
>>> The OAR for the film is 1.85:1. The fact that Kubrick was a black bar
>>> hater and died before he could change his mind shouldn't be held against
>>> everyone who'd like to see his movies as they were actually composed.
>>
>>I agree. However, I've seen many arguments against OAR even on DVDs of
>>Kubrick's work, with people often citing his "artistic vision" for movies
>>on home video.
>
> Except that it was "artistic blindness", and we have all gone over
> it several times and know that is what it was.

I actually don't think Kubrick was a "black bar hater" or was "artisticly
blind." In fact, I think he would rather have had all his films
letterboxed on home video rather than open-matte. However, the *studios*
definitely were black bar haters at the time, and would rather P&S to hell
a film rather than letterbox it. I think Kubrick's preference for
open-matte was over Pan & Scanning his films, rather than letterboxing
them.

-Jay