-
Robert Harris
- Archivist
-
- offline
- Joined: February 1999
- Post Count: 2,865
One of the more difficult things to accurately bring to video is black.
Some in the business don't want to see the deepest black levels, and many monitors cannot accurately reproduce it.
Zack Snyder's 300, which in it's final DI incarnation has overexposed highlights and fully crushed blacks, could have been a technician's nightmare, but what has arrived via HD and Blu-Ray DVD is nothing short of miraculous.
During the two hours of screening last night, a single word kept going through my mind.
Perfect!
Absolutely, undeniably Perfect!
With it's exaggerated tonal scheme intact, 300 has arrived as a perfect representation of what was released theatrically. As a digital port, this should not have been in question.
But many things can occur between final digital files which represent the wishes of the filmmakers, and the final DVD.
Here, everything went right.
Sharp as a tack.
Perfect grain structure.
Perfect colors and densities.
Just Perfect!
Of major interest to film afficionados will be the blue screen extra, which presents the entire film, with director commentary, as originally shot.
What a wonderful college level course in filmmaking, and a gutsy move in not hiding the magic behind the production.
300 is a superb high definition release that comes...
Very Highly Recommended.
"All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible. This I did." T.E. Lawrence
- Joined: March 2001
- Post Count: 347
Re: A few words about...™ 300 -- in HD & BD
Nice, I was hearing bad things from a couple other places regarding the grain on this title. but hearing it from someone of your calibur just makes an already sure purchase even surer.
In the end only the fittest survive in this world. If you are strong you live...and if you are weak you die. I am the one who deserves to live. - Shishio Makoto
What\'s really gonna make your noodle limp is when you realize that Thomas Anderson is an anagram for \"No Modern Asshat\".
Deep... -...
- Joined: July 2000
- Location: Surf City, USA
- Post Count: 5,307
Re: A few words about...™ 300 -- in HD & BD
Very nice, thanks Robert. Looking forward to Tuesday.
Sometime's you reach what's real by making believe.
-
Neil Joseph
- Neil Joseph
-
- offline
- Joined: January 1998
- Location: 43.4ºN 79.2ºW
- Post Count: 8,338
Re: A few words about...™ 300 -- in HD & BD
I watched my copy last night and have to agree, it is a beauty to behold.. both audio and video.
Click on above image to enter " T H E . H O L O D E C K "---------------------------------------------------------
The Holodeck.
My DIY Screen.
DIY Subwoofer: The MaxCaliberMy humble collection of DVD's.
HTF Beginner's Primer and FAQ
- Joined: April 1999
- Post Count: 3,946
Re: A few words about...™ 300 -- in HD & BD
HD DVD has the IME (In Movie Experience) with the entire film in Blue Screen, so that was my choice.
An excerpt from the HD Digest review:
Quote:
Warner has served up quite a treat for HD DVD fans with a cutting-edge assortment of high-def exclusives.
Easily the most anticipated bonus is the "Bluescreen Picture-in-Picture Version" of the film. A true first for any home video format, Warner has encoded the entire feature in its bluescreen, pre-post-produced version. Like your typical In-Movie Experience track, just activate the feature and a large picture box will appear in the bottom left of the screen, allowing you to watch the before-and-after versions of the film along with audio commentary by director Zack Snyder. |
Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus.
-
Robert Harris
- Archivist
-
- offline
- Joined: February 1999
- Post Count: 2,865
Re: A few words about...™ 300 -- in HD & BD
The HD version is more heavily featured.
"All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible. This I did." T.E. Lawrence
- Joined: August 2000
- Location: BritCol. North of a Black Hole and West of The Centre of the...
- Post Count: 3,847
Re: A few words about...™ 300 -- in HD & BD
Do both versions use the same VC1 transfer or is the BD transfer optimized to take advantage of its higher throughput. If the transfer is exactly the same I'll probably go with the HD DVD version, due to the higher feature set. Plus with the HD DVD version I'll be able to take advantage of the Dolby THD track.
When you have to shoot...shoot. Don't talk!
-
ppltd
- Thomas Eisenmann
-
- offline
- Joined: August 2006
- Location: Phoenix
- Post Count: 3,041
Re: A few words about...™ 300 -- in HD & BD
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by MarekM
romour is that on Blu-ray is 24bit DolbyTrueHD + 16bit PCM, and on HD DVD you will get 16bit DolbyTrueHD
Marek
|
Just rumor. Doesn't seem to be any fact at all.
Thomas Eisenmann(Last updated 12/02/08) HD-DVD CollectionBlu-Ray CollectionDVD CollectionToshiba HD-XA2, HD Add-on, Panasonic DMP-BD55KPioneer VSX-94TXH, Panasonic PT-AE 3000U 1080p 252 HDs, 167 BDs, 1560 - DVDs and going down
- Joined: November 1998
- Post Count: 4,487
Re: A few words about...™ 300 -- in HD & BD
From High-Def Digest -
"Warner has supplied both next-gen editions with matching Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround tracks (48kHz/16-bit), but this Blu-ray is also graced with an additional PCM 5.1 surround option (48kHz/16-bit/6.9mbps). Right upfront, the PCM sounded a bit louder, but after some level matching, a direct A/B comparison of several scenes revealed only slight differences. Although I'm sure this disc will stir up the whole TrueHD vs PCM debate, either way you slice it, the action scenes in '300' deliver the kind of demo-worthy audio that should be pure nirvana for any home theater enthusiast."
Full review here.
Every man is my superior, in that I may learn from him.
- Joined: May 2007
- Location: Helsinki
- Post Count: 2,026
Re: A few words about...™ 300 -- in HD & BD
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Jim_K
I never knew there were such staunch "grain haters" out there until after getting into HD. It's pretty bizarre but since there are many who hate B&W films, subtitled films, etc, I shouldn't be surprised I guess.
|
Yes, in many HD-releases, you can now "see" the grain better and this seems to be a surprise to many. It´s like they now see what has always been there in one way or another; the grain is always part of the film stock - in some degree (in some films more and in some films less). With "300" it´s also an "artistic choice". It´s not up to the reviewer to say how the film should look - they can merely report that how that "intended look" is preserved in the DVD/HD-release. And in the end; Plenty is still just the opinion of one person.
Reviewer doesn´t like "grain" and gives a lower score because of that? That would be strange IMO.
Rewind - DVDcompare/Site Administrator
*US PS3 (1080p) - Xbox 360 Elite (HDMI) - Nintendo Wii (Euro) - Sony PSP-2000 - Nintendo DSi
*HD DVD Toshiba XE1 (1080p) - Sony Bravia KDL-40W2000 (1080p) - Yamaha RX-V1800 (HDMI 1.3)
![300 (Combo HD DVD and Standard DVD) [HD DVD]](http://static.hometheaterforum.com/imgrepo/thumbs/b/b2/B000Q6GXW2-51%252Bx5muo3YL.jpg/60x60px-LS-B000Q6GXW2-51%252Bx5muo3YL.jpg)
![300 [Blu-ray]](http://static.hometheaterforum.com/imgrepo/thumbs/a/a5/B000Q6GX5Y-51yOilN7RtL.jpg/60x60px-LS-B000Q6GX5Y-51yOilN7RtL.jpg)
My BD should be arriving today or Monday.
"Very Highly Recommended" 
