[ReggieW]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan_Ohio

Transformers HD-DVD

Specs are:
Audio: Dolby Digital English 5.1 Surround, French 5.1 Surround and Spanish 5.1 Surround

Where is the better sound track?

The ENG soundtrack is DD plus at 1.5mbps.

This is what Paramount uses for it's HD audio on HD-DVD. DD on SD-DVD is only 448mbps. There is quite a quality dfference between them when they've been compared. Many engineer's (including Dolby Labs) in the business believe that a 24/48 DD + track at 1.5mbps is pretty transparent to the master. There are those who don't believe it, but you'll have to let your own ears be the judge.

[Dan_Ohio]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jason Roer

Dan,

I can't speak for anyone else, but I'm not personally mad at Bill Hunt. However, I do belive he is doing a disservice to anyone reading his site. The reason is very simple. A journalist is to provide facts, not opinion or bias. Andservice this new mission. He has been proven to be doing this many times over. Bill used to be a journalist. That is no longer the case. He seems to be making it his mission to destroy HD-DVD by excluding anything positive that happens to HD-DVD on his site and by outright misrepresenting facts to

So please don't feel like this is an HD-DVD site suddenly. Most here truly are format neutral, and we want what is best for the mass consumers. They are already confused by the situation and Bill Hunt is right now adding to that problem, not helping to clear it up as he should.

Cheers,

Jason

Shot me but I tend to agree with some of Bill's comments. I also agree with some of HD-DVD. Facts are we can be true with the facts we choose to use. It happens all the time in the media. Did it get a little personal on here? Since you know Bill supports Blu-ray, why are you surprised that you don't find many positives about HD-DVD. Back in the Divx /DVD war you would not find anything positive on Divx.

So what is your position on the Paramount change?

What do you think about Transformers not having loseless sound track?
The mission impossible 2 sound track on the Blu-ray was no better than the DVD.

[ReggieW]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan_Ohio

Do we know if the cheap player out of china will do the same as the A2. Or is this just a cheap machine that you would not recommend to your friends?

Well, the specs appear to be pretty identical to the A2. Adam Gregorich has theorized that the new Venturer player is either a rebadged A2 or A3. I guess we'll find out in the weeks ahead.

I cannot recommened anything without first seeing it in action or without reading/hearing reviews/owner experiences. Would I personally buy it? No, because I will usually go for higher end gear when/if I can afford it, but I'm an enthusiast. If the Venturer proved to be a worthy player, then I would have no problem recommending it to my non-enthusiast family and friends. I will say that if the Venturer does turn out to be a Toshiba rebadge, then I would predict it to be a heck of a player for the money.

[RobertR]

Quote:

Transformers HD-DVD

Specs are:
Audio: Dolby Digital English 5.1 Surround, French 5.1 Surround and Spanish 5.1 Surround

Where is the better sound track?

Where did you read it's not DD+?

[Dan_Ohio]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RobertR

Where did you read it's not DD+?

My bad. I went down to the technical specs. The DD+ was up in the description.

http://www.movieweb.com/dvd/news/08/22508.php

[Jason Roer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan_Ohio

Shot me but I tend to agree with some of Bill's comments. I also agree with some of HD-DVD. Facts are we can be true with the facts we choose to use. It happens all the time in the media. Did it get a little personal on here? Since you know Bill supports Blu-ray, why are you surprised that you don't find many positives about HD-DVD. Back in the Divx /DVD war you would not find anything positive on Divx.

So what is your position on the Paramount change?

What do you think about Transformers not having loseless sound track?
The mission impossible 2 sound track on the Blu-ray was no better than the DVD.

Again, I have no problem with Bill supporting Bluray. He is completely entitled too do so, but he has taken little rumors and flights of fancy and presented them as facts, and then when they've been proven incorrect he doesn't even apologize. That is inexcusible and extremely immature. If you agree with this sort of behavior, then I won't go further, because it's a battle I can't win.

I don't think it was a good idea for Paramount to drop the titles it already had in production such as Blades of Glory. However, if they feel it is better for their company to be HD-DVD exclusive, I can't argue with them. It ain't my company. They've stated their reasons and I have to say I agree with them - given those reasons. If those reasons were proven false then I would have to reassess the situation. I can only go on facts.

I would obviously love for Transoformers to have a lossless track, but it wouldn't stop me from purchasing the title (if I had intended on purchasing it, which I'm not). I love to see movies in their best presentation, but hell - there are some movies I've been tracking down for years that aren't even available on VHS or Laserdisc. I'd watch a crappy AVI file of these films if I could get my hand on them. I've learned over time, that it's just not worth the energy to get upset over presentation. When it's all said and done, I love movies and that's really what matters most to me. If I can't get a Marx Brothers movie in HD for a few years, so be it. I'll watch it on DVD or even TCM when they screen it.

I know nothing of the MI2 bluray situation.

Cheers,

Jason

[Tim Glover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lou Sytsma

Bill, I have no issue with you choosing to champion one HD format over another - though personally I believe the HTF has taken the best approach by remaining format neutral - but rather have been offput by some of your responses in your columns.

Frankly, they have been at time immature and contained groundless accusations. Once that happens, you create an agenda and in doing so neuter yourself as a source to be trusted. In hindsight, a couple of deep breathes and some judicious editing of your columns before hitting the submit button would have prevented the irrepairable harm done to your reputation.

Now, alas, its late.

I haven't always agreed with Lou on things (especially Star Wars ) but I think he nails it here. Like most here, I hit the Bits at least 3 times per day before the HD DVD/BD war...but I do think that for many here, Bill has lost a big portion of his audience. Obviously, this is hardly an issue as it seems that when Bill sneezes, there's a post about it so any news is good for The Bits as it keeps them in the discussion. We've beaten this dead horse way too long but there are some points worth stating. Especially from me. This need for the "end" of the war seems like fear mongering to get studios to buy into their format. I forget who stated this earlier in this thread but HDTV buyers are really hitting a stride right now and this "new" HD media is hardly a blurb in their decisions.

I think that there has been ALOT of double standards and hyprocrisy from places demanding that Universal go neutral when Fox, MGM, & Disney get a pass on this issue. It's not the free opinions...it's those kinds of double slanted responses that have alienated myself and many here.

I do think that Bill's site can still be useful and restore what it used to be. I have high hopes that it will return to being a very valuable resource for Home Theater.

[bigluigi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill Hunt

Seriously, I'm telling you guys flat out... if you knew what was really going on behind the scenes in this format war, you'd be feeling exactly the same way we are. Disgusted, angry, depressed, soured on the whole damn industry.

No...I guess we don't know what really goes on behind the scenes because no one bothers to tell us. A suggestion, perhaps, to remedy this situation. Why don't YOU tell us what's going on and to protect your informants, you could use a phrase like, "knowledgeable sources in the industry tell us..." ,I mean if the Wall Street Journal and New York Times can do this...why can't you?????

[RAF]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ReggieW

The ENG soundtrack is DD plus at 1.5mbps.

This is what Paramount uses for it's HD audio on HD-DVD. DD on SD-DVD is only 448mbps. There is quite a quality dfference between them when they've been compared. Many engineer's (including Dolby Labs) in the business believe that a 24/48 DD + track at 1.5mbps is pretty transparent to the master. There are those who don't believe it, but you'll have to let your own ears be the judge.

Interestingly, when Paramount was in the "two HD format" business they regularly used a higher bitrate soundtrack on the HD-DVD version than on the Blu-ray version. My PS3 verified that every title I came across from Paramount in this regard would be delivering a 640kbps soundtrack on the Blu-ray version compared with a 1.5Mbps soundtrack on the HD-DVD identical title. That was a bit (no pun intended) surprising because of the supposed greater capacity of the Blu-ray disc. I was burned the first time right after I purchased my PS3 (for its excellent Blu-ray playing capabilities) shortly after launch time. BABEL (nominated for an Academy award for Best Picture) had just been released and I thought it would be a great title to feed my new BR player. I was a little surprised when I found out that the BR version was limited to 640kbps sound - especially when one would think that a nominated film would be given the royal treatment. The HD-DVD version of the same soundtrack clocks in at 1.5Mbps.

Don't get me wrong. I'm right down the middle with the two formats - having a sizeable collection from each camp. And I think that the performance possibilities of each format are demo quality in both audio and video. It's just a fact that very often there are differences in what is delivered (mostly in audio) by each format so you have to keep your ears opened (literally!). 640kbps is not exactly iPod quality sound but it definitely falls short of what should be available if the HD source material is up to the task. If you are using anything other than your internal TV speakers then the difference should be apparent.