DVD Review HTF REVIEW: Sin City - RECOMMENDED (1 Viewer)

[DaViD Boulet]

Mark Lucas,

I'm sure you're right. Hopefully once Disney starts releasing on Blu ray, "waiting" for the home-video version will be less of a compromise in glorious 1080 Progressive...



p.s. the current DVD upscaled to 720P on my HT still is beautiful to behold...though I've no doubts that a native HD image would be clearly superior.

 

[Jon Martin]

With the DVD at most retailers for under $15, I don't know why anyone is waiting. The SE DVD isn't going to be out for months. Buy it now, watch it a few times, then sell it or trade it in a month or so before the new one. You'll get most of your money back. Cheaper than renting it even once.

 

[Ian Currie]

I'd like to know where you can find this for under $15... I thought Target had it cheap at $17

 

[Max Leung]

Here in Canada, many stores (FutureShop, HMV with coupon) are having a one-day-only sale. $19.99 CDN. Really cheap, considering most DVDs sell for $24 CDN here.

David, there are only a few affordable upscaling DVD players I know of (that don't suck too badly!) - the Panasonic S97 and S77, the Oppo 971, and the Sony 975. The first 3 use the FLI23xx chipset, which has the Faroudja processing (great for anime and video-based material), and the latter has a Sony proprietary deinterlacing solution. Most people who have both the Oppo and the Momitsu say the Oppo is better (if they don't see the infamous Macroblocking enhancement), but a few say the Momitsu is still the king. Who knows? I guess I will wait for the Oppo/S97 owners to chime in with their thoughts - Sin City has a lot of black detail and I'm curious if Macroblocking will be an issue with the Faroudja-based players.

 

[Duane_T]

I really hate the double dip, but it's a good price (and includes a Sin City shot glass if they aren't out by the time I get there).

I saw this twice in the theater and I'm sure I'll watch it a few more times before Xmas.

 

[Max Leung]

Yes that's right, I forgot - Futureshop adds a free shot glass when you purchase Sin City - today only!

 

[Mark Lucas]

If they included the fantastic effective trailers I would've gone and bought it right now. Now I'll only buy it if the theatrical version won't be available on the SE.

 

[ShanonS]

Circuit City $14.99 with (limited supply) lithographs. I check the weekly release prices every week in the Coupons and Bargains forum, even if I don't think there is anything I want that week. Lately CC has had the lowest price on almost everything coming out. I haven't used my BB Reward Zone card in a couple of months.

I just called my wife to see if she had had a chance to stop by and pick this up yet, before I started reading the review. Can't wait to watch this one.

Anyone want this version for cheap when the SE comes out?

 

[Dave Mack]

Dave and others,

check AVSforum.com's dvd player thread. The oppo. has very good buzz. I got mine and couldn't be happier. it's DEFINITELY better than the zenith dvb-318 PQ-wise. It also outputs PAL natively so if your projector can handle it, (50hz.) you don't lose any PQ from down-rezzing by a PAL-NTSC conversion. And DVDI-HDMI conversion is no problem from what I've read.

d

 

[Michael Ballack]

I'm going to pick this up as a blind buy today along with the simpsons Season Six. Hope it's good.

 

[Ken Chui]

The UMD was the same price, so I bought that instead of the DVD (I'm holding out for the SE DVD). The 5"x7" lithographs feature poster art and come shrinkwrapped.

 

[Max Leung]

Offtopic:

The problem with the projector David and I have (the Benq 8700+) is that it will not resync the color wheel when fed a 50 hz PAL signal through DVI and VGA. There is a rumor that the Runco CL-710 firmware will work on the Benq 8700+, and will resolve the problem. The bug is that when the Benq is fed a video signal, the color wheel locks at 60.0 hz (NOT 59.94 hz that NTSC uses), regardless of the vertical refresh rate output by the player. The Benq OSD will display the frequency used, but the wheel will NOT resync, and you will see tearing/stutter artifacts. Exception: 480p and 576p DVI/VGA video supposedly will work properly - the color wheel should sync to the proper refresh rate (you can audibly hear the wheel change speed if it is working).

I have a difficult time seeing how the Runco firmware will work, as the CL-710 has a 7 segment color wheel. But maybe the firmware looks for special hardware IDs and configures the projector accordingly? Who knows...

 

[Ron-P]

Just picked this up (blind purchase) at Best Buy and it came with a free comic book.

Great review David, I'm really looking forward to watching this, of course I cannot until Friday as I have a moive night booked for this and everyone showing up has not seen it.

 

[Vincent-P]

Shanon, you could always do a price match at Best Buy. That way you get the lowest price AND the Reward Zone points.

 

[GregBe]

Great review David,

I just bought it blind. Fry's has it for $13.99 today only.

Greg

 

[Daryl L]

I just got my blind purchase copy in the mail today. I'm paused now at 25 minutes into the DVD. Dang! I was hook by the opening credits.

People first going into this type movie must realize this movie is Comic Book Noir meets 1940's Film Noir meets 2004 CGI. Alot of people aren't accustom too or maybe even familiar with Noir type story telling. I think most not taking quickly to this film are just not much into or possibly even familiar with Noirs since it's not as popular as it was back in the 30's thru 50's/60's. It's kind of a style partly requiring an aquired taste to it. I weren't born until 1961 but watched many early cinema Film Noirs in my days. Even tv had Noir tv shows (Peter Gunn is one that comes to mind). I think most people now days are probably only familiar with Noirs through Alfred Hitchcock's work.

I've never read the Sin City comic books but I'm digging the movie.

 

[Dave Mack]

What the hell are you doing posting here now, man! Get back to the movie!!!!!!



Watchin' my copy tonite, when the sun goes down.

 

[Daryl L]

LOL had to stop for supper. Just had to quickly share my thoughts.

 

[CaptDS9E]

I saw it before but after watching the dvd its definatly one of my new favorite films. Can not wait for the SE

capt

 

[Jerome Grate]

Well, this will be picked up tomorrow after the gym. Pump up the body and give the HT a workout. Can't wait to see it upscaled.