The Matrix Trilogy HD DVD Reviews... (1 Viewer)

[DaViD Boulet]

curiously, every reviewer thus far has said that Pirates (which happens to use a higher bit-rate and AVC) looks even *better* than the Matrix.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Not the reviewer that I usually trust in being fair without any hidden agendas regarding his judgement about the competing HD formats.

Either way, I should have both releases today so I can make up my own mind in that regard.



Crawdaddy

 

[Shane Martin]

I'd agree it's better but I can't say that bitrate was the reason why it looks so good. I don't think anyone can objectively.

 

[Robert Crawford]

How much better?

 

[DaViD Boulet]

I agree that without direct A/B with the same title at various bit-rates it's impossible to determine with 100% accuracy how much affect the increased bit-rate is having. However, it's even less grounded to conclude that it *doesn't* offer an improvement without such a comparison. At the very least, without evidence either way one should keep an open mind about the possibility that a higher-bit-rate could afford greater transparency with any lossy encoding method.

 

[Robert Crawford]

No, I was talking about a reviewer that I see as fair without any bias towards one format over the other.




Crawdaddy

 

[DaViD Boulet]

Yeah, realized what you meant after posting. Can you share which reviewer? Or at least hint if it's not kosher for an admin to post links to other review-sites?

 

[Romar Armas]

One thing that I find rather odd is that Blu Ray movies seem to be all Highly Recommended yet HD DVDs have no recommendations in the reviews done here. Rather interesting. Is this by choice?

 

[Robert Crawford]

Evidently, you didn't read "The Matrix" review since it was "Highly Recommended". Furthermore, we have different reviewers assigned to each studio and format and how they format their reviews might be slightly different as the Blu-ray reviewers appear to use the term "Recommended" or "Highly Recommended" moreso than the HD DVD reviewers.

 

[Citizen87645]

I've given two of the seven HD DVD reviews I've done "Highly Recommended." Reviews here are done by different people, so it's not like the same person is reviewing BD and HD DVD and give "HRs" to one format more than the other.

 

[Edwin-S]

I really would have liked to get this set, but calling a set "The Ultimate" is nothing but a blatant falsehood when some of the best material (The Animatrix) is given short shrift. I have The Animatrix in SD, so why would I want it again in SD. I was really looking forward to seeing those shorts in HD. They are better than the last two movies combined.

It is going to be a real drag waiting for another release of this material because I sure would like to see the first movie in HD.

 

[ppltd]

. 'On par with' does not mean 'better than'

 

[ppltd]

I think it is more a difference of reporting styles. Either way has proved very effective for me in determining what releases I will buy.

As a side note, I pay less attention to the reviewers Recommended/Highly Recommended stats as they seem to be based on the movie as a whole, and those tend to be more subjective. As I care little about special features, and my preference for a movie may differ drastically from the reviewer, the review sections dealing with PQ and AQ quality are the most important to me. As a point of fact, POC 2 would not have received a Highly Recommended from me as I thought the movie was mediocore, but I would agree completely with the PQ and AQ sections of the review.

 

[Romar Armas]

I did read the Ultimate Matrix Review and it was very very well done. However, going through the forum and seeing all these reviews, someone new will most definitely mistake those reviews without any recommendations as being bad while those with "HIGHEST RECOMMENDATIONS" as must buys. I guess what I'm getting at is that either have all reviews have standard recommendation in the subject or have them inside the review itself. I'm not saying anything bad to the reviewers as they are doing a great job and I read a lot of the reviews with the movies I'm interested in. Both Blu Ray and HD DVDs.

However, it would make sense to have some a standard of some sort for the reviews specially with the recommendations. Like if the recommendation is based on the Movie itself or the PQ/AQ or both. Just a suggestion based on my observations.

As Thomas mentioned, with so many more movies coming out that will surpass current ones in PQ/AQ, there doesn't seem to be any room left with Highest Recommendations.

 

[Shane Martin]

A notch better. Not a whole lot. We're talking about the difference between A+ and A.

It's not the filming style IMHO that is the difference. It's the extra detail that POTC2 has.

We're arguing hairs really. Keep in mind this is merely on my 50" Plasma. It may be a little larger of a difference on a FPTV but I can't imagine it's huge.

 

[DaViD Boulet]

Yeah,

and again, it's impossible to compare the compression of two different films to each other as the *films* may just look different.

But neither is there a case to be made that higher-bit-rated do *not* improve the picture.


Yeah, I goofed with attributing to Peter. I'll have to hunt through my browser history to see which one I was remembering.

In any case, either way, it neither proves nor disproves that these higher bit-rates can or can't affect image quality. So just as we shouldn't assume that a higher bit-rate *would* make the Matrix look better, we shouldn't assume that it *wouldn't*.

 

[ppltd]

This is true as it is impossible to prove a negative. But we are so quick to point out Bandwidth as the reason for the PQ when in fact it is a small component of the overall PQ. And if the PQ was truely only marginally better on BD at nearly 1/3 more bandwidth, I can live without it. At that level of difference, it is more subjective than factual.

I've got to be perfectly honest here. If POC and Matrix is the best PQ (and AQ) I ever get in the HD formats, that is perfectly fine with me. I am not sure if any display out can fully resolve what is being sent to them with these releases.

And as near perfect these releases are, all the additional bandwidth doesn't amount to a hill of beans.

Bottom line is these are both masterfully produced releases that I absolutly can find nothing to object to.

 

[ReggieW]

Dave -

Have you compared both of these together with your own eyes, or are you just basing this on what certain reviewers are saying?

Just curious.

 

[Tim Glover]

I'm more and more convinced that there are people with these HD formats that see what they want and need to see. Since so many here get their jollies on bitrates, codecs etc...I wonder if there would be such superiority claims if these were not public knowledge? A big resounding NO.

BTW, it's unreal but Circuit City did indeed ship The Complete Matrix Trilogy to me for a paltry $23.14. Wow. I would like to throw them some business when I can in the future. They could have easily canceled these, but they didn't. I kind of feel like a cheat.

Thankfully, one of my brothers, a newly reborn HT nut who was just recently baptized in the Look & Sound Of Perfect, ....will get to pay me for the amazon Matrix Trilogy.

Thomas, good mini review on The Matrix. BTW, what does WWWWOOOOWWWW really mean.

 

[ppltd]

Sorry, that was the best I could muster after a sleepless all-nighter with Matrix and two small Pirate films. The brain was still not functioning fully at the time. I think I need to watch the last two episodes of 24 I have recorded to recover from the viewing.

Matrix was, by the way, the best HD release I have seen so far on the HD DVD format, and as good in every way as the POC films on the BD side. Any one that tells you differently is biased one way or the other. This is what HD is all about.

I have not had the opportunity to watch Matrix 2 or 3 yet or any of the 40 plus hours of extras. More to watch over the next week as I relax on a well deserved (IMO) week off from work.