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HD Advisor 36
Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 03:00 PM ETTags: HD Advisor, Joshua Zyber (all tags)
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Editor's Note: Each Friday, High-Def Digest's own HD Advisor will answer a new round of questions from our readers. If you have home theater questions you need answered, send an email to HDanswers@gmail.com. |
Answers by Joshua Zyber
Spielberg Movies on Blu-ray
Q: Is Paramount ever going to release 'War of the Worlds' (the Tom Cruise version) on Blu-ray?
A: 'War of the Worlds' certainly seems like it would make great home theater demo material on Blu-ray. I can only imagine the piercing sound of the aliens' energy weapons in lossless audio quality.
The reason this hasn't been released on Blu-ray is much the same reason that 'Jurassic Park', 'Schindler's List', and 'E.T.' haven't. Steven Spielberg both directed and produced these movies, and ultimately has the final say on whether they get released. 'War of the Worlds' was produced through his Amblin Entertainment company and Dreamworks SKG studio (of which Spielberg is the "S" in SKG). Paramount only serves as distributor, but does not own the movie. In fact, Dreamworks is in the process of leaving Paramount, and will be taking their catalog with them.
Of course, many other Dreamworks movies have already been released on Blu-ray. But you'll notice the conspicuous absence of those directed by Spielberg.*
Essentially, Steven Spielberg and his friend George Lucas are both of the feeling that the movies they've directed are too important to be released on Blu-ray yet. Both have stated that they're waiting for the format to attain a certain market share. They want their movies to make big splashes when they debut, and not fizzle out like many other catalog titles. They both took a similar approach toward DVD, which is why 'Jurassic Park' wasn't released on DVD until 2000 and the original 'Star Wars' trilogy until 2004.
Personally, I think that both men are overestimating the power of their older movies to still affect the market. Catalog titles, even big name releases, have traditionally been poor sellers on Blu-ray. The high-def format simply doesn't operate by all the same rules that DVD has. Although movies may have once been for sale on VHS, Laserdisc, or other older video formats in the past, DVD was the first movie-collecting medium for most consumers. Thus, they were eager to buy both new releases and their favorite older movies. However, now that they already own many of their favorite movies on DVD, most people feel less compelled to buy new copies, not even for the upgrade to high definition video. They tend instead to focus their buying only on newly-released movies that they don't already own.
Certainly, I expect 'Jurassic Park' and 'Star Wars' (and even 'War of the Worlds') to sell well by catalog title standards. But there is really little chance that any of them would hit the same levels that day-and-date releases do. And that will continue to be the case no matter how long these directors wait for the market to grow.
*Currently, only two movies that Spielberg directed are available on Blu-ray. 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' was released by Sony Pictures. This is one of the director's older movies, which he doesn't have any ownership control over. The studio made a decision to release it regardless of Spielberg's feelings. Sadly, it sold very poorly on Blu-ray, a result that only strengthens the director's position.
Spielberg did consent to the release of 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull' on Blu-ray. This was a new, high-profile day-and-date release at the time, and I suspect that Paramount may have pressured (or begged) him into allowing it. I believe that one sold pretty well, as most big day-and-date titles do.
Going forward, I expect that we will see other new Spielberg films (like the upcoming 'The Adventures of Tintin') released on Blu-ray in the normal home video cycle. But he'll probably continue to hold back his older movies until such time as he either changes his mind on this whole strategy, or the Blu-ray format hits that magic market saturation number that he's waiting for.
Analog Audio Outputs vs. HDMI
Q: I would like to know which option is the best for my home theater set up. I have a Denon DVD-A1UDCI Blu-ray player and a Denon AVR-5805CI receiver. To enjoy Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio, would it be better to use the HDMI connection for audio as well as video, or just use HDMI for video and use the 5.1 analog outputs for audio? In which device should I set the bass management? What about the DSP options in the receiver?
A: Audio must go through three steps to get from the disc to your speakers: The codec on the disc must be decoded to PCM format, the PCM must be converted to analog, and the analog signal must be amplified out to your speakers. That last step is always going to happen in your A/V receiver or amp. Your question really amounts to where you should do the first two steps. This will boil down to the following three options:
- Connect by HDMI, set all audio to "bitstream" in the Blu-ray player. In this case, both the decoding and conversion to analog will be performed in the receiver. You should set your bass management controls in the receiver. (They will be non-functional in the Blu-ray player end.)
- Connect by HDMI, set Blu-ray player to decode internally. This way, the receiver only does the Digital-to-Analog step (and of course amplification). Set bass management in the receiver again.
- Connect by multi-channel analog. Now you're relying on the Blu-ray player to both decode and convert to analog. Set bass management at the player, not the receiver.
The decoding step really should be equal regardless of whether you do it in the player or the receiver. However, the conversion from digital to analog can have a significant impact on your final sound quality. The quality of the DAC components in each device should determine whether you use the HDMI or analog connections. If you believe that the receiver has better DACs, you should connect by HDMI. If you believe that the player has better DACs, you should connect by multi-channel analog.
For most consumers, I recommend using HDMI if they have the option. The DAC components in most Blu-ray players are generally inferior to those in A/V receivers. I feel that you should do the audio processing in the device dedicated to that task, which will usually be better suited for it.
However, in your case, you have a Blu-ray player that has specifically been marketed towards audiophiles, and was designed with very high quality DACs. If, for example, you had the DVD-A1UDCI and an entry-level to mid-range A/V receiver, I would definitely advise you to use the analog connections and let the player do everything. But that doesn't describe you either. You also have a very nice A/V receiver from the same company that makes the Blu-ray player. I believe that the DAC components in your Blu-ray player and your receiver are also equivalent in quality to one another.
Realistically, you're probably going to wind up with very similar-sounding results no matter which of the three options outlined above you choose. Even so, I'm going to advise that you use HDMI and Option #1. This will have the advantage of convenience, in that you'll have fewer cables to connect and manage. More importantly, sending a digital bitstream signal to your receiver will allow you to use processing functions such as Audyssey calibration, Cinema EQ, or Dolby ProLogic IIx that your Blu-ray player probably doesn't offer internally. These can be a tremendous benefit.
Speaker Icon in Disc Menus
Q: What does the little speaker icon in some Blu-ray menus do? I have switched it on and off and cannot figure out what it does.
A: Many Blu-ray discs are programmed to have beeping noises or other sound effects whenever you choose an option in the menu. Personally, I find them very annoying, especially the really gimmicky effects like gunshots or animal sounds.
Some studios (like Sony) display a speaker icon over the menu that will allow you to turn these noises off. Other studios (like Universal) have a "Menu Sounds" command somewhere in the disc's Setup menu. Many studios don't give you any option in the matter.
Keep in mind that, if you've set your Blu-ray player to transmit its audio in "bitstream" fashion, you may have never heard these noises at all. That's because the noises must be live-mixed into the audio stream, which can only occur when the player does the audio decoding internally. Bitstreaming prevents these noises from being mixed in to the audio signal. In that case, clicking on the speaker icon doesn't have any effect at all.
To my mind, that's one more big advantage to using the bitstream option.
The HD Advisor knows many things, but he doesn't know everything. Some questions are best answered with a consensus of opinions from our readers. If you can help to answer the following question, please post your response in our forum thread linked at the end of this article. Your advice and opinions matter too!
Silly HD Advisor Column Titles
Q: The more of these columns he writes, the harder it's getting for the HD Advisor to come up with silly titles that fit the numerical theme. If you've read the column for any length of time, you should know how it works by now. The title must have the words "HD Advisor" and the appropriate sequential number. The title should preferably be a pun based on the name of a movie. Song titles will probably work in a pinch too, but something somehow related to a movie is always preferred. Worst case, just make it funny.
As you can see, this week I just gave up looking for something with the number 36. The best I found was a French movie called '36 Quai des Orfèvres', and that just seemed far too obscure.
So, have at it. Spit out some suggestions for my next several column titles. I'm especially stuck on #s 38, 41, 43, 44, and pretty much anything over 50. What have you got?
Winning entries will receive the smug satisfaction of knowing that you are more clever than the HD Advisor. Really, that's pretty invaluable, isn't it?
Check back soon for another round of answers. Keep those questions coming.
Joshua Zyber's opinions are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of this site, its owners or employees.
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The Week That Was: A High-Def Digest Recap
Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 01:15 PM ET
High-Def Digest had quite a week, with a few bumps, and a TON of great stories and reviews. We want to make sure you didn't miss a thing!
As we do every year, we started rolling out our holiday shopping guides. The first of these took a look at HD Gear and the fuel you'll need to run it at top capacity.
Our second installment in the 2009 shopping guide series took a look at gift ideas for the relatives that keep us on our toes. We'll have more guides in the coming weeks!
Finally, as we do every week, we ran a bunch of movie reviews.
Some of the biggest titles included:
and the 'Mamma Mia! Gift Set
But we also covered some an assortment of other titles, from the classic to the magic to the tragic, including:
'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly'
'The National Parks: America's Best Idea'
'Miracle on 34th Street (1947)'
'Miracle on 34th Street (1994)'
'Scrubs: The Complete Eighth Season'
'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)'
And don't forget HDD's own HD Advisor at noon!
Thanks as always for checking in with us throughout the week! We'll be back here with more news and reviews on Sunday night!
Spatial View Creates Glasses-Free 3D for the iPhone
Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 01:00 PM ETTags: Sony, iPhone, Apple, 3D, Industry Trends (all tags)
According to an announcement from Spatial View and Sony Music Entertainment Germany, the new 3DeeSlide iPhone and iPod accessory will allow users to watch glasses-free 3D movies.
3D movies are experiencing a great amount of popularity in theaters, with an expected boom in upcoming Blu-ray releases, and 'Avatar: The Game' bringing three dimensional viewing to game consoles. A practical solution for viewing 3D content while outside of the home – one that doesn’t involve a separate headset or glasses – has not yet been established.
Spatial View, a company specializing in stereoscopic 3D, offers the 3DeeSlide as the solution. Using a lenticular screen, this device slides over your iPhone or iPod Touch and allows the viewing of three-dimensional content without the need for glasses.
The viewing angle is a bit limited, but when it comes to mobile devices, there’s usually only one person watching. Users are recommended to keep their device at a 90 vertical viewing angle, perpendicular to their eye line. The sweet spot distance wise is between 12” and 16” according to Spatial View.
The 3DeeSlide will be available shortly from in Germany (one of the countries that Spatial View calls home) and is expected to be on Amazon soon after. The product will be available individually or bundled with Sony Music’s “forsenses” Blu-ray disc, though a price has not yet been announced.
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'Capitalism: A Love Story' Coming to Blu-ray
Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 11:00 AM ETTags: Starz/Anchor Bay, Disc Announcements (all tags)
The latest documentary from controversial filmmaker Michael Moore will hit Blu-ray this December.
In an early announcement to retailers, it seems Starz/Anchor Bay Entertainment will release 'Capitalism: A Love Story' on Blu-ray on December 29.
Specs, supplements, and suggested list price have yet to be revealed.
You can find the latest specs for 'Capitalism: A Love Story' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under December 29.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Discs mentioned in this article: (Click for specs and reviews)
- Capitalism: A Love Story (Blu-ray)
Universal Launches Blu-ray/DVD Combos
Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 09:00 AM ETTags: Universal, Industry Trends (all tags)
Returning to the idea they tried back during the HD-DVD days, Universal Home Video has decided to once again create combo packs that feature a standard DVD copy as well as a high definition Blu-ray disc.
Though not an entirely uncommon practice for new releases, Universal has announced their first DVD/Blu-ray bundles for older ‘catalog’ films. The two-packs will be released on January 5th, and will include the films '8 Mile,' 'Dawn of the Dead,' 'Doom,' 'End of Days,' 'Jarhead,' 'Street Fighter: Extreme Edition' (this is the Jean-Claude Van Damme "film" of the game, not the excellent Sonny Chiba flick), 'The Last Starfighter' and 'The Rundown.'
While Universal has already offered all of these films on DVD and many of them as Blu-ray discs, the combination offering is a way to offload old product while simultaneously hooking the customer on the latest and greatest.
The appeal of the packages seems a bit limited, as owners of DVDs don’t need the Blu-ray discs and Blu-ray owners may have no use for the DVD copies. For those with multiple viewing rooms that sport a Blu-ray player in one and a DVD player or game system in the other, this could be a fantastic deal.
Universal’s new bundle deals come just in time for post holiday shopping where many consumers will undoubtedly be looking for a great deal on movies to watch on their newly acquired Blu-ray players, PlayStation 3s and Blu-ray integrated computers.
This should also be seen as a move by Universal to cement Blu-ray as the only supported format. Sources are reporting that once these combo packs are in stores retailers will no longer have the option to order the DVD version of the film separately.
Source: Video business
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HDD Spotlight Bargain: 'John Adams' Blu-ray $24.99 at Amazon
Thu Nov 19, 2009 at 04:25 PM ETTags: Amazon, High Def Deals (all tags)
The award-winning HBO miniseries can be yours for under $25!
The online retailer has dropped the price of 'John Adams' to just $24.99 (69% off suggested list price).
Click here to take advantage of the savings, and you can read Nate Boss' recommended review here.
- Discs mentioned in this article: (Click for specs and reviews)
- John Adams (Blu-ray)
Adult Swim Introduces Media on Demand
Thu Nov 19, 2009 at 12:00 PM ET
Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim programming is almost entirely unique to the television landscape. Now they have a DVD purchasing system to match.
Adult Swim’s lineup of cartoons is certainly not for everyone. With a programming schedule designed to appeal to adult viewers (though not necessarily mature viewers as they’d be the first to admit) Adult Swim has made a strong impression on many of their fans.
They’re hoping to make an equally strong impression with their new Media on Demand service, which allows customers to create and purchase a DVD of their favorite episodes of several of Adult Swim’s more popular shows.
The entire catalog is not available at this time. Only around 100 episodes are available for purchase, but the number is expected to increase tenfold by the holidays. Shows currently available include two of Adult Swim’s early hits – Sealab 2021 and Aqua Teen Hunger Force – as well as Robot Chicken and The Venture Bros.
Each disc can contain up to 110 minutes of video, which equates to between five and ten episodes depending on what shows are selected. Case art, disc art and menus are customizable through the website.
A custom Adult Swim disc runs $20, and the disc ships within 48 hours. At this time, the option of Blu-ray is not available, but the network only started offering true high definition content recently.
Source: Video Business
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'Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs' Blu-ray Full Details and Box Art
Thu Nov 19, 2009 at 10:00 AM ETTags: Disc Announcements, Sony (all tags)
As previously reported, the animated feature based on the best-selling children's book will rain down on high-definition this winter -- and now we have full details.
Sony is prepping 'Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs' starring the voice talents of Bill Hader, Anna Faris, Bruce Campbell, and many more for Blu-ray on January 5.
The Blu-ray release will feature 1080p video, a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack, and special features will include: Directors' commentary with Bill Hader; A Recipe for Success: The Making of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs; Key Ingredients: The Voices of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs; Flint's Food Fight Game - enhanced for Blu-ray; Extended scenes; Early development scenes; Progression reels with introductions by visual effects supervisor Rob Bredow; “Raining Sunshine” music video by iCarly's Miranda Cosgrove; Interactive "Raining Sunshine" sing-a-long; Behind the scenes of Miranda Cosgrove's "Raining Sunshine" music video; Make It Rain Food.
The Blu-ray will also include a DVD copy of the film as well as an interactive "Splat" button enabling viewers to throw food at the screen during the movie.
Here's a look at the front cover:
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And the back cover:
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Suggested list price for the Blu-ray has been set at $39.95.
You can find the latest specs for 'Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under January 5.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Discs mentioned in this article: (Click for specs and reviews)
- Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (Blu-ray)
High-Def Digest’s Holiday Gift Guide 2009: Blu-rays for the Folks Who Have...Issues
Wed Nov 18, 2009 at 06:30 PM ETTags: Holiday Guides 2009, Best of 2009, High-Def Retailing (all tags)
All relatives are different, but some relatives are a little more...different...than others. Fortunately, Aaron Peck has compiled a list of perfect Blu-ray's for the loved ones who tend to keep us on our toes! Without further adieu, we present High-Def Digest's Alternative Gift Guide for 2009!
by Aaron Peck
Families are anything but generic. With that in mind here's a more specific approach to gift giving this year.
For that Brother-in-Law who is always trying to get you to invest in another one of his "side businesses," you could offer him a subtle hint that you don't think this new opportunity will amount to much by giving him 'Enron - The Smartest Guys in the Room.' Or you could go with a more abstract approach and give him 'Jennifer's Body,' with a note that simply says, "Nothing is ever a sure thing." Whatever you do, don't buy him any movies that showcase someone making tons of money from a harebrained scheme. In short, you can be happy 'Envy' hasn't found its way to Blu-ray yet. Continuing to weave our way through the list of eccentric characters we call our family, what follows is a list of the typical and not so typical family members and the perfect high definition gifts to give them this year.
Deeply Disturbed Emo Sister: She's just turned fifteen and her favorite pastimes are painting her nails black, applying thick streaks of dark eye makeup, shuffling around Hot Topic, and listening to "The Used." Her dour look and demeanor make you think she doesn't care much for life, let alone Christmas. But, being the nice person that you are, you decide to get her something anyway. You could go with the tried and true method of buying her 'Nightmare Before Christmas,' which is always a hit with the emo crowd. Chances are she's already got a zip-up hoodie with Jack Skellington's face plastered on the front. Or you could go with a more subversive approach and get her 'Twilight,' in the hopes that she'll see she's acting exactly like sour-puss Kristen Stewart, and change her ways.
Please avoid happy- sappy movies as these might cause an adverse affect, causing your sister to spiral downward into a state of endless woe. Whatever you do, don't attempt to remind her how happy the world can be, you've been warned.
Slacker Brother: Sitting in the basement playing Halo, this family member is rarely seen with the rest of the family, unless, of course, he has a Hot Pocket craving and must venture out of his cave to microwave his next meal. The Slacker Brother is one of the easiest to buy for. Any movie based on a video game will suffice. You have a wealth of movies to choose from, starting with the 'Resident Evil' films and moving right along to 'Max Payne.' Really, it doesn't matter. Sure he might bicker that the movie doesn't follow along exactly with the game storyline, but after passing out in a Mountain Dew induced coma, he won't remember what he watched anyway.
This may go without saying, but avoid movies with excessive love stories in them. This will just be remind him of a life that shall forever remain just out of reach , given his current rut.
I'll-watch-anything-as-long-as-there's-fighting-in-it Dad: Oh, Dad. Sometimes we shake our heads at his movie choices. How in the world can someone come home from the movie store with 'Saving Private Ryan' in one hand, and 'Catwoman' in the other? We'll just never understand it. In any case here's your chance to help your Dad add some quality titles to his collection, all the while keeping in mind the fact that he likes the rock'em, sock'em "Seagalian" genre of movies. 'Braveheart,' and 'Gladiator' are always safe choices, and if he's buying 'Catwoman' we know that he's not going to be concerned with a few missing arrows.
You may want to avoid films that may further his descent into crappy action movies. He's probably already bought 'Transformers 2,' but you can stop the bleeding and not pick up 'G.I. Joe' for him.
Overworked Mom: She never has time for movies anyway, right? So why not get her something else? Well, because everyone needs to take a break to watch a movie now and then. Here's the perfect time to show her that the old classics look fantastic in HD. 'It's a Wonderful Life,' 'Miracle on 34th Street,' or 'Wizard of Oz,' should do the trick.
Contrary to popular belief I think avoiding movies like 'Julie and Julia' would be a good idea here, it's probably not a good idea to remind her of what she's probably been doing all day.
Clueless Best Friend: We all know one. He's not clueless when it comes to life, but when it comes to Blu-ray and high definition media he's completely lost. He's still out buying DVDs at Border's for MSRP for heaven's sake. Every time he asks us "Is Blu-ray really that much better than DVD?" and we answer "Hell yes!" we just get a strange, skeptical (infuriating!) look back. Since he's already got a semi-nice high-def TV to watch sports on digital cable, all you have to do is point him in the right direction for a cheap Blu-ray player. If you're really a nice friend, spending a bit more money to upgrade him to Blu-ray by buying him a cheap player would be a perfect present. To show off the capabilities of Blu-ray you'll want to get some great demo material. 'Wall-e' or 'Up' would do quite fine in that regard.
Tyrannical Boss: Face it, even though your boss makes your life a living hell, it might be strategically prudent to get a present for them, just so you aren't in the dog house the next time you have a special request. You can give a gift and make a statement at the same time though. After lamenting that 'Glengary Glen Ross' hasn't made it to Blu-ray yet, you can get 'Office Space' as a subtle jab to your employer. If you'd rather not waste a modern day comedic classic on the person who makes you loathe getting up in the morning, then maybe 'Wanted' would do. That way you're giving a solid movie that almost anyone would like, with the satisfaction that your boss is watching a movie that slyly gives the middle finger to administrative tyrants and cubical Napoleons everywhere.
Dirty Old Uncle: Every family reunion he just sits there, a table away from the Jell-o buffet, leering at any girl that walks past. He makes lame jokes about the buttons on a girl's blouse, just so he can inch his finger closer. Drawing the gift giving line right before this person may be a good idea anyway. It's too bad all those Lifetime movies featuring countless deviant men don't usually get put on Blu-ray. But, maybe a little hint with 'Fireproof' might work.
Whatever you do, please do not forward his morbid curiosity with much younger women by purchasing him anything that could be associated with the word "titillating." He doesn't need the reinforcement and the rest of the family doesn't need the added aggravation.
Rambunctious Niece/Nephew: "Stop chewing on the couch! Don't touch that TV! Hands off my Blu-ray collection!" Just another day of babysitting your beloved nieces and nephews, right? Well, what we're looking for here is something that will induce that much needed trance effect that we all crave with out-of-control children. For the niece, 'Hannah Montana' should do quite nicely, although this may spawn impromptu child karaoke. For the nephew, 'Bolt' or any of the 'Ice Age' films should be colorful enough to trigger the trance receptors in his head. Before you know it, you'll have a noise free living room. Introducing them to non-CGI animated features may also be an interesting idea. The 'Wallace and Gromit' collection should go over well with the younger generation.
Just because your little nephew is a fan of Batman, doesn't mean 'The Dark Knight' would be a good choice. You may have to console him after that dude gets a pencil shoved in his head. You don't want to be the person who has to explain how dangerous pencils can be, seriously, he just started school!
(Any representations that may appear to be from my own life are purely coincidental. I promise)
Looking for other ideas? Be sure to check out our other Holiday Gift Guides for 2009!
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'Hellboy: Sword of Storms/Blood & Iron' Coming to Blu-ray
Wed Nov 18, 2009 at 06:00 PM ETTags: Starz/Anchor Bay, Disc Announcements (all tags)
A collection of two animated 'Hellboy' features will be summoned to high-definition in February.
Starz/Anchor Bay Entertainment says 'Hellboy: Sword of Storms/Blood & Iron' will hit Blu-ray on February 2.
Specs and supplements haven't been revealed yet, but suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $17.98.
You can find the latest specs for 'Hellboy: Sword of Storms/Blood & Iron' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under February 2.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Discs mentioned in this article: (Click for specs and reviews)
- Hellboy: Sword of Storms/Blood & Iron (Blu-ray)
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