Blu-ray Picture Quality Reference List

[-Damien-]

I posted this before, but that was on a different forum, so I make the official thread here in our new BR forum

if you'd like to know which movies offer the best blu-ray experience, check out this list. This list is compile by the folks over at AVS site

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=753726

PCM refers to uncompressed audio tracks. This is a lossless audio codec which provides crystal clear sound.

MA refers to DTS Master Audio. DTS-HD Master Audio is a form of lossless packing (aka zip) used to deliver surround audio that is bit-for-bit identical to the original studio master. Current players are only able to decode the core 1.5mbps DTS signal provided for backward compatibility. Future players, as well as some existing players with a future software update, will decode the full extension track with the higher-fidelity DTS-HD Master Audio.

BW refers to Blu-Wizard. This is an interactive overlay in which you can check off a list of features to view. They will then apear during playback of the film at the relevant times.

TIER 0- A deeply immersive experience. Flawless or near flawless transfers.

The Wild (PCM)
Crank (PCM)(IME)
Kingdom of Heaven (MA)
Black Hawk Down (BW)(PCM)
Ice Age: The Meltdown (MA)
Corpse Bride
The Ant Bully

TIER 1- No visible compression, sharp image with many examples of 3D.

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (MA)
Tears of the Sun (PCM)
Underworld: Evolution (PCM)
X-Men: The Last Stand (MA)
Aeon Flux
Sahara
Goal: The Dream Begins
Mission: Impossible III (crushed blacks)
Eight Below (PCM)
Kung Fu Hustle (PCM)
World Trade Center
Training Day
ATL
Transporter 2 (MA)
Fantastic 4 (MA)
The Manchurian Candidate
Phantom of the Opera
Good Night and Good Luck
Toto: Live in Amsterdam
Swordfish
Into the Blue (PCM)
Invincible (PCM)
The Covenant (PCM)
The Descent (PCM) DOES NOT PLAY ON SONY BDP-S1/MUST UPDATE SAMMY!
Pearl Harbor (PCM)
Monster House (PCM)
Behind Enemy Lines (MA)

Tier 2- Very good
Not as many 3D effects, but a very sharp image that feels real

The Brothers Grimm (PCM)
Ultraviolet (PCM)
The Transporter (MA)
Flightplan (PCM)
Haunted Mansion (PCM)
Stargate
S.W.A.T. (PCM)
Enemy of the State (PCM)
Species (PCM)
The Great Raid(PCM)
Syriana
Space Cowboys
The Last Samurai
Stealth (PCM)
Lord of War
Stir of Echoes
Dinosaur (PCM)
Gone in 60 Seconds (PCM)
House of Wax
Blazing Saddles
Glory Road
Sky Captain (purposefully blurry)
Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang
Click (PCM)
The Terminator (PCM)
Million Dollar Baby
Unforgiven
Under Siege
Mission Impossible 2
Mission: Impossible
Speed (MA)
50 First Dates (PCM)
Four Brothers
16 Blocks
Johnny Legend: Live at the House of Blues
Rumor Has It
The Exorcism of Emily Rose (UK Import)(PCM)
Terminator 2
Superman: The Movie
RV (PCM)
Superman Returns

Tier 3- Good
Few 3D effects, some digital noise/artifacting

The Black Crowes
The Lake House
Rocky
The Devil Wears Prada
Hostel (UK Import)(PCM)
Firewall
The Italian Job
Lethal Weapon 2 (bobbed)
Silent Hill (PCM)
Lethal Weapon (bobbed)
Talladega Nights (PCM)
The Devil's Rejects
The New Orleans Benefit Concert
Tomb Raider
Sky High (PCM)
Crash
Dark Water (PCM)
Hitch (PCM)
Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut
Saw
Total Recall
XXX (PCM)
Nacho Libre
Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back
Sleepy Hollow (digital noise)
Reds

Tier 4- A bit underwhelmed
Visible artifacting, softness, few if any 3D effects

U2: Rattle and Hum
The Dirty Dozen
The Fugitive (bobbed)
Full Metal Jacket (bobbed)
The Fifth Element (PCM)
The House of Flying Daggers

[ff81]

Personally I would move The Descent to a Tier 0 title. People bitch and complain about the graininess in the very dark scenes, it's called high-ISO film, it's needed to get detail in very dark situations, it causes a little grain. For the entire movie there is maybe 3 minutes worth of scenes with this grain, yet it knocks it down to tier 1. I was very impressed with it, even more than the picture quality in Black Hawk Down.

It should also be noted that The Descent has a full 7.1 LPCM soundtrack!

[-Damien-]

Personally I would move The Descent to a Tier 0 title. People bitch and complain about the graininess in the very dark scenes, it's called high-ISO film, it's needed to get detail in very dark situations, it causes a little grain. For the entire movie there is maybe 3 minutes worth of scenes with this grain, yet it knocks it down to tier 1. I was very impressed with it, even more than the picture quality in Black Hawk Down.

It should also be noted that The Descent has a full 7.1 LPCM soundtrack!

well over at the AVS, it's based on majority vote.

Personally I'd put Tears of the Sun a Tier 0

Also wanna add, you can hardly tell the difference between tier 0 and 1. So It was kinda stupid trying to differentiate between the 2 categories

[ff81]

Yeah, very true. I can't tell much difference in Tier 0 and 1 myself. I'd also like to add that I think it's unfair that animated movies get thrown in the rating mix. Yes, they look great, but that's because they are computer animated, there is no fighting film grain or anything like that.

[dobleskillz]

Personally I'd put Tears of the Sun a Tier 0

Yeah I agree. I don't own a HDTV but I saw a few Blu-Rays at my bud's house and Tears of the Sun is easily the cream of the crop.

[-Damien-]

list is edited from AVS site

[WizJr]

I already posted this in another thread but now I'm not sure where to put it so here goes again.

Has anyone else bought the Blu Ray Stargate disc and watched it yet? I'm asking because it is the first movie that I have bought and the quality was phenominal! There were parts of the movie though where the background looked a little grainy and I was wondering if this was because of the original, non-HD movie being converted to HD quality or if it is just that the quality is so good now that you can tell when they used a higher speed of film causing the grainyness. I'm not bashing Blu Ray in any way. In fact, I doubt I will ever buy a standard DVD again but I was just curious about this issue. Hope someone can help me understand!

Thanks.

[noble]

I actually watched Blazing Saddles a few days ago and I was amazed at how nice it looked. For being over 30 years old it rivals some of the newer blu-ray movies in clarity.

[ff81]

Crank has been added into the Tier 0 list.

edit: I've got all the Tier 0 titles except The Wild, and I think Crank is the best looking one as far as WOW factor goes out of all of them.

[-Damien-]

Crank has been added into the Tier 0 list.

thanks, list has been edited

[REFLEX]

the list gets edited on a daily basis

[redshift]

Personally I would move The Descent to a Tier 0 title. People bitch and complain about the graininess in the very dark scenes, it's called high-ISO film, it's needed to get detail in very dark situations, it causes a little grain. For the entire movie there is maybe 3 minutes worth of scenes with this grain, yet it knocks it down to tier 1. I was very impressed with it, even more than the picture quality in Black Hawk Down.

It should also be noted that The Descent has a full 7.1 LPCM soundtrack!

I bought The Descent today.

I have one "Tier 0" movie, Black Hawk Down, plus Underworld: Evolution, and Mission: Impossible III, which are Tier 1, but higher than The Descent in the AVS ranking.

I would honestly rate "The Descent" below all of these. It's very good, but I didn't feel it quite had the sharpness of the other discs.

Anyway, it's entertaining viewing. I hadn't seen it in theatres, and it wasn't quite what I was expecting.

[REFLEX]

We should have a sticky for discussion of quality of titles!

[D.R.E.]

What do you need for the PCM and MA sound??????????

[oilercountry]

One thing I don't understand. Doesn't a movie have to be shot in High Definition in order for it to be reproduced in High Definition? Why are there Blue Ray Movies like Commando and Rocky which are back in the 80's showing up on Blue Ray? I have heard of the term "Digitally Remastered", but to me that just means patching things up here and there and not really true high definition.

[noble]

That's exactly right.

They're digitally remastered from the original prints.

While not true high definition, they definitely look much better than even a DVD transfer.

[solinent]

That's exactly right.

They're digitally remastered from the original prints.

While not true high definition, they definitely look much better than even a DVD transfer.

Actually, they ARE true high definition. An analog print of a film has an UNLIMITED resolution (much like how movie theaters are able to give you such a crisp image on such a large screen). When it's digitally mastered, it's made into a resolution by averaging out colours of the original print. When it's re-mastered, the original print is taken again and made into a higher resolution.

Which is a major limiting factor with digital cameras (but diminishing with the number of megapixels).

I hope you understand. (both of you)

[oilercountry]

No, I don't really understand. As an example, I watch HD NFL and sportscenter, and whenever they're showing highlights, if it's a recent game shot in HD, the picture is of course HD. But when they show highlights from a non-HD game or highlights from the 80's, it goes back to the square 4:3 look. Unless they don't take the time to digitally remaster...I always thought that non-HD is just that, NON-HD.

Also, they always talk about HD cameras. which I assume is needed to shoot HD picture. Solinent, does that mean that if someone took the time, they can remaster any sporting event too???

[JadedRaverLA]

No, I don't really understand. As an example, I watch HD NFL and sportscenter, and whenever they're showing highlights, if it's a recent game shot in HD, the picture is of course HD. But when they show highlights from a non-HD game or highlights from the 80's, it goes back to the square 4:3 look. Unless they don't take the time to digitally remaster...I always thought that non-HD is just that, NON-HD.

Also, they always talk about HD cameras. which I assume is needed to shoot HD picture. Solinent, does that mean that if someone took the time, they can remaster any sporting event too???

No... movies are (almost always) shot on film, not video tape. Film doesn't have a "resolution," exactly. However, films are often digitally transferred for editing, adding special fx, etc, but that's a whole other discussion. Even films that are "scanned" for editing are done at a higher resolution than HDTV allows for. All films (assuming they were shot on 35mm or higher film) have a higher possible "apparent resolution" than HDTV if the film is still in good shape.

Sporting events, and TV shows, are recorded on video tape -- which has a fixed resolution. Two completely different formats -- TV shows that weren't recorded in HD will never be true HD (unless they were shot on film), while all movies inherently are.

[REFLEX]

Exactly, thats why the Original Star Trek series (you know, the one with Kirk!) is going to be coming to HD DVD soon this year (its been confirmed), its old - but it was shot on film.

Another easy way to think about it is with picture cameras, you need a good digital camera to blow images up really big, but a lot of decent film cameras you can blow it up HUGE because the "resolution" of a film camera is way beyond "HD", it doesnt really have a resolution - but lets just say if it did it would be far far beyond what we call High defenition.

Film's shot on.. film arent too difficult to transfer to HD DVD or Blu-ray, I mean there is a process - but they do it just fine.

[TGO]

I have Stargate on DVD & Blu-ray
the grain is on the DVD version too
but you'll notice how clear everything becomes in the Desert/well lit places
I was amazed too
I could see every strand of hair
tiny indents in their nose
now I can't wait till I get Underworld 1 & 2