Best Blu Ray to test whole new system.

gregvet

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Hu there, just got my shiny new HD cinema system up and running, and now want peoples recommendations for a great Blu Ray disc (my first!) to really show the best of the new TV and amp.

My system consists of the Sony S350 Blu Ray, Sony DG820 AV Receiver, and Panasonic 37PX80 plasma with KEF 5.1 speaker system. Only watched upscaled DVDs so far but the picture is blowing me away already, cant wait to see actual HD proper!

 

So one disc to show the best my system can do both sound and vision please.

 

Cheers 
 

d4v3pum4

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I would try a search as I'm sure the question was asked a few days ago. Highdefdigest is good for reviews and is particularly helpful in selecting the movies you buy as opposed to rent from the likes of Lovefilm etc.

Dark Knight is one of my current favourites and would agree with the above posters choices (other than 300 which is a bit pants in hd tbh).
 
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Anonymous

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If you want to test your system then quite simply forget the above suggestions and if you only look at one Blu Ray DISC then look at:

FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE

This is how I imagined Blu Ray to look at it's very best and most awsesome.............. and quite frankly it didn't dissappoint

Discs like the very clinically looking Dark Knight pale into insignificance when compared to the above little beauty

DR NO too is quite magnificent as is too LIVE AND LET DIE
 

lbafsaj

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Dark Knight is a good disc, but felt Dolby True HD sound a little disappointing. Hellboy 2 has to be the one. Good film, great picture, awesome sound. Confession, watched Kung Fu panda with the kids. You will not find a better test of picture than this. Absolutely stunning, can't wait for the kids to ask to watch it again.........
 
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Anonymous

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hi fella, the best blueray as to be hellboy 2 looks great and sounds even better and it a good movie.
 
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Anonymous

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For me it has got to be the Band of Brothers boxset. When the see borne shelling of the Normandy defences starts in episode two it has me diving for cover!
 
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Anonymous

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Big Aura:Bond fan, are we?

No...not a true Bond Fan but when I saw the quality these remastered Blu Ray's even I had to succomb to just how sublime the picture quality is....there's a lot of depth too here in these discs

I liked the Dark Knight ( though as a movie much more inferior to that of Keaton's Batman and Nicholson's Joker) but it's picture id too clinical and no way near the depth of picture quality you see on FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE

The problem with Blu Ray and for that matter DVD there is never any consistency in picture quality from Disc to Disc...it's really a matter of pot luck as to whether or not you hit on a very good transfer or remaster.

For example you would hope that the picture quality on something like The Dark Knight Blu Ray too would absolutely excell compared to say the Year 2008 Special Edition DVDs of Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade and quite simply it doesn't .It's a good disc but so are the two DVD's I mentioned

If I could be sure that all Blu Ray Discs were going to have the sublime picture quality as that of something like FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE I would stop buying DVDs tomorrow
 

ElectroMan

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I've got From Russia With Love on Blu-ray, but am saving it for the weekend - good to know it looks so great (there was an article about the remastered Bond Blu-rays in the last Sony magazine but I thought that might be, er, a bit biased.

Wall-E looks amazing on Blu-ray, and Transformers has great picture & sound - but it's not as good a film!
emotion-2.gif
 
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Anonymous

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ElectroMan:

I've got From Russia With Love on Blu-ray, but am saving it for the weekend - good to know it looks so great (there was an article about the remastered Bond Blu-rays in the last Sony magazine but I thought that might be, er, a bit biased.

Wall-E looks amazing on Blu-ray, and Transformers has great picture & sound - but it's not as good a film!
emotion-2.gif


Lowry Digital laboratories were entrusted to restore the Bond Films over the last two years which they have done frame by frame...now that's committment.......and boy it's paid off big time

In my view this is what Blu Ray picture quality is all about...all Blu Ray films need to look as good as From Russia With Love
 

PJPro

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Tallyho:[snip].....
I liked the Dark Knight ( though as a movie much more inferior to that of Keaton's Batman and Nicholson's Joker) but it's picture id too clinical and no way near the depth of picture quality you see on FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE

Blimey, FRWL must be out of this world awesome....as the picture quality on TDK, especially those scenes shot with the super large format IMAX cameras, is excellent.

Have to disgree with your comments regarding Batman and the Joker. I felt the new portrail of these characters surpasses those that have gone before. Batman for adults!
 

moomin

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I would recommend the following Blu-ray Movies - Die Hard 4 - Spiderman 3 - Kung foo Panda (if you like Disney Pixar ) Wall E - James Bond - Casino Royale and World is Not Enough - Iron Man -
The Mummy 3 - Scorpion King 2 - Batman - The Dark Knight - Next - Swat. all of these are really good sound And Vision,some are better than others , i think Die Hard 4 has the best Dts Sound so far , ive yet to watch Hellboy 2 and the hulk as both of these have had good ratings, i hope this helps, im sure you will be pleased with the results from Blu-ray
 

manicm

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lbafsaj:Dark Knight is a good disc, but felt Dolby True HD sound a little disappointing. Hellboy 2 has to be the one. Good film, great picture, awesome sound. Confession, watched Kung Fu panda with the kids. You will not find a better test of picture than this. Absolutely stunning, can't wait for the kids to ask to watch it again.........

Kung Fu Panda was just a blast
emotion-1.gif
 

manicm

Well-known member
PJPro:Tallyho:[snip].....

I liked the Dark Knight ( though as a movie much more inferior to that of Keaton's Batman and Nicholson's Joker) but it's picture id too clinical and no way near the depth of picture quality you see on FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE

Blimey, FRWL must be out of this world awesome....as the picture quality on TDK, especially those scenes shot with the super large format IMAX cameras, is excellent. Have to disgree with your comments regarding Batman and the Joker. I felt the new portrail of these characters surpasses those that have gone before. Batman for adults!

I agree, or for psychotic connosieurs
emotion-14.gif
 
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Anonymous

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dark knight, 300, swordfish, training day, fast and furious 2, star wars on hd, if u can waste some money on hd player, hostel 2. personal film taste really, just got goonies HEY YOU GUYS
 

Gerrardasnails

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PJPro:Tallyho:[snip].....
I liked the Dark Knight ( though as a movie much more inferior to that of Keaton's Batman and Nicholson's Joker) but it's picture id too clinical and no way near the depth of picture quality you see on FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE

Blimey, FRWL must be out of this world awesome....as the picture quality on TDK, especially those scenes shot with the super large format IMAX cameras, is excellent.

Have to disgree with your comments regarding Batman and the Joker. I felt the new portrail of these characters surpasses those that have gone before. Batman for adults!

Couldn't agree more. I was worried that Ledger's performance had been hyped up but he was superb.

I would add Big Fish to the list of films to test for picture and sound, Ice Age 2, Ratatouille and Band of Brothers is amazing as already mentioned. I'm looking forward to having a quick preview of Sweeney Todd in a bit and probably watch it properly tomorrow.
 
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Anonymous

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As great as The Dark Knight is the picture quality is only amazing in its IMAX shots.. there are way better discs with better picture quality..if you are lookin for animations go with Wall*E or Ratatouille if its live action then go for No Country For Old Men or The Incredible Hulk.

Hellboy 2 got 4/5 for picture quality on the High Def Digest website so maybe not the best to show off your system with.

I just watched the Matrix Trilogy and my jaw was literally on the floor for the duration of all three movies and i believe is was worth every bit of its 5/5 star picture quality rating. It also got 5/5 for audio too! Reference quality stuff!

http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/300/matrix_umc.html
 

gregvet

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Thanks guys n gals. Have got No Country For Old Men, Wall-E and Blade Runner (none of you advised it but I wanted to see what could be done with an old film I know well, if that makes sense) on they're way from good 'ol Play, so hoping to get a couple of jaw on the floor moments tomorrow when I finally get home from work.ÿ
 
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Anonymous

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This one will throw you all - The Orphanage. It is a very good film with excellent picture quality that really tests your screens dark detail. The soundtrack is fantastic (IMHO) because it is relatively understated the majority of the time, just helping the film along nicely. However it is very atmospheric adding immensly to the eeriness of the film.

Obviously it has it's louder moments which can to make you jump. The dynamic range is put to brilliant effect.

Only my opinion of course, but I really enjoyed the whole package on this film. Sure, Hellboy II, Dark Knight, Casino Royale and others provide high octane thrills but 'orphanage' allows you to appreciate the added value of a seemlessly integrated soundtrack, picture and story.
 

professorhat

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I agree, the Orphanage was very good indeed. It depends what you want from your showcase disc obviously as, as you say, it's no blockbuster action movie! Genuinely quite scary as well I thought (which is a rare treat these days!). I've seen better pictures though - not to say it's bad, it's very good, just not the best.
 
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Anonymous

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Glad to see he ordered Blade Runner. Brilliant film and excellent transfer onto HD
 
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Anonymous

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well how about some music blu rays to give your system a workout, try celene dion live in las vegas this is some concert, also try tony bennett an american classic ,, also legends of jazz.. and if you like classical try the sampler blu ray opera and ballet the blu ray experience .. all these discs look brill and sound fantastic in hd sound...
 
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Anonymous

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dvdaudio:well how about some music blu rays to give your system a workout, try celene dion live in las vegas this is some concert, also try tony bennett an american classic ,, also legends of jazz.. and if you like classical try the sampler blu ray opera and ballet the blu ray experience .. all these discs look brill and sound fantastic in hd sound...

Any suggestions / online stores to buy the music BDs ?
 

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