Transformers HD DVD Reviews incoming!

[Tobi]

http://www.highdefdiscnews.com/?p=239

http://web.mac.com/jawhip/iWeb/HDTV%20Politico/Blog/C2C8FDEF-A6AE-4FB5-9053-8DDC2503FFD2.html

Let's try to keep the format war out of this thread, this is about the HD DVD release, not HD DVD vs Blu-Ray, thanx. :)

[xAgonyxScenex]

>_<

i'm thinking about getting a dual format player in a couple of months..i might get one with my tax returns

[devonnewberry]

I'm gettin' a HD-DVD player by the end of the year for sure

[Tobi]

Another perfect score for transformers, since this one is the most technical review so far, I'll post the whole thing.

http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=30988

I was skeptical about the lack of Dolby TrueHD when they announced the specs, looks like I don't have to worry about it anymore.


The Movie:
Generations of kids, myself included, grew up watching Transformers on TV. The tale of the Autobots versus the Decepticons thrilled us and prompted us to harass our parents into buying an endless sea of toys. I moved on after Transformers: The Movie (1986), but Hasbro has kept the name alive through numerous television series, comic books, and of course, toys. To date, the Transformers brand has made over one billion dollars worldwide. In 2005, Steven Spielberg decided to spearhead a live action feature film, and approached Michael Bay to direct it.

Many of the kids who watched the show in the 80's grew up to be very active on the internet. And there's nothing more fashionable on the internet than to bash Michael Bay. So when he was announced as the director of Transformers, people went nuts. Things got even worse when early design artwork leaked and showed some radically different ideas of what the robots would be. An extreme air of pessimism surrounded the fan reactions, and it looked like the picture might be a massive disappointment.
That is, things did look that way until the teaser trailers made their way into theaters. Everyone who saw them realized that Transformers was going to be dynamic, breathtaking, and utterly exhilarating. Moreover, those much maligned designs worked perfectly when put into real world environments and blown up onto fifty foot screens. All of a sudden, the film went from the most disappointing of the year to most anticipated of the summer. Thankfully, when the movie was released on July 2nd, 2007, it met all those expectations of both fanboys and action audiences alike.
The heart of Transformers is the story of a boy and his car. The boy in question is Sam Witwicky (Shia LeBeouf) and his car is Bumblebee, a Camaro that transforms into a giant alien robot. But he doesn't know that when he first buys the car. His only thought is to impress Mikaela (Megan Fox), the hottest girl in school. But soon things go beyond his control when he finds himself the target of a group of evil organic robots called Decepticons. Bumblebee was sent to help and protect Sam as an emissary of a group of good-hearted robots known as the Autobots, led by Optimus Prime (voiced by Peter Cullen, the actor who voiced Optimus in the original television show). Sam's grandfather discovered the frozen leader of the Decepticons, Megatron (voiced by Hugo Weaving) at the beginning of the 20th century, and now both sides need Sam to find Megatron and his reason for coming to Earth, the Allspark. Now Sam and Mikaela, aided by a varied group of humans ranging from the Secretary of Defense (Jon Voight) to a military team who encountered the Decepticons, have to save the world from being dominated by Megatron and his followers.
It sounds kind of silly on paper, but Transformers was THE ultimate thrill ride of summer 2007. Much of the film's success has to be attributed to ILM and Digital Domain's work on the robots. Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Blackout, Megatron, and all the rest blend seamlessly into the live action. Lately filmmakers find themselves under fire for relying on computer technology too much, but this film could not have been made any other way. However, when the effects are so good that they're virtually indistinguishable from an object photographed live, what is there to criticize? Part of what makes the effects look so real is that the Autobots and Decepticons look like they have actual mass and volume. When they walk, they make cracks in the cement below their feet. When they clash, buildings quake and tremble. They're not clumsy, though. Michael Bay's directive was to make them "nimble ninja warriors" and ILM accomplished it. They don't move like Robbie The Robot. They completely sell the illusion in just about every way possible.
But the film would be nothing without the human actors to ground the piece and connect with the audience. I'll admit I was not a fan of Shia LaBeouf prior to Transformers, but I cannot imagine anyone else playing Sam. He exudes charisma without ever becoming arrogant. He's also really funny, and keeps pace with many of the veteran comedic actors, including Bernie Mac and Kevin Dunn. He also acts very naturally with the visual effects, which once again helps the audience believe in their total integration. Megan Fox is a nice mix of strength and vulnerability. She's willing to take charge when Sam can't or won't, and Michael Bay shoots her beautifully. Josh Duhamel works well as a leading man with compassion. And the aforementioned Mac, Dunn, and John Turturro add some fun humor to make sure things don't stay serious all the time. Bay's decision to bring back Peter Cullen to voice Optimus Prime was a stroke of brilliance. For many fans around the world, Cullen is Prime, and from the moment you hear it's voice, you get a sense of rightness. The film feels authentic thanks to him.
Not everything works. Jon Voight doesn't have much to do as the Secretary of Defense. Not only that, it seems like the only reason his character isn't the President is so Bay could include a really bad joke aimed at Bush. In fact, there's a whole subplot involving the Secretary of Defense, a systems analyst played by Rachel Taylor, and a hacker played by Anthony Anderson that feels entirely useless. Taylor and Anderson's characters accomplish nothing that could not have been achieved by having a pre-existing character handing Jon Voight a piece of paper, saying, "Sir, an analyst just showed me this..." The scenes add nothing, often have failed stabs at humor that don't jive with the jokes made at other times, and generally bring the film to a screeching halt. The audience cares about Sam, about Mikaela, about the military team led by Duhamel. No one cares about Voight or Taylor or Anderson.
The action, on the other hand, is about the best you'll see all year. Bay is known for his dynamic action, especially with vehicles. Here he uses every trick he knows (including re-using shots from past pictures) and was forced to develop some new ones. Bay used as many practical effects as he could to make the shots look as real as possible. The most famous example is in the scene where Bonecrusher rips a bus in half. On the set, Michael Bay actually ripped a bus in half, live, and filled with explosives. ILM later inserted Bonecrusher and Optimus Prime into the scene, but everything else in the shot is real. Bay also mixes things up, so that some of the action sequences use clear long slow motion shots, while others make use of his trademark quick-cutting where he gives the audience a taste of a lot of different views. Often he'll blend the styles into any given sequence for maximum effect. The end result thrilled audiences the world over, and don't look to lost their impact any time soon.
Transformers isn't perfect, but it is a highly successful re-envisioning of the brand that has already captured millions of followers. To meet the lofty expectations of pre-existing fans and newcomers alike was no easy feat, but Bay and company pulled it off. They did it with style, and with humor, and it works. As Optimus Prime might say, there's more to it than meets the eye.
The HD DVD:
I was recently at Paramount Pictures and spoke with Chris Saito, Vice President of Marketing for the studio. He called Transformers the "Signature HD DVD of the year." Of course, when you hear such talk from a man whose very job is marketing, you feel a little skeptical. But after looking at the phenomenal job Paramount did with this disc, I think he may be right. Every aspect of this title has been handled immaculately, from the animated menus to the picture and sound to the groundbreaking web-enabled extras. Let's take a closer look at what may very well be the must-buy HD optical disc of the year.
The Video:
For my day job, I work at a movie theater. I was there when Transformers opened. Michael Bay came to our theater personally and told us that we had the best presentation of any theater in Los Angeles. Later, when Transformers got an IMAX release, Michael Bay chose our theater to take his friends and family to. I have seen the film under scrupulously calibrated conditions and have in fact assisted with said calibrations. I have seen and ran the movie in 35mm and 2K digital, and watched it several times in IMAX. I don't say this to gloat, but rather to inform all of you that I know a hell of a lot about the technical presentation of Transformers.
With that in mind, this 2.35:1 AVC-encoded 1080p transfer is about the best home video representation of Transformers that you can expect to see for a very, very long time. The movie had an incredible digital interpositive made that became the source of the digital prints, IMAX prints, and presumably this HD DVD. I could make out every detail that I saw in the theaters, including the Cybertronian characters etched into the bodies of the Autobots and Decepticons. Color reproduction was perfect. Bay shot the film with many orange and blue hues, and this transfer does not wipe those away in favor of a more neutral palette. The movie was also much grainier than most people probably noticed, but we get all the grain just as if we were seeing it in the theater. What most impressed me that Paramount made no changes to this transfer was that in the film, many of the blacks are actually a dark blue. Same thing on the disc. There were no artifacts or other compression problems that I could find, including during sunset sequences, which are notoriously difficult to compress.
In other words, this transfer maintains all the character and vivaciousness of the theatrical exhibition. I watched several sequences from this disc in a screening room at Paramount, and if someone had told me I was watching an actual print of the movie, I would have believed them. That's how good it looks. While at times Bay's shooting style may be a little too grainy or dirty for aficionados who want nothing but a crystal clear image that looks like it was shot with the latest HD cameras, there's no doubt in my mind that this is exactly what both formats should be aiming for: A perfect recreation of the filmmakers' intentions.
The Audio:
Although Paramount has used lossless audio on a few of their other releases, the space of everything they wanted to include in this set meant that instead of including a Dolby True HD or a DTS-HD MA track, they went for a Dolby Digital Plus track encoded at 1.5 mbps. There's been a lot of buzz about the difference between 1.5 mbps DD+ and Dolby True HD, with many knowledgeable people saying that there is no audible difference even on professional equipment, while others claim to be able to hear the difference right in their own homes. I was very vocal about my outrage that Transformers, which aims to be a benchmark HD DVD, does not feature a lossless track of any kind. But now, having heard the audio for myself, I can understand why professional film mixers, HD DVD technical directors, and more claim that the difference is negligible.
Put simply, this 5.1 Dolby Digital Plus rocks hard. The level of aural detail is most impressive. I could hear every click and whine of the transforming parts, the grinding of metal when the robots fought, and even the startup sound of the 360 when it comes alive. During big action sequences, the surrounds were often used to assault the senses, but I noticed that the mixers would often use the rears for isolated sounds that they wanted to highlight, such as Frenzy's gibbering when he's on Air Force One. The bass has to be felt to be believed. At times it was so thunderous that I thought it might actually affect my bowels. Everything about this track just screams "REFERENCE!" and it holds up easily to the best PCM and True HD mixes that I have heard. Call me a doubter no more.
The Supplements:
This is where Paramount really set Transformers apart from the pack. This is a two-disc set where all of the special features, with the exception of the PiP display, are in 1080p high definition. All of the extras from the DVD set have been ported over, including the easter eggs, and all of those are also in high definition. So far, so good, but that's not what makes the set so noteworthy. No, that honor goes to the web-enabled content, which goes so far beyond what any other studio has done to date that I am amazed it has occurred so quickly in the format's life cycle. As of my writing this, Paramount has not yet taken their servers live, so I am going off of a presentation I attended on the studio lot. But what they showed me was in fact the final product, and believe me when I tell you that it truly opened my eyes to the potential of this new and uncharted aspect of the format.
Disc-one features material that plays in conjunction with the film itself.

Commentary by Director Michael Bay: Bay sits down to give his thoughts on the picture. He's generally candid, although tends to toot his own horn quite a lot. Still, he gives his honest reactions to the film and the people that put it together with him. Several of the comments found here do get repeated among the other features, but some are pretty priceless.
Transformers H.U.D.: Part PiP commentary, part trivia track, this feature is exclusive to the HD DVD. We get pop-up video style factoids that mostly focus on the production or information about the cast and crew. Alternating with that is a PiP window, that shows everything from deleted scenes to b-roll footage and outtakes, animatics to interviews. Considering how much footage and information was available, I thought that we could have gotten more video or pop-ups or both, but even as it is, we get a nice little feature that isn't on the DVD and has some really invaluable stuff.
Web-Enabled Content: This is the heart and soul of the set, as far as I'm concerned. Another HD DVD exclusive, Paramount has set the bar with what a studio can do with web-enabled content, offering a multitude of downloadable options. The whole thing exists in a framework that you can access from the main menu of the disc. This download manager tells you how much space you have on your player, and lets you navigate the various features. It will also tell you when new content is available when you log on.
The main centerpiece is a widget called Intelligence Mode that plays as you watch the film. You will get real time information about which robots are in the scene, what their health and energy levels are, the longitude and latitude of the location, and fun facts. This is done through a graphical interface that frames the screen (the movie itself is resized for the presentation). Note that what you're downloading is only the widget, which then runs while the main HD feature plays. It is not downloading a whole new smaller version of the film with this information burned in on top.
In the "Sector 7" section will be a selection of videos that contain footage not available anywhere else. Paramount intends to release a new video every day for a week starting on October 16th, and will be releasing more videos from time to time, and certainly more as we get closer to the release of the sequel.
Also in the works are new menus based around individual Autobots and Decepticons, as well as a widget that will allow you to get a closer look at the technical details of the cars and robots as the movie plays. From my talks with people at Paramount, it seems they have even more up their sleeve and are looking to take a very future rich disc to which they can add more and more content over time instead of going to the trouble of releasing more and more versions to diminishing returns. It's nice to see a studio so determined to use the technology of these formats to their fullest, and it gives me hope as to what we will see down the line.
Disc two is split into three sections, titled "Our World," which focuses on production and the human characters, "Their War," with an emphasis on post-production and the robots, and "More Than Meets The Eye," which is everything else. The first two sections are essentially one documentary split into smaller sections. They all contain a mix of on-set footage, interviews, and animatics/design drawings. Combined, there's more than two hours of footage available. Everything on disc two is in 1080p.
The Story Sparks: The origins of the project. Steven Spielberg, Michael Bay, the screenwriters, and Habsro representatives are interviewed. Clips from the original show are also presented. A nice primer on how things got off the ground.
Human Allies: A look at the human characters that make up the cast. The interviews tend to be light on substance in this particular case, but there's some behind the scenes footage that makes up for it.
I Fight Giant Robots: Michael Bay is proud of his association with the military, and this featurette examines how they were involved with Transformers. The best parts are the sequences where we see the actors training and learning to eat military food.
Battleground: The best of the production-based featurettes, this one focuses on the shooting of the action sequences. One of the big components of all Michael Bay's films is a go-cart to which a camera is attached that can go up to 100 mph and allows for many of the kinetic car chases for which Bay is known.
Rise of the Robots: An examination of the development of the robots from G1 to big screen. Included are design sketches, Bay's explanation of how he used fan criticism, and footage of Peter Cullen and Hugo Weaving recording their parts. Bay also discusses why he didn't use Frank Welker to voice Megatron, which has been a big bone of contention among many fans (although I myself think Welker's take on the character would have not fit well with Bay's vision at all).
Autobots Roll Out: More of a look at the cars into which the Autobots transform, there's some really excellent technical information here. Bay talks about how he chose the Camaro for Bumblebee, how to light cars, and the Hasbro reps talk about their feelings on the changes.
Decepticons Strike: The Decepticon vehicles get their turn in the limelight. This one has the added twist that the production company had to convince the American military to let their newest and most expensive equipment be portrayed as villains. There's less technical talk here, because to delve into the guts of these machines would require a military rank, but everyone talks about them as much as they are allowed.
Inside The Allspark: A too short look at the all important computer effects used. Interviewed are several ILM employees, including Scott Farrar and Jeff White, whom I both met recently at ILM's San Francisco headquarters. Obviously there's a ton of information here, and the creation of the effects could be the subject of its own 2-hour documentary. A nice overview, but it leaves you wanting so much more.
Transformers Tech Inspector An HD DVD exclusive, this feature lets you take a close-up look at the computer models ILM used for six of the robots, including Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, and Megatron. Quick snaps of these can be seen in the previous featurette, but here you get the chance to view them at your leisure, as well as get closer to the models. A nice little addition.
From Script To Sand - The Skorponok Desert Attack: Just like it sounds, this features on Skorponok. The screenwriters talk about their reasons for using him, and then we get a lot of on-set footage. Seeing as how this focuses on one specific sequence, there's more detail than in any of the other features.
Concepts: About two minutes of really cool conceptual art. I could have watched hours of this.
Trailers: Three trailers, all in high definition. I love these trailers, they show plenty trying to tell the whole story.
The Conclusion:
Transformers was one of 2007's biggest films, and easily the most exciting. Michael Bay perfectly melded state of the art visual effects with some strong and funny actors to create his best effort yet. This HD DVD offers both reference picture and sound, as well as all of its special features in high definition. Not only that, but it also provides web-enabled content that marks a major leap forward in what HD DVD can do as a format. For fans of the film, for tech heads, for HD geeks alike, this disc is absolutely essential. DVD Talk Collector Series.
If you can't get enough Transformers, read up on my trip to ILM. (http://www.dvdtalk.com/hd/transformers_in_hd_1.html) If "Inside The Allspark" whetted your appetite for the computer effects, you can listen to my ILM interviews here (http://www.dvdtalkradio.com/dvdtalktransformers1.mp3) and here. (http://www.dvdtalkradio.com/dvdtalktransformers2.mp3)

[Spanbauer]

Got my HD DVD copy yesterday. The packaging is just awful. If I hadn't picked it up off Target's shelf myself, I would have honestly thought I had gotten some homemade bootleg. The insert is just a piece of white paper with the cartoonish art of Prime on Megatron on each side, and the discs themselves look like white paper labels put together by some office secretary.

Thankfully, the image/sound quality of the film and the bonus features are great.

[Johnny LaPhlegm]

The HD DVD is reference level, tier zero picture quality. My wife is already sick of me constantly replaying my bookmarked scenes :p. For all of the bitching about Dolby Digital Plus 1.5 Mbps, the soundtrack on this movie is flawless. This will be my demo material for some time.

[piturra]

The PQ and especially the AQ was outstanding - complete agreement to all the above comments!

AQ = 5 Stars
@ -10 dBc below REF Level, the discrete seamless surround and bombastic dynamic floor, couch, wall, air and pant-leg moving LFE was far superior vs. our DLP Cinema Theater experience. All 20 Hz to 20kHz Full Cinema Digital Soundtrack was present and the high's was not lacking! The balance all-around was very impressive and the dialog was easily heard even during the action sequences. There was quite a few times I felt that I was in the middle of the action and reacted accordingly, i.e. looked around, ... ducked, ... etc.!

PQ = 5 Stars
What a 1080p feast!!! Everything is sharper, colors more dynamic, 3D like scenes just popped off the screen vs. our DLP Cinema Theater experience. HD DVD rocks!!!

So, I took a few actual live-1080p DLP-screen captures ...
DISPLAY: 62" Toshiba 62HM196 1080p HDTV
CAMERA: Canon A550 7MP on a Tripod / Distant approx. 10'
................Flash = OFF
................Manual Mode / ISO 100 / F-Stop variable between -1/3 to -1

HD DVD MOVIE SCENES #1 OF #2:

Menu example #1 - Rotating Movie Scenes


Menu example #2


Yeah, ... you know who!!!




NEXT Post = "Transformers" HD DVD Movie Scenes - 3 more digital clips
Phil

[piturra]

"Transformers" HD DVD Movie Scenes


This one was hard to freeze, but I did it!!!


Optimus Prime closeup.


The gang!!!

More Images NEXT Post = "Transformers" HD DVD Movie Scenes - HUD (PiP) NEXT GENERATION FEATURES w/PiP

Phil

[piturra]

"Transformers" HD DVD Movie Scenes - HUD (w/PiP) NEXT GENERATION FEATURES - #1 of #2

DISPLAY: 62" Toshiba 62HM196 1080p HDTV
CAMERA: Canon A550 7MP on a Tripod / Distant approx. 10'
................Flash = OFF
................Manual Mode / ISO 100 / F-Stop variable between -1/3 to -1


EXTRAS: Transformers H.U.D. Menu


Peter Cullen background INFO.


PiP Video behind-the-scenes INFO



More Images NEXT Post
"Transformers" HD DVD Movie Scenes - HUD (w/PiP) NEXT GENERATION FEATURES - #2 of #2

Phil

[piturra]

"Transformers" HD DVD Movie Scenes - HUD (w/PiP) NEXT GENERATION FEATURES - #2 of #2







Steven Spielberg!!!



More Images NEXT Post = "Transformers" HD DVD Movie Scenes - WEB Enabled INTELLIGENCE MODE w/GPS Tracking NEXT GENERATION FEATURES

Phil

[piturra]

"Transformers" HD DVD Movie Scenes - WEB Enabled INTELLIGENCE MODE w/GPS Tracking NEXT GENERATION FEATURES

DISPLAY: 62" Toshiba 62HM196 1080p HDTV
CAMERA: Canon A550 7MP on a Tripod / Distant approx. 10'
................Flash = OFF
................Manual Mode / ISO 100 / F-Stop variable between -1/3 to -1


WEB ENABLED FEATURES Menu - It took about approx. 10-15 secs. to download the INTELLIGENCE MODE w/GPS INFO - too fast to take a pic.


New Overlay Screen w/All Sorts of Cool INFO & GPS tracking of course (top right corner)


She looks familiar - Some background INFO.


1977 Camero INFO.

More Images NEXT Post = "Transformers" HD DVD Movie Scenes - WEB Enabled INTELLIGENCE MODE w/GPS Tracking NEXT GENERATION FEATURES #2 of #2

Phil

[piturra]

"Transformers" HD DVD Movie Scenes - WEB Enabled INTELLIGENCE MODE w/GPS Tracking NEXT GENERATION FEATURES
#2 of #2


Bumblebee signals the gang!


SKORPONOK, Decepticon INFO.

============

More Images NEXT Post = "Transformers" HD DVD Disc 2 digital images

Phil

[piturra]

"Transformers" HD DVD Disc 2 digital images #1 of #2

DISPLAY: 62" Toshiba 62HM196 1080p HDTV
CAMERA: Canon A550 7.1MP on a Tripod / Distant approx. 10'
................Flash = OFF
................Manual Mode / ISO 100 / F-Stop variable between -1/3 to -1









More Images NEXT Post = "Transformers" HD DVD Disc 2 digital images #2 of #2

Phil

[piturra]

"Transformers" HD DVD Disc 2 digital images #2 of #2







===============================

LAST NOTE: WEB Enabled "Intelligence Mode" w/GPS tracking
When you get time, you've got to watch the "INTELLIGENCE MODE" w/GPS Tracking. The text** & GPS Tracking adds more fictional behind-the-scene INFO and when a BOT is pertinent to the scenes, the STRENGTH Meter comes ON! As long as the BOT is part of that Scene, the STRENGTH Meter stays ON whether you see him or not!!! Pretty cool to watch how much damage they can take and in some cases, until they are terminated!

**INTERESTING FICTIONAL MOVIE STORY BASED INFO REVEALED:
1. About Sam (Shia LaBeouf) & chores

2. Sam's missed opportunities w/Mikaela Banes (Megan Fox)

3. Interesting INTEL on each of the Decepticons and Autobots while on screen or off (some funny facts)
.... a) STRENGTH Meter STATUS ON
........ 1) ICON Either Represents the BOT's Disguise (Auto, Jet, etc.) or Natural Alien Cybertron State

5. Phone Customer Service (India) Rep. - why he's working there!

6. Maggie Madsen (Rachel Taylor) background - nice INFO to know!

7. Maggie & Glen Whitmann (Anthony Anderson) INFO - why she knew him

8. Mikaela Banes (Megan Fox) connection with the "FIRST SEVEN" - cool INFO

9. How Sam explains why he now owns a $500,000 Camaro!!!

.... etc., ... tidbit's of funny and great Fictional Movie Story Based trivia & INFO!

-----

Also, don't forget to look for the 5 easter eggs on HD DVD disc 2!!! ;)
----------------------------------------------------

That's it for here.

These images represents about half of what I took, to see them all (including these images), go HERE!!! (http://entertainment.webshots.com/album/561074155YUsIfG)

Phil

[Dennis M]

Top notch screen caps Phil.

You really get a good look at the interactive features.

Thanks

[piturra]

Top notch screen caps Phil.

You really get a good look at the interactive features.

Thanks

Your welcome Dennis!!!

FYI: Once you're in the WEB ENABLED MENU ... If you just press the LEFT or RIGHT Arrow keys, you'll get other Menu options (most 'coming soon') and the only one that's working right now is the "S7 icons which has short video funny clips. Three "S7" icons have clips right now, with 3 "S7" more video icons to come.

Each "S7" ICON has one short video clip that you can download & delete after you watched them (which I did).

1st short video is a surveillance video clip in a garage (cool) :)

2nd short video viewing a street from an alley (funny) :rolleyes:

3rd short video a family having a birthday party (could be unsettling?) :eek:

Since "Sector 7 (S7)" deals with the government alien cover-up, these clips of course shows something or object Transforming - I won't tell you what they are, but the 1st short video, ... is an homage to one of the G1 Transformers!!!

There will be SIX Total "S7" ICONS, ... one of these mornings, ... the Fourth "S7" ICON will show-up and I'll check that out during breakfast!!! ;)

Phil

[ClaytonMG]

I couldn't get my freaken web enabled features to work. Actually, I take that back, 2 out of 5 worked.

I'd give the audio 4.5/5 and the same for the picture. There are actually flaws, even though a lot of people are just ignoring them. One is the jaggies in some scenes. If you go to Highdefdigest they talk about them. It's on finely sharpened curved objects and car grills (it's REALLY bad on the regular DVD). As for the audio, there's 3 or 4 places where dialogue is distorted and there's this crackling sound. So while the sound design is probably the best ever, there's still flaws with it.

[piturra]

I couldn't get my freaken web enabled features to work. Actually, I take that back, 2 out of 5 worked.

Sorry to hear about that!

As long as your HD DVD Player is connected to your personal internet, you don't have to LOG-IN, ... the HD DVD Disc #1 will Automatically down-load any WEB Features into your MENU.

LOG-IN is just for you to create an Account, which you can use for the future option to share your personal clips or scene's another consumer. I guess Dreamworks or Paramount will host those personal clips or scene's in their Server and any consumer that Log's-IN can see them @ their home!

Anyway, I've had 100% success connectivity rate (Comcast Cable w/25' ethernet cable from my wireless router), ... including after my Oct. 19th Friday NITE HD DVD night presentation w/15 family / friends present in my 20' x 30' HT/family room - so I could show them the Next GEN WEB Features and those little S7 clips! I didn't have to LOG-IN to show them these NEXT GEN Features.


I'd give the audio 4.5/5 and the same for the picture. There are actually flaws, even though a lot of people are just ignoring them. One is the jaggies in some scenes. If you go to Highdefdigest they talk about them. It's on finely sharpened curved objects and car grills (it's REALLY bad on the regular DVD).

I didn't see what HighDefDigest described, everthing looked sharp on my 1080p HDTV!!! Neither did a family PS3 friend that was over during my Oct. 19th Friday NITE HD DVD presentation!!!

(NOTE: The digital photo screen caps I post above represent approx. 75% of the actual PQ vs. seen live on my 1080p HDTV!!!)

If I have time, ... I'll watch my HD DVD again (like I need another reason ;)) and specifically look again later tonight.


As for the audio, there's 3 or 4 places where dialogue is distorted and there's this crackling sound. So while the sound design is probably the best ever, there's still flaws with it.

Can't agree here, ... [color=blue]the HD DVD is flawless w/no distorted or crackling sound @ -10 dBc below REF LEVEL (w/106+ dBc FAST LFE SPL Peaks - RS Meter: DIAL = 100 / Weight = C / Speed = FAST) and I'm not the only one that would rate AQ = 5 Stars ...

DVD Authority: 5/5 (http://www.dvdauthority.com/reviews.asp?reviewID=5366)

DVD Talk: 5/5 (http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=30988)

DVD Town: 10/10 (http://www.dvdtown.com/reviews/transformers/5245/2)

High-Def Digest: 5/5 (http://hddvd.highdefdigest.com/1110/transformers.html)

High-Def Disc News: 5/5 (http://www.highdefdiscnews.com/?p=239)

IGN: 10/10 (http://dvd.ign.com/articles/827/827463p2.html)

TV Predictions: 5/5 (http://www.tvpredictions.com/2007/10/hd-dvd-review-transformers.html)

-----------------------

As far as the SD DVD audio, ... I have the Target Transforming DVD Case 2-Disc ...



... and one day I'll watch it @ -10 dBc below REF LEVEL and listen for any distorsion or crackling sound.

FYI:
DISPLAY: 62" Toshiba 62HM196 DLP HDTV
HD DVD PLAYER: Toshiba HD-A1 w/v2.3 FW
.... Video OUTput: HDMI
.... Audio OUTput: 6-CH Analog
AV RECEIVER: Yamaha RX-V1300
.... Audio INput: 6-CH Analog
HT/family room size: 20' x 30' w/10' high vaulted ceiling
HT Speakers:
.... Mains & side surrounds: JBL S-26 all-around
.... Center: JBL S-Center
.... Powered-sub: SVS 25-31PCi
REF CALIBRATION: 6-CH INPUT REF CALIBRATED via Toshiba HD-A1 Internal Test Tones - verified w/DVE's HD DVD TrueHD Test Tones
.... Speakers: ...75 dBc ±1/2 dBc
.... Sub: ..........90 dBc ±1 dBc
........ RS Dial = 70 / Weight = C / Speed = SLOW
----------------------
Movie Sound Level = approx. -10 dBc below REF LEVEL
.... w/approx. 106+ dBc Fast LFE SPL Peaks (so you can feel :D the LFE!!!)
.... RS Dial = 100 / Weight = C / Speed = FAST


Phil

[ClaytonMG]

Yeah I'll point out a couple of scenes where I noticed the jaggies. It's not anything huge as you only see it a couple times, but I did notice them. As for the sound, it's on both the HD-DVD and the DVD. In Jon Voit's speech at the end you can hear the crackling. It's nothing major, but it is there. I've tried it on 3 different systems and each one has the same problem (even in WAV format it's there).

As for the Internet stuff, I now have 3 that work, and 3 that say "Coming Soon" and the menu now freezes up when I get to the 3rd downloadable thing. Well I should say it doesn't freeze up, it's just that the selections go away (if I hit menu I just go back to the main menu so it's not really frozen).

Also, I noticed that once the movie is done, you're brought to a menu that isn't accessable unless you finish the movie. It contains the trailers for Iron Man, the teaser for Transformers (not sure why, since it's on the second disc) and another thing that I can't remember.

[piturra]

Yeah I'll point out a couple of scenes where I noticed the jaggies. It's not anything huge as you only see it a couple times, but I did notice them. As for the sound, it's on both the HD-DVD and the DVD. In Jon Voit's speech at the end you can hear the crackling. It's nothing major, but it is there. I've tried it on 3 different systems and each one has the same problem (even in WAV format it's there).

I'll check it out later!


As for the Internet stuff, I now have 3 that work, and 3 that say "Coming Soon" and the menu now freezes up when I get to the 3rd downloadable thing. Well I should say it doesn't freeze up, it's just that the selections go away (if I hit menu I just go back to the main menu so it's not really frozen).

OK!


Also, I noticed that once the movie is done, you're brought to a menu that isn't accessable unless you finish the movie. It contains the trailers for Iron Man, the teaser for Transformers (not sure why, since it's on the second disc) and another thing that I can't remember.

You can access that by ...

1) Go to the Disc 1: HD DVD MENU / SCENES

2) Select the "CREDITS" Icon

3) PRESS: NEXT CHAPTER button

... and you're there to see "IRONMAN" clip, etc.!!!

-----------
Also, don't forget to look for the 5 easter eggs on HD DVD disc 2!!! :D


Have fun,
Phil

[piturra]

Yeah I'll point out a couple of scenes where I noticed the jaggies. It's not anything huge as you only see it a couple times, but I did notice them.

Just watch a bunch of slow panning scenes and didn't see any jaggies on my 1080p DLP @ 8.4' away!!! My Toshiba is one of the few DLP displays that can properly deinterlace 1080i (Toshiba HD-A1) = 1080p.

I verified that personally by purchasing HQV Benchmarks HD DVD.

06-20-07, 10:49 AM
HD NOISE REDUCTION =.................................. 25 PASSED**
HD VIDEO RESOLUTION LOSS =...................... 20 PASSED
VIDEO RECONSTRUCTION 1 = ......................... 10 PASSED (Jaggies - 3 bars, De-Interlacing)
VIDEO RECONSTRUCTION 2 = ......................... within ±10-degree PASSED (Jaggies- 1 rotating bar vs. angle, De-Interlacing)
FILM RESOLUTION LOST TEST SMPTE = ......... 0 FAILED*** (Vertical bands strobing / boxes with the stripped horizontal lines)
FILM RESOLUTION LOST TEST - STADIUM = ... 10 (PASSED*** - No moiré or flickering in the upper stands)

My results coincides with The Perfect Vision Winter 2007 review & benchmark results with the Toshiba 72HM196 HDTV ...



Quote:
(pg. 84)
Digital noise reduction was somewhat effective- a setting of high offered some improvement over off, and it didn't degrade the picture, so I left it on. The processor picked up 3:2 pull-down reliably, but not so quickly.

The same was true for a 3:2-pulldown test clip in 1080i from HD DVD. However, once it did lock on, the clip looked exceptionally smooth, leading me to suspect that it must be performing inverse telecine instead of motion-adaptive deinterlacing. Rather than trying to compensate for the extra unpaired fields in a 1080i/60 signal, inverse telecine simply discards those extra fields and reconstructs the original film frames using only matched pairs of fields.

---------------


As for the sound, it's on both the HD-DVD and the DVD. In Jon Voit's speech at the end you can hear the crackling. It's nothing major, but it is there. I've tried it on 3 different systems and each one has the same problem (even in WAV format it's there).

I listened to Jon Voight end speech a few times @ -10 dBc below REF LEVEL (w/106+ FAST LFE SPL Peaks) which is primarily in the CENTER Channel and didn't hear any crackling.

I've watch the HD DVD movie without the NEXT GEN FEATURES about 4 times now and the AUDIO QUALITY = 5 Stars!!! (like all the reviews linked above)

HD DVD PLAYER: Toshiba HD-A1 w/v2.3 FW
.... Video OUTput: HDMI
.... Audio OUTput: 6-CH Analog
AV RECEIVER: Yamaha RX-V1300
.... Audio INput: 6-CH Analog
HT/family room size: 20' x 30' w/10' high vaulted ceiling
HT Speakers:
.... Mains & side surrounds: JBL S-26 all-around
.... Center: JBL S-Center
.... Powered-sub: SVS 25-31PCi
REF CALIBRATION: 6-CH INPUT REF CALIBRATED via Toshiba HD-A1 Internal Test Tones - verified w/DVE's HD DVD TrueHD Test Tones
.... Speakers: ...75 dBc ±1/2 dBc
.... Sub: ..........90 dBc ±1 dBc
........ RS Dial = 70 / Weight = C / Speed = SLOW
----------------------
Movie Sound Level = approx. -10 dBc below REF LEVEL
.... w/approx. 106+ dBc Fast LFE SPL Peaks (so you can feel :D the LFE!!!)
.... RS Dial = 100 / Weight = C / Speed = FAST

Phil

[canuckzilla]

Hey guys! First things first. I am not a 'blog' guy. I write tons of reviews, etc. but don't post/go to blogs. Simply put, I'm very busy. I PMed this review to Mr. Bay, I hope he reads it though he probably is busy and I understand if he can't.

I feel so strongly about this movie, that he is the FIRST and only celeb I have ever contacted about such a thing. That says a lot, because I am also a HUGE Star Wars nut. :) I don't wear any costumes, but Stormtroppers tend to be shorter than 6'5' LOL!

Below, I am including my review. No links to other sites or anything. This isn't about traffic, just sharing the love with fellow fans. Please enjoy, and have an excellent day!

Transformers; DVD 2 Disk Collectors Edition. Paramount/Dreamworks
Review by Michael A. Bencic

I love the Transformers. Adore them. When it comes to G1 (Generation One characters like Optimus Prime and Omega Supreme) they have a special place in my hearts, on my shelf, and all over the house in fact. Actually, if you click on the GEEK OUT section on CanuckZilla, you'll notice a fanboy following that has defined my childhood as much as Star Wars.

To say I was 'looking forward' to the movie is an understatement. I have fantasized my own live-action film since the age of ten. From the moment Steven Speilberg's production was announced, there was speculation, rumours, anger, and joy. Upon the final release, Michael Bay was proven correct. A box office phenom, Transformers is one of the most entertaining action films ever made, and has turned on a new generation to the Robots in Disguise.



Without ruining the story for the 17 people left who haven't seen Transformers at the multi-plex, here's a bare-bones rundown. Boy and Dad purchase used car. Boy meets hottest girl in high school. Car is actually an 18' shape-shifting-cybernetic-biological-galactic-warrior... and later, a sweet 2008 Camaro. Boy is unaware of his role in Earth's destiny. More shape-shifting-cybernetic-biological-galactic-warriors start popping up causing mass destruction and geek-drool. Girl shows off flat tummy and kissable cleavage. Megatron is the evil-overlord shiz-nit that most super-villains can only dream of becoming. John Turtturo proves why he's the Oscar-worthy king of overacting. Wicked-Awesomeness ensues.

Now, for the mild (but important) complaints. Optimus Prime is not onscreen for the entirety of the 2+ hours, and essentially, you could have just a movie with him and Megan Fox standing on screen; Prime waxing-poetic/transforming/kicking-ass while she blows kisses whispering "I love you Michael Bencic." That's just my opinion though. The story, though fun and interesting, becomes overly complicated for it's own good while adding non-essential human characters that may be slightly humorous or hot, they aren't giant transforming robots thus boring me while I fumble around my remote in search of the Fast Forward button to seek explosions. Or robots. Hopefully both. Oh, and no Dinobots. Grimlock is badass.

What more can I say? There's nothing in cinematic history to compare with Transformers. That doesn't mean it's better than sliced-bread and Citizen Kain combined. Like this years film-spectacle 300 though, this movie ushers in a new visual experience that progresses special effects in a similar manner that The Matrix did eight years ago. The Transformers ARE real. There is not a single visual flaw with the CGI creatures. ILM and Digital Domain (Bay's own SFX company) created characters that—if there's any justice in the universe—should bring them an Academy Award next March. Optimus Prime alone had over 10,000 moving parts that had to be hand-animated. Over 30 hours of nerd-power goes into a single frame of any shot that involved the Autobots or Decepticons. Gollum and Yoda will now seem like the California Raisin's compared to the mighty visual excellence of the Transformer's. Even when Optimus Prime speaks (his mouth shield slides back when he is in battle, and now utilizes lips) there is emotion and strength that give Peter Cullen's voice work more depth than the classic cartoon. There are so many accolades that I could bestow on this film, but in the end, the biggest compliment I pay it (as a die-hard fan) is that this now represents to me a more meaningful and fulfilling backstory/source material than the original Generation One cartoon and characters. Transformer's (the movie) in my opinion, is proper treatment of classic icons, and presents a new universe that I hope lives on for decades with sequels, spinoffs and merchandise that my son and I can enjoy together.

Having the pleasure to review the 2-Disk Special Edition, a few things standout. The packaging is outstanding. One of the best Special Editions on the market for sometime. There was a period a few years ago when DVD sales were so enormous, that studios created hundreds of special releases and many unique packages. It seems to be a dying art with the advent of next-gen home video, but the Transformers is simple design featuring Optimus Prime's and Megatron's metal-mugs on opposite sides of the box, covered by a transparent slip with the TF logo running vertically. I haven't been this enthused about a DVD case since the Fight Club brown paper bag. It's probably the graphic designer in me. I just can't resist that white space! Even the disks are a simple brushed-metal grey.

What's on the second disk is a treat for fans of Transformers' and movie making in general. Special Editions can be a touchy, delicate balance. What began as an effort to use the technology of DVD's for the past 8-10 years to bring more information to the viewer (and, more money to the studios) began to degrade from interesting or inspiring (i.e. Fight Club, Star Wars ) to rehashes of bad publicity specials originally aired on HBO (i.e. Spider-Man 1). Fortunately, Transformers seems to take the Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith route. With never before seen interviews and behind the scenes documentaries, I also LOVE Michael Bay's arrogance/ego which is prominently evident in how he takes on the hard-core (and typically whiny/pathetic) fans. The original designs would appear laughable if literally translated to screen, and with these documentaries we find out how much passion, hard work, consideration, art, imagination and respect did go into this production. This is why I love Bay's ego-trip. From the very beginning, he had a vision, followed it through, improvised when necessary, considered all constructive criticism (fans begging for Peter Cullen as Prime, and the redesign of Megatron's face) and the results speak for him. One of the biggest box-office hits of all time, adored by movie goers world-wide. Why be humble when you know you kick ass?

There is so much to watch on disk two, you could probably fill a weekend if you also consider Bay's commentary on disk one. Similar to the Revenge of the SITH disk of '05, one of my favorites is the 'From Script to Sand: The SKORPONOK Desert Attack' doc that shows exactly what goes into just a few minutes of screen time. From training the actors to use weapons, previsuals of Scorponok, building the sets, finding locations in the USA that can replicate the appearance of an Iraq village, to filming, editing, special effects. The effort is valiant, and a great way to communicate to the general audience—this is just ONE scene. Take all those logistics and magnify it for a 2+ hour film of this magnitude. Suddenly the $25 for the DVD seems even more fair a price.

I'm not a gear head, but I appreciate a sweet ride, and Transformer's contained some of the sweetest you'll ever see on four (or more) wheels. While the Decepticon's were almost exclusively military vehicles (with the exception of Barricade and Megatron) the Autobot's are GM-produced eye-candy. There's no denying that Bumblebee (in his 2008 Camaro guise) is almost Megan Fox-level of hot. Being able to observe the painstaking process that custom car makers went through is fascinating.

Even though I have described a bit about Disc 2, in total it contains the following features:

• Our World

The Story Sparks - Steven Spielberg discusses his love for the franchise and early concept art for the film. Explores how the writers adapted the cartoon into a live-action movie and why Michael Bay is the perfect director for the film.

Human Allies - A look at how the actors were selected and their experiences on the set.

I Fight Giant Robots - An exploration of the military training that Josh Duhamel and Tyrese Gibson underwent for their roles and the various stunts that the actors were asked to perform.

Battleground - A piece on the senior officials from the Department of Defense and Air Force who consulted on the film to give it authenticity and the key locations that the U.S. government provided access to.

• Their War

Rise of the Robots - Explores the interaction between Hasbro designers and Michael Bay to bring the toy line roaring to life.

AUTOBOTS Roll Out - Michael Bay discusses working with Chevy and its designers and the modifications that were made to the cars seen in the film.

DECEPTICONS Strike - The film’s military advisors discuss the “toys” they allowed the production to borrow: F-22 Raptors, Ospreys and A-10 Warthogs.

Inside the AllSpark - ILM’s digital artists discuss the challenges of bringing the TRANSFORMERS to life.

• More Than Meets The Eye

From Script to Sand: The SKORPONOK Desert Attack - An in-depth look at the making of this particularly epic and challenging scene from initial storyboarding through production and visual effects.

Concepts - Early sketch concepts of the robots.

Trailers

Transformer's is a movie that shouldn't be missed by anyone. I saw it in theatres four times. Each of those viewings was with completely different types of people. Women. Kids. Friends. All came away stunned and with the same sentiment. Loving the movie, anticipating the next time they would see it, and what they hope to see in a sequel (Dinobots, of course). Michael Bay, thank you for dangling your giant robots in my face. I couldn't be happier that your imagination and ego were absolutely correct. Giant Fucking Robots beating the Motoroil out of each other is what the popcorn-consuming world wants... nay. The world NEEDS Giant Fucking Robots. Please Michael, just promise me that Grimlock, Soundwave and Unicron eventually join the fight. Love, your pal, Mikey Bencic.

p.s. Tell Megan the baby can't be mine, I've been snipped. Thank her for a great weekend though.

Final Score: 9.5

[ClaytonMG]

It's actually not panning shots, at least not all of them. One of the scenes is the lake scene. There's jaggies in Bumble Bee's grill. Then there's also another scene (can't remember where) where there's the curve from a car door that has them.

As for the audio, there's 3 parts where the dialogue is distorted but now I only remember 2. One is Jon Voit's speach at the end and then also Sam's first run in with the decepticons. I believe it's when he's screaming "ARE YOU USER NAME LADIESMAN127?!"

I am using an HD-A1 on a Sony 60A3000 1080p SXRD.

[piturra]

It's actually not panning shots, at least not all of them. One of the scenes is the lake scene. There's jaggies in Bumble Bee's grill.

Watched that this morning and no jaggies in Bumblebee's Camaro grill!!!


Then there's also another scene (can't remember where) where there's the curve from a car door that has them.

Since I have the HQV Benchmark HD DVD, I know what jaggie's will look like and I'm telling you that I didn't see any problems or jaggies with my HT Setup!!!


As for the audio, there's 3 parts where the dialogue is distorted but now I only remember 2. One is Jon Voit's speach at the end and then also Sam's first run in with the decepticons. I believe it's when he's screaming "ARE YOU USER NAME LADIESMAN127?!"

I am using an HD-A1 on a Sony 60A3000 1080p SXRD.

"ARE YOU USER NAME LADIESMAN127?!" is an electronic voice by the Decepticon Barricade and that's how it sounded @ the DLP Century Cinema Theater! Electronic human voice sound effects but nothing I'd qualify as crackling.

As far as Jon Voight end speech, my Yamaha RX-V1300 & JBL S-Center speaker played that dialog with no static or crackling.

Hope you figure out what's going on!

Phil

[piturra]

FOR THOSE THAT HAVE THE HD DVD VERSION & INTERNET CONNECTION

The final 3 "S7" short video clips have been uploaded!!!



To recap, the first 3 ...

1st short video is a surveillance video clip in a garage (cool) :cool: (an homage to a G1 Transformer)

2nd short video viewing a street from an alley (funny) :p

3rd short video a family having a birthday party (could be unsettling?) :eek:

-------------------------

NEW "S7" CLIPS:

4th short video clip in the back yard or park.

5th short video clip - wonder what that was???

6th short video - could tie into the "Transformers" movie!!!

Have fun!!!

Phil