Transformers HDDVD review

ilikesound

ok, so i picked this up this morning and wanted to share what i thought about this flick.

PICTURE: this movie has the best possible picture i have EVER SEEN in an hddvd movie. i can't believe how crisp and fluid it appears. the lighting on the robots armor is accurately mapped, and shadows just look nice, dark and perfect. The entire film is very well done as far as the actual filming goes, and the cgi is just immaculate. Everything is VERY colorful. The action scenes do pan around a bunch, but the picture never appears blurry or out of focus. there are hardly any motion artifacts that i can see and ...man it's just something you have to see!

SOUND: The sound is only 5.1, which is dissapointing. i was expecting DTS as a menu-selectable option. Though i'm not sure, my avr is displaying DTS+NEO:6 right now, so maybe it's encoded. whatever. The surround effects are lacking just a bit, they aren't quite as loud as i would have liked. voices are pretty well done and center channel inteligebility is superb at all times. fronts are producing powerful midbass, and there is PLENTY of sub-bass information all over the place. robots smashing things sounds extremely intense.

OVERALL : The movie Transformers on HDDVD is a MUST OWN film. mine came with a free Autobots hat, which was cool, AND it was only a 30 dollar movie, which is actually kind of cheap if you ask me.
The special features on this movie are to die for. There's all kinds of cool web-enabled content as well as cool information that displays the robot's health and other things in-movie. if you have an hddvd player, do yourself a favor and try to get this movie ASAP.

just my 2c.!

jdhdiggs

You do know that we do have a movies and music area right? Just checking!

Face

I should be getting mine tomorrow or the day after, I'm really looking foward to seeing it now.

BaggedLancer

just got mine, gonna watch it in about 10 minutes soon as i finish inhaling this sandwich

BIZILL

just one more heads up...most circuit city's have any blu-ray or hd dvd $29.99 or less as buy 1 get 1... my transformers came out to $15.

i can't wait to get home and watch this my damn self either. i haven't seen it at all and neither have the boys. tonight will be fun!!!

BaggedLancer

Just watched it. Amazing.

I'm jealous of you guys with the SVS's. This movie had my Velodyne rockin the house, i can only imagine with the SVS.

The sound, the picture, incredible......definately a must own

ilikesound

i didn't know we had a movie and music section, sorry for the post in the wrong area. just thought it was an amazing flick and was hasty to post!!:eek:

BaggedLancer

Megan Fox can ride with me any day! Oh, she can lay on my hood too.

mantis

I totally agree. I just finished watching it on HD DVD and it's simply killer. The audio track is one of the very best I have heard. It's top notch as well is the video quality. I was hoping for 16x9 but it didn't make much of a difference.
I really liked the movie. I saw it 2x in the theater.

Dan

BaggedLancer

I'll be watching it again tomorrow, didn't quite get enough of megan fox this time around.

fireshoes

I thought the surround use was quite aggressive. Loved everything about picture and sound, and the movie wasn't bad either.

BIZILL

BaggedLancer wrote: »

I'll be watching it again tomorrow, didn't quite get enough of megan fox this time around.

i personally liked the code-cracker/anti-hacker chick deal with the blonde hair over fox.

and like i mentioned in the other thread, 1:56:10 there is a bass note that will 'bring the pain'!

ND13

Got the HDDVD at BB yesterday, with only 2 left in the rack. Watched it with the boys and thought it was very well done....even the acting, except for Turturro's(sp?) part, was better than expected for this type of film. IMO, the cgi was up there and beyond most anything that I've seen, to date.

One of those rare films that provides solid entertainment for just about every sect of the viewing public. 8 out of 10 stars.

A definite must own for anyone with a hi-def theatre.

BaggedLancer

BIZILL wrote: »

i personally liked the code-cracker/anti-hacker chick deal with the blonde hair over fox.

and like i mentioned in the other thread, 1:56:10 there is a bass note that will 'bring the pain'!

Oh yea, the accent will get me involved anyday. I love chicks with accents. If their face/body is only a 8/10 it instantly makes them a 10/10 easily.

Bill Ayotte

I agree with the picture, it was the best I have seen as well....The sound was great, and all I've got is a small 2ch. rig....

AndyGwis

just one more heads up...most circuit city's have any blu-ray or hd dvd $29.99 or less as buy 1 get 1... my transformers came out to $15.

Is this advertised at CC? I bought the HD-DVD for $29.99 there yesterday and didn't see any offer like this.

So, I potentially could've walked out with 2 HD-DVDs for $29.99? I wonder if they will let me get the offer after the fact.

BaggedLancer

AndyGwis wrote: »

Is this advertised at CC? I bought the HD-DVD for $29.99 there yesterday and didn't see any offer like this.

So, I potentially could've walked out with 2 HD-DVDs for $29.99? I wonder if they will let me get the offer after the fact.

No it's not advertised and its only a matter of time before corporate catches on. Definately a mistake on CC's part and lucky for anyone who got in on the deal.

AndyGwis

Damn, can't believe I wasn't "in the know" yesterday. I felt like crap yesterday morning, which ended up being a good thing as I took the afternoon off, picked up the movie on the way home, and watched it in full force cuz none of my neighbors are home during the day.

I'm going to head that way at lunch (CC) to see if they won't hook a brother up with another HD-DVD for the same cost. Might just buy another copy of Transformers HD-DVD if needed. It would make a fine gift for Xmas, along with a A20 HD-DVD player for around $215.

shack

BaggedLancer wrote: »

Definately a mistake on CC's part and lucky for anyone who got in on the deal.

I really don't like to actually shop INSIDE CC. When I picked up my copy yesterday (standard DVD) and take it up to the counter, the guy says "you know that isn't the $13.99 DVD don't you? (because it has some stupid card in it). I asked how I might possibly know this since there were 20± exactly like the one I was holding in the slot on the rack with a $13.99 SALE sticker prominently displayed. He acted like I SHOULD have known. I asked if he (or one of the 15 or so sales associates standing around) would be kind enough to go back to the DVDs and get me the CORRECT $13.99 DVD since I was obviously not up to the task. After he looked at me like I had asked him to walk through a pit of poisonous snakes...he grudgingly found me a copy without the fancy little card inside the shrink wrap and I went happily on my way.

The only way to shop at CC is to order online and pick it up at the warehouse desk. That way you only have to venture a few feet into the store.

BTW I will probably be watching it tonight. Tour is dropping by to flop for the night on his way back to Tejas and it might be a good way to show off my HT rig.

Ron-P

You are one of very few who were not impressed with the audio, most everyone is claiming reference audio with the DD+ track. It was encoded at a high bitrate but it's a shame they dropped the lossless TrueHD track due to space issues and the fact they had to put extras on the disc, those are a total waste.

If you want extras put them on a second disc and charge $5 or $10 more for it, that way the movie disc gets the best A/V possible.

Early B.

I agree with ilikesound on the audio. It was OK, but not reference quality, at least on the basic DD version. Maybe I was expecting too much and hoping for SQ like War of the Worlds.

reeltrouble1

Like Shack I bought the standard version, 30.00 bucks is too much for a movie my grandson will be watching far more than anyone else in the house.

RT1

AndyGwis

What was the sound format for the movie? Dolby Plus? DTS?

The only choice from the menu was DD+, but when I fed the signal to my HK via coaxial, it seemed to decode DTS according to the display/icon?

Does that mean that while I was listening to it through HD-XA1 to HK via 6-channel analog, I was getting DD+, but when I switched to digital (coaxial), my HK could only process DTS?

Ron-P

Even though your HK was reading DTS you were getting DD+. From what I understand all pre-pros read DTS even though it's a DD+ signal.

auto_pilot

Has anyone slowed down the speed while they transform? I want to know if they actually show each part moving and changing...and not just blurring it out to look like a transformation...

I'll be getting mine someday soon...

Systems

I noted this in the other Transformers thread.. But I swear I had a bonified religious experience watching this movie in my new HT yesterday. Absolutely friggen awesome. This movie for me is the key HD movie right now that others will be judged to.

I cant wait for Spiderman 3.

AndyGwis

Even though your HK was reading DTS you were getting DD+. From what I understand all pre-pros read DTS even though it's a DD+ signal.

Thanks, Ronnie. I just wanted to make sure when I switched to digital, I was getting the good stuff. From my ears, it sounded as good as it did through 6-channel analog BUT with better bass response.

I agree with Silver, this is my new demo movie as it demos (demolishes) the competition. When the cop car Decepticon starts chasing Bubblebee and the rock music blares in, I got goosebumps and cranked it up another 5 dbs.

danger boy

I got the special edition DVD and the HD-DVD special edition... even though I don't have an HD player, yet.

Ron-P

I just spun about 15 minutes of this HD-DVD and all I can say to you guys experencing lacking audio, check your settings, this is by far the best DD+ track todate. From low end to high, this is one fantastic audio track.

I saw this 3 times in the theater and the HD-DVD blows that experience away in every aspect.

My Outlaw 950 also showed DTS with the DD+ track.

AndyGwis

Yeah, if anything, I thought the video was good and the audio great / unbelievable. I was surprised by others that thought it was the other way around. I could've closed my eyes and loved this movie.

BTW, my Plasma isn't top-notch so this very well may be the best picture to date on better TVs.

BIZILL

I only have optical. but by far, the BEST audio of any title i own in high def! and andy/ron, i believe dd+ is converted to dd or dts. and yes, the circuit city deal was a mistake on their part. it's still working at some locations are still running with it today. buy any high def under $29.99 and get another free.