Top 10 DVDs for best visual and sound effects. [Archive] - Audio & Video Forums

PDA

View Full Version : Top 10 DVDs for best visual and sound effects.



Smokey
04-13-2006, 03:56 PM
From Sound&Vision magazine........

1 Master and Commander

http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/assets/image/2005/Q4/119200518463.jpg

The Picture: Director Peter Weir strives to faithfully recreate period detail in this nautical tale — an effort that’s reflected in the refreshingly natural color palette.

The Sound: Powerful surround sound and low-bass effects help to heighten the film’s action. The dialogue is consistently clear and natural, even as cannonballs rip through the ship’s starboard side and careen off the port side.

2 The Incredibles

http://www.armchairempire.com/images/Reviews/XBox/the-incredibles/the-incredibles-2.jpg

The Picture: This is the best-looking animated film ever made. Its hyper-expressive characters and familiar settings are rendered in sparkling detail, from the spotty shave that gets Bob a lecture by his boss to the cracked paint job of his laughably tiny car.

The Sound: Creating a convincing fantasy world calls for some intricate sound design, and nowhere does The Incredibles break the illusion.

3 The Return of the King

http://www.armchairempire.com/images/previews/multi-platform/lord-rings-two-towers/lord-rings-return-king-2.jpg

The Picture: Skies and backgrounds are clean and free of noise, and the colorful computer-generated beasts and nefarious characters are utterly convincing.

The Sound: The music score fills the room during the rousing battle scenes, giving way to the dynamic clash of armor against sword or the deep crunch of huge stones caving in the walls of Minas Tirith

4 The Empire Strikes Back

http://www.dvdork.com/uploads/empiresb_01.jpg

The Picture: The crystal-clear look of the restored film on DVD is even more impressive when you remember the laserdisc or VHS version. And everything from the hurtling asteroids to Yoda’s toad-like skin comes across with new vividness.

The Sound: John Williams’s timeless score plays throughout the action-packed two hours, complementing the splat-splat of the blasters during the battles and establishing the spooky atmosphere of Degobah.

5 Spider-Man 2
(Superbit, Sony)

http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/assets/image/2005/Q4/1192005184644.jpg

The Picture: The picture on the standard DVD often seems slightly washed out, like it was in movie theaters. But on a big screen, Sony’s Superbit version has a vividness that notches up the now-famous clashes between Doc Ock and Spidey.

The Sound: The movie got Oscar nominations for Sound and Sound Editing, no doubt because of the high-voltage action scenes, which contain myriad small sonic details placed convincingly in an equally dynamic surround mix.

6 The Bourne Supremacy

http://www.dailycollage.com/collages/bournesupremacy/tbs_01_thumb.jpg

The Picture: The old-world European architecture that serves as a background for much of the movie comes through with crisp highlights and rich shadow detail. And the surprisingly natural-looking skin tones are a good starting point for tweaking your TV’s color.

The Sound: Equal parts evocative ambience and dynamic slam, the excellent sonics help to drive the story and keep your adrenaline pumping.

7 Pirates of the Caribbean

http://www.the-reel-mccoy.com/movies/2003/images/PiratesOfTheCaribbean_3.jpg

The Picture: With the seagoing passages set mostly under sunny skies, the oceanic sparkle combines with deep natural shadows to produce unusually realistic images with fine details.

The Sound: Effects are placed in the Dolby Digital EX mix with unusual sensitivity. In Chapter 3 includes a terrific sequence of subtle and layered effects — from underwater bubbling to gunshots whizzing past your ears.

8 The Matrix Revolutions

http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/assets/image/2005/Q4/1192005184617.jpg

The Picture: While Revolutions has the stylized green and gray color palette featured throughout the Matrix series, the image quality is terrific. The disc features deep, deep blacks that still retain plenty of detail and definition.

The Sound: This DVD has everything you’d expect from a reference recording.

9 Hero

http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/assets/image/2005/Q4/1192005184516.jpg

The Picture: I’m not one to gush over cinematography, but the sumptuous visuals in Hero are a smorgasbord for the eyes, with deeply saturated colors establishing the mood in every scene.

The Sound: The surround channels are used engagingly throughout, either to create a sense of space or to convey thousands of arrows flying overhead.

10. I, Robot

http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/39912000/jpg/_39912096_i_robot_pa.jpg

The Picture: I, Robot relies heavily on computer-generated backgrounds to create its future world, but the pseudo-environments are painstakingly crafted and crammed with detail.

The Sound: Lots of action in the surround channels during even quiet scenes gives the movie a lively feel.

http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/article.asp?section_id=2&article_id=998&page_number=1

topspeed
04-13-2006, 04:47 PM
Interesting list. I'm surprised by the selections of The Bourne Supremecy as well as Empire. Bourne's visuals simply aren't that great IMO, and I own the dvd. The surround effects aren't particularly engaging either. Empire is surprising if only because they chose this over the more obvious SW3:ROTS, a movie which seems to be on everyone's list as a reference disc.

I'm very surprised Seven didn't make the cut as its dark, brooding atmosphere is a brutal test for a dvd player's ability to render shadow detail. But then again, maybe the list isn't supposed to be about reference discs. Maybe it's about discs that look good on just about anything?

p.s. I like your use of game stills for the pics. :lol:

Smokey
04-13-2006, 06:29 PM
Empire is surprising if only because they chose this over the more obvious SW3:ROTS, a movie which seems to be on everyone's list as a reference disc.

I must agree with you here. Recently had a chance to watch all 6 movies and I thought SW3 and SW2 had the best film transfer. Although Empire IMO is the best of bunch in term of quality.

May be "quality" of movie is also a factor in their list :)

SlumpBuster
04-13-2006, 08:14 PM
Hero was the first movie I watched in true 5.1 DTS. Needless to say, it was quite the introduction. Good choices overall. Everytime I fiddle with my system though, its only a matter of time before Pearl Harbor ends up in player. I'm such a cheap date. :wink5:

L.J.
04-14-2006, 08:04 AM
That's a pretty fun list. The only ones I don't own is Matrix Rev. and Pirates. Hero is one of my fav to grab for demos or after I'm done tweakin'.

superpanavision70mm
04-14-2006, 07:46 PM
Well, when it comes to DVD's...it's tough because very few actually use full-bit rate sound. My favorites for sound are:

BLADE (region 3 Japan) Full-bit rate DTS and the only DVD for the film available in the world with DTS as an option unless you own the LaserDisc, which was one of the last LD made.

HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS (region 3) 1536Kbps full-bit rate DTS, which is staggering!!!!!!!

AKIRA (DTS edition) region 1. This film was meant for big sound and this delivers!

MASTER AND COMMANDER (region 1 DTS) Great subtle sound at times and other times incredibly dynamic and full. One of my favorite films from that year as well and one of Peter Weir's best.

ALI (Region 2 DTS) Great film's deserve great sound and this is one of the few films that gets neglected often, but the DTS edition shows off the incredible score and Michael Mann's talent as a filmmaker even more.

TOY STORY (Region 1 DTS) Great picture, Great sound...nuff said.

STAR TREK NEMESIS (region 1 DTS 2-disc edition). The re-issue of this underrated Star Trek film finally does justice to the soundtrack.

WINDTALKERS (region 3 DTS) Full-bit rate DTS on this as well and it's LOUD and dynamic beyond belief!!!

Smokey
04-16-2006, 01:38 PM
Thanks guys for more movie suggestions.

And may I add Jurassic Park III to the list for great sound....and effects were not too bad either :D

Geoffcin
04-16-2006, 04:35 PM
Thanks guys for more movie suggestions.

And may I add Jurassic Park III to the list for great sound....and effects were not too bad either :D

JP1 was the movie that really got my into what LFE was all about. I saw that in a NY theater that was on of the first to have the DTS tech's install & calibrate the system to DTS specs.

The scene where they first see the dinos, and then walk up to the one feeding from the tree top is burned into my brain. When that dino comes back down on all fours the resulting seismic wave of LFE was something I, or anyone else in the audience had never experienced to that point. For that I put JP1 on my list.

superpanavision70mm
04-17-2006, 08:30 PM
Apparently some people don't read what this forum section is about. While JURASSIC PARK may have sounded great in theaters being the first title for DTS theater sound...the DVD does not hit the high mark as some of the others that I mentioned. Yes, it sounds good, but is a bit dated and needs a newly remastered DTS track at full-bit rate to really bring it up to speed.

Geoffcin
04-18-2006, 02:38 AM
Apparently some people don't read what this forum section is about. While JURASSIC PARK may have sounded great in theaters being the first title for DTS theater sound...the DVD does not hit the high mark as some of the others that I mentioned. Yes, it sounds good, but is a bit dated and needs a newly remastered DTS track at full-bit rate to really bring it up to speed.
Shut the **** up. Your job here isn't to tell anyone what they can post on these forums, that's MY job.

noddin0ff
04-18-2006, 06:39 AM
*snicker*