Cast Away - HDD.com may be starting to see the light!

[SBrooks1]

Update....

Originally Posted by PeterB - HDD Editor-in-Chief

Hi there --

Sorry for the discrepancy with the video. Currently, the way our interface works is there are different entry methods for the review (text, sidebar specs, ratings, etc.), and also, different people write the reviews and proof them. Mistakes can occur, as we input everything manually.

Also, we are looking into a way to better automate the ratings, so our overall scores as well will be a truer average, and hopefully less mistakes.

And as for the aspect ratio, the packaging is in error -- the original theatrical presentation was 1.85:1 as is the Blu-ray, but the box says 2.35:1, as the previous DVD did.

Again, sorry for the mixup with the video rating...

[patrick99]

Originally Posted by SBrooks1

Update....

Does this suggest some of those other strange numbers may have been the same type of error, but were never corrected?

[SBrooks1]

Originally Posted by patrick99

Does this suggest some of those other strange numbers may have been the same type of error, but were never corrected?

Come on now, let's keep a level head here

[MatrixS2000]

Originally Posted by FilmmakingFiasco

The High Def 2.0 Awards gave the best audio to Transformers. Again, I stress that I have yet to hear this disc (and probably won't ever since I'm not interested in this film) but it seems, for some odd reason, that the audio just really was as good as a lot of people have thought. Once more, it just depends on where the upper echelon sits on a reviewer's scale. http://www.n4g.com/News-90330.aspx

I saw that...and it just amazes me that a Hi Def Award given for audio goes to a non-hi def track...bizarre.

And who knows what Paramount would've done for the Blu-ray version. They've been so wonky, first offering MPEG-2 conversions of everything, to later move to AVC. On their audio, they only had DD for blu-ray for early titles and eventually added PCM but even some of their later titles were planned at DD only.

This same issue is going on within Warner. Their codecs for films and not always releasing lossless audio (The Aviator for example) shows that with two formats, one being less equal, that Blu-ray is going to statically be screwed over several times. Warner was nice enough to give PCM to 300 and to The Sopranos but as you said, every one of these titles needs to be mastered in a lossless format as well.

This is why Sony, Fox and Disney are the top tier titles. Each title can be made with Blu-ray, and only Blu-ray in mind from the beginning and a plethora of audio options, sometimes for many, many languages, can be added.

Agreed - and the short changing will keep happening until people stop settling for "good enough".

[thegland]

Having watched Castaway last night,there is no way it should be rated any higher than a 4.Rating it a 4.5-5 is doing a disservice to people who purchase based on glowing reviews.

[thegland]

Originally Posted by MatrixS2000

I saw that...and it just amazes me that a Hi Def Award given for audio goes to a non-hi def track...bizarre.



Agreed - and the short changing will keep happening until people stop settling for "good enough".

I can understand Transformers getting an award for sound.For a DD+ track it sure as hell sounds like lossless.Amazing sound.

[Rob71]

Originally Posted by thegland

I can understand Transformers getting an award for sound.For a DD+ track it sure as hell sounds like lossless.Amazing sound.

Without a TrueHD or PCM mix to compare this one to, there's no way of telling how much better such a track might have been, but based on the upgrade I've seen with other titles, I'm guessing a high-res mix could well have trounced this one. That's not to take anything away from this truly exceptional mix, but this is one case where I think you truly can improve upon perfection.

It sounded good, no argument. But can you seriously say that it couldn't of sounded better?

[MatrixS2000]

Originally Posted by thegland

I can understand Transformers getting an award for sound.For a DD+ track it sure as hell sounds like lossless.Amazing sound.

Some of my DVDs with DTS also sound good...but everything is relative. When compared to a BD with a lossless track, the shortcomings of the DTS track are quickly apparent.

[AlexBC]

HDD is so biased it's not even funny.

Look at the scores for extras on Harry Potter.

BD gets extras in HD and it receives 1,5 stars while HD-DVD gets 1.

On HD exclusive, BD gets 1 while HD-DVD gets 4,5 stars for IME.

[ClaytonMG]

Originally Posted by AlexBC

HDD is so biased it's not even funny.

Look at the scores for extras on Harry Potter.

BD gets extras in HD and it receives 1,5 stars while HD-DVD gets 1.

On HD exclusive, BD gets 1 while HD-DVD gets 4,5 stars for IME.

That has nothing to do with Cast Away, but I'll humor you anyway. So an informative feature that runs the entire length of the movie along with internet content could no way be better than an hour long basic feature? You people need to stop worrying about what some website thinks about movies and their quality. It's one site.

[dobyblue]

Originally Posted by SBrooks1

Something isn't right because on their forums they said....



Now it's 4 1/2 stars for video. I replied in that thread asking what happened because I know it was initially 5/5 for video/audio.

It's been corrected back to 5 stars for both PQ and SQ.

[lgans316]

I am pretty confident that Pater Bracke has forced himself to award 5 star rating when many owners felt that the rating was way too high.

[dialog_gvf]

Funny. I saw it yesterday and it was 5-stars. I looked just now and it was 5-stars.

I was starting to wonder what the heck was going on.

[AlexBC]

Clayton,

the point is more like this:

Originally Posted by AlexBC

BD gets extras in HD and it receives 1,5 stars while HD-DVD gets 1.

Just half a star over for presenting the extras in HD. That's a joke.


But anyways, I couldn't care less for them, I try to watch every title and make up my own opinion. The problem is that the site is highly influential, specially for newbies who tend to think PMB is the ultimate source.

[lgans316]

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film2/DVDRe...ay_blu-ray.htm

[maxi_mus]

Anyone know if the new german release has the same video and audio transfer like the US version?

[HeavyHitter]

I watched the disc last night for the first time in quite a while. For an older transfer, it holds up pretty well - but no doubt it would benefit from a new scan and the cinematography would look stunning. I still find it to be a very good movie on several levels although I realize it's not everyone's cup of tea.

[HD Goofnut]

Originally Posted by HeavyHitter

I watched the disc last night for the first time in quite a while. For an older transfer, it holds up pretty well - but no doubt it would benefit from a new scan and the cinematography would look stunning. I still find it to be a very good movie on several levels although I realize it's not everyone's cup of tea.

Cast Away is definitely one of my favorites. I watch it probably 2-3 times a year. It also has the distinction of being one of the last titles I ever saw on VHS before getting my first DVD player in early 2001.

I sure wish Disney would give The Castaways some love, but I don't see that happening anytime soon.

[Blu-21]

Would love to see a new "Wilson Edition" with a state of the art transfer and loads of extras.