Face/Off: What could have been...

[davcole]

Watched it the other day and thought as great as the picture and the audio is, imagine what it could have been without the DNR and the lossy audio.

Seriously, video-wise the blacks are solid, the colors are solid and the picture pretty much free of compression artifacts. The only thing that degrades the picture is the excessive DNR. If the characters faces and backgrounds didn't look so waxy, you would have a Top Tier transfer.

As for the audio, the DTS-ES really kicks a**. Seriously one of the best legacy soundtracks i've heard! Now imagine if they had released it in PCM or a lossless soundtrack. It would have been a revelation.

I do hope that one day, Paramount will do this title justice.

Thoughts?

[TheForce8686]

I didnt notice those things. I thought it looked really good. Much, much better then my old dvd.

[DetroitSportsFan]

The UK version has better picture quality as well as lossless audio, and is compatible in Region A players.

Review:
http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/869/faceoff_uk.html

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Face-Off-Blu...9850165&sr=1-2

[kpkelley]

Originally Posted by DetroitSportsFan

Review:
http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/869/faceoff_uk.html

I wonder if we can get a review from a "respected" authority. That "reviewer" gave a 5-star rating to the lossy audio on the HD-DVD.

[DetroitSportsFan]

Originally Posted by kpkelley

I wonder if we can get a review from a "respected" authority. That "reviewer" gave a 5-star rating to the lossy audio on the HD-DVD.

I agree, HDD's reviews are sometimes suspect.

[Lucy Diamond]

Originally Posted by kpkelley

I wonder if we can get a review from a "respected" authority. That "reviewer" gave a 5-star rating to the lossy audio on the HD-DVD.

Dude, that is so weird...I quoted a review from another site yesterday and they deleted my post!?!?!

I feel so dirty.

It was in a Heroes thread. They trashed the AQ and PQ here and it got a stellar review elsewhere so I threw in the link.

They deleted it!!?!?

Odd.

[dobyblue]

Originally Posted by Lucy Diamond

Dude, that is so weird...I quoted a review from another site yesterday and they deleted my post!?!?!

I feel so dirty.

It was in a Heroes thread. They trashed the AQ and PQ here and it got a stellar review elsewhere so I threw in the link.

They deleted it!!?!?

Odd.

Are you talking about this post?
https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.p...1&postcount=85

Took me 2 seconds to find it using the search function. None of your posts have been deleted, at least not within the last two weeks of your posting history that I just looked through.

[davcole]

Thanks for the link to the review, however it states that there is also DNR on that release. I'm posing what it could have been without any DNR'.

That audio review is interesting, seemed to prefer the DTS. I'd be curious to hear a true 6.1 lossless track.

[dobyblue]

Originally Posted by davcole

Thanks for the link to the review, however it states that there is also DNR on that release. I'm posing what it could have been without any DNR'.

It might have been an absolute mess. DNR does not equal bad picture, excessive use does.

The British import has incredible picture quality and the PCM track is excellent.

[ClaytonMG]

The import is also DNR'd, with only a slight improvement over Paramount's release. But Paramount actually changed the opening titles for some reason which I don't think many people picked up on. But then also, the import version cut out a few shots which isn't that noticable, but if you've seen the movie you'll go "what?"

And I actually prefer, and this is the only time I'll be saying this, the DTS track to the PCM. The PCM sounded extremely in your face and not in a good way. The DTS track actually seemed pretty well mixed (probably because it was remastered). In the opening when Castor Troy is getting out of his car and his theme is playing, in the front right channel, the PCM track distorts ever so slightly. On the DTS track, it sounds fine.

[Darth Lavender]

Originally Posted by davcole

As for the audio, the DTS-ES really kicks a**. Seriously one of the best legacy soundtracks i've heard! Now imagine if they had released it in PCM or a lossless soundtrack. It would have been a revelation.

What exactly was the problem with DTS-ES track? Could you be more specific? Some sort of aliasing artefact? Artificiality to the higher registers?

I agree about the DNR. I didn't even know what DNR was when I first watched that, but I could tell something was very wrong with the picture.
The audio, however, I don't see what it is you're criticising.


Sarcasm aside (yes, you are an idiot. Not for criticising the lack of lossless, but for criticising the lack of lossless based on what seem to be ill informed opinions, etc.) Not every audio track will benefit from lossless. My Matrix HDDVDs have one of the best Dolby Digital Plus soundtracks I have ever heard. And, when I switch it to the Lossless TrueHD... It sounds EXACTLY the same (after adjusting the volume)
There are cases were Lossless is an advantage... Batman Begins seems to sound significantly 'clearer' in lossless... like a very, very thin veil had been lifted from the higher registers... But most of the time, the ONLY reason to want lossless, is just for something in the nature of 'bragging rights' (I was watching an interview with a fellow from Dolby who said exactly the same thing... to him, the reason for lossless is just to know it's the very best quality (even if it doesn't actually sound any better))

I do think all Blu-Rays should be released with lossless audio, just because there's no reason not to. But, most of the time, a lossy soundtrack barely even qualifies as a 'flaw'

[ClaytonMG]

Originally Posted by Darth Lavender

What exactly was the problem with DTS-ES track? Could you be more specific? Some sort of aliasing artefact? Artificiality to the higher registers?

I agree about the DNR. I didn't even know what DNR was when I first watched that, but I could tell something was very wrong with the picture.
The audio, however, I don't see what it is you're criticising.


Sarcasm aside (yes, you are an idiot. Not for criticising the lack of lossless, but for criticising the lack of lossless based on what seem to be ill informed opinions, etc.) Not every audio track will benefit from lossless. My Matrix HDDVDs have one of the best Dolby Digital Plus soundtracks I have ever heard. And, when I switch it to the Lossless TrueHD... It sounds EXACTLY the same (after adjusting the volume)
There are cases were Lossless is an advantage... Batman Begins seems to sound significantly 'clearer' in lossless... like a very, very thin veil had been lifted from the higher registers... But most of the time, the ONLY reason to want lossless, is just for something in the nature of 'bragging rights' (I was watching an interview with a fellow from Dolby who said exactly the same thing... to him, the reason for lossless is just to know it's the very best quality (even if it doesn't actually sound any better))

I do think all Blu-Rays should be released with lossless audio, just because there's no reason not to. But, most of the time, a lossy soundtrack barely even qualifies as a 'flaw'

What's odd about that, is that the Dolby Digital Plus track is the exact same as a Dolby Digital track. I believe in one article, they explain that Dolby Digital Plus is basically the same as a 640kbps track, but HD DVD's specs don't allow for that so they have to up the bitrate because of the way it's required to be decoded. Something along those lines, but either way. It's a WB release. Dolby Digital "Plus" is the same as Dolby Digital.

[davcole]

Originally Posted by Darth Lavender

Sarcasm aside (yes, you are an idiot. Not for criticising the lack of lossless, but for criticising the lack of lossless based on what seem to be ill informed opinions, etc.) Not every audio track will benefit from lossless. My Matrix HDDVDs have one of the best Dolby Digital Plus soundtracks I have ever heard. And, when I switch it to the Lossless TrueHD... It sounds EXACTLY the same (after adjusting the volume)

Excuse me? I'm an idiot, cause I ask in a thread Imagine what it could have been? Please read before you embarrass yourself!!

If you read what I said, I said it had a kick-a** legacy track. Where is the criticism in that?

While I will agree with you that not every track will reap benefits with a lossless track, many will and I happen to think that FACE/OFF would be a title that would.

Before you make comments on what you feel may be ill advised, make sure you read what is said. It may save you embarrassment!!

[Clark Kent]

I think some DNR is baked into the current HD master of this title, long before it was released on Blu-ray. It is on both BD releases by separate studios and which were different video encodes. I am happy with the UK import BD.

[lgans316]

Face/Off (Japan / NL Import - BVHE - Region Free)

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