Update Our Review Pages

[Chris Beveridge]

With the new formats having more technical information about them, what kinds of things would you like to see included in our review template pages? Please keep in mind that it will be some time before we get a PC drive that can break down/check certain elements. I'm intending to add a section to list whether it's single or dual layer but want to hear what else you all think should be added?

[inu-liger]

Video and audio codecs used...a must.
HD DVD / Blu-Ray VS original DVD video quality comparisons.

[Chris Beveridge]

[ QUOTE ]
inu-liger said:
Video and audio codecs used...a must.
HD DVD / Blu-Ray VS original DVD video quality comparisons.

[/ QUOTE ]

The first is something I definitely want to do; the problem will be in finding out what they are; the Samsung doesn't display what codec is being used unfortunately. The Panasonic is due out next week and it may. Hopefully it, the sony or the pioneer will as well. That may be something that requires user feedback, at least until I can get a cheap PC drive and wing it from there.

As for quality comparisons, that will happen for some titles but overall, that's like going back to 1998 and asking for comparisons against VHS. I'm just not keen on it for something as a regular basis piece. For example, I'll definitely be queuing up Ghost in the Shell 2 and doing comparisons. But when more releases start coming out, it's not something that will happen regularly.

[Pyocola]

Well, video/audio is the most important part. Not only codecs but also resolution (720p, 1080i/p) and I guess maybe if any of the extras are in HD.

And what about subtitles, how have they been handled on the titles released so far? Have they made use of text-subs so you can change style/size etc. or are they still using fixed bitmaps? If the former becomes widespread then it might be nice to know what kind a particular disc has.

[Chris Beveridge]

[ QUOTE ]
Pyocola said:
Well, video/audio is the most important part. Not only codecs but also resolution (720p, 1080i/p) and I guess maybe if any of the extras are in HD.

And what about subtitles, how have they been handled on the titles released so far? Have they made use of text-subs so you can change style/size etc. or are they still using fixed bitmaps? If the former becomes widespread then it might be nice to know what kind a particular disc has.

[/ QUOTE ]

They're still doing the fixed bitmaps. However, they are so much better than DVD that it's striking if you use them regularly. I watched the Great Raid last night on BD and it was great with the subtitles, no edging, very smooth. It's a strong step over what we see with DVD.

[inu-liger]

[ QUOTE ]
Pyocola said:
Well, video/audio is the most important part. Not only codecs but also resolution (720p, 1080i/p)...

[/ QUOTE ]

Oh yes! Silly me, I also forgot to put in "resolution" as well.
Well, in this case I'll have to second Pyocola's suggestion/request.

[Skywise]

Right now I really want a HD specific section in the reviews, so it's easy to see what's coming out and what's released.

[gundamseed]

Right now I really want a HD specific section in the reviews, so it's easy to see what's coming out and what's released.

yes i woud also like this . Others have already said the rest . Also what region most them are region free but never know whats going happen a year or 2 from now.

[chirpie]

Maybe a spot that says whether it supports user controllable subtitles? I'd appreciate the feature for the wide films out there like Fist of the North Star, the Ranma movies, etc.


Oops, just realized it's a half year since anyone responded. Probably a bit too late by now. :-)

[inu-liger]

The first two Ranma movies had widescreen video? o.O

[chirpie]

The first two Ranma movies had widescreen video? o.O

Apologies if they didn't. I was going off memory, then I did a wiki search and found an entry that said that it was 2.35. If that's not right, then sorry about that!

[kakugo]

Chris says the first Ranma movie was released in 4:3 by Viz, so I imagine it was animated open-matte and then cropped to 1.85:1 like most theatrical anime from the 1980s.