Flexicon9

This is a rather good list a guy made some time ago but I have several of these HD-DVDs and this information is correct to my knowledge, especially in regards to discs such as The Deer Hunter, Animal House and The Thing.

from AVS Forum...

"I have personally confirmed the following HD DVDs look better than their Blu-ray counterparts either due to better grain structure, less contrasty boosting, or both:

RELEASES THAT LOOK *MUCH* BETTER ON HD DVD than Blu-ray
Animal House
Apollo 13
Army of Darkness
The Big Lebowski
Coming to America
Daylight
The Deer Hunter
The Sting
The Thing
Waterworld

RELEASES THAT LOOK *SLIGHTLY* BETTER ON HD DVD than Blu-ray
Casino
The Mummy
The Mummy Returns
U-571

RELEASES WITH BETTER AUDIO ENCODES ON HD DVD than Blu-ray
The Lady in the Water

RELEASES THAT LOOK SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER ON BLU-RAY THAN HD DVD
12 Monkeys
The Breakfast Club
Flags of Our Fathers
Miami Vice

RELEASES THAT ARE CONFIRMED TO LOOK SIMILAR ON HD DVD & BD
An American Werewolf in London
Billy Madison
Bulletproof
Darkman
Dune
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Happy Gilmore
Tremors
Most Warner/Paramount titles unless otherwise specified.

RELEASES THAT LOOK and SOUND BETTER ON STANDARD DVD than any HIDEF release
The Last Starfighter (1999 CE DVD - Blu-ray / HD DVD extremely DNR'd and has missing audio cue)

RELEASE THAT HAVE ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACKS ONLY ON DVD, HIDEF only have modified SOUND EFFECTS or MUSIC
Conan the Barbarian series (Blu-ray music problems)
Smokey and the Bandit (DVD Pursuit Pack - HD/BD dont have original sound effects)
Terminator (extremely old Image DVD is actually best mono track - HD/BD dont have original sound effects, subsequent DVDs have comparatively poor bass on mono track)"

@SilverWook - Yes, I have the Animal House combo disc and Amazon has it listed still for under $5...

http://www.amazon.com/National-Lampoons-Animal-House-Combo/dp/B000G8P1VE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1374273379&sr=8-1&keywords=Animal+House+hd-dvd

@DJ - That would be great if you just slapped Streets of Fire onto BD, no extras or Team Blu time involved... just a basic transfer of the film.  There are many fans out there who never jumped on HD-DVD and they are still waiting for a Blu-ray.  By the way Deej, Thanks for everything you have done.  I really, really appreciate all your work here.  Conan is awesome and these projects just keep things alive around here.  Couldn't ask for better craftsmanship.

"Let me tell you of the days of High Adventure..."

1982 was a mind fuck for a kid of any age.  That year saw the U.S. release of The Road Warrior, Tron, Poltergeist, Blade Runner, The Thing, Fast Times, E.T., Wrath of Khan and of course, Conan The Barbarian.

Is that something?  These films are still so alive it seems like yesterday.  Have you ever seen the like? ;)

I read a lot of comments from obviously younger viewers today who dismiss some or all of these films as being anachronisms from a bygone era, better left by the roadside of forgotten dreams and dated wistfulness.

That's a shame.

For me these films and that time still stand second to none in the cinematic order of the universe.  I can't imagine another time or place that realized so many of my celluloid dreams and nightmares so beautifully.

When Team Blu's project arrived via DJ's steadfast efforts, I couldn't help but feel a little melancholy.  I realized that this would be the first time in a long time, perhaps even decades, that I would experience Conan the Barbarian in perfect visual and aural fashion... maybe the very first time if you really think about it.

So in went the disc, out went the lights and on went the show.  The chronicler's voice resonated with crackling bravado and the room began to fill with that thunderous operatic masterwork we have all come to know and love...

WOW.  Just fucking WOW.

Basil Poledouris' soundtrack boomed and bristled like never before and its relentless power shook the walls and the critters and my core.  Many refer to his score as the greatest ever composed and they may be right.  All due respect to John Williams and that glorious era of film music.

The molten fire and ash began to illuminate the room in white hot amber hues and the striking color splashed across Conan's mother's face as she struck a steely gaze beyond the rising flames that cooked the steel.

Fuck Me Running.

Am i really seeing this?  Hearing this?  Can it be?

And it just kept getting better.  I chose the DTS-HD MA 5.1 version of the newly rebuilt sound design and boy am I glad I did.  I haven't heard the others yet but if this one is any indication, I'm sure the others are beyond reproach.

The warmth and vibrancy of every shot absolutely breathes new life into the formerly cool and lifeless blu-ray version we all know and hate.  Forget the screwed up sound on that abortion (don't even get me started).  What Team Blu has achieved here is nothing short of staggering, earth-shattering and seismic.  Did they put the official release to shame?  That's not even scratching the balls of this Juggernaut.  I propose this... Team Blu should remake every blu-ray I've ever seen.  Okay good.

It is without question that what Team Blu has achieved here is simply astounding and if I had the ability I would see to it that everyone who wished to experience what I have now experienced would do so immediately.  I am but a humble nimrod who doesn't even own a blu-ray burner so that's gonna be a tough trick.  My advice is to beg the members of Team Blu to somehow make at least the core film with the 5.1 soundtrack available via the spleen or the like so you can experience this revelation too.

I will continue this review soon and in further detail but for now my friends, it's back to the domains of the great kings that once glittered like the light on a windy sea.  And yes... fire does burn there still.

and spurs like the man with no name... I never put my finger on that.  What f'ing genius.  All these years later the whole concept of Boba Fett still gives chills.  I think he's hands down the coolest character in the Star Wars universe and that's saying a lot.

... and the Ninja III cover sparked my electric boogaloo memories of young Lucinda Dickey.

http://www.imdb.com/media/rm1844020480/nm0225466

good lord.

THANKS!!!!!

Is mattstevens version of Suspiria still available?

Here's an interesting discussion about the colors...

http://www.madmaxmovies.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=9850

It's sort of like the Raiders Blu-ray vs. the WOWOW broadcast from Japan... the best look might be somewhere in between the two images.  I really think The Road Warrior Blu-ray needs to be a bit warmer.

The color timing has been debated for years now...

"The current blu-ray is the accurate representation of Road Warrior, and looks absolutely phenomenal. Earlier home video releases were color timed incorrectly to overcompensate for poor color reproduction on NTSC and PAL systems. This was a VERY common practice in the early days of home video, right through the 90s (Francis Ford Coppola talks about this on the Dracula blu-ray, I believe).

Colors were almost pushed to an unnatural degree so that they would appear more appealing and "pop" on the displays available at the time.

Yes, Road Warrior had previously been pushed a bit in the reddish/orange department to make it appear more "warm". And so had "Do The Right Thing".

But now they have been restored to their original color balance, and both titles are, in my opinion, 5 star transfers. I have no reservations in recommending either blu-ray to fans.

Now bring on Thunderdome and the original Mad Max!!"

 "I personally thought this transfer looked dull. It's much more crisp and clear than the standard dvd, but the color timing does seem suspect, and the film seems to lose its 'post-apocalyptic' feel because of it. I actually found myself less interested in the film because of this, especially towards during the tanker chase scene, where things just look too 'green' and 'lively' to me to suggest a post-nuclear landscape.

Perhaps this has something to do with a different print being used (as the title card on this transfer plays as the Australian title 'Mad Max 2,' instead of North American 'Road Warrior.'). There does seem to be a lot of arguing on both sides of this one, and listening to the Miller-Semler commentary on the disc, I didn't seem to hear any comments about the film being color corrected. Anyone know if either of them had a hand in prepping the transfer for HD?"

"The current Blu-ray is the accurate representation of The Road Warrior."

"Er, no I can forward you to any theater doing a reshow from any print still out there and not made from a new Digital Interpositive. You will see the movie looked, more or less, like the old DVD.

This Blu-Ray is the equivalent of the French Connection Blu-Ray, it's not the film. It might have marvelous detail on some shots, it's like watching a rough print that is not color timed. This transfer needs to be redone right." 

Okay, so now that this box set is out and it's clear that The Road Warrior (though sharp and detailed) still has the wrong color timing...

http://www.blu-ray.com/images/reviews/upload/cc1.png

http://www.blu-ray.com/images/reviews/upload/cc2,jpg.jpg

http://www.blu-ray.com/images/reviews/upload/cc3.jpg

... does anyone care or is this current transfer alright with most everyone here?  I still have the original snap case DVD from Warner and the original BD release.  I do prefer the warmer colors from the DVD though, but the transfer to BD always had stunning detail and clarity.