Author Topic: Joshua Zyber's Commentaries/Review  (Read 1616 times)

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Offline pchin

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Joshua Zyber's Commentaries/Review
« on: Oct 27, 2007 at 09:15 AM »
Please feel free to use this thread to include any info, comments & hardware review by Joshua Zyber. Also, do share your view either you agree or disagree with Joshua.  ;)

Editor's Note: A long-time movie buff and collector of discs from laserdisc to DVD, Joshua Zyber is a veteran disc reviewer, and an enthusiastic supporter of all things High Definition. In his twice-monthly High-Def Digest column, Josh discusses a broad range of topics of interest to other early adopters.

Joshua Zyber's opinions are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of this site, its owners or employees. To view a complete collection of Josh's commentaries for High-Def Digest click here.
« Last Edit: Nov 21, 2007 at 08:23 AM by pchin »

Offline pchin

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Re: Joshua Zyber's Commentaries
« Reply #1 on: Oct 27, 2007 at 09:17 AM »
Commentary: Specs vs. Reality

This "specs above all else" mentality has reared its ugly head again recently with the release of 'Transformers' on HD DVD, a title that delivers stunning video and audio, as well as a number of innovative interactive features. What could possibly be the problem here? Well, the soundtrack is only encoded in Dolby Digital Plus format, not a lossless codec such as Dolby TrueHD or an uncompressed one like PCM. In his review of the disc for this site, our Peter Bracke gave the DD+ track a perfect "5" for audio quality and said of it that, "Directionality, imaging, accuracy of localized effects, and the sheer depth of the soundfield are all fantastic stuff." Nonetheless, in the minds of many, this disc is a huge failure, and its soundtrack a pathetic disgrace for not including a TrueHD or PCM option.

Full article

Another nice article. Hope those who own Transformers can settle down a bit after reading this.  :)
« Last Edit: Nov 10, 2007 at 08:14 AM by pchin »

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Re: Joshua Zyber's Commentaries
« Reply #2 on: Nov 10, 2007 at 07:57 AM »
Commentary: Living in Fear of the Niche

In the meantime, we have to deal with the High Definition format war between Blu-ray and HD DVD, each video disc format vying to establish itself as the next-generation successor to DVD. The fastest-growing, most popular consumer electronic product in history has been a tough act to follow, and the competition between these two adversaries has generated an enormous amount of corporate hype, controversy, and bitter infighting, all of which has spread right to the consumer sector. Not only do we have executives from multi-national electronics corporations and major Hollywood movie studios sniping at each other in tersely-worded press releases, now even the public has gotten involved, picking sides like fans of rival sports teams -- cheering on their favorite, organizing web campaigns to proselytize its benefits, and attacking anyone with an opposing viewpoint. It's not enough to buy your favorite movies in High Definition; you have to buy them on the right High Definition disc type. The fact that both formats are virtually identical in terms of quality and features doesn't seem to matter. If you're not a soldier out there fighting for your side in the format war, you must be the enemy.

Full article

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Re: Joshua Zyber's Commentaries
« Reply #3 on: Nov 21, 2007 at 08:22 AM »
HD DVD's Second Generation: Toshiba HD-XA2 Review

Updated Video and Audio News (November 15, 2007)

It has apparently taken them a while to get to the bottom of it, but with the latest Firmware V2.7, Toshiba has repaired some of the lingering problems with the XA2 player. 1080p24 video output now works smoothly without any audio sync issues, and the video stutter affecting discs like 'World Trade Center' is completely fixed at all resolution outputs.

In addition, Firmware V2.7 adds a new functional update with the addition of "Direct Digital Audio Mode," which allows the raw digital bitstreams for the Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, and DTS-HD advanced audio formats to be transmitted over HDMI 1.3 to a compatible receiver for decoding. While the XA2 will still not decode DTS-HD High Resolution or Master Audio internally as it can for Dolby Digital Plus or TrueHD, this bitstream function provides the first opportunity for owners to listen to these formats in full quality. However, it should be noted that when activated, the Direct Digital Audio Mode will only transmit the movie soundtrack itself, not any additional content such as menu beeps or Picture-in-Picture audio.

Full article

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Re: Joshua Zyber's Commentaries/Review
« Reply #4 on: Nov 24, 2007 at 09:17 AM »
High-Def FAQ: Blu-ray Profiles Explained

Blu-ray Profiles break down as follows:

The basic Profile 1.0 (also known as the Grace Period Profile) available on all Blu-ray models released before November 1st, 2007 includes neither a secondary video decoder nor an internet connection.

Profile 1.1 (also called the Final Standard Profile or "Bonus View") adds decoders for secondary PiP video and audio, plus 256 MB of local storage capability.

Finally, Profile 2.0 (or "BD-Live") includes those secondary video and audio decoders, a larger 1 GB of local storage capability, and an internet connection.

*All Profile 1.1 discs should function normally in existing Grace Period Profile players as far as movie playback and traditional bonus features go (meaning that older players will not necessarily become "obsolete"), but the new 1.1 enhanced features will not be accessible without a new player.

Full article

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Re: Joshua Zyber's Commentaries/Review
« Reply #5 on: Nov 27, 2007 at 08:41 AM »
Hardware Review: Panasonic DMP-BD30

Hitting store shelves at an MSRP of $499.95, Panasonic's new DMP-BD30 is one of the more affordable Blu-ray players currently on the market, as well as the first to be compliant with the format's Profile 1.1 specification (more on this below). That makes for a pretty winning combination, but does it live up to its potential as a category killer?

The Bottom Line: Is It Worth It?
Each potential buyer will judge the importance of Blu-ray Profile 1.1 based on their own personal priorities. Previous Blu-ray models will continue to play all discs and traditional bonus features, so if you don't find support for interactive content all that important, this feature may not necessarily be a deal-breaker.

In any case, for the first Profile 1.1 compliant Blu-ray player, the Panasonic DMP-BD30 is a well-priced deal that offers excellent video quality on Blu-ray discs and the capability to bitstream advanced audio codecs to a compatible receiver (still a rare feature in Blu-ray players). On the other hand, it lacks the ability to decode those audio codecs internally as prior Panasonic models could, and has very poor deinterlacing and DVD upconversion quality. The BD30 isn't quite a perfect Blu-ray player, but it performs strongly in core areas and rates a worthy recommendation.

FULL REVIEW
« Last Edit: Nov 27, 2007 at 08:42 AM by pchin »