Review of the Serenity HD-DVD by onetransmission

GENERAL DISCUSSIONS

Review of the Serenity HD-DVD

POSTED BY: ONETRANSMISSION
UPDATED: Sunday, April 23, 2006 12:57
SHORT URL:
VIEWED: 11171
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Tuesday, April 18, 2006 4:45 AM

ONETRANSMISSION

just in case anyone was wondering

http://hddvd.highdefdigest.com/serenity.html

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Tuesday, April 18, 2006 6:11 AM

GREENFAERIE

I was wondering. Was even considering getting an HD-DVD player. Now I know I can save my money. Too bad there isn't anything on there that wasn't on the first region 1 DVD release. Stupid Universal drops the ball again.

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Tuesday, April 18, 2006 7:29 AM

DECLAN

From the referenced review:

That said, this HD-DVD release certainly looks more detailed than its standard DVD counterpart. Despite the all the technical trickery, the overall depth and clarity of the image is considerable, especially during the cleanest-looking sequences in the film. Colors are also a bit more stable than the standard DVD, with less apparent noise on the most vibrant hues. I also felt the blacks where a tad bit more robust, and shadow delineation improved -- in some of the darker moments, such as the opening action scene, I could clearly make out fine details in the dimmest areas of the picture that weren't discernible at all on the standard DVD release. However, overall, someone who pops this one in as their first taste of HD-DVD may come away wondering what all the fuss is about.

I am not sure if it is realistic to expect anymore than this.

I've been playing around with HDTV on a 50" Samsung HD DLP for about two years. Let me tell you: there is HD and there is HD Lite.

The good HD, things like Discovery Channel, some PBS channels, the Super Bowl, major college football games, etc. will blow you away.

The bad HD, things like unimportant NFL and college games, bad transfers of old movies, bad cameras, etc. is ho-hum. Some videophiles call this "HD-Lite".

To my eyes, if you have an upconverting DVD player you can get close to this HD-Lite level. It's better than Standard Definition but it is not breathtaking like true HD is.

The reviewer mentioned more detail and blacker blacks. What I like about Joss's work is that on multiple viewings you will see things in the background that you didn't see on the earlier viewings. So, detail matters. Blacker blacks matter also because Serenity has its darkly lit moments. I never try watching it in daylight. Again, this is almost a trademark Joss thing (think Angel), having the dark lighting.

Is this enough to run out and buy a HD-DVD player? Not yet. In a few months to a year, when the HD-DVD/Blu-Ray wars settle down and the pricing settles down? Probably yes.

***************
"'Course, there are other schools of thought."

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Tuesday, April 18, 2006 7:29 AM

DECLAN

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Tuesday, April 18, 2006 8:03 AM

STORYMARK

Quote:
Originally posted by GreenFaerie:
I was wondering. Was even considering getting an HD-DVD player. Now I know I can save my money. Too bad there isn't anything on there that wasn't on the first region 1 DVD release. Stupid Universal drops the ball again.

I wouldn't say they dropped the ball. All the HD-DVD launch titles are the same extras-wise, as their DVD counterparts.

For one thing, the way extras are going to be done on HD (be it HD-DVD or Blu-Ray) is slightly different from DVD. A lot of the special features are aupposed to be accessed durring, or concurrent with the movie, as opposed to seperate sections like current DVD. The thing is, this first generation of HD-DVD players do not support this system (yet - early adopters will have to take their players in for firm-ware upgrades).

Sure, they could have added the extras from the Region 2 release, but that cuts into their profit by preventing a double-dip release of a "Shiny" edition (or whatever) later.

It's a new format, and it'll take time to find it's feet (if it doesn't crash 'n burn). Remember, the first wave of DVD's didn't have special features, and some disks you had to flip over half-way through the movie.

"I thoroughly disapprove of duels. If a man should challenge me, I would take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet place and kill him."

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Tuesday, April 18, 2006 9:47 AM

ZEEK

Quote:
Originally posted by GreenFaerie:
I was wondering. Was even considering getting an HD-DVD player. Now I know I can save my money. Too bad there isn't anything on there that wasn't on the first region 1 DVD release. Stupid Universal drops the ball again.

Um...do I care? I'm buying this just to own it. I doubt I'll even get an HD-DVD player for at least 2 years. I don't have any HD tv/monitor and I don't see any particular need for one either. This is Serenity though. If they released Serenity toilet paper I'd probably buy a roll just to look at.

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Tuesday, April 18, 2006 10:07 AM

ANNIE

I ordered one; just another sale racked up for Joss. I have an HD tv and maybe someday soon I'll get an HD dvd player.
In any case, I am doing whatever I can to support Joss/FF/Serenity.

Sex and violence on the big screen, where it belongs.

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Tuesday, April 18, 2006 11:11 AM

DONCOAT

Amazon just notified me: they've shipped my Serenity HD-DVD.

Now if I can just get my hands on a player for a few days...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I don't disagree on any particular point.

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Tuesday, April 18, 2006 11:39 AM

KARENKAY99

Quote:
Originally posted by Zeek:
This is Serenity though. If they released Serenity toilet paper I'd probably buy a roll just to look at.

ROTFLOL

me too. hehe

"They say the snow on the roof is too heavy. They say the ceiling will cave in. His brains are in terrible danger."

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Tuesday, April 18, 2006 4:22 PM

SERENITYBOY

They can say anything they want, Serenity was NOT a flop! sure it didnt break blockbuster records, but I am in this buisness (or will be soon, i'm a student of film now) and anything that makes over 75% of the budget is at least mildly successful. A flop would be like if Episode III of Star Wars had gotten 40million. that was like 1/185 of it's budget.

And hey, when I hear people say it was a flop, I think of Mal's quote. "We're still flyin. That's enough."

people aggrivate me sometimes! our movie was not a flop!

"Been more'n a year since I had anything twixt my nethers didn't run on batteries!"

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Tuesday, April 18, 2006 7:12 PM

NOSADSEVEN

Quote:
Originally posted by GreenFaerie:
Too bad there isn't anything on there that wasn't on the first region 1 DVD release. Stupid Universal drops the ball again.

Well, the reviewer said it had a theatrical trailer, which the original does not. (Though, he could be wrong, I suppose.) Of course, I'm more annoyed that the trailer wasn't on the original one than I am excited that it'll be on the HD one.

~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ain't. We. Just.

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Tuesday, April 18, 2006 10:28 PM

EMMAZULE

Quote:
For one thing, the way extras are going to be done on HD (be it HD-DVD or Blu-Ray) is slightly different from DVD. A lot of the special features are aupposed to be accessed durring, or concurrent with the movie, as opposed to seperate sections like current DVD.

Ummm...

I've seen that on regular DVD. Granted, on one you had to flip over, but I've seen it.

It was on the DVD for Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death & Rebirth, a feature film remixed rehash of the NGE anime series for people who hadn't seen the TV series but planned to see the alternate ending film, End of Evangelion.

The U.S. DVD for that one sported a feature where if you flipped the disc over, then when you watched it, you had the option of playing the movie (dub only, annoyingly enough) with little helpful pop-up notes that you could access to explain the near-random references (and believe me, you'd need it with Evangelion, which started getting overcomplicated right about episode... 2). Of course, this feature, while nifty, was almost useless due to the fact that all of the same information was included in text-only form on the disc as well, which you could access seperately without having to watch the entire film over again.

But, nonetheless... hell, it even popped up in some sort of bar, kind of like how the HD DVD stuff sounds like it does.

Nothing new. Just shinier tech. I already bought the RPG, the SVC, one copy of the DVD (despite knowing that a friend was planning to give it to me for Christmas, therefore racking up two copies!), planning on buying the novelization and soundtrack, too, bought the comics...

...I'll wait for the wars to be over and a Super-Duper Super Shiny Special Edition to be released. Especially since I don't even have a TV that techncially supports HD (though HD channels do tend to look slightly nicer on it), its 20 years old. And believe me, even regular DVD ain't nothing special on a laptop screen. :P

Also, I'm hoping the Shiny edition would have more extras. Like an extra commentary track.

Also, the fact that I do not have an HD player does not help matters. I could not play it if I tried, nor do I know any offline early adopters.

*shrug* But, whenever the wars settle down, we'll see. Personally, I am hoping HD will win, because it doesn't have the kind of insane DRM, apparently, as Blu-Ray will. *shrug*

And... gorramit, I'd buy it "anyway", but I've got a con at the end of the month and am already strapped for cash because my employer moved this month, and can't afford to pay me my full paycheck.

~Emma

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Wednesday, April 19, 2006 6:01 AM

DONCOAT

Quote:
Originally posted by EmmaZule:
And... gorramit, I'd buy it "anyway", but I've got a con at the end of the month and am already strapped for cash because my employer moved this month, and can't afford to pay me my full paycheck.

Uh... is that even legal?

Anyhoo, I did "buy it anyway". I have no idea which format (if either) will win the day, but no matter... I'll have my shiny HD-DVD of our Big Damn Movie.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I don't disagree on any particular point.

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Wednesday, April 19, 2006 2:40 PM

NERDNINJA

Hi there! long time reader, first time poster here...

I am just fanatical enough that I ran to Best Buy and picked up a player and the HD-DVD of Serenity.

It looks awesome. I mean *awesome* in HD.

The detail in the dark portions of the picture look great. With a darker film like Serenity it really makes the movie look different.

I was not fortunate enough to have seen Serenity in the theater, so this is really the next best thing.

The best part is that the player upconverts standard DVD's to near HD. My old player did, too, but this one looks much, much better.

I just wish there were more movies available. Not that $525 to watch Serenity in HD is too much.

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Wednesday, April 19, 2006 7:58 PM

EMMAZULE

Quote:
Originally posted by DonCoat:
Quote:
Originally posted by EmmaZule:
And... gorramit, I'd buy it "anyway", but I've got a con at the end of the month and am already strapped for cash because my employer moved this month, and can't afford to pay me my full paycheck.
Uh... is that even legal?

Well, since I work for my mom, and I'm still her dependent (and living at home, etc.), I think it is. In any case, I wouldn't dare be mean enough to push the issue; she's paying half my books/tuition, all of my room/board (since I live at home), is walking with a cane due to some freaky back/knee injury thing, just had to pay her taxes and hasn't broken even on the move yet. And believe me, the move was necessary; the Downtown we used to have the shop in was a lovely place... if you had the money to get in good with the idiotic councils and boards (all gorram three of them, thanks to the local downtown being "historic"), who wouldn't even let us have a lit sign that moved - and I quote! - "More than once per every 15 minutes"; these same boards and councils also tore up all our landscaping while the other main street got nice NEW landscaping AND pretty street lamps, and street parties and parades. Oh, and they changed the three-hour-parking to two-hour-parking in an area semi-famed for its restaurants where shops mainly make their business on browsers! You got time for like, lunch and ONE comfortable browsing experience, maybe, before you have to move your car... or else face a $50 fine. Not to mention, our landlord was totally gouging us - AND he refused to fix the gorram back door that broke during the hurricanes (despite the doors being his responsibility)... for eighteen months... then tried to say WE would have to fix it under the terms of the new lease if we signed. We did not sign that gorram piece of trash. So what does he do?

Fixes it EXACTLY as we're moving out. Oh, and he made US come in on a day we were normally CLOSED just so WE could let the guy in to fix a door WE weren't even going to have anymore, and which was HIS responsibility.

I swear, it was like the gorram Alliance come to life, from every gorram angle!

...

So, I think it's legal, but even if it's not, who cares? I've already paid my hotel bill for the con at the end of the month, I've still got a bit of cash left, AND I've actually got a refund check from the IRS coming (because I don't make enough for them to tax me yet, so I get my Social Security money back... or something, I forget, but I know I'm getting a refund).

She has it much worse. "Ain't about what you want... it's about what they need.", you know. Besides, LOL, she pays for my food and electricity and everything! Far as I'm concerned, she's still paying me something, even if it can't convert to cash.

(Coincidentally, if you ever lease a commericial space or any kind of space, read the contract, no matter HOW boring it is, front-to-back. Some landlords are sneaky, sleezy bastards and you'll need to know what you're getting out of the contract!)

Quote:

Anyhoo, I did "buy it anyway". I have no idea which format (if either) will win the day, but no matter... I'll have my shiny HD-DVD of our Big Damn Movie.

The thing I like about the original DVDs is they will work just fine on both Blu-Ray and HD DVD players, so until one format starts winning, I probably won't intentionally pick up a player yet. That, and I don't make much. :P

However, I hope HD DVD wins out, so that I can justify the cost of the player and then snag me the eventual Shiny Edition. You know there'll be one! (We should totally write to Joss and tell him to get the cast together sometime to record a commentary for a Super-Shiny Edition. I crave actor commentaries!)

I did recently send some money Joss' way, though : bought a copy each of "Fray" (which is AWESOME) and the Serenity RPG book. I haven't tried book RPGs before, but I've got a friend who has and who'll be willing to help show me the ropes. In the meantime, the book intrigued him and I'm bringing my Firefly box set to the campus tommorow. I plan to convert the entire STUDENT LOUNGE! MWAHAHA! Or at least the friends of mine willing to sit and watch with us, anyway! Hopefully I'll get them completely hooked, and they'll buy copies for themselves, too!

~Emma

"I swallowed a bug."

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Thursday, April 20, 2006 2:39 AM

DONCOAT

Quote:
Originally posted by EmmaZule:
Quote:
Originally posted by DonCoat:
Quote:
Originally posted by EmmaZule:
And... gorramit, I'd buy it "anyway", but I've got a con at the end of the month and am already strapped for cash because my employer moved this month, and can't afford to pay me my full paycheck.
Uh... is that even legal?

Well, since I work for my mom, and I'm still her dependent (and living at home, etc.), I think it is.

Oh, that's very different... never mind.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I don't disagree on any particular point.

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Thursday, April 20, 2006 4:07 AM

ADAMWANKENOBI

Quote:
A flop would be like if Episode III of Star Wars had gotten 40million. that was like 1/185 of it's budget.

ROTFLMAO!!!!!

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Thursday, April 20, 2006 4:42 AM

TEINEN

Hey you with the HD TV, and the HD-DVD player, and the Serenity HD-DVD. Whens a good time for me to come over and watch it? Anytime is good for me.

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Thursday, April 20, 2006 6:02 AM

MANIACMUPPET

From VideoBusiness.com >
'As of Monday, Serenity was Amazon.com’s top April 18 HD DVD title, landing at No. 321 overall. Samurai was slotted at No. 802; Phantom, No. 1,524; and Million Dollar Baby, No. 3,708.'

Top of the Worldwide HD DVD Box Office

Shiny

'You don't want to make it look like you just gave up' - Mal

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Thursday, April 20, 2006 9:09 AM

ADAMWANKENOBI

Hopefully, Universal will notice this, and greenlight a Serenity 2.

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Thursday, April 20, 2006 1:24 PM

NERDNINJA

Quote:
Originally posted by teinen:
Hey you with the HD TV, and the HD-DVD player, and the Serenity HD-DVD. Whens a good time for me to come over and watch it? Anytime is good for me.

I can be persuaded to watch Serenity and show off my 65" HDTV anytime

I figure you've gotta watch the Big Damn Heroes on a Big Damn TV!

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Thursday, April 20, 2006 1:37 PM

TALYNDERRE

Or a big damn computer screen! Gotta love HD computer monitors.

But wow... 65"? *worships your TV"

Oh, and hi. I'm new!

Semper Paratus, mac.

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Thursday, April 20, 2006 4:48 PM

AERIN

Ooh! I was just about to ask if HD DVDs would work ok on computers. I'm a bit HD illiterate and not planning on buying a new player any time soon. I have the resolution turned all the way up on my laptop screen, so the regular movie trailers are tiny. I got terribly excited when they started to post HD trailers on the Apple website. The HD Serenity trailer looks completely awesome on my computer! I would love to get an HD DVD just to play on my laptop. Just imagine the screen captures...

Jayne: I once hit a guy in the neck from 500 yards with a bent scope. Don't that count upstairs?
Book: Oh, it'll be taken into consideration.
Jayne: You made that sound kind of ominous.

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Friday, April 21, 2006 8:15 AM

TEINEN

Nerdninja
.............I can be persuaded to watch Serenity and show off my 65" HDTV anytime.
.............

i was just kiddin but, wow you rule. Im from CT.lol.

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Friday, April 21, 2006 9:47 AM

STORYMARK

Quote:
Originally posted by Aerin:
Ooh! I was just about to ask if HD DVDs would work ok on computers. I'm a bit HD illiterate and not planning on buying a new player any time soon. I have the resolution turned all the way up on my laptop screen, so the regular movie trailers are tiny. I got terribly excited when they started to post HD trailers on the Apple website. The HD Serenity trailer looks completely awesome on my computer! I would love to get an HD DVD just to play on my laptop. Just imagine the screen captures...

Nope.

While an HD monitor would be capable of displaying the HD image, there are no PC disk drives on the market that can read an HD-DVD disk, yet. Sorry.

"I thoroughly disapprove of duels. If a man should challenge me, I would take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet place and kill him."

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Friday, April 21, 2006 3:03 PM

AERIN

Bummer, but thanks for the info.

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Friday, April 21, 2006 3:26 PM

AGATSU

Since I can't play the DVD, anyways, but gots to have it, I'm gonna wait for Serenity Day to order it. Maybe by then it will be available on amazon.de or amazon.co.uk.
Are HD-DVDs region encoded, too?

One day.
One mission.
One army of Browncoats.

On June 23rd, we aim to misbehave.
http://serenityjune23rd.com/

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Friday, April 21, 2006 4:14 PM

SASSALICIOUS

Quote:
Originally posted by Nerdninja:
I just wish there were more movies available. Not that $525 to watch Serenity in HD is too much.

You are officially my hero because you are as compulsive as I am. I haven't bought the HD player yet, but once I went and bought 6 seasons of the X-Files at once because I HAD TO HAVE THEM NOW!

But now I've been mildly inspired to actually look at my budget and look into flying to London or Cali for cons.

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Saturday, April 22, 2006 5:15 AM

DONCOAT

Quote:
Originally posted by Agatsu:
Since I can't play the DVD, anyways, but gots to have it, I'm gonna wait for Serenity Day to order it. Maybe by then it will be available on amazon.de or amazon.co.uk.
Are HD-DVDs region encoded, too?

As I understand it, HD-DVDs are not regionized.

I have my Serenity HD-DVD. Some observations about the disc and packaging (since I don't have any way to actually *play* it):

The DVD itself looks a lot like a standard DVD. Maybe slightly grayer and less shiny on the playing surface, but it shows no dazzling optical effects to the naked eye.

The cover is as we've seen. I'm in the "hate it" category. There is so much better fan-created cover art around that it's not funny.

Smaller case than a standard DVD, but bigger than a CD case. Nifty translucent red color. No insert except a generic HD-DVD ad brochure.

Totally annoying packaging. The thing has anti-theft tape on all three edges of the case! Only the hinge side doesn't -- how did they overlook that obvious opportunity to aggravate us further? And all this was under the usual clear shrink wrap.

I'd pay a buck extra for discs that didn't have that gorram tape on the edges. I can't imagine it's that much of a deterrent anyway. All a thief would have to do is make three quick cuts with a razor blade and it's open. So who's it there to deter? All it does is irritate the paying customers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I don't disagree on any particular point.

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Saturday, April 22, 2006 4:40 PM

THATDUDE90210

Someone posted a picture from the HD-DVD version of Serenity. The pic was taken with a digital camera aimed at his tv, I think. Anyway, it's an amazing picture of River.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=7528820&&#post7528820

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Saturday, April 22, 2006 5:14 PM

MIMA

OMG- you can see her pores! and the tiny fuzz hairs on her nose! and a little bit of acne on her forehead! and every fold and crease of her lips! and maybe this tech is a little scary!!!

would summer *like* this shot I wonder?

seriously tho- it's about the eyes in that shot and her eye looks beautiful.

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Sunday, April 23, 2006 12:57 PM

DONCOAT

Heheh... that's one of the first things I thought of when I first began watching HD programming. "Oh man, the actors aren't going to like this -- you can see every little zit and drop of sweat".

Or as I like to put it, you can tell what the fans behind home plate had for lunch from the stains on their shirts...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I don't disagree on any particular point.

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