Transformers HD DVD review up

[kenhoeve]

I had to take my sub setting a couple more notches hot than usual.

The audio overall was well balanced.

 

[Gasman]

Well, I bought 4 copies, sold 2. Still have 2, so I will try the other disc later.
(I doubt there will be a difference, but by all means I will try it)

When I open the other packaging, I am only going to bother with checking it in the XA1. (no sense in checking it also in the A2)

Just a note on this, LOL, I still have not gotten around to opening the other disc.
Will do, this weekend....

 

[gene]

I have to say after viewing this HD DVD over the weekend that I have mixed reaction to the quality. The bass impact is pretty awesome in those movie. I literally felt the rafters in my floor shake several times and thats a good thing, except for when my daughters are trying to sleep downstairs.

The explosions at the beginning scenes very very compressed just like I am used to hearing with DVD's recorded in DD. They seemed lifeless at times. Dialogue also seemed a bit recessed as I found myself turning up the movie more and more to hear the voices.

Overall I would rate the audio quality as average and the video quality as above average. I was expecting more from an HD DVD disc as I have several in my collection that easily rival this.

Since I am quite a big transformers fan, I still don't regret my purchase.

 

[Jim Robbins]

I just emailed this to Gene in case he didn't see my post, but...

First, make sure you update your firmware on the HD-A2.
Second, turn the Dynamic Range Control (Or whatever it is called) to "OFF". It is set to "Auto" by default, and I think that is the problem.
Third, watch the movie again, and the odd sound problems are fixed. The dialog is more natural, and the LFE works correctly, especially in that first scene.

I double checked my player tonight and tried both setting to verify that this is the problem, and it is! Test for yourself on the A2. Stupid default setting! What the heck does "Auto" mean anyway! There should only be an "off" and "on" in my opinion.

Anyway, I did touch on this in my review, but didn't make a huge point of it. Maybe I should have. Oh well.

Later!

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I have to say after viewing this HD DVD over the weekend that I have mixed reaction to the quality. The bass impact is pretty awesome in those movie. I literally felt the rafters in my floor shake several times and thats a good thing, except for when my daughters are trying to sleep downstairs.

The explosions at the beginning scenes very very compressed just like I am used to hearing with DVD's recorded in DD. They seemed lifeless at times. Dialogue also seemed a bit recessed as I found myself turning up the movie more and more to hear the voices.

Overall I would rate the audio quality as average and the video quality as above average. I was expecting more from an HD DVD disc as I have several in my collection that easily rival this.

Since I am quite a big transformers fan, I still don't regret my purchase.

THANK YOU!

I love Transformers growing up, so I was hesitant about saying anything negative. But yes, I feel like the sound was a little bit of a let-down.

I sure hope there will be a TrueHD or PCM version that will sound better, hopefully on blu-ray.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I just emailed this to Gene in case he didn't see my post, but...

First, make sure you update your firmware on the HD-A2.
Second, turn the Dynamic Range Control (Or whatever it is called) to "OFF". It is set to "Auto" by default, and I think that is the problem.
Third, watch the movie again, and the odd sound problems are fixed. The dialog is more natural, and the LFE works correctly, especially in that first scene.

I double checked my player tonight and tried both setting to verify that this is the problem, and it is! Test for yourself on the A2. Stupid default setting! What the heck does "Auto" mean anyway! There should only be an "off" and "on" in my opinion.

Anyway, I did touch on this in my review, but didn't make a huge point of it. Maybe I should have. Oh well.

Later!

I definitely turned the "Dynamic Range Audio" to OFF. I can't compare Transformers to any other movies, but it just seemed like the sound was quite 100% impressive like "Day After Tomorrow" and "Underworld" on blu-ray.

 

[mtrycrafts]

I definitely turned the "Dynamic Range Audio" to OFF. I can't compare Transformers to any other movies, but it just seemed like the sound was quite 100% impressive like "Day After Tomorrow" and "Underworld" on blu-ray.

Is that 'dynamic range' in the DVD player that is talked about?

 

[mtrycrafts]

hopefully on blu-ray.

Then you have a long wait

But, do you have this sound issue with the dynamic range off also, as stated above?

 

[DTS]

I just received my HD Transformer a few minutes after reading the last few post. I immediately went and changed the setting on my less then a week old A2, from auto to off. After sampling a few chapters, it doesnt seem to lack anything , as far as sound goes, and it looks great. Havent done any comparisons yet.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Is that 'dynamic range' in the DVD player that is talked about?

Yeah. It's an audio setting in the Toshiba HD DVD player.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Then you have a long wait

But, do you have this sound issue with the dynamic range off also, as stated above?

Yes. I have always turned off the dynamic range audio thing. That was one of the first things I did when I got the player.

It doesn't sound bad, but I just did not get the awesome impression I got when I watched "Day After Tomorrow" w/ DTS-core or "Underworld" w/PCM on blu-ray".

Maybe my expectations were TOO HIGH?

I saw "NEXT" on HD DVD after I saw "Transformers", and I was more impressed with that movie's audio. Maybe because my expectations were low?

 

[mtrycrafts]

Yes. I have always turned off the dynamic range audio thing. That was one of the first things I did when I got the player.
It doesn't sound bad, but I just did not get the awesome impression I got when I watched "Day After Tomorrow" w/ DTS-core or "Underworld" w/PCM on blu-ray".
Maybe my expectations were TOO HIGH?
I saw "NEXT" on HD DVD after I saw "Transformers", and I was more impressed with that movie's audio. Maybe because my expectations were low?

Well, I'll get to watch it this Thursday, hopefully. So I will see now that my expectation is all over the place The movie was pretty good in that regard.

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

I have to say after viewing this HD DVD over the weekend that I have mixed reaction to the quality. The bass impact is pretty awesome in those movie. I literally felt the rafters in my floor shake several times and thats a good thing, except for when my daughters are trying to sleep downstairs.

The explosions at the beginning scenes very very compressed just like I am used to hearing with DVD's recorded in DD. They seemed lifeless at times. Dialogue also seemed a bit recessed as I found myself turning up the movie more and more to hear the voices.

Overall I would rate the audio quality as average and the video quality as above average. I was expecting more from an HD DVD disc as I have several in my collection that easily rival this.

Since I am quite a big transformers fan, I still don't regret my purchase.

I just finished watching it in SD DVD, since my player is a Blu ray.

But...the upconversion was pretty impressive as far as video quality goes. The bass - I was blown away. I actually got out my spl meter and was testing it from about 10 feet (SVS Plus/2).

Keep in mind my room is over 4000 cu. ft. and open to a hall way, dining room, and basement. I was consistently hitting 106 to 109 dB with this movie, and around 1:56 into the film, it hit 120 dB!

My wife is so p.o.'d right now. I still have a grin ear to ear. That's the best workout the Plus/2 has received in almost a year of ownership.

This could be my new reference bass DVD. It defintely puts the Haunting to shame. The movie is a bit more entertaining as well.

Now to pick up one of those $169 HD DVD players at Sears the day after Thanksgiving.

 

[Jim Robbins]

Did you all make sure to update to the latest firmware on your players? I am certain there must be some flags in the HD material on Transformers HD to kick the bass lower when Auto is used. It may be buggy on an older version. Like I said, I updated the firmware first, then set it to "off". Oh, and it seems like they make a new update nearly every week. No kidding! Every major movie that comes out, I check, and there is an update. I guess they keep finding bugs to fix. *shrug*

Btw, my Toshiba A2 firmware is currently at "2.5 / T23M".

Later...

 

[Matt34]

I just finished watching it in SD DVD, since my player is a Blu ray.

But...the upconversion was pretty impressive as far as video quality goes. The bass - I was blown away. I actually got out my spl meter and was testing it from about 10 feet (SVS Plus/2).

Keep in mind my room is over 4000 cu. ft. and open to a hall way, dining room, and basement. I was consistently hitting 106 to 109 dB with this movie, and around 1:56 into the film, it hit 120 dB!

My wife is so p.o.'d right now. I still have a grin ear to ear. That's the best workout the Plus/2 has received in almost a year of ownership.

This could be my new reference bass DVD. It defintely puts the Haunting to shame. The movie is a bit more entertaining as well.

Now to pick up one of those $169 HD DVD players at Sears the day after Thanksgiving.

Maybe I need to watch this again without the wife in the room because I just wasn't impressed with the bass....or maybe I'll run the subs a bit hot as I have it pretty flat right now.

The only time I recall feeling the bass was the Optimus/Bonecrusher fight scene, the opening scene I was expecting much more(same experience as Gene)....60ton tanks getting launched and crashing to the ground one would think you'd feel that.

 

[mtrycrafts]

60ton tanks getting launched and crashing to the ground one would think you'd feel that.

I would think so, especially when you are close as in the picture.

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

Maybe I need to watch this again without the wife in the room because I just wasn't impressed with the bass....or maybe I'll run the subs a bit hot as I have it pretty flat right now.

The only time I recall feeling the bass was the Optimus/Bonecrusher fight scene, the opening scene I was expecting much more(same experience as Gene)....60ton tanks getting launched and crashing to the ground one would think you'd feel that.

Yeah, that's really odd you didn't feel much bass. I'd bet 70% of the movie had subsonic bass the I could feel in the couch and floor. I can't tell you what frequencies they were, but it was bass my older Cadence 12" ported sub would never produce. The Plus/2 wasn't really dialed in "hot." I had it crossed over around 60Hz or 70Hz and maybe 1/3rd volume on the plate amp.

 

[gene]

I just emailed this to Gene in case he didn't see my post, but...

First, make sure you update your firmware on the HD-A2.
Second, turn the Dynamic Range Control (Or whatever it is called) to "OFF". It is set to "Auto" by default, and I think that is the problem.
Third, watch the movie again, and the odd sound problems are fixed. The dialog is more natural, and the LFE works correctly, especially in that first scene.

My player is and always has been set to "off" for dynamic range. I also tried the dialogue enhance on/off feature and it still was lacking. The problem is too much compression. When I directly compare this disc to some of my other titles such as Polar Express (DD+), Phantom of the Opera (Dolby TrueHD) and Pat Metheny (DTS-HD) it is no match other than some very good LFE effects. At times I feel like I am watching Star Wars EP3 hearing the severly limited explosion sounds. I was definately expecting more from an HD DVD title, especially such a large production as this.

 

[Matt34]

Yeah, that's really odd you didn't feel much bass. I'd bet 70% of the movie had subsonic bass the I could feel in the couch and floor. I can't tell you what frequencies they were, but it was bass my older Cadence 12" ported sub would never produce. The Plus/2 wasn't really dialed in "hot." I had it crossed over around 60Hz or 70Hz and maybe 1/3rd volume on the plate amp.

My HSU's are set at max extension and they have no problem with scenes such as the lightning and pod emergence in War of the Worlds. I'm just not getting the same dynamic and deep bass out of the Transformer SD DVD.

When I get back home I'll try it out at a higher master volume.

 

[Bloodstriker]

That's the exact same feeling that I have with the HD-DVD Dolby Digital track using the Ultra13.