Hey guys,

I had the chance to watch the Blu-ray of The Golden Compass this weekend. It will be reviewed in one of our future print issues.

The image quality is superb and easily one of the best BDs I've seen so far. Everything about it is solid. Contrast was exceptional and fine detail was dead on. New Line is putting out some great looking stuff.

The DTS-HD Master Audio track is 7.1 discrete and EXTREMELLY dynamic. There are some very intense infrasonics on this mix, enough that my projector started to shake to a level that I think I may need to figure out something new with my mount (even Transformers didn't have an issue with this). The sound design uses the surround soundstage quite nicely but at times the track is a bit front heavy.

Of note, I was fully decoding the DTS-HD Master Audio track with my Onkyo Pro PR885 via a Panasonic BD30. This is the first US DTS-HD MA mix that has had a loud pop during playback. I've experienced this with two imports so far and the result is down right scary. The pop is not subtle, but rather like a firework going off in your room. Every time it is repeatable and in the same spot, regardless of the movie. I am going to try this scene at a friend's this week and see if I have the same result. I think it may be in the MA extension packet because it doesn't do it with a PS3 or if you set the Panny to PCM. This is something that could EASILY blow a speaker (and cause a heart attack if your system was turned up loud enough, I kid you not). This is a check disc so New Line will be informed.

For those curious the other two releases with the same pop anomoly are the import of Hannibal Rising on HD DVD and 1408 on HD DVD. Both repeatable as well.

Of note, I was fully decoding the DTS-HD Master Audio track with my Onkyo Pro PR885 via a Panasonic BD30. This is the first US DTS-HD MA mix that has had a loud pop during playback. I've experienced this with two imports so far and the result is down right scary. The pop is not subtle, but rather like a firework going off in your room. Every time it is repeatable and in the same spot, regardless of the movie. I am going to try this scene at a friend's this week and see if I have the same result. I think it may be in the MA extension packet because it doesn't do it with a PS3 or if you set the Panny to PCM. This is something that could EASILY blow a speaker (and cause a heart attack if your system was turned up loud enough, I kid you not). This is a check disc so New Line will be informed.

For those curious the other two releases with the same pop anomoly are the import of Hannibal Rising on HD DVD and 1408 on HD DVD. Both repeatable as well.

Hmmm, the same issue has been reported by some who are bit-streaming DTS-HD MA from the US releases of The Fly, Fantastic Four and Chronos.

1408 is New-Line film too isn't it?

Kris do Pan's or Shoot em Up have the pop as well?

It's not the player since the HD-DVDs do it too, if it is the extension I would think most MA tracks would act the same way. Surely QC would have found something like that. Wouldn't those discs have to be replaced then?

Kris, I just noticed that you write for HT magazine. Now that the war is over will HT magazine get more into Blu-ray? The most recent issue was written when Warner went Blu exclusive, based on current events, can we expect to see more BD reviews and articles talking about BD?

1408 is New-Line film too isn't it?

Kris do Pan's or Shoot em Up have the pop as well?

It's not the player since the HD-DVDs do it too, if it is the extension I would think most MA tracks would act the same way. Surely QC would have found something like that. Wouldn't those discs have to be replaced then?

I didn't have the same experience with the other New Line titles, and I've watched both. I didn't have MA processing when I watch F4 and I haven't watched The Fly yet.

It could just be a glitch with certain soundtracks. I've watch more than my share of movies with MA tracks and I've only experienced it 3 times now.

I have mixed feelings about this movie because I'm a huge fan of the novels and they're probably not making any of the sequels. That and the fact the PS3 can't decode DTS-MA makes me wonder if I want to really invest in it? I suppose I will have to pick it up just as a curiousity more than anything else.

I highly doubt we'll ever see "The Subtle Knife" movie.

Kris, I just noticed that you write for HT magazine. Now that the war is over will HT magazine get more into Blu-ray? The most recent issue was written when Warner went Blu exclusive, based on current events, can we expect to see more BD reviews and articles talking about BD?

The print magazine will be moving to HD reviews for software exclusively. I am updating the website almost bi-weekly now with HD reviews in the movie section. You can find new Blu-ray (and HD DVD) reviews there. I upload new ones every Monday morning and occasionally on Thursday mornings. www.hometheatermag.com

I have mixed feelings about this movie because I'm a huge fan of the novels and they're probably not making any of the sequels. That and the fact the PS3 can't decode DTS-MA makes me wonder if I want to really invest in it? I suppose I will have to pick it up just as a curiousity more than anything else.

I highly doubt we'll ever see "The Subtle Knife" movie.

According to IMDB the next installment is in pre-production with a scheduled 09 release. It didn't do well here in the states but it pulled in a respectable haul overseas.

The PS3 will get DTS-HD MA sometime this year, but I would bet even the DTS core track sounds incredible.

I had my first "pop" bitstreaming The Fly with my BD 30 into my Onkyo 605. It was scary, like a firecracker as stated. Hopefully the studios are aware of this issue. Great to hear about Compass, I expected no less from New Line though. Shame we probably wont see a sequel to find out what happens since they chose to end the first one with a cliffhanger, not the way the book ended. It did ok over seas so maybe...

I didn't have the same experience with the other New Line titles, and I've watched both. I didn't have MA processing when I watch F4 and I haven't watched The Fly yet.

It could just be a glitch with certain soundtracks. I've watch more than my share of movies with MA tracks and I've only experienced it 3 times now.

This issue has only been reported by those who are bit-streaming these "problematic" tracks to Yamaha AVRs and Onkyo/Integra processors and AVRs.

I've seen people claim no such issue when bit-streaming The Fly's DTS-HD MA track from a BD30 to a Denon AVR. I believe the same applies to the new Pioneer AVRs.

This is what's known thus far, but further investigation is obviously required.

According to IMDB the next installment is in pre-production with a scheduled 09 release. It didn't do well here in the states but it pulled in a respectable haul overseas.

The PS3 will get DTS-HD MA sometime this year, but I would bet even the DTS core track sounds incredible.I take issue with both your comments. IMDB says the sequel is "in production" only because the producer says she is fighting to keep the sequel going. I have my doubts anyone is going to pony-up.

As for DTS-MA, when I hear it, I'll believe it.

Guys... I just started a seperate thread as this is a huge issue and people need to know about it.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=13400675#post13400675

Guys... I just started a seperate thread as this is a huge issue and people need to know about it.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=13400675#post13400675

That's one way to handle things. There's something about the thread title's wording that made me laugh really loud. :D

By the way, don't forget to add Chronos to that list. A fellow posted the same issue (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1008008) with that title when bit-streaming to an Onkyo AVR.

That's one way to handle things. There's something about the thread title's wording that made me laugh really loud. :D

By the way, don't forget to add Chronos to that list. A fellow posted the same issue (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1008008) with that title when bit-streaming to an Onkyo AVR.

Thanks!

I missed your reviews on hometheaterhifi.com of late and am thrilled to see your reviews still on the net.:)

Tom

too bad the movie wasn't not good at all...

too bad the movie wasn't not good at all...

So I take it it's totally awesome?!

I don't have this movie but, The Simpsons, Shoot'em Up, my 2 Chinese Import with DTS HD Track and Pan Labrytihn never had this pop. I'am using a Denon 3808ci and a BD30k both with latest FW

As I mentioned before this is the first US release I've had the issue with and actually the BD disc to have the problem. Others have reported the same thing with Fantastic Four, Chronos, and The Fly.

Not enjoyed enough by me in the theater to buy this outright but I'll probably try to rent it to give it another go. Nice to know the PQ is excellent!

Hey guys,

I had the chance to watch the Blu-ray of The Golden Compass this weekend. It will be reviewed in one of our future print issues.

The image quality is superb and easily one of the best BDs I've seen so far. Everything about it is solid. Contrast was exceptional and fine detail was dead on. New Line is putting out some great looking stuff.



Is it reasonable to expect that Warner's recent actions regarding New Line will have an effect (possibly adverse) on the quality of future New Line BD releases?

This issue has only been reported by those who are bit-streaming these "problematic" tracks to Yamaha AVRs and Onkyo/Integra processors and AVRs.

I've seen people claim no such issue when bit-streaming The Fly's DTS-HD MA track from a BD30 to a Denon AVR. I believe the same applies to the new Pioneer AVRs.

AFAIK, and this is second-hand knowledge, so take it with a grain of salt, it's faulty DTS HD MA extension decoding in the receiver. That's why it's repeatable, but not happening on every receiver and never with the core stream. What in the audio stream causes it to be only at specific time codes on specific discs, I don't know.

Good luck getting those receivers fixed! Another reason we need player decoding for DTS HD MA, I guess.

AFAIK, and this is second-hand knowledge, so take it with a grain of salt, it's faulty DTS HD MA extension decoding in the receiver. That's why it's repeatable, but not happening on every receiver and never with the core stream. What in the audio stream causes it to be only at specific time codes on specific discs, I don't know.

Good luck getting those receivers fixed! Another reason we need player decoding for DTS HD MA, I guess.

I figured that it was the AVR or pre/pro's handling of the MA bit-stream. In shamus' thread, a poster tested the same copy of The Fly on various audio processors. He discovered that while the store's Marantz AVR had no issue, two Integra models did. As I figured, this is a problem with some Onkyo/Intergra and Yamaha models. I would avoid those models like the plague if I were looking to buy a new HDMI 1.3 AVR or pre/pro.

Is it reasonable to expect that Warner's recent actions regarding New Line will have an effect (possibly adverse) on the quality of future New Line BD releases?

In terms of HD, most WHV titles are done by GDMX. All New Line titles have been done by One K.

In terms of HD, most WHV titles are done by GDMX. All New Line titles have been done by One K.

So, in your personal opinion, would it have an adverse effect on quality were New Line's titles done by GDMX in the future? :p

Is it reasonable to expect that Warner's recent actions regarding New Line will have an effect (possibly adverse) on the quality of future New Line BD releases?

Weren't Warner's recent actions regarding New Line because of the Golden Compass?

Weren't Warner's recent actions regarding New Line because of the Golden Compass?

Rather than the fact that NL was sued by not only Peter Jackson but also the Tolkien estate for not making contractually required payments on LOTR?

Kris,

Any updates on the audio pop issue and DNR ?

Too bad The Golden Compass was a horrible movie, and a "me too" wanna-be Harry Potter money grab.

The books might indeed be better, but the movie was insulting, just like Narnia.

You should totally try the Bad disc in the PS3 when it gets it's MA decoding.
A surprisingly reliable piece of tech(knocking on wood).

HT Magazine should totally do a write comparing the on-board PS3 decoding to high-end receiver decoding. Comparing the ups and downs with actual data. I would read that.

Kris, there is an update for the Onkyo 885 that supposedly has the newest DTS decoding algorithm on board that is meant to stop the popping. Other manufacturers are getting this updated coding as well.

It's talked about in the receiver and pre-amp/amp section of this forum.

Once you get your FW updated see if it's repeatable.

I updated the Onkyo Pro. The pop is no longer there.

Too bad The Golden Compass was a horrible movie, and a "me too" wanna-be Harry Potter money grab.

The books might indeed be better, but the movie was insulting, just like Narnia.

I agree that the movie had problems, but I enjoyed the books and definitely want the movie. Actually I suspect that anyone who has not read the book will probably have trouble viewing the Golden Compass, for it moves too fast and skips too many inportant details, in my opinion. However, since I had read the books I could fill in details and still enjoy the film, despite the flaws. I am disappointed that the second book will not be filmed, for I believe it would have been a better movie, and hopefully they would have learned a lesson about how to pace everything. If the Harry Potter movies had been limited to 90 minutes, I do not think they would have been overly successful either.

The pop is not subtle, but rather like a firework going off in your roomwere you listening at moderate (or high) levels when you first experienced this transient? What was your Onkyo pre set for approx. if you can remember (-20dB, -25dB, -30db, -35dB)?

Weren't Warner's recent actions regarding New Line because of the Golden Compass?

I think they were mainly because every New Line movie since the Lord of the Rings movies, with the exception of Hairspray, has flopped. Golden Compass was just the straw that broke the camels back because it was really expensive and flopped.

were you listening at moderate (or high) levels when you first experienced this transient? What was your Onkyo pre set for approx. if you can remember (-20dB, -25dB, -30db, -35dB)?

Probably right around -8 or so. I watch most films anywhere between -5 and -10 relative so very close to reference level. Most studios mix a bit hot so the average is probably about -8 but some of the studios still stick close to reference and I can view at about -5 of louder (Warner is a good example).

Kris,

Any updates on the audio pop issue and DNR ?

Probably right around -8 or so. I watch most films anywhere between -5 and -10 relative so very close to reference level. Most studios mix a bit hot so the average is probably about -8 but some of the studios still stick close to reference and I can view at about -5 of louder (Warner is a good example).I see, thanks for your input.

I typically set my new NAD T175 processor approx. between -30dB and -24dB in my smallish/mediumish-sized apartment living room. I'm using a Parasound Halo A52 amp (250W X 5). We've been experiencing some "pop's" (or transients), especially during playback of Blu-ray HD tracks (DolbyTrue-HD and DTS-HD MA). These events occur upon enabling "stop" or "play" button, after movie is running, to pause or resume action.

These pops are pretty loud and strong (more like "thunder"). So I reverted back to a previous version of firmware, now I don't experience this behavior. While my Monitor Audio GS-Series speakers seem to play fine I'm concerned that they could have suffered some damage? I figure these events, which may have happened approx. 6 or 8 times (while experimenting), are much like an intense explosion scene during a movie?


Dave

That is a pop from the loss or gain of a digital signal. It is common with some setups and was an issue even in the DVD days. Thankfully I haven't had much of an ossiue with that. I would recommend doing the new firmware update with the Onkyo though, it locks on to signals faster, which will probably fix the issue.

Cannot wait for this release.

That is a pop from the loss or gain of a digital signal. The new firmware update with the Onkyo though, it locks on to signals fasteryeah, definitely a "sync" issue.

Exactly where in this film is there the loud pop for the audio? I want to watch it with that audio track but want to be careful though it may not matter how low I have the volume set before that point in the movie.

Sorry to be such a noob, but when people talk about setting their speakers levels/volume to -15 or 20db, what do you mean? On my Onkyo 605 I can set the db's for each speaker, but what would be the point of putting it so low if you just have to turn the volume up louder?Thnx.

Exactly where in this film is there the loud pop for the audio? I want to watch it with that audio track but want to be careful though it may not matter how low I have the volume set before that point in the movie.

Near the beginning of the film the main girl's young friend gets ambushed in an alleyway. Right after that scene there is a meeting in a dark room and there is a man with a snake around his shoulder. As the camera pans down this man on his snake you get the loud pop.

I did not hear the "pop" at all. I even listen for it.

An amazing title and some great PQ/AQ! This even comes with a very pretty slipcase!

Exactly where in this film is there the loud pop for the audio? I want to watch it with that audio track but want to be careful though it may not matter how low I have the volume set before that point in the movie.If you're referring to my post the "popping" (or transients) would occur while watching Blu-ray titles, using DolbyTrue-HD or DTS-HD MasterAudio tracks, and I enable the "stop" or "play" button while disc is running (to pause or resume movie). Turns out my processor requires, both, a hardware and firmware update to resolve (known) issue.

Just got Golden Compass on BD and it's playing fine in DTS-MA 7.1 on my system (PS3, Yamaha DSP-AX761) and no POPs.

Too bad The Golden Compass was a horrible movie, and a "me too" wanna-be Harry Potter money grab.

The books might indeed be better, but the movie was insulting, just like Narnia.

I read the entire His Dark Materials series befroe seeing the movie and still enjoyed it. The rest of my family who saw it -- my wife, who doesn't like most movies and my 9 and 6 years olds -- both loved it. The movie was pretty different from the book, but not radically. I can't imagien how you do the other two stories though as movies without accepting the religious issue head-on contrary to how they avoided it here.

As for Narnia, I had read the entire series at least 4-5 times over the years from when I was a kid to just before the movie when I read the entire series again to my then 7 year old son. Despite that, I actually think the movie improved on the book and certainly contemporized it. Lewis was clearly of the opinion that all women were weak, frivolous or evil, not to mention that all Easterners are godless heathens, etc. The movies, so far, have better characters, better action and less of Lewis' limitations. It will be interesting to see how the Prince Caspain movie does because it was one of the weakest of the books with fairly little action. From the trailer it looks like they have fleshed it out a bit. But the one I am really looking forward to, and the best of the boooks, is the third, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader...

Just got done with the BD, and I'm very underwhelmed by the picture quality. Textures look quite soft and ill-defined, there's zero grain and generally there's a very flat look to the image. To my eyes it looks like New Line have been at the DNR again...

Others will no doubt love this encode because it features none of that nasty grain stuff, but I sure hope New Line get this out of their system before the likes of Se7en hit Blu-ray.

Still, the DTS-MA audio is excellent, decoded in full 7.1 by my PS3 (peaking at over 8 mbps) with no 'pops' to speak of.

I'm typing up my review for this film and have a question for those that may know. The visual commentray...is it for Profile 1.1 players only or will it play on 1.0 as well? I only have a PS3 updated to the new 2.0 profile so I have no idea if it will play on older machines. Anyone that has this can they confirm it?

Just got done with the BD, and I'm very underwhelmed by the picture quality. Textures look quite soft and ill-defined, there's zero grain and generally there's a very flat look to the image. To my eyes it looks like New Line have been at the DNR again...

Others will no doubt love this encode because it features none of that nasty grain stuff, but I sure hope New Line get this out of their system before the likes of Se7en hit Blu-ray.

Still, the DTS-MA audio is excellent, decoded in full 7.1 by my PS3 (peaking at over 8 mbps) with no 'pops' to speak of.

Although I would prefer both superb video and superb audio, I am still excited about this title simply because it will be 7.1 on my PS3--oh, and I enjoyed the movie in the theater despite its flaws.

Geoff,

What display do you have?

robert, I got me a Pioneer plasma, 43". Yes, it's nowhere near 1080p resolution (which will instantly cause most of y'all to dismiss my comments immediately :D) but IMHO it does a great job with the 1080p/24 signals that I feed it.

I've got over 200 pieces of HD software and few look as wishy-washy as Golden Compass does. There's a close up of the Master (Jack Shepherd) as he gives the alethiometer to Lyra early in the film and the guy looks like a waxwork. (That's with all noise reduction options turned off, BTW.)

Like I said, many will have no problem with this presentation at all because it looks so clean. I didn't see the movie at the cinema so maybe it looked that way there too - overzealous grain reduction seems to be part and parcel of the modern DI - but I prefer a more naturalistic presentation.

I was actually very, very impressed with this VC-1 encode. The presentation is quite film-like. I did encounter the POP with DTS-MA during the sequence mentioned above

I am excited about the chance to hear 7.1 sound from a New Line title on my PS3, but nervous about hearing the pop. Does the pop only happen when you bitsream? If so then I think I am safe...

Not sure I'll purchase it but I'd like to see it again. Blockbuster is starting to get multiples copies on BD for new releases so I'll go that route.

I'm typing up my review for this film and have a question for those that may know. The visual commentray...is it for Profile 1.1 players only or will it play on 1.0 as well? I only have a PS3 updated to the new 2.0 profile so I have no idea if it will play on older machines. Anyone that has this can they confirm it?

I played around with this quite a bit last night. I'm pretty sure that the visual commentary is a separate encode of the entire movie with the PiP burned into the frame. I don't believe a Profile 1.1 player is required.

It's a good looking disc overall, but I agree with Geoff D about the lack of detail and waxy appearance of facial features. It does appear that New Line hit it with some DNR.

I am excited about the chance to hear 7.1 sound from a New Line title on my PS3, but nervous about hearing the pop. Does the pop only happen when you bitsream? If so then I think I am safe...

Yes, only happens when bitstreaming undecoded DTS-HD MA to Yamaha and Onkyo, and Integra AVRs.

NE1 in the Tucson area see any stores put the Golden Compass out on the shelves early?????

I played around with this quite a bit last night. I'm pretty sure that the visual commentary is a separate encode of the entire movie with the PiP burned into the frame. I don't believe a Profile 1.1 player is required.

It's a good looking disc overall, but I agree with Geoff D about the lack of detail and waxy appearance of facial features. It does appear that New Line hit it with some DNR.

I can't turn the visual commentary off and on so it appears to be 2 encodes on 1 disc.

The High Def Digest review is up and it received only 4 stars on the PQ and AQ. Mostly because the picture was good for the CGI stuff, but not much details on the actual human beings. The sound was too loud compared to the dialogue, but it will rattle your house a bit.

Hmmm, the same issue has been reported by some who are bit-streaming DTS-HD MA from the US releases of The Fly, Fantastic Four and Chronos.


scary.
I wonder if some receivers have a bug? [EDIT: reading more, I see that was the case]
Thankfully, I watched the fly the other day with PowerDVD8 decoding the DTS-HD MA and there was no pop.

It would be interesting to figure out if it is a certain chipset in some receivers or if it really is in the encoding. NOT good whatever it is. [EDIT: it was a bad DTS decoder chipset in some receivers]

I don't always agree with HDD's assessments but their write-up for Golden Compass is spot on.

Lets face it the movie is not a Lord of the rings, but it is watchable.

So is this out tomorrow? I will blind buy this one anyways, I just love these types of movies.

Cheapest place so far I've seen is Target $27.99, anybody else find it cheaper? I guess I will try to use the $5 off over $25 coupon on this at target.

So is this out tomorrow? I will blind buy this one anyways, I just love these types of movies.

April 29th! Next week :-/

More bothersome is a lack of textural detail throughout the movie. Facial features have no visible skin pores or variances in complexion. Fine detail resolution is wanting in many scenes, not just those smothered in CGI. I wouldn't be surprised if the image had been run though a Digital Noise Reduction filter or two to smoothen everything out. That's not to say that it looks poor by any means. Most viewers will probably not notice anything wrong, but those with large screens will not count this disc among the best available in High Definition.

It looks like New Line has sucked the film grain yet again by applying DNR.

Gets another lackluster review for PQ/SQ.

http://avplay.avforums.com/index.php?showmediareview=9282

On the whole this is a very pleasing picture even if it doesn’t quite have the ‘wow’ factor I really wanted to see.

Very close up does tend towards the soft a touch, skin detail and clothing weaves don’t quite have that pin point clarity that one comes to expect with reference though I suspect this has more to do with the digital colour manipulation than any transfer problems.


For the most part this does not matter at all, except when it comes to skin tones, and even then there has to be a particular problem; unfortunately it is exhibited a little here, skin tones do tend a little brown in places giving a very unnatural tone. Not overtly distracting but enough to warrant mentioning.

Brightness is set to give some decent enough black, digital colouring notwithstanding. Blacks do hold some good shadow detail but do pick up a little on the hue of the over all picture, but it is fitting so not distraction. Contrast is set to give some lovely whites; this is especially true of the snow, which is wonderfully graided, not boosting or loss, exceptional.

My prime interest for a rental is my curiousity for the PQ and AQ. I saw it in the theater and wondered how the BD would fair. I didn't like the movie enough for a purchase and would caution folks about blind buying more so because of the content. No accounting for one's taste though! :)

I just rented this BLU-RAY movie tonight 24/4/08 from Video Ezy, I was very suprised because the Golden Compass has not even been released on SD here in Australia,It was not supposed to be released until 1/5/08. So guess what I will be watching tonight....

Just finnish watching this movie with my kids and Msr's, The audio was excellent really low LEF bass at times especially when the balloon(forgot the name) was flying in the sky "Awsome" probably the best sound mix I have heard to date, action packed plenty of detail/definition in the sound track.
I felt the picture quality was very good the story line was ok (never red the book)but the ending was sudden....

too bad the movie wasn't not good at all...

"Homer, are you licking toads?"

"I'm not NOT licking toads."

I felt the picture quality was very good the story line was ok (never red the book)but the ending was sudden....

That's because the ending of the book was ripped off the movie because it was a bit of a downer ending/cliffhanger, and New Line didn't think that would work. It was filmed though, at least, I thought I saw scenes from it on the trailer. No deleted scenes on either of the discs though, which is a shame. Waiting for the "Extended Cut" are we New Line?

hi i've been reading this thread and tried to find out if anyone has experinced what I did.I have a denon AVP-AHD/POA-A1HD and played the Golden Compass on a Panasonic dmp-bd30 and from the menu system everything was fine.When i played the movie it was distorted, it was like they had recorded everything in full volume.I quickly turned it off and decided to put in another dts hd master movie (The day After tomorrow) and that was fine.I retried again and same thing just distorted when the film begins.I don't know why, I thought it was the pre-amp dts hd master but it seemed to work on The Day After Tomorrow Fine.

^^^^

Unsure of who else may have that Denon but Kris didn't say anything like that happening utilizing the Panny player and his amp. Try this movie with the other audio track and see what happens. Also, is the Denon lighting up dts ma hd when you try that track?

Try this movie with the other audio track and see what happens. Also, is the Denon lighting up dts ma hd when you try that track?

The only other audio track on the disc is the commentary. The movie's soundtrack only comes in DTS-HD MA.

The soundtrack is certainly loud, but I didn't find it distorted.

The Orphanage looks a hellva lot better than this.

I haven't look at The Orphanage yet but I went and looked at Compass again last night and still think it has an outstanding picture. There is an almost complete lack of film grain but I think dimensionality and depth are outstanding and detail never looked compromised on any faces or fine texture. The only time I even saw a hint of softness was some of the longer shots and generally with CG shots.

The only other audio track on the disc is the commentary. The movie's soundtrack only comes in DTS-HD MA.

The soundtrack is certainly loud, but I didn't find it distorted.

Forgot to mention that when in menu system all is good but when playing boy it was bad.I tried other films on the panny Ice age,I robot all seem good.Do you think it could be just a **** copy.

I haven't look at The Orphanage yet but I went and looked at Compass again last night and still think it has an outstanding picture. There is an almost complete lack of film grain but I think dimensionality and depth are outstanding and detail never looked compromised on any faces or fine texture. The only time I even saw a hint of softness was some of the longer shots and generally with CG shots.

Kris,

Congratulations on the gig over at Home Theater Magazine. I was pleasantly surprised to see you mentioned as a permanent contributor this month.

I should also congratulate Josh Z. Been following your work since you joined High Def Digest, as well as your comments on AVS.

I look forward to reading more informative articles from the both of you in the coming months.

(Home Theater Magazine subscriber for the past year!).

hi i've been reading this thread and tried to find out if anyone has experinced what I did.I have a denon AVP-AHD/POA-A1HD and played the Golden Compass on a Panasonic dmp-bd30 and from the menu system everything was fine.When i played the movie it was distorted, it was like they had recorded everything in full volume.I quickly turned it off and decided to put in another dts hd master movie (The day After tomorrow) and that was fine.I retried again and same thing just distorted when the film begins.I don't know why, I thought it was the pre-amp dts hd master but it seemed to work on The Day After Tomorrow Fine.Just A thought, Have you got the latest firmware for your bd30 the newest version for Australian bd30's is v1.2, the bd30's sold in Australia are released with v1.1....

Just A thought, Have you got the latest firmware for your bd30 the newest version for Australian bd30's is v1.2, the bd30's sold in Australia are released with v1.1....

I have a region A

I've got it working what happened is im running 5.1 setup and for some reasons these discs are only encoded for 7.1.I changed mine to 7.1 and it works great now.Definetley something they need to look into when encoding these discs.

A local Blockbuster is getting three on BD for rental. I'll try to snag one as I'm curious about the PQ and AQ with my equipment. Not buying this though as I mentioned earlier. Many May releases that I'm far more interested in purchasing.

Doing more testing guys I've got Rush Hour 3 also from new Line cinema.At the back similar to the golden compass it says DTS HD Master 7.1.So I gave this a try in my usual setup.The input saying 7.1 and the output saying 5.1.That worked fine guys.Sorry guys for going off topic on all this but I wanted to confirm that there is defintley problems with some of these discs

Looks like New Line is at it again.

Blu-ray.com: The Golden Compass BD Review (http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/movies.php?id=687&show=review)

Video: 3.5/5

The Golden Compass comes encoded in a high bitrate VC-1 presentation, averaging around 25 to 30 Mbps. This release looks quite impressive, though it does sport some drawbacks. The film's color palette has been well-preserved; the overall tone does not have a vividly bright quality to it, nor is it drastically dull. It feels natural; a lived-in world full of burnished golds for the affluent college and icy hues in the far north.

Black levels are excellent and remain consistent throughout the picture. In addition, no noticeable artifacts were present. One important aspect of this film is, of course, the profuse amount of CG effects, and it is to be noted that they look excellent on this Blu-ray Disc. Subtle touches, like spectral sheen on the hairs of the dæmons Pantalaimon and Stelmaria, are captured beautifully on high definition; I don't recall catching such a detail when seeing this film in the theatre.

Unfortunately, being that New Line is under Warner Bros, the mastering of this film likely had a hefty amount of digital noise reduction applied to it, as film grain and fine detail such as skin pores or cloth textures are noticeably absent. Despite the overall clarity of the picture, it definitely has a "tuned down" feel to it, and I found that highly unfortunate.

I couldn't care less about the title myself, but New Line needs to freakin' stop with the digital noise reduction. First Pan's Labyrinth and now this. :rolleyes:

The comments above seem to be pointing towards Warner being to blame for the DNR (probably to due the lemmings who blame Warner's faults solely on HD DVD :rolleyes:), but I think it's more New Line's fault. Just look at the (albeit scaled down) screenshots in their The Orphanage Blu-ray Review (http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/movies.php?id=730&show=review), released by New Line. Grain structure is clearly evident in those shots and fine detail is popping all over. My theory is that New Line utilized Warner's stellar BD transfer for The Orphanage since Warner handled the Spanish Blu-ray release. Plus both Warner's and New Line's BDs have the original Spanish credits.

I think The Golden Compass and Pan's Labyrinth BD transfers are purely New Line and they will only continue down the "Blu-ray as a DVD with better color" path. This certainly dampens my outlook on future New Line titles. I gotta wonder what the hell they'll do to Dark City. :mad:

And the hits just keep on coming... From The Digital Bits (http://www.thedigitalbits.com):

"And here's one more thing that's going to drive some of you crazy: We've learned that Best Buy is going to have an exclusive bonus disc with New Line's The Golden Compass: 2-Disc Platinum Edition on Tuesday, featuring "over 45 minutes worth of extra footage." In other words, it would seem, deleted scenes. The deleted scenes that aren't yet being restored to the movie itself... and which aren't included on the Blu-ray Disc version. Which means, there's going to be a double-dip one of these days (probably when the sequels show up in theatres, which we hear WILL happen because Compass made so much money internationally, even though it hasn't yet been officially announced). What's more, to our knowledge, the bonus disc is only available with the DVD version. In other words, if you're a Blu-ray fan... yes, you ARE getting screwed. You know, we don't mind retailer exclusives like special packaging or swag items, but when ACTUAL CONTENT is only available at a particular retailer - especially something this interesting to fans of the film - that just sucks. Period. Whoever made this decision at New Line or Warner should know better."

Looks like New Line is at it again.

Blu-ray.com: The Golden Compass BD Review (http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/movies.php?id=687&show=review)



I couldn't care less about the title myself, but New Line needs to freakin' stop with the digital noise reduction. First Pan's Labyrinth and now this. :rolleyes:

The comments above seem to be pointing towards Warner being to blame for the DNR (probably to due the lemmings who blame Warner's faults solely on HD DVD :rolleyes:), but I think it's more New Line's fault. Just look at the (albeit scaled down) screenshots in their The Orphanage Blu-ray Review (http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/movies.php?id=730&show=review), released by New Line. Grain structure is clearly evident in those shots and fine detail is popping all over. My theory is that New Line utilized Warner's stellar BD transfer for The Orphanage since Warner handled the Spanish Blu-ray release. Plus both Warner's and New Line's BDs have the original Spanish credits.

I think The Golden Compass and Pan's Labyrinth BD transfers are purely New Line and they will only continue down the "Blu-ray as a DVD with better color" path. This certainly dampens my outlook on future New Line titles. I gotta wonder what the hell they'll do to Dark City. :mad:

It seems that the reason for the problem is another case of including two complete versions of the movie, one with fake PiP. What an abominable example of totally misplaced priorities.

My review is up at HTF:
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htf/ht-software-high-definition/271869-htf-bluray-review-golden-compass.html#post3364327

Wow. Netflix currently has a user rating for this film of just 1 star. Ouch! I have never seen a major new release rated so low. Yowzer!

Somehow I was able to get this shipped to me Monday. Netflix had shipped me zilch for quite a while (my entire queue is on Very Long Wait) so I was shocked to see the shipping notice. Have yet to see the film and will give it a chance. Hopes are not high though.

Wow. Netflix currently has a user rating for this film of just 1 star. Ouch! I have never seen a major new release rated so low. Yowzer!

Somehow I was able to get this shipped to me Monday. Netflix had shipped me zilch for quite a while (my entire queue is on Very Long Wait) so I was shocked to see the shipping notice. Have yet to see the film and will give it a chance. Hopes are not high though.

Audio and pq great but storyline definitley not the best.Even the acting of Nicole Kidman, she just couldn't pull it off.

Just finished watching it on BR ... my opinion/review

So what i thought of the movie itself...Acting...Nicole kidman had the right look for the role, but her acting wasnt the best i've seen. Wasnt bad, but yea...it kinda felt half assed..Now as for Dakota, she did a great job, some kids have talent and she is one. look may of felt a lil off, but her acting made up for any costume mistakes, so that was on of the positives...Voices of the Daemons were well done, i think they got that right by matching up voices and characters...Story, well it was good, not great..they probably coulda done a lil better job with the script, some of the movie you sit there and feel like something is missing and you end up asking yourself, why are they here? Or What does this have to do with? They kinda put it together but if you arent 100% paying attention something will slip by and you will need to go back and catch it.

So Story, Roles, Costume, acting and all that goodness, i would give it a 3.5 outta 5 done well but coulda been better.... (ending didnt help matters)

Ok now on to the BR transfer..

Picture quality: 4/5 it was a very good transfer, some things just looked off, maybe it was my TV...i may go back in recalibrate things, but it was a great transfer...I have to agree on the fact the the Orphange did seem like a better transfer, but im not complaining about the picture..just seems like i have seen better movie transfers....This may actually be a matter of opinion one here

Audio: 5/5...This was an amazing soundtrack, I have a Polk RTi setup w/o a real sub, still waiting on that..but WOW..this movie has some bass and well it showed with my RTi8's, using a 5.1 set up it was nice to actually her crystal clear sounds from all around...so with the amazing bass and the great surround quality, with the great voices of the CGI charaters and the music fit perfectly...Yea, this I would say ranks up there with Cars transfer as far as audio goes. Pretty impressed...

Anyway...When all said and done..I can see where people may not like this movie, because the story line can feel a bit off, but remember this is a fantasy movie that most the time feels targeted towards a younger audience, but if you are a fan of fantasy movies, and are willing to take each movie for what it is worth, i would buy it..If you arent sure, go rent it...you may suprise yourself...Its not a great movie but its a good movie..IMO I'm glad I bought it...but then i love these types of movies...

Usually I dont review movies, but this seems to be a movie alot of people are like "To buy or not?" about...I hope others of you enjoyed it too...

^^^^^^^

Thanks for your opinion on the quality of the BD.

I strongly need to warn people to not buy blind this. I cannot reiterate that more with this movie's content.

Wow. Netflix currently has a user rating for this film of just 1 star. Ouch! I have never seen a major new release rated so low. Yowzer!

The movie isn't very good, but a 1 star rating is pretty reactionary. It sounds like this is just the latest movie that it's become fashionable to dump on, regardless of its actual merits or weaknesses.

I gave it 2.5 out of 5, and that seems pretty fair. There are good things in the movie, just not enough of them.

I did a blind buy on this BR :( You guys are making me regret it haha. I'll watch it sometime this week...hopefully I enjoy it. Cost me $27.

I did a blind buy on this BR :( You guys are making me regret it haha. I'll watch it sometime this week...hopefully I enjoy it. Cost me $27.

Dont regret it i actually enjoyed this movie..its just not perfect but i find it pretty entertaining...I just feel a couple roles coulda been done better but over all i found it as a good movie

PQ and SQ are excellent on this BD. Just finished watching it. It was better than when I saw it at the theater. You'll be pleased with this purchase and adding it to your collection. The non-profile 1.1 compliant PiP extra features and the sole DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 audio track are the icing on the cake, sorta... :)

Though I thought there were some deleted scenes from the theatrical version. Maybe not. :confused:

Last night I watched the movie and pq and aq is pretty good... Like Kris, I had
four pops in my speakers while watching the movie... I was really affraid that it could
damage my speakers....I have a Marantz SR8002 and the Panasonic DMP BD30K player

Not a great movie but the AQ was great. Love the voices/roars of the ice bears and the sound of the engines on the Zeppelin. The whole room was moving at times and I was only listening to the DTS core track.:eek:

Hi I also had several loud pops with this blu-ray. Everytime I paused the movie then hit play Id get a very loud POP. I tried other disc from newline and other companies and none of them POPPED. I have an Onkyo 905 reciever its been updated to the newest firmware and the newest DSP's "that fix the DTS Bomb". My blu-ray player is a Samsung 1400 updated to newest firmware that came out a few days ago. Rolled back to old firmware on blu-ray player and still got the same POP. I have tried to contact Newline but no luck yet.
If anyone has more info please let me know.

Thanks Adam

I finally saw this and thought it looked very, very good and sounded fantastic. There appears to be some DNR, but it looked as if it might have been present in the source.

The movie was way too short though for what it tried to do and suffered from the episodic nature of fantasy adaptations that have to get through a large check list of stuff in a short time. Unsurprisingly, the final 40 minutes or so were the strongest. Most likely this was where the least amount of stuff was cut for running time.

I'm very satified overall, though. The movie and the disc are a real audio-visual treat, if nothing else.

I have read the series and I have no problem following the storyline. Just a bit rushed, not boring, but for those who have not read the books I can see where they might be scratching their heads about what is going on.

Enjoyable fantasy so far. Picture and and audio superb. As a fan of excellent fantasy I have no regrets on buying this a blind buy. I am enjoying this. It is a shame that with the disappointing box office receipts I might never see the other two books to film to complete the story.

No audio "bombs" I have a Denon 4308 and BD30. I would recommend for fantasy film buffs.

I have read the series and I have no problem following the storyline. Just a bit rushed, not boring, but for those who have not read the books I can see where they might be scratching their heads about what is going on.

Enjoyable fantasy so far. Picture and and audio superb. As a fan of excellent fantasy I have no regrets on buying this a blind buy. I am enjoying this. It is a shame that with the disappointing box office receipts I might never see the other two books to film to complete the story.

No audio "bombs" I have a Denon 4308 and BD30. I would recommend for fantasy film buffs.

Bingo, I was a big Lord of the Rings/Narnia fan read all the books. I haven't read Golden Compass, but what the movie was lacking was a more detailed back story of what is going on. Like why call the creatures that follow them around demons? And the whole dust story-line was left out in the wind, now don't get me wrong the movies looked fantastic the acting was top notch they just needed to explain things better. If it does well on DVD and Blu-Ray I bet they create another... Lion the Which and the Wardrobe didn't do much better and there is a new one.

Bingo, I was a big Lord of the Rings/Narnia fan read all the books. I haven't read Golden Compass, but what the movie was lacking was a more detailed back story of what is going on. Like why call the creatures that follow them around demons? And the whole dust story-line was left out in the wind, now don't get me wrong the movies looked fantastic the acting was top notch they just needed to explain things better. If it does well on DVD and Blu-Ray I bet they create another... Lion the Which and the Wardrobe didn't do much better and there is a new one.

If you are into fantasy literature I would recommend this trilogy. What I like about it is that even though it is tagged as "adolescent" reading it is a thought provoking story. There are religious overtones (actually very heavy hitting in the books, but not in this movie) but whatever causes one to think is a good thing in my book, regardless of age.

The problem with this film is that the makers made it more "vanilla" than it should have been.

Having read the books I am still enjoying this toned down version.

I also have Narnia on pre-order. Love that film as well.

It is a shame that with the disappointing box office receipts I might never see the other two books to film to complete the story.

It's pretty much a lock that the sequels are going to happen. You don't gross over $360,000,000.00 (70 U.S., over 290 internationally) worldwide and do nothing with it. The questions are when it's going to to happen, who will be involved and what will be the budget.

It's pretty much a lock that the sequels are going to happen. You don't gross over $360,000,000.00 (70 U.S., over 290 internationally) worldwide and do nothing with it. The questions are when it's going to to happen, who will be involved and what will be the budget.

Unfortunately, the distribution deal that New Line (and hence Warner) signed for both the 1st movie and planned sequels locked them out of receiving any of that international money.

The movie was a bomb in the US, and it's unlikely sequels would do any better here. There's really no reason for Warner to finance sequels at all unless they can re-negotiate the international distribution rights.

If you are into fantasy literature I would recommend this trilogy. What I like about it is that even though it is tagged as "adolescent" reading it is a thought provoking story. There are religious overtones (actually very heavy hitting in the books, but not in this movie) but whatever causes one to think is a good thing in my book, regardless of age.

The problem with this film is that the makers made it more "vanilla" than it should have been.

Having read the books I am still enjoying this toned down version.

I also have Narnia on pre-order. Love that film as well.

Thanks for the heads up, I will check out the books! Maybe that is why I didn't think of getting them because they are considered adolescent. Far from it from what I seen of the movie... On another note seems like Mr. Jackson will give us some more LOTR via the Hobbit.....

http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2007/12/its-back-to-mid.html

Lion the Which and the Wardrobe didn't do much better and there is a new one.

The two movies were comparably budgeted at around $180 million each.

The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe grossed $291 million domestically and another $447 million internationally, all of which went to Disney. That's a huge blockbuster by any standard, and vastly better than the Golden Compass, which only took $70 million domestic, with none of the $291 million international take going back to Warner.

Maybe they can offer Uwe Boll to film second and third movie direct to video. Story is so stupid that seems perfect for Boll to produce it and direct it. Don't forget to watch his latest masterpiece Postal in a local restroom near you.

Unfortunately, the distribution deal that New Line (and hence Warner) signed for both the 1st movie and planned sequels locked them out of receiving any of that international money.

The movie was a bomb in the US, and it's unlikely sequels would do any better here. There's really no reason for Warner to finance sequels at all unless they can re-negotiate the international distribution rights.

Who said Warner will foot the (whole) bill? When all is said and done, this movie will have made a lot of money for a lot of people. People like that. Contracts & distribution deals are negotiable, sequels will happen. Hopefully not (comparatively) low-budget, but that's certainly a risk.

I watched The Golden Compass last night. Ever though I read the trilogy years ago, I must admit I was uncertain what to expect given the mixed reviews and a 42% Rotten Tomato rating. Much to my delight I found the movie to be very enjoyable as did my wife who can take it or leave it when it comes to fantasies. I really felt the movie was too rushed and needed to be longer, one has to wonder how much was sacrificed in the cutting room.

I thought the PQ was excellent, Tier 1 at least, and the sound was 5/5.

I didn't experience any popping sounds, however my Panny 10a froze up at the 19:12 mark. Has anyone else experienced this? I was able to chapter skip past that point then fast scroll to about 19:14 and the rest of the disc played fine.

Much to my delight I found the movie to be very enjoyable as did my wife who can take it or leave it when it comes to fantasies. I really felt the movie was too rushed and needed to be longer, one has to wonder how much was sacrificed in the cutting room.Same here on each point. I had a little trouble staying interested in it at first, but around the time they met Gandalf the polar bear, I was into it.

Who said Warner will foot the (whole) bill? When all is said and done, this movie will have made a lot of money for a lot of people. People like that. Contracts & distribution deals are negotiable, sequels will happen. Hopefully not (comparatively) low-budget, but that's certainly a risk.
Josh has given you the facts, which are undeniable. New Line lost their shirt on this and those HUGE losses gave Warner the ability to fold New Line up. This film will NEVER have a sequel. No way.

Josh has given you the facts, which are undeniable. New Line lost their shirt on this and those HUGE losses gave Warner the ability to fold New Line up. This film will NEVER have a sequel. No way.

I am well aware of the facts. I'll leave it at that.

Hi I also had several loud pops with this blu-ray. Everytime I paused the movie then hit play Id get a very loud POP. I tried other disc from newline and other companies and none of them POPPED. I have an Onkyo 905 reciever its been updated to the newest firmware and the newest DSP's "that fix the DTS Bomb". My blu-ray player is a Samsung 1400 updated to newest firmware that came out a few days ago. Rolled back to old firmware on blu-ray player and still got the same POP. I have tried to contact Newline but no luck yet.
If anyone has more info please let me know.

Thanks Adam

Hi Adam,

Same for me. Sammy 1400 to Onkyo 805 with updated DSP.

Larry

The Orphanage looks a hellva lot better than this.

And sounds a hellva lot better:D

Larry

I watched The Golden Compass last night...

I thought the PQ was excellent, Tier 1 at least, and the sound was 5/5.


How can anyone give high marks to the Picture Quality for Golden Compasss?

The movie looks like it was heavily processed through DNR (Digital Noise Reduction) software...you can't even make out the pores on people's skin - they look plastic and unreal.

The colors and contrast look good... but details? What details? There aren't any.

Lower Tier 3 for PQ in my opinion.

Dont regret it i actually enjoyed this movie..its just not perfect but i find it pretty entertaining...I just feel a couple roles coulda been done better but over all i found it as a good movie

I have to agree with this post. I thought this movie would suck with all of the poor reviews I heard, but I enjoyed it.

It almost goes in line with how great I thought "there will be blood" was going to be and I was quite bored......

I wasn't thrilled with the PQ when I viewed it in the theater. Wanted to rent though as it is available at a local Blockbuster with multiple copies. I didn't bother trying to get it this week and it looks more like this will be put on the back burner. Actually I may get The Orphanage first as I never saw that movie and been reading good things about it.

So I'm hearing some getting the popping as had been reported a few weeks ago with this paticular blu ray title. All of them seem to be using the Onkyo units (though you are reporting they were upgraded to avoid the DTS bomb.....interesting).

I have this disc too, but am a little leary on blowing thousands of $$$ of speakers through the roof with any kind of damaging pops. I see one person with my same Denon receiver didn't have any pops (denon does not seem to have the DTS pop problems). But just want to make sure!!!!

My stuff...

Denon 4308
Samsung BD-P1400 player

Latest thing I read was issue was in the receiver, not in the player, so although some are having issues and using the Samsung, I don't think the players at fault, more the receiver.

Just want to confirm I haven't missed something in the previous weeks. Still receivers/processors? Not a player issue? Denon still safe?


Thanks all!

Correct the Denons appear to be immune to the Bitstream Bomb.

So I'm hearing some getting the popping as had been reported a few weeks ago with this paticular blu ray title. All of them seem to be using the Onkyo units (though you are reporting they were upgraded to avoid the DTS bomb.....interesting).

I have this disc too, but am a little leary on blowing thousands of $$$ of speakers through the roof with any kind of damaging pops. I see one person with my same Denon receiver didn't have any pops (denon does not seem to have the DTS pop problems). But just want to make sure!!!!

My stuff...

Denon 4308
Samsung BD-P1400 player

Latest thing I read was issue was in the receiver, not in the player, so although some are having issues and using the Samsung, I don't think the players at fault, more the receiver.

Just want to confirm I haven't missed something in the previous weeks. Still receivers/processors? Not a player issue? Denon still safe?

Thanks all!

I also have a Denon 4308 but a Panasonic BD30. No pops for me. Both receiver and BD30 handled the disc beutifully.

I finally watched this BR. The picture quality is 4/5 in my opinion. It's a very colorful movie and most things look really sharp like the detail on the fur of the daemons, the towns, vehicles, etc. The closeups of Dakota Blue and Nicole Kidman's faces look washed out and that's my only real complaint. An earlier poster said they look plastic, and that explains it rather well. Some other people's faces look sharp, so it isn't all bad. The sound is great and the story is interesting, but the dialogue and acting are...meh.

The popping is only from bitstreaming right?? I'm watching this movie right now on PS3 and hearing no such popping.

I just finished watching this disc, and thought the video and audio were amazing!

I had NO popping issues, and was bitstreaming from a Samsung BD-P1400 to a Denon 4308 via HDMI. The sound quality was absolutely amazing!

The popping issue seems to have absolutely nothing to do with the player, but rather certain receivers and their internal DTS HD master decoders. I believe the popping is only being found in the Onkyo / Integra line, and also maybe Yamaha receivers. Denon (luckily for me) does not suffer from the bitstream popping.

Again, thought video & sound quality was great! entertaining movie, not ground breaking, but it certainly held my attention!

Is it tier 0 or 1

Has anyone experienced any problems with Golden Compass on Blu ray yet with Denon. I have a 4308ci receiver and a 3800bdci Blu ray and am getting the speaker popping issue. my installer came over to my house and was dumb founded. we did find out that if you force the dsp to read 5 channel surround you do not get the problem. I called Denon and they pretty much blew me off and said it was new lines fault for the way they encoded DTS hd master on the movie. Has anyone heard of a fix yet for denon to get the true DTS HD format.

Thanks

Onkyo 605 - Pop at 19:12. Knew it was coming so I turned down the volume.

what up with the golden compass and all of these problems. I thought onkyo had a patch to fix the problem. seems like denon is the only company that is not trying to fix the problem.

what up with the golden compass and all of these problems. I thought onkyo had a patch to fix the problem. seems like denon is the only company that is not trying to fix the problem.

Well i don't know but some people have 4308ci here and played it wihtou problems. + i never had the BOMB on any title that was mentionned on the DTS HD MA BOMB Thread, The Fly worth flawlessly on my 3808ci as well as other title..

Did you guys updated your Onkyo's to the new dsp.

that is awsome you have had no problems with your 3808ci wish i could say the same. how do you have your system setup? Mine is strictly HDMI. I wonder if it is the denon blu ray player and not the receiver now I am really confused. what kind of blu ray player do you have.

I have not seen this one yet ... but another website rated the video as average ...

http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/movies.php?id=687&show=review

One of the things that I look for is clarity of facial features ... pores on the skin etc. The above review specifically states that it was absent.

Quote from another site:
There's some minor black crush in dark scenes, but it's not severe enough to complain about. More bothersome is a lack of textural detail throughout the movie. Facial features have no visible skin pores or variances in complexion. Fine detail resolution is wanting in many scenes, not just those smothered in CGI. I wouldn't be surprised if the image had been run though a Digital Noise Reduction filter or two to smoothen everything out.

I have not seen this one yet ... but another website rated the video as average ...

http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/movies.php?id=687&show=review

One of the things that I look for is clarity of facial features ... pores on the skin etc. The above review specifically states that it was absent.

Quote from another site:
There's some minor black crush in dark scenes, but it's not severe enough to complain about. More bothersome is a lack of textural detail throughout the movie. Facial features have no visible skin pores or variances in complexion. Fine detail resolution is wanting in many scenes, not just those smothered in CGI. I wouldn't be surprised if the image had been run though a Digital Noise Reduction filter or two to smoothen everything out.

I thought overall, does not match with I Robot audio/video

Quote from another site:
There's some minor black crush in dark scenes, but it's not severe enough to complain about. More bothersome is a lack of textural detail throughout the movie. Facial features have no visible skin pores or variances in complexion. Fine detail resolution is wanting in many scenes, not just those smothered in CGI. I wouldn't be surprised if the image had been run though a Digital Noise Reduction filter or two to smoothen everything out.

If you're going to quote from a review, please link to the original article:

http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/1352/goldencompass.html

Doh.. I got a defective Golden Compass DISC from Netflix. The HDMI audio is all screwed up. THe rears are about 15 db hot. Unlistenable. Used Toslink DTS (bitstream) and all is OK..

Just finished watching GC rental from blockbuster...No issues with Elite 94 / Pana bd30 with Sony VW60 PJ....Sound was awesome.

Doh.. I got a defective Golden Compass DISC from Netflix. The HDMI audio is all screwed up. THe rears are about 15 db hot. Unlistenable. Used Toslink DTS (bitstream) and all is OK..

Uuuhhh, you have a system problem. Disc defects don't behave like this.

I agree with Kris Deering's initial pre-review of GC (first post of this thread). I thought the picture was 4.5 stars (I did not mind the DNR at all) and the sound was reference especially the LFE. I also really enjoyed the story. When the polar bears roared, my house rattled. :D

As for the DTS bomb, below is what I posted in the DTS Bomb thread:

I have an Integra DTC 9.8 and Panny BD30. The Integra has the DSP Bomb update and firmware 1.07 and the Panny BD 30 has firmware 1.6 installed. I did not have any DTS-HD MA Bombs and I replay the movie from 19 minutes in for a few minutes.

I did notice a slight pop when I paused the BD or skip chapters. But the pop is only slight and more of an annoyance than a sound that will cause damage.

PQ was lackluster at best compared to other Blurays i've seen. I wasn't really impressed with the sound either. It had decent surrounds but lacked punch... however watched this right after 007 Casino Royal PCM 5.1, that trumped this disk.

Watched GC with the kids and we all enjoyed it. The kids complained about the ending of GC.

If you're going to quote from a review, please link to the original article

Thank you ... was unsure if that was against forum rules.

One person on AVS has been quoted as saying the popping also happens on his Marantz receiver via bitstream.

Uuuhhh, you have a system problem. Disc defects don't behave like this.

Nope played fine in my other BD player... as do the other 100 BD discs I own. Likely it is the one player not liking the disc.

You have a diagnostic problem...:p

Last night we sat down to watch this and got through ten minutes when my wife fell asleep. Kept waking her up, but 30 minutes in she quit and so did I, switching over to HBO to watch the Delahoya fight.

I'll give it a another go today while the wife is out shopping, but man oh man, this film really lacks in epic direction. The story so far is about as exciting as rectal exam.

The first half of the movie is dreadfully slow moving trying to build the story I remember from my movie theater experience. I rented it from Blockbuster today cause I wanted to give the quality of the BD a go. I fast forwarded some of the first half and definitely got into the second half though that didn't really happen with my first go in the theater.

I'd say 4.0 for PQ and 4.5 for AQ. Worth the rental price I gave it IMHO I suppose though I will not buy this one. Bigger fish to fry with May releases.

Just watched this as a Netflix rental. I was just curious to see the movie that doomed New Line. It was a visual effect feast and it explains the overbudget. The PQ is 4 (good cinematography but some faces are DNRed) and SQ is 4.5.

The ending of the movie seems a little rushed, and maybe because they already have no money. :D

Nope played fine in my other BD player... as do the other 100 BD discs I own. Likely it is the one player not liking the disc.

You have a diagnostic problem...:p

Jeff

I think you and I have the same problem. You are using 5.1 PCM over HDMI and I am using 5.1 analog out both from the Denon 3800BDCI. On other forums people are saying that Denon receivers are having problems with the bitstream if they have the receiver set up to output 5.1 with this disc.

So the common items are Denon and 5.1. Apparently if we set the Denon to decode to 7.1 rather than 5.1 the problem goes away, but I assume that we would loose the information on the rear channels. Means going into the setup for just this movie (and The Orphanage which also seems to have this problem) and changing the speaker configuration to 7.1.

I am thinking that I am going to have to contact Denon customer support (not something I am looking forward to).


Mike

Well, I finished it and must say, shame on whoever gave this the green light at New Line because you ruined and destroyed your company for this POS! Man, this puppy was all wrong, with no sense of direction and a very clear too much story for one film so lets rush through everything feel to it. The finale had zero suspense because I just didn't care one little bit. And that second ending setup for the next film! Oh my God, it was like a trailer.

The visuals were amazing. Simply stunning production design and sfx. But who cares?

PQ was very good, but I think others are right. There are appears to be some noise reduction applied, so it's not eye poppingly perfect.

Kidman's face is botoxed to hell. Noise reduction or not, it's obvious.

I just got my new Sony VPL-VW60 set up and this was the first full movie that we watched. I used a Panasonic 30 and my Denon 4308i I got no pops.

The PQ was great. The "dust" at the beginning of the film was very detailed, and looked incredible on my 102" 16x9 screen projected by the Sony 60. The dark scenes when she had run away from Nicole Kidman and was hiding in the town were very sharp and detailed. I agree with Kris that this disc has excellent video.

They movie, however, I thought was pretty bad. So did the other 3 people who watched it with me. (We never read the books)