Greetings,

I would like to take a moment to introduce myself. There are some who know me here at AVS but there are many who don't. I have been a member here since 2002 and until last week my user name was "placidman".

I have been writing about and reviewing A/V gear in one form or another since 1999. In late 2006 I began reviewing DVD and then Blu-ray disc. I don't claim to be an expert in the field of film making, cinematography, sound design, and the like. I do know my equipment and my room. I have had plenty of hands on experience with various A/V hardware and software. I am confident in my ability to know the differences that can exist between them.

Like all of you I love this hobby and I love movies. It is my job to provide the membership here with my impressions of the overall quality of the software that I am reviewing. That would include an overview of the audio, video, bonus content (if any), and the film itself. This is so that you have a good idea of how this film will look and sound (depending somewhat on your system configuration), its bonus content and my thoughts on it as a movie in general.

The template/system that I use is one that I have been using for some time now. I think that it provides a quick synopsis of the above along with a straight forward layout. I don't have a degree in technical writing but I try to present it using descriptive enough terminology so that it drives home the point I am making. I have received some very nice comments from some of the members and it is much appreciated. I also welcome any feedback good or bad as long as it is constructive and in proper form. I try to be accurate in my writing but from time to time I make mistakes. If you notice something please bring it to my attention and I will look at it and address any errors.

I will not tolerate any posts that are attacking in nature either against myself or another member. Please refer to the site rules regarding posting etiquette.

I have noticed that some feel very strongly about films that they like and any negative reporting regarding those films can sometimes be taken personally. Please keep in mind that I will report my findings and make every attempt to do that from an objective stand point. If you disagree with a review there is nothing wrong with that as everyone is entitled to an opinion and I respect that.

New reviews will be stickied until their release date. I will set up an alphabetized database in this section which will remain stuck at the top. This listing will contain links to all the reviews which will help members locate reviews that are no longer on the front page.

**Film ratings and Scoring:**

I have received a few inquiries regarding film ratings and the total audio/video rating in the reviews. I rate films by genre. In my opinion lumping all films into one rating category would not be appropriate or practical. This is why I include the genre category in the reviews. The score which is located in color at the top of the review is not reflective of the film itself but only of its technical merits (audio/video quality). If you look at the score it indicates in parenthesis Total Audio/Video rating. The film rating is subjective which is why I don't factor it into the scoring. I feel that we all have varying tastes so it would be unfair to calculate that into the overall quality rating of a video review.

Currently I cover Blu-ray disc releases from Sony, Fox/MGM, Disney (including Miramax, Touchstone, Buena Vista ), and Paramount. I will see about Warner and Universal. If I cover their Blu-ray releases it won't be every one of their catalog release titles because of the volume. I will work with them on new releases and select catalog releases. I will let you all know when the time comes.

I have no agreement with the studios releasing Blu-ray Discs other than to cover the titles sent to me. I am not compensated by them. I will report my findings both good and bad. To date I have never been contacted by a studio or its representative to complain about the content of a review. As an AVS member and Blu-ray reviewer I have an obligation to be as accurate as possible in my reporting. I take that responsibility very seriously.

I am excited to be here in this capacity and I thank David for his confidence and trust. I look forward to seeing all of you and I hope to help you make good decisions when choosing which Blu-ray discs to add to your collection.:)


Thanks for listening.


Best regards,

I look forward to reading all the reviews, and love the ones you have done so far!

I'm a new member but this is the reason I love this forum - so much good information. Thanks for taking the time to do this - I particularly liked your review of Saawariya (a movie I didn't like, incidentally) because it gave me such a different perspective. I look forward to your reviews.

I've really enjoyed the reviews you've posted so far, and look forward to more. Keep up the good work!

Glad you're here!! Good luck! We'll be reading.

Ralph!

You're the man! Thus far, your blu ray reviews have been excellent!
I hope that everyone else recognizes your contribution to the website!

All the best to you!

Regards!

Ralph,
I enjoyed your reviews over at the Spot. And, I'm sure I'll enjoy them here, also.

love your work.....any chance of adding if the title is region free and will play in playstations down under (aussie)
we are being starved with very little release's down here.

great reviews so far...if you want you can send me your system and I will review it...jk I'm jealous of your system

I'm happy to see the reviews being posted. One thing I would like to encourage is not to rate everything so high. Sure BD looks beautiful, but with 100 a/v points to distribute, if all the titles are being scored in the 80's and 90's then it's hard to differentiate quality. I'd much rather see the titles spread out over the spectrum more evenly. So a rating of 0-10 should be given to the poorer looking titles, even though they still may look fantastic by DVD standards.

FANTASTIC reviews!

Thanks Ralph.
When there comes a time to buy a Blu Ray, your reviews will be my main resource for eye-candy.

Thanks again!

I wish you the best of luck. I've read afew of your reviews and they seem very thorough and objective.

I think your work will be extremely valuable and appreciated.

Will you keep an archived area of past reviews after release ?

Art

Ralph- I noticed in your reviews that you comment on the data-transfer rate of the disc. Could you please go into more detail in an upcoming post on why you include this info, what the typical and maximum capability of Blu-ray is in this area, and how you feel this correlates (if at all) to the quality of the audio/video presentation. I've noticed wildly different transfer rates between various Blu-ray titles and it seems to have little bearing on the quality of the final result (IMHO). Thanks,. Lon

I'm happy to see the reviews being posted. One thing I would like to encourage is not to rate everything so high. Sure BD looks beautiful, but with 100 a/v points to distribute, if all the titles are being scored in the 80's and 90's then it's hard to differentiate quality. I'd much rather see the titles spread out over the spectrum more evenly. So a rating of 0-10 should be given to the poorer looking titles, even though they still may look fantastic by DVD standards.

Greetings,

Thanks very much to everyone for their input and comments. It is much appreciated.

facesnorth,

The reviews posted here so far (with the exception of Butch Cassidy) had been previously written and posted prior to my coming over to AVS. I re-published them here and as it happens they are of high quality and rated as such. I will take what you point out into consideration over the next couple of reviews and see how things shake out. Thanks !

I wish you the best of luck. I've read afew of your reviews and they seem very thorough and objective.

I think your work will be extremely valuable and appreciated.

Will you keep an archived area of past reviews after release ?

Art

Art,

There will be an alphabetized database thread in this section which will contain direct links to the reviews. This will make them easier to find once they are no longer on the first page.


love your work.....any chance of adding if the title is region free and will play in playstations down under (aussie)
we are being starved with very little release's down here.

falconba,

Thanks you for mentioning the inclusion region encoding. I will begin to include that info in my next review. I won't be able to say for sure whether it will play in your PS3 but I will include the data from the rear of the disc.



Best regards,

Ralph- I noticed in your reviews that you comment on the data-transfer rate of the disc. Could you please go into more detail in an upcoming post on why you include this info, what the typical and maximum capability of Blu-ray is in this area, and how you feel this correlates (if at all) to the quality of the audio/video presentation. I've noticed wildly different transfer rates between various Blu-ray titles and it seems to have little bearing on the quality of the final result (IMHO). Thanks,. Lon

Greetings,

Great question Lon. I include the data transfer rate for both audio and video because I feel that this information may be pertinent to some readers. The issue of lower bitrates have a definitive impact on fideility is something I have yet to determine for sure.

I have seen some lower bitrate video encodings that exhibited minor blocking and mosquito type video noise. I can't positively attribute that to the encoding's lower bitrate but the link is strong. I have seen bitrates ranging from 9 mbps up to 40 mbps. It has been my experience that the majority of the "reference" high definition video presentations have had average bitrates starting in the 22 to 23 mbps and higher ranges. I can't say that is gospel but that is a solid starting point. The bitrates ebbs and flows during the film but those that maintain numbers in those areas and up generally have not had symptoms related to bit starvation.

Lower transfer rates for audio encodings is something that I am still comparing. For example, the bitrate for the Dolby TrueHD soundtrack of Untraceable was 1.4 mbps. The Dolby TrueHD mix on Youth without Youth had an average bitrate of 3.6 mbps. These are essentially both dialog driven films but both have dynamically potential elements within the mix. There was a distinct and measureable (I'm sure) difference in these two mixes. The Youth without youth mix sounded cleaner, deeper, and livelier (for lack of a better word) that Untraceable. Is this due to the higher bitrate? I can't say because there are other variables that could explain it I guess. I will begin to compare some of these and see if there is any real patterns.

I am not an expert Lon but I hope that I have at least provided some useful information in response to your question.


Cheers,

Ralph, great to have you doing reviews for AVS. Loved reading your reviews at the Spot!

Hiya Ralph, Nice to see you again. LOL....

Hiya Ralph, Nice to see you again. LOL....

Greetings,

Same to you Ray. Hope to see more of you around here...:)


Best,

Just read some of your reviews. So far, so good. You got a faithful reader now. :)

Colour me enthusiastic for what's to come!!!

Hi Ralph,
I've enjoyed reading your reviews. An area of concern for me is how a Blu-Ray stacks up over their SD-DVD counterparts. I have an extensive DVD library and I already went through the VHS to DVD conversion many years ago. I don't have a problem replacing the DVDs with BDs, if it's worth it. More recently, I've found that some remastered Blu-Ray movies to be vastly superior to their SD cousins, while others are barely better than an upconverted SD-DVD. In one case, so far, I found the Blu-Ray transfer to be worse than it's SD counterpart. The ones not usually worth it are older DVD releases. Although, I have to admit, in just about every case the sound track is usually much better. However, I can't use that reason alone for replacing a DVD with a BD.

My point is this. When posible, could you add your wisdom about the comparison of DVD to BD.

Keep up the good work.

Thanks:)

Just read some of your reviews. So far, so good. You got a faithful reader now. :)

+1 keep up the good work, it's appreciated!

Hi Ralph,
I've enjoyed reading your reviews. An area of concern for me is how a Blu-Ray stacks up over their SD-DVD counterparts. I have an extensive DVD library and I already went through the VHS to DVD conversion many years ago. I don't have a problem replacing the DVDs with BDs, if it's worth it. More recently, I've found that some remastered Blu-Ray movies to be vastly superior to their SD cousins, while others are barely better than an upconverted SD-DVD. In one case, so far, I found the Blu-Ray transfer to be worse than it's SD counterpart. The ones not usually worth it are older DVD releases. Although, I have to admit, in just about every case the sound track is usually much better. However, I can't use that reason alone for replacing a DVD with a BD.

My point is this. When posible, could you add your wisdom about the comparison of DVD to BD.

Keep up the good work.

Thanks:)

Greetings,

Tyrod, I generally make comments regarding any comparisons that apply to DVD when I review catalog release titles. Of course this is dependent on the fact that I have seen the DVD version and can offer some useful information.

I will make it a point to be more specific where I can.

Thanks for your comments.

Cheers,

Ralph... Good to see you here. I trust only about 5 reviewers on the entire internet and youre one of them (also like the fact you got the 5308 ;))
Regarding the thread rank, I was more hoping we could use it for all members to actually rate the disc itself. I think the ranking of thousands of members would be very helpful instead of that being used to rank your review. Members are either going to share your views or they're not... nothing you can do about that. Just a thought...
By the way... the thread ranking feature isn't working.

Ralph... Good to see you here. I trust only about 5 reviewers on the entire internet and youre one of them (also like the fact you got the 5308 ;))
Regarding the thread rank, I was more hoping we could use it for all members to actually rate the disc itself. I think the ranking of thousands of members would be very helpful instead of that being used to rank your review. Members are either going to share your views or they're not... nothing you can do about that. Just a thought...
By the way... the thread ranking feature isn't working.

Greetings,

Makes sense Shamus...I will make the change.

Thanks !

Greetings,

OK, I updated my original post. I will ask Admin to look into why the thread rankings are not working. I am sure he had them working at one point.


Regards,

I'm glad you (and this ) are here. I'm in too many forums and need to consolidate. This is better.

Now lets get to some movies. OK?

I'm interested in the movies that allow me to see the BEST visual/sound that I can possibly get . Terrible movie but great visual/sound was Ultra Violet (blu-ray).

Thoughts?

Greetings,

OK, I updated my original post. I will ask Admin to look into why the thread rankings are not working. I am sure he had them working at one point.


Regards,

Its working again. Thanks!

To repeat what I said in private....great job Ralph. I can fully understand why you would choose to publish your reviews of the best discs first and leave the "stinkers" for later... However, we do want to know which to avoid as well as which to get.

Ralph, what I like most about the format of your reviews is the upfront nature of the hardware you are using to review the system. I read so many reivews on the internet where the reviewer rates the audio and video of the movie but without telling us what he using.

If you can't tell me exactly what you watched and listened to the movie on, why should I trust your review of the disc? So kudos to you for keeping your reviews so transparent, keep up the great work!

Awesome job sir. When I popped in the other day, I saw the disc reviews and I was elated beyond belief. I commend you on sticking to the actual quality of the recorded content. This isn't an arts forum. There are several movie review sites where users can find that information. Is there a way you could add to the reviews information about the black and white level information on any particular disc? It is my understanding that the THX calibrations one finds on certain materials aren't necessarily the proper values for standard calibration. However, they tend to be more inline with the Lowest black and highest white levels present in that particular film. I think it could help a grand majority of people get the most out of their particular setup.

Thanks again for doing a wonderful job.

is it just me or is it for real ??

Twister BD is the WORST sounding audio i ever heard. is this a defective transfer or did i get a bad disk ? have HIGH end 805/Polk setup and Audio especially uncompressed sounds mind blowing but the audio here was worse than any standard dvd. very poor, could hardly feel anything not loud, no dynamic range,lfe or anything in either dolby truehd or regular 5.1

dialog is very muddy and inaudible, effects are non existant!!

Awesome job sir. When I popped in the other day, I saw the disc reviews and I was elated beyond belief. I commend you on sticking to the actual quality of the recorded content. This isn't an arts forum. There are several movie review sites where users can find that information. Is there a way you could add to the reviews information about the black and white level information on any particular disc? It is my understanding that the THX calibrations one finds on certain materials aren't necessarily the proper values for standard calibration. However, they tend to be more inline with the Lowest black and highest white levels present in that particular film. I think it could help a grand majority of people get the most out of their particular setup.

Thanks again for doing a wonderful job.

Another bit of info would be whether or not the audio has been recalibrated for the home so we could set THX/Audyssey.... though I dont know how we would know that.

Six out of ten reviews are "reference quality" video and audio. Granted, the quality of the BD's that are rated are mostly above-average BD's, but I think that the top ratings are cheapened if any more than the top 10% of BD's are given the "reference quality" label.

The content of the reviews is great, but I think the scoring is a little generous.

Great job on separating the technical aspect (video/audio) from the 'film' and 'extras'. I disagree with a lot of the 'film' grades (for example Mrs. Doubtfire > No Country), but it IS subjective so adding them into the rating is redundant.

Six out of ten reviews are "reference quality" video and audio. Granted, the quality of the BD's that are rated are mostly above-average BD's, but I think that the top ratings are cheapened if any more than the top 10% of BD's are given the "reference quality" label.

The content of the reviews is great, but I think the scoring is a little generous.

Great job on separating the technical aspect (video/audio) from the 'film' and 'extras'. I disagree with a lot of the 'film' grades (for example Mrs. Doubtfire > No Country), but it IS subjective so adding them into the rating is redundant.


Greetings,

Bokchoy, I suspect that once we get rolling and more reviews are posted things will even out. June will be busy and we will see how things shake out. Thanks for your input and check back often.:)

Regards,

Greetings,

I appreciate the feedback everyone. There have been some great suggestions and interesting requests. As we move forward I will evaluate them and see what works and what does not.


Cheers,

love your work.....any chance of adding if the title is region free and will play in playstations down under (aussie)
we are being starved with very little release's down here.

This site should be helpful in that regard if you aren't already aware of it.

http://bluray.liesinc.net/

Chris

Great Reviews...

What do you think of having a Sticky thread that would summarize the reviews, and have links to each review thread.

Great Reviews...

What do you think of having a Sticky thread that would summarize the reviews, and have links to each review thread.

Greetings,

Thanks Jay. There will be a sticky thread that contains an alphabetized listing of the reviews with links to each. I have not gotten to it yet but will soon....


Cheers,

is it just me or is it for real ??

Twister BD is the WORST sounding audio i ever heard. is this a defective transfer or did i get a bad disk ? have HIGH end 805/Polk setup and Audio especially uncompressed sounds mind blowing but the audio here was worse than any standard dvd. very poor, could hardly feel anything not loud, no dynamic range,lfe or anything in either dolby truehd or regular 5.1

dialog is very muddy and inaudible, effects are non existant!!

Hi matchan,

I just watched this last night with the 805, Polk speakers & Outlaw sub.
THD rocked the House!!!!!!:eek:

Something is not right with your disc.

Larry

Hi Ralph,

Thank you so much for your reviews and the time you invest. Count me in as a loyal reader!

Larry

Hi matchan,

I just watched this last night with the 805, Polk speakers & Outlaw sub.
THD rocked the House!!!!!!:eek:

Something is not right with your disc.

Larry
Thanks I figured. Was shocked initially thinking my system was dying or my ears were getting feeble. RMA'ed Amazon..

Hi Ralph,

Thank you so much for your reviews and the time you invest. Count me in as a loyal reader!

Larry

Greetings,

You are more than welcome Larry.:)


Regards,

will anyone else be submitting their reviews to this thread?

ok just read that only staff can start a thread and then others may post. so can certain movie reviews be requested of this reviewer to start off a thread?

As you stated earlier, you know your equipment and room. Please let us know what they are. Perhaps you already have, and I have missed it.

will anyone else be submitting their reviews to this thread?

ok just read that only staff can start a thread and then others may post. so can certain movie reviews be requested of this reviewer to start off a thread?

Greetings,

This area is set up for posting reviews and for discussion of the reviews posted. I explained in my first post which releases (studio wise) I currently cover. This will provide an idea of which reviews to expect. As things progress coverage may be extended though.



As you stated earlier, you know your equipment and room. Please let us know what they are. Perhaps you already have, and I have missed it.

My equipment is listed at the bottom of each review article that I write. You can see my room if you click on the link on my signature.


Cheers,

Hi Ralph,

Can you please review the below titles ?

1) Face/Off - Please confirm if DNR has applied and whether the bit rates on the opening credits exceeds the 36 Mbps mark. The import Blu-ray touches 49 Mbps during the opening credits. These 2 checks are required to confirm that the Blu-ray is a different encode from the HD DVD.

2) Next - Please check if the transfer suffers from aliasing/jaggies (Paramount logo and the restaurant scene). Also check if the bit rates exceed 36 Mbps mark in couple of spots. These 2 checks are required to confirm that the Blu-ray is a different encode from the HD DVD and the overseas Blu-ray.

Hi Ralph,

Can you please review the below titles ?

1) Face/Off - Please confirm if DNR has applied and whether the bit rates on the opening credits exceeds the 36 Mbps mark. The import Blu-ray touches 49 Mbps during the opening credits. These 2 checks are required to confirm that the Blu-ray is a different encode from the HD DVD.

2) Next - Please check if the transfer suffers from aliasing/jaggies (Paramount logo and the restaurant scene). Also check if the bit rates exceed 36 Mbps mark in couple of spots. These 2 checks are required to confirm that the Blu-ray is a different encode from the HD DVD and the overseas Blu-ray.


Greetings,

I have Next and will get to it this weekend.


Regards,

Hi Ralph,

Can you please review the below titles ?

1) Face/Off - Please confirm if DNR has applied and whether the bit rates on the opening credits exceeds the 36 Mbps mark. The import Blu-ray touches 49 Mbps during the opening credits. These 2 checks are required to confirm that the Blu-ray is a different encode from the HD DVD.

2) Next - Please check if the transfer suffers from aliasing/jaggies (Paramount logo and the restaurant scene). Also check if the bit rates exceed 36 Mbps mark in couple of spots. These 2 checks are required to confirm that the Blu-ray is a different encode from the HD DVD and the overseas Blu-ray.


Greetings,

OK, I saw no problems with jaggies/aliasing in either of those scenes or anywhere else. The video transfer rate hit a max of 50 mbps and a low of 14.2 mbps. It definitely exceeded the 36 mbps mark on several occasions. Overall average was 33 mbps.


Cheers,

Ralph,

On your initial post you state that 1 star equals poor, 3 stars equals good, 4 stars equals excellent, and 5 stars equals reference. What about 2 stars?

Thanks in advance.

Ralph,

On your initial post you state that 1 star equals poor, 3 stars equals good, 4 stars equals excellent, and 5 stars equals reference. What about 2 stars?

Thanks in advance.

Greetings,

Thank you for pointing that out. :) I updated it to relfect that a 2 Star rating = Fair.


Cheers,

So this is where the reviews are. I was looking in the wrong place for about a week. Cool, they are now AVS.

Ralph what do you think about adding the post date in the thread title? Since people can add comments it makes it a little more difficult to pick out the newest reviews. I can identify most by title, but I think it might help people pick the reviews they want to read.

Thanks for the accurate review by the way. I hope Paramount ships out a Cloverfield BD to you soon, I'm dying to listen to that TrueHD track.

Hi Ralph,

I've read several reviews and eagerly await more. From what my eyes and ears tell me, you're very reliable as far as ratings go -- I don't think I would disagree with any of the scores I've seen.

I am kind of curious though:

In your viewing experience (of all the BR titles you've watched, not just the reviewed ones), what are your favorites as far as PQ/SQ go?

Do you have any title recommendations of movies that probably aren't so widely mentioned (sort of lesser known titles that turned out to have fantastic PQ or SQ)? For example, a title that I think doesn't get much mention when good PQ titles show up is Identity (maybe I'm the only one? Have you seen it?)

Look forward to reading many more.

Greetings,

Fronn, thanks for your comments. I own Identity on Blu-ray and I like the sound design used in the film quite a bit. There are many that I have not reviewed but own that I think are stand outs in audio/video quality. I have been considering the placement of a reviewer's recommended list of BD in this area but have not decided how I want to implement it.

This would also tie into reviews as I do them. When I come up with the right idea I will post it along with how it will be tied into reviews.

Regards,

Just got wind of these BD reviews you are doing and I must say, they are great! Good details with very specific critique of the movies technical as well as content wise! Keep up the good work!

I would also like to suggest you have a seperate thread for your top rated movie reviews, especially the ones you would recommend as "reference" materials.

Ralph, thanks for the reviews so far, keep them coming. All I ask when I read reviews all over the net is that they are honest, I must say yours are some of the best.
Thanks!

Ralph, thanks for the reviews so far, keep them coming. All I ask when I read reviews all over the net is that they are honest, I must say yours are some of the best.
Thanks!


Greetings,

Will do Al. Thanks...:)


Cheers,

Ralph... thanks very much for the reviews! Any chance Enchanted is on the radar? I found it to be quite fun and Amy's acting is top-shelf!!! And the clean-up song should have gotten the Academy Award! I did have some (quite a few, actually) drop-outs on the DDTrueHD track using my Samsung BD-P1400 w/most recent firmware, however.

Hi Ralph,

What happened to your review of Master & Commander?

TIA,

Larry

Hi Ralph,

What happened to your review of Master & Commander?

TIA,

Larry

Greetings,

Larry, see this thread for an explanation:

Thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=13965539#post13965539)


Thanks for checking.

Greetings.....

.....My equipment is listed at the bottom of each review article that I write. You can see my room if you click on the link on my signature.


Cheers,


Hi, Ralph, from Joe (aka ilovenola2) in New Orleans.

It's getting hot here! I sure would love to spend the summer looking at movies with you in that fabulous home theatre!!!!! :D

Seriously-- what a great setup!

Greetings,

Joe, you are more than welcome...:)

Thanks.

Greetings,

I have received several inquiries regarding Film Ratings/Overall Scoring in the reviews. I updated the original post in this thread to provide some insights into this. I will include it here as well:

**Film ratings and Scoring:**

I have received a few inquiries regarding film ratings and the total audio/video rating in the reviews. I rate films by genre. In my opinion lumping all films into one rating category would not be appropriate or practical. This is why I include the genre category in the reviews. The score which is located in color at the top of the review is not reflective of the film itself but only of its technical merits (audio/video quality). If you look at the score it indicates in parenthesis Total Audio/Video rating. The film rating is subjective which is why I don't factor it into the scoring. I feel that we all have varying tastes so it would be unfair to calculate that into the overall quality rating of a video review.



Regards,

Hi Ralph,

Awaiting your reviews on TWBB and Face/Off.:)

Hi Ralph,

Awaiting your reviews on TWBB and Face/Off.:)

Greetings,

TWBB showed up this morning...

Cheers,

I kind of mentioned this before.

"Average" is 65-73, yet the average score of the reviewed Blu-Rays is in the mid 80's, as is the median, and this isn't counting some of the reviews that have disappeared. The lowest rated Blu-Ray in the past two months is A Bridge Too Far with a 71, which is the high-end of the "Average" score.

Does this mean that the Blu-Rays that have been released in the past two months are generally leaps and bounds above the average of the Blu-Ray library? I enjoy the reviews and take them into consideration when I go Blu-Ray shopping. I'm more inclined to purchase Blu-Rays that have the best video and audio, but it's just a little hard to grasp that 2/3 of films are excellent-to-reference quality. Are they all truly this good?

Hey Ralph. Great to see you reviewing again. I always loved reading your reviews.

Hey Ralph. Great to see you reviewing again. I always loved reading your reviews.

Greetings,

Thanks Tracy ! Its great to hear from you and I hope to see you around the site.:)


Cheers.

Hey Ralph. Great to see you reviewing again. I always loved reading your reviews.

Ralph,

+1. I went looking for you (after noticing you missing on another site I've been to) and found you here, on one of my favorite sites. Glad to have you here and looking forward to reading your reviews!

Robert

Ralph,

+1. I went looking for you (after noticing you missing on another site I've been to) and found you here, on one of my favorite sites. Glad to have you here and looking forward to reading your reviews!

Robert

Greetings,

Thanks much Rob ! I look forward to seeing you around here..:)


Cheers,

Greetings,

I am moving to another front projector which will become part of my reference review system. I ordered the JVC DLA-RS1x (from our own AVScience Store :)) and it is due to arrive on Monday.

I love my Sony Pearl and it has served me extremely well...


Cheers,

Greetings,

I will be reposting the 9 reviews that were lost in the database crash. I will get it done by today.

Regards,

Greetings,

I just added the Panasonic DMP-BD55K to my review system.


Cheers,

Ralph,

Great reviews...you are my 'go-to' guy for help in deciding which Blu-ray discs to add to my Netflix queue. :)

In your reviews you make reference to the bitrate of the lossless and/or lossy audio tracks. In the future, could you also make reference to the frequency: 48kHz, 96kHz, etc.?

Thanks.

Ralph,

Great reviews...you are my 'go-to' guy for help in deciding which Blu-ray discs to add to my Netflix queue. :)

In your reviews you make reference to the bitrate of the lossless and/or lossy audio tracks. In the future, could you also make reference to the frequency: 48kHz, 96kHz, etc.?

Thanks.

Greetings,

Thanks for your comments Pia-chan. :) I will see about adding that info as well...

Cheers,

Hi Ralph,

I have been waiting for your review of The Incredible Hulk! I bought it and think it's one of the best Blu-Rays that I own. Are you going to do a review, or am I overlooking it?

Thanks

Hi Ralph,,, I have no idea where to post this, and was wondering if anyone else had issues with The DIE HARD Collection.. My problem is on my PS3 I watched all the movies and never paid to much attention to the Audio formats because it showed LPCM on the reveiver (Onkyo 805),, I just got the sony S550,, I watched dics 1,3,4 and all showed DTS-MA on my Onkyo 805,, I put in dics 2 and it defaulted to DD,, I tryed to force DTS-Ma and got no sound.. I checked out FOX website and there was metion about dics 2 having an issue,, Website said to call for a replacment, When I did they said they would look into it because the replacement was just for the single bluray only and not if you bought the Collection.... I had no luck with seeing if I could just send in the single dics to get it replaced..

Thanks,
Joe

Hi Ralph,,, I have no idea where to post this, and was wondering if anyone else had issues with The DIE HARD Collection.. My problem is on my PS3 I watched all the movies and never paid to much attention to the Audio formats because it showed LPCM on the reveiver (Onkyo 805),, I just got the sony S550,, I watched dics 1,3,4 and all showed DTS-MA on my Onkyo 805,, I put in dics 2 and it defaulted to DD,, I tryed to force DTS-Ma and got no sound.. I checked out FOX website and there was metion about dics 2 having an issue,, Website said to call for a replacment, When I did they said they would look into it because the replacement was just for the single bluray only and not if you bought the Collection.... I had no luck with seeing if I could just send in the single dics to get it replaced..

Thanks,
Joe

Greetings,

Joe there was a lengthy thread on this issue in Blu-ray Software forum. You can check it out here:

Die hard 2 DTS MA/Dolby Digital audio issue (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=942454&highlight=die+hard+dolby)

Cheers,

Hi Ralph,

I have been waiting for your review of The Incredible Hulk! I bought it and think it's one of the best Blu-Rays that I own. Are you going to do a review, or am I overlooking it?

Thanks

Greetings,

I probably won't be covering the Incredible Hulk. I have contacted Universal Studios on a number of occasions regarding coverage of their Blu-ray discs and have not gotten any response. That is not uncommon though so hopefully the future and persistence will bear fruit. I saw it in the theater and enjoyed it. I plan on picking it up but right now my review schedule for the studios that I do cover is pretty full. I will try and write it up at the earliest opportunity. Thanks very much for your interest.

Cheers,

Thanks Ralph.

Hi Ralph
I am new on the scene and I appreciate your reviews. Did you get a chance to review Casino Royale, 007, BluRay. I found the PQ to be lackluster compared to a BluRay like "Patton"

Thanks

Geoallen

What a great resource. You are doing an excellent job. I'm going to be visiting this section alot.

Greetings,

I have moved from the RS1x to the new JVC DLA Reference Series 20 (RS-20).


Cheers,

Greetings,

I have moved from the RS1x to the new JVC DLA Reference Series 20 (RS-20).


Cheers,

Congratulations mate, I was just going to ask would you say a night and day difference between the two?

Congratulations mate, I was just going to ask would you say a night and day difference between the two?

Greetings,

Frank, night and day might be a little strong but the difference is unquestionable.


Cheers,

Greetings,

I have moved from the RS1x to the new JVC DLA Reference Series 20 (RS-20).


Cheers,

Greetings,

Frank, night and day might be a little strong but the difference is unquestionable.


Cheers,

Best of luck with the purchase. If I may ask, what areas do you find it better than the unit it replaced.

I have a HD750(RS20) coming shortly.

Love you're work!

Greetings,

Frank, night and day might be a little strong but the difference is unquestionable.


Cheers,

Cheers Ralph.:)

Greetings,

I have updated my webpage with the pics of the new gear. You can visit my clicking on the link in my signature..:)


Cheers,

Greetings,

I have updated my webpage with the pics of the new gear. You can visit my clicking on the link in my signature..:)


Cheers,

Projector looks nice Ralph:)

Projector looks nice Ralph:)

:cool:

Thanks Frank..

Greetings,

I have updated my webpage with the pics of the new gear. You can visit my clicking on the link in my signature..:)


Cheers,

Happy Holidays Ralph,

Great pics. New pj looks sweet. I'm feeling the need to go to 1080p from 720p. Kind of wanted to stay with DLP.There are not any choices I can find at this point to suit my short throw needs. Perhaps the RS20 is a contender. Need to research the design. Leery of LCD panels.

Your DVD rack looks very nice. I do a bit of woodworking. Poplar? One of my favorites. Easy to work and takes stain well.

The blue, flat cable into your RS20, a flat HDMI? Custom made? That might make life easier.

The family will be back in Middletown in late March, hope winter will be over.

Again, keep the reviews coming.

Joe

Happy Holidays Ralph,

Great pics. New pj looks sweet. I'm feeling the need to go to 1080p from 720p. Kind of wanted to stay with DLP.There are not any choices I can find at this point to suit my short throw needs. Perhaps the RS20 is a contender. Need to research the design. Leery of LCD panels.

Your DVD rack looks very nice. I do a bit of woodworking. Poplar? One of my favorites. Easy to work and takes stain well.

The blue, flat cable into your RS20, a flat HDMI? Custom made? That might make life easier.

The family will be back in Middletown in late March, hope winter will be over.

Again, keep the reviews coming.

Joe

Greetings,

Thanks Joe. The HDMI cable is flat and is a high end cable made by WireWorld. He makes excellent cabling at a number of price points and for a variety of needs.

As far as LCD goes I have owned six projectors now and all have been LCD. I have not complaints.

Regards,

Wow! That new JVC looks sweet! Wish I had not seen that as I need to hold onto my RS1 for atleast another year or two and your pictures tempt me:) Congrats!:)

Wow! That new JVC looks sweet! Wish I had not seen that as I need to hold onto my RS1 for atleast another year or two and your pictures tempt me:) Congrats!:)

Not to worry Toe I'm in the same boat the way Jvc is going looking forward to see what they have to offer in a year or two :)

Not to worry Toe I'm in the same boat the way Jvc is going looking forward to see what they have to offer in a year or two :)


I hear you:) The past few years have been realy exciting and it does not seem to be slowing down to much.

Greetings,

I have moved from the B&K to the new Sherbourn 7/200 which will now serve as my reference review amplifier.

I received it today and have integrated it into my system. Man! This thing is a beast.

I have run some two channel and multi-channel music through it and so far am duly impressed...:)


Regards,

Hey Ralph, since you get so many movies in advance I can't help but wonder-- do you also publish your reviews in a magazine or a newspaper column?

Hey Ralph, since you get so many movies in advance I can't help but wonder-- do you also publish your reviews in a magazine or a newspaper column?


Greetings,

Nope. You guys see them first...


Regards,

Hey Ralphy,

What's the best Pixar Blu Ray In your opinion...and when will The Incredibles be out??

Greetings,

I just added the Oppo BDP-83 to my review system. I am looking forward to putting this great looking player to the test. So far so good..:)


Regards,

Greetings,

For those interested I have updated my theater room pics to include my new Oppo Blu-ray Disc player and a 40" Proscan 1080p HDTV which I use as a monitor. I got this set from BB for $500 and for the price it performs impressively..:)

You can check it out by clicking on the My Home Theater link in my signature.


Cheers,

Greetings,

Well I have moved to the Anthem AVM50v audio/video processor. I will miss the Denon but wanted to move back to separates. Before the Denon I had the AVM50 and loved its superb flexibility, articulated sound and incredible video processing. I eventually outgrew it moved to the Denon. Now that Anthem has updated it with more inputs, internal lossless decoding and improved video processing I felt it was time to move back.


Of course it is quite impressive...;)


Regards,

Well I have moved to the Anthem AVM50v audio/video processor. I will miss the Denon but wanted to move back to separates. Before the Denon I had the AVM50 and loved its superb flexibility, articulated sound and incredible video processing. I eventually outgrew it moved to the Denon. Now that Anthem has updated it with more inputs, internal lossless decoding and improved video processing I felt it was time to move back.


Of course it is quite impressive...;)

The Denon hardly even knew you. :D

Enjoy the new toy.

Greetings,

I have moved to the Stewart Studiotek 130 G3. So far I am very pleased..:)


Regards,

Great article!

Yep... appreciate the introduction. Thanks!

Greetings,

I have made the move to 3D and upgraded to the JVC DLA-RS50 front projector. I am currently utilizing the Samsung BD-C7900 3D Blu-ray player for 3D content. The Samsung has two HDMI outputs which allows me to continue to use my reference Anthem AVM50v for audio while sending the video output directly to the projector. I am using JVC's 3D actvie shutter glasses and have also added the xPanD Universal 3D glasses as well. Both work great.

So far I am very impressed with the JVC and the upgrade. I added a couple of pics to my theater webpage. You can take a look by clicking on the link in my signature.

Once I have finalized plans on how 3D reviews will be implemented into my review template I will make an announcement.

Regards,

Greetings,

I have made the move to 3D and upgraded to the JVC DLA-RS50 front projector. I am currently utilizing the Samsung BD-C7900 3D Blu-ray player for 3D content. The Samsung has two HDMI outputs which allows me to continue to use my reference Anthem AVM50v for audio while sending the video output directly to the projector. I am using JVC's 3D actvie shutter glasses and have also added the xPanD Universal 3D glasses as well. Both work great.

So far I am very impressed with the JVC and the upgrade. I added a couple of pics to my theater webpage. You can take a look by clicking on the link in my signature.

Once I have finalized plans on how 3D reviews will be implemented into my review template I will make an announcement.

Regards,
Thats awesome Ralph. I was wondering when you were going to make the jump to 3D. With your type of setup I bet it will really be a cool experience viewing 3D on that big of a screen. I recently dipped into 3D as well by getting a Panasonic 50' VT25 3D HDTV. I am impressed so far with Blu-ray 3D.

Greetings,

I have moved to the Stewart Studiotek 130 G3. So far I am very pleased..:)


Regards,

Fantastic screen If I may say so myself, congrats Ralph

Fantastic screen If I may say so myself, congrats Ralph

Greetings,

I am still feeling the love for my Studiotek..:cool:

Thanks Frank! :)


Regards,

Greetings,

I am still feeling the love for my Studiotek..:cool:

Thanks Frank! :)

Regards,

Same Ralph:) just curious( I know it's the wrong place to post it) Ralph did you notice the difference from your last screen to the Stewart?