MidnightWatcher
04-11-07, 11:21 PM
IGN gives the HD DVD of "Children of Men" a 10/10 for PQ, and a solid 9/10 for AQ.
"If you've been looking for a good example of what the future of home video looks like or have been trying to convert others to HD-DVD, the 1.85:1 anamorphic transfer here is your one-stop resource of visual goodness. The decay of this dystopian world as filmed by cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki (who was nominated for an Oscar) is presented with crystal clarity with a level of fine detail that is almost distracting as you find yourself marveling at the texture of fabrics or trying to read small print in the distance.
While the greenish-greys of Old Blighty are muted and there is little in the way of vibrant color - mankind is on its way out; why paint? - there was no banding or filtering observed in the subtly-shaded areas of flat color. Foliage, dirt, and gravel, along with rough textiles, are stunningly sharp without any sign of edge-enhancement or exaggerated sharpening filter usage.
Compared to the HD side, the standard side of this combo disc looks like VHS, with a grungy dirtiness that makes it look like an impression of the film, not a faithful transfer. Alright, that is somewhat hyperbolic; it's an OK transfer, but the substantial step down in quality is jarring. It's like dating normal women after you've been running around with supermodels in the south of France - your whole perspective on what constitutes beauty gets warped and the old action doesn't cut it anymore."
Review (http://dvd.ign.com/articles/779/779843p1.html)
"If you've been looking for a good example of what the future of home video looks like or have been trying to convert others to HD-DVD, the 1.85:1 anamorphic transfer here is your one-stop resource of visual goodness. The decay of this dystopian world as filmed by cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki (who was nominated for an Oscar) is presented with crystal clarity with a level of fine detail that is almost distracting as you find yourself marveling at the texture of fabrics or trying to read small print in the distance.
While the greenish-greys of Old Blighty are muted and there is little in the way of vibrant color - mankind is on its way out; why paint? - there was no banding or filtering observed in the subtly-shaded areas of flat color. Foliage, dirt, and gravel, along with rough textiles, are stunningly sharp without any sign of edge-enhancement or exaggerated sharpening filter usage.
Compared to the HD side, the standard side of this combo disc looks like VHS, with a grungy dirtiness that makes it look like an impression of the film, not a faithful transfer. Alright, that is somewhat hyperbolic; it's an OK transfer, but the substantial step down in quality is jarring. It's like dating normal women after you've been running around with supermodels in the south of France - your whole perspective on what constitutes beauty gets warped and the old action doesn't cut it anymore."
Review (http://dvd.ign.com/articles/779/779843p1.html)