OK, there have been threads started all over the internet recently by BD fans trying to persuade people that the audio on the HD DVD release of the transformers is "sub standard", and asking people to buy the DVD instead.

Of course, they seem to forget that DD Plus at 1.5 mbps is FAR superior to old-tyme DD at 448 K on DVDs.

Not mention that gorgeous 1080p VC1 glory will be on the HD DVD, not on DVD.

Of course, many people assume that they are trying to fight the HUGE "hit factor" of transformers, and prevent people from looking forward to this title.

In fact, this title may even convince many DVD or BD owners to jump up and invest in lower cost HD DVD players.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Of course I'm buying, its giant freaking robots smashing stuff in 1080p!

Of course I'm buying, its giant freaking robots smashing stuff in 1080p!Heh! :p Me too!

What do I think? I think you're trying to create drama and stir ill feeling between fanboys from both sides like always.

As for Transformers, of course I'll buy it. It's my most anticipated title of the year behind Blade Runner.

As Dave Vaughn has mentioned in the Insider's thread, the Video codec is AVC not VC1.

I voted No because I don't have a HD DVD player. I'm sticking with Blu-ray for 2007 and will re-evaluate the formats in 2008. Until then its whatever my PS3 will play, so sadly, that means no Transformers for me.

OMG !
They are talking about this on the internet.....

1. If anyone who already owns an HD DVD player and buys the SD DVD version, they are cheap or don't like HiDef PQ. I really can't see anyone with an HD DVD player who is going to buy Xformers on SD DVD.

2. If you have a Blu-ray player and no HD DVD player, well, you have no choice but to purchase the SD DVD version if they want Xformer at home.


Was this thread really necessary ?

[/thread]

You forgot "yes, i dont really care what dolby sound track the movie comes with".

I bought two. One for me and one for a friend.

You forgot "yes, i dont really care what dolby sound track the movie comes with".

+1. I can't tell the difference

went with Not Sure...

just like most blockbusters, it's a movie I'm not necessarily interested in owning. what would get me to purchase is, if it were Reference Material. Lossless sure would help in that process.

What do I think !

The only thing that can stop me from getting my hands on my month old pre order is old Grim Reaper... Other than that I'll be watching this on HD BABY!

I BLEED RED MAN!

I've heard too many good DD+ soundtracks to be worried. Not to mention that I disagree with the reasoning(or lack of) of some blu-ray supporters(employees).

A definite buy for me!

Oh yeah its a buy for me, after seeing the movie in theaters its a must have.

I didn't vote because most of the choices are worded with the typical spin. How about: "I'd prefer it to have lossless audio, but since it doesn't I'll buy it anyway, since it's the only option I've got"?

I now have an HD DVD AO, so, yes, I'll buy it. As I'll buy a few other titles not avail on BD (already have KK, BB, & V). I'll buy the Uni & P/DW titles I want. But with the AO, I can't get lossless anyhow; so really, the audio wouldn't matter in my case. I'd like it better, though, if HD DVD had BD's bandwidth, and they could have gone w/ higher bitrate & lossless; and MS would offer lossless thru the 360.

I am a dual format owner. But I am not neutral; BD is, to me, sort of a work in progress, but HD DVD seems to have issues with no future solution likely (bw limit).

Rdjam, if you want to be taken seriously with these polls you really should try to word them in a neutral manner. It would help tone down some of the emotion on both sides, IMO.

Never got into Transformers, but will be getting one for my kids. Should look awesome in HD though!!!

This movie alone helped me to decide on which format player I was going to buy. I was leaning towards blu-ray but I'm 100% set on HD-DVD!..... who cares about robots smashing stuff in 1080p... I care about robots smashing stuff in 5.1 Dolby Digital Plus! :D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

There's no option for, "I'm not buying it, because I would rather wait for a format winner to emerge before giving more throwaway money to the studios, so I will rent it instead."

moved to appropriate forum

You forgot: Yes! VC1 and DD+ audio are More than Meets the Eye.

Man, people always whine about polls. Always get the usual bunch that love to pick apart a poll.

"It's missing these questions"

"I wont vote"

Vote or dont, who gives a crud. Why do we need your opinion on why you did not vote? Thats not what the quesiton is. If you dont like the questions, then dont vote.

This is the exact reason why I would never create a poll, because you cant please everyone.

I'm buying it but that doesn't mean I'm happy that it won't include a lossless soundtrack.

hell yeah i'm going to buy this

You forgot "yes, i dont really care what dolby sound track the movie comes with".

No kidding. It could come with subtitles only and I would still buy it.

I don't know if I am buying it because I'm not sure if I really want it. If I have money for a spare movie I'll grab it. But right now there is just so much coming to HD DVD, Top Gun, Bourne Ultimatum, Harry Potter Pentalogy, The Jack Ryan Collection, Twilight Zone, Blade Runner, 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Aviator and I still haven't purchased some titles I want yet like Heroes.

Who is "they" and why should I care about "them"?

P.S. I have a vacation day from work on October 16th. ;)

I have it on pre-order, and I ain't canceling...

The upper half of Jazz is delivering a copy to my door.

What "fuss"? Were they saying something over there? If they're babbling on about anything other than "it's not fair!!" I would be shocked...;):D:cool:

Yes, I'm going to buy it, it was a great movie. And its HD which makes it that much better.
Why are some of the blu boys so afraid. ooo. They may lose a few weeks.

Already pre-ordered and waiting.... This is a must have.

It's not really the sound that's the big problem, it just wasn't a very good movie. Robots fighting each other on a giant screen was pretty sweet, but this thing was kind of a mess all together. Maybe even moreso than Spider-Man 3, but that's highly debatable.

Plus, I'll admit it, while I do own an HD-DVD player, I see the future in Blu, and therefore only buy HD-DVDs if they're combos, so that way I'm future-proof should HD-DVD cease to be. Please don't hate, I'm not here to start anything. Just stating my opinion, seeing as this is a Poll and "super sony blu-ray fanboy 4 life" was not an option.

I'm not at all put off by the lack of a lossless track. DD+ at 24/48 1.5MBps is more than adequate. Plus DD+ downconverts to DD DTS (for late night viewing over Sorround headphones) which is no slouch. Does TrueHD downconvert to DTS or just plain old DD? Just curious.

Rdjam, if you want to be taken seriously with these polls you really should try to word them in a neutral manner. It would help tone down some of the emotion on both sides, IMO.With respect - the poll was about whether folks are buying it. It was not a poll to further the lossless-argument agenda promoted by BD posters in other threads everywhere. This poll is just cutting to the chase and finding out if folks are still buying it... Sorry if you find that disappointing.

Forget the robots, MEGAN FOX in 1080p. ahhh the robots in 1080p is also cool. Bought it already in AMAZON.com

Since God made man and man created the Transformers, The Transformers are a gift from God !!! ...... ELIAS

Blind buy for me....

Already preordered

No poll choice for "I'm not at all interested in buying this movie." Perhaps a rental when I'm very intoxicated.

Definitely buying...and it'll be a blind buy, too, since I never saw it in theaters.

I even paid a little extra to get it early!

This is a definite buy for me. I'm not very fond of the movie itself, but the audio/video quality will no doubt be demo material and the interactive features should be neat to use.

Even if I didn’t want it (and I do) my son and non-HD friends would force my hand on this. The fact that they had a reference to the animated movie (Primes line: one will stand one will fall) made me love the film at the theater. Plus since I’m HD DVD exclusive this type of pop-corn fare is not as prevalent as it is on BD so I need to get it when I can.

This poll is officially a massacre!!

I'd like it better, though, if HD DVD had BD's bandwidth, and they could have gone w/ higher bitrate & lossless; and MS would offer lossless thru the 360.

And you know this how? Did you somehow gain access to a pre-release copy and check the total allocated bandwidth on the disc? Please, do tell.

My preorder at amazon is in place. I don't care what audio comes on the disk, as long as it's DD+ or better.

Where's the choice of the movie just plain sucked? I wouldn't buy it on HDM or SD DVD. Seriously, even the CGI lacked for a 2007. I don't care if it's reference quality audio/video. I'll pass.

For the record, I'll buy a HDM without a lossless track. It's really not the end of the world. How many "lossless" tracks are 192/24 or even 96/24?

Of course I'm buying, its giant freaking robots smashing stuff in 1080p!
I don't know much about this movie, but when you describe it that way, yeah, I think I will buy it... :)

Of course I'm buying, its giant freaking robots smashing stuff in 1080p!

+1 :D

I'm not at all put off by the lack of a lossless track. DD+ at 24/48 1.5MBps is more than adequate. Plus DD+ downconverts to DD DTS (for late night viewing over Sorround headphones) which is no slouch. Does TrueHD downconvert to DTS or just plain old DD? Just curious.

The Toshiba players will convert both DD+ and TrueHD to 1.5 Mbps DTS for use over the coax or optical connections. Just be sure to selected TrueHD when the movie starts playing, including if you stop and then restart it. The default is DD+.

went with Not Sure...

just like most blockbusters, it's a movie I'm not necessarily interested in owning. what would get me to purchase is, if it were Reference Material. Lossless sure would help in that process.

I'm really impressed with the sheer number of respondents saying they are buying the HD DVD. Is this film really THAT good? I haven't seen it, but I've read the story/script is actually on the weak side! What makes it so popular?

I'm not at all put off by the lack of a lossless track. DD+ at 24/48 1.5MBps is more than adequate. Plus DD+ downconverts to DD DTS (for late night viewing over Sorround headphones) which is no slouch. Does TrueHD downconvert to DTS or just plain old DD? Just curious.
The Toshiba players will convert both DD+ and TrueHD to 1.5 Mbps DTS for use over the coax or optical connections. Just be sure to selected TrueHD when the movie starts playing, including if you stop and then restart it. The default is DD+. Not true for the A20 and XA2, they decode to 640Kbps DD over S/PDIF. However, the poster was talking about headphones -- if he's plugged into his receiver, then it depends on how the receiver connects to the player.

I'd like it better, though, if HD DVD had BD's bandwidth, and they could have gone w/ higher bitrate & lossless; and MS would offer lossless thru the 360.


You do realize your assumption that HD DVD bandwidth prevented inclusion of lossless audio is actually a personal opinion, despite you presenting it as fact -- yes?

I'm really impressed with the sheer number of respondents saying they are buying the HD DVD. Is this film really THAT good? I haven't seen it, but I've read the story/script is actually on the weak side! What makes it so popular?

Iv not seen it for the obvious reasons (lack of plot/story), but it should provide some nice demo material :D

If you have a Blu-ray player and no HD DVD player, well, you have no choice but to purchase the SD DVD version if they want Xformer at home.

Yes they do.

They can choose to get off the fanboy bandwagon and buy a cheap HD DVD player.

If they've already spent thousands of dollars on a BD player, A/V amp, speakers, and high def display (maybe a 42" plasma?) they'd be a bit demented if they thought it wasn't worth spending an extra $200 on a HD DVD player.

Especially given the 7 free discs you'll get.

Oh, and it'll set you up for 'Bourne 3' in a few weeks' time, too.

So you're wrong, they definitely have an option other than buying the SD DVD.


Was this thread really necessary?

I don't know. If the thread isn't necessary, why waste your time replying to it?

Best wishes.

Steve W

I didn't vote because most of the choices are worded with the typical spin. How about: "I'd prefer it to have lossless audio, but since it doesn't I'll buy it anyway, since it's the only option I've got"?

Bingo!

Talk about a biased poll. Make every choice tilted toward your biased opinion and ignore lossless. The word lossless does not even appear in this poll.

No, I will not be buying this until I am convinced that DD+ sounds as good as lossless.

I pre-ordered it a couple days ago and I can't hardly wait! :D :D :D

Who wouldn't want this Demo piece sitting in their rack. Bring it on!

This will be my first HD-DVD purchase... up until now I've relied on netflix for my HD-DVD fix. The movie is just too awesome.

Definite buy for me. Heck, I'd buy it even if it only had a 448kbps DD track.

Its funny to see the usual suspects spewing the same BS about lossless and how the film wasnt that great anyway. Not all films have to be great Shakespearian masterpieces, sometimes its nice just to watch an entertaining film with friends and family.

I havent watched Transformers so maybe it really is a pile of poo, however I remember how Aeon Flux was derided for being rubbish as well while being praised for its PQ and even though it wasnt the best movie I have seen it was still enjoyable, because I took it for what it was - a piece of entertainment. Same thing with King Kong - some people hate it, some love it. It really brings home the fact that going with your personal preference is really the most important thing rather than listening to the morons trying to mislead and misinform.

Botton line is, if the film is as bad as some people make it out to be a lossless track wont change that one bit, and Im sure the millions that will be sold on SD DVD wont be returned just because it says Dolby Digital on the back of the box.

I'm really impressed with the sheer number of respondents saying they are buying the HD DVD. Is this film really THAT good? I haven't seen it, but I've read the story/script is actually on the weak side! What makes it so popular?

Did you miss "giant freaking robots smashing stuff in 1080p"?:D

Hell yeah I'm buying it and I'm format neutral.

Did you miss "giant freaking robots smashing stuff in 1080p"?:D

Don't forget about Megan Fox in 1080p :D

Seriously, if you have a HD-DVD player and want the movie, you're going to buy the HD-DVD. You'd have to be a complete moron to "protest" the lack of lossless AQ buy going out and buying the inferior in all respects SD DVD. Frankly, I and many others have a sound system that would not benefit from lossless sound, but the upgrade to DD+ is appreciated.

Oh, and I've got the HD-DVD on pre-order @ Amazon.

Lol, that's a good one. :)

Can't wait for this movie to come out. My preorder better come on time, otherwise I'm buying local then returning the preorder when it arrives!

The upper half of Jazz is delivering a copy to my door.

I'm really impressed with the sheer number of respondents saying they are buying the HD DVD. Is this film really THAT good? I haven't seen it, but I've read the story/script is actually on the weak side! What makes it so popular?

Interesting all the noise coming from the "no lossless audio" and "weak script" folks. The numbers from this poll tell the real story. Take it for what it is: a popcorn flick that's loads of fun and you'll have a great time. I saw it twice in the theater with two different groups of friends/family and everyone had a great time. There's no way that "only" having DD+ is going to stop me from getting this title. I have two-copies on pre-order from Amazon.

My wife wants it, I'm kind of neutral about it, so I preordered it.
As for the people who bash it for having a weak script, these are probably the same people who rushed to preorder Spiderman 3.
J

I'm on the fence about this.

I have a feeling that we will be seeing an "Enhanced" version of this movie, with lossless, in a few months in an attempt to get us to buy it again. Why else would they not put lossless on this disc?

It also sends a bad message to the studios that we don't care about the sound or that we don't know the difference.

I may just buy the DVD and pass it on to my Godson when/if a better version of the HD DVD comes out.

Had it pre ordered since day 1.

@OP, you should make the poll public.

Rental. I buy very few movies. The DD+ would not discourage me if I thought it was a movie worth buying though.

absolutely buying it. I buy for the MOVIE, not the SPECS. I think true movie fans do the same thing. The MOVIE itself is the most important thing. There are way too many BD cheerleaders who actually only care about bitrate meters and not the movie itself.

I'm really impressed with the sheer number of respondents saying they are buying the HD DVD. Is this film really THAT good? I haven't seen it, but I've read the story/script is actually on the weak side! What makes it so popular?

For a lot of us, we grew up with the original Transformers cartoon in the mid-1980s. Every day, we'd rush home home from school to watch (along with G.I. Joe and Voltron and although most won't admit it, Jem). The Transformers movie was a childhood dream for many of us and finally getting to see it, in full live-action, was a huge nostalgia trip for many of us.

While it's true that the script could have been tightened-up a bit, it actually isn't bad at all and the movie is much better than most people expected it to be. Even though the Transformers themselves have been redesigned and many don't resemble their original 80s selves, it is still more than enough to send a chill down your spine and keep a hige smile on your face for 2 hours and 25 minutes of the film. Once you hear Peter Cullen's voice for the first time, it's all over. Nothing else matters because it's the Optimus Prime you know and love.

I saw it 3 times during it's first two weeks in the theater. I will most likely be seeing it at an IMAX loation before the end of the week and I've taken a vacation day from work on October 16th so I can be at the store when they open - to buy it on HD DVD and watch it at least 2 times during the day. As long as you don't think too hard about the story and just enjoy it for it's sheer entertainment value, Transformers is hard to beat. It's eye and ear candy. It's pure nostalgia and it's pretty damned funny, too.

I'm considering going neutral by purchasing the a30.

Transformers will just be a rental for me.

The upper half of Jazz is delivering a copy to my door.
I was trying to get Amazon to deliver my copy that way but apparently someone took that delivery service. Gee I wonder who.... :rolleyes:

So now I'm stuck taking the option of having Megan Fox in a UPS outfit deliver it to me. :mad:

you bet I am.............

Don't forget about Megan Fox in 1080p :D.
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htf/imgcache/13082.imgcache
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htf/imgcache/13096.imgcache
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htf/imgcache/13097.imgcache
:eek:


Oh, and I've got the HD-DVD on pre-order @ Amazon.

Same here, ... can't go wrong spending $25.15 for 2 HD DVDs!!! :D

Phil

Not true for the A20 and XA2, they decode to 640Kbps DD over S/PDIF. However, the poster was talking about headphones -- if he's plugged into his receiver, then it depends on how the receiver connects to the player.

Yeah, I'm not so much concerned how the player does the decoding. I have the player hooked up via analog for lossless and bitstream toslnk to my receiver which then passes onto my headphones via toslnk. The headphones do the decoding, DD, DTS, etc. Any I've seen the DTS flag on my reciever come on for DD+ but I admint I haven't tried it with TrueHD. Anyways, I can stick in some disks I find out for myself. Thanks guys!

BD fudmeisters. Go play with your PS3, babies (oops I have one!).

I'm remarkably unconcerned about the sound quality of Transformers. Video quality is important; sound quality is alot less important to 99.999% of the population because they are listening to the movie through so/so speakers, lowering the volume to avoid disturbing the neighbors, talking to eachother during the movie, not in optimal listening position, have other noises in the room like cats/dogs/roaches/children, have external noises like street traffic or sirens intruding, and a hundred other factors.

Yes, there are some people that have the perfect environment and want the perfect audio to go with it. Those people are 1 in 10000 though. I'm sure DD+ will be more than sufficient for most people.

Need to add another option to the poll:

"Yes, I'm going out and buying an HD-DVD player just for this movie."

I've stayed out of the format wars up until the day I went to the theater and saw this movie on a DLP screen. The moment I left the theater I went home to checked the production company to figure out what format I was going to have to buy to watch this movie in HD at home.

Since that day I knew I'd be buying an HD-DVD player the week before this movie is released so I can burn a hole in the disk wachting it over and over and over again.

My toughest choice was deciding on the player. At this point I've narrowed it to most likely being the XA2 because of my large SD DVD collection. Though it looks like I have the advantage of watching and seeing how the A35 turns out since there are signs it will be available early Oct.

I wasn't going to buy it because I wasn't interested. But my boy wants to see it, so I'll be picking it up. And I'm not the least bit worried about the DD+ track. :D

I'm really impressed with the sheer number of respondents saying they are buying the HD DVD. Is this film really THAT good? I haven't seen it, but I've read the story/script is actually on the weak side! What makes it so popular?
My wife wants it, I'm kind of neutral about it, so I preordered it.
As for the people who bash it for having a weak script, these are probably the same people who rushed to preorder Spiderman 3.
J

Speaking for myself -- I don't even care that much for Spiderman 1, and have no interest at all in the latest installment. At worst, my SB versions of the first two are sufficient. But I really don't see what that has to do with my question, and if you're accurate in saying "I'm kind of neutral about it", then you might have some appreciation of where I could be coming from in observing all the commotion!. At least in my book, stretching my simple question into a "bash" seems a little strong!

I'm not so worried about the sound myself either, I'm more worried about the quality of the script and the director.... I have not seen this film yet, but I have never enjoyed any film directed by Michael Bay.

All that said, I'm still considering buying it because of 2 reasons.

1) I think it will look cool in HD DVD, so I can use it to impress friends unfamilar with HD.

2) It will be disapointing for the format if it does not sell well.

I'm really impressed with the sheer number of respondents saying they are buying the HD DVD. Is this film really THAT good? I haven't seen it, but I've read the story/script is actually on the weak side! What makes it so popular?
Interesting all the noise coming from the "no lossless audio" and "weak script" folks. The numbers from this poll tell the real story. Take it for what it is: a popcorn flick that's loads of fun and you'll have a great time. I saw it twice in the theater with two different groups of friends/family and everyone had a great time. There's no way that "only" having DD+ is going to stop me from getting this title. I have two-copies on pre-order from Amazon.

Noise? I'm a bystander and just asked a simple question to try to determine if this was something I should look seriously at. As far as soundtracks are concerned -- I'm operating under the assumption that the DD+ is 1.5Mbps and will be extremely close to the master, and also that the studio probably takes sound quality into account when selecting between track options. Ultimately, I'm sitting watching a movie, I'm not in the twelfth row at Carnegie Hall with a world renown symphony orchestra!

I've no interest whatsoever in dissuading anyone from purchasing this film. Just looking for information is all!

It's a reasonably satisfying popcorn movie (and it doesn't have the running misanthropy that most if not all of Bay's other popcorn movies tend towards), so I'm at the very least curious to see how Megan Fox, er, the film looks on the small screen...

I'm on the fence about this.

I have a feeling that we will be seeing an "Enhanced" version of this movie, with lossless, in a few months in an attempt to get us to buy it again. Why else would they not put lossless on this disc?

It also sends a bad message to the studios that we don't care about the sound or that we don't know the difference.

I may just buy the DVD and pass it on to my Godson when/if a better version of the HD DVD comes out.

Don't count on it -- we've no reason whatsoever to presume there would be a material difference between watching this film with high bit-rate lossy versus TrueHD. Given the film already has a decent extra content portfolio, it would be a complete mistake to presume there will be a future re-release to include a track which likely would sound little if any different to the viewer.

For a lot of us, we grew up with the original Transformers cartoon in the mid-1980s. Every day, we'd rush home home from school to watch (along with G.I. Joe and Voltron and although most won't admit it, Jem). The Transformers movie was a childhood dream for many of us and finally getting to see it, in full live-action, was a huge nostalgia trip for many of us.

While it's true that the script could have been tightened-up a bit, it actually isn't bad at all and the movie is much better than most people expected it to be. Even though the Transformers themselves have been redesigned and many don't resemble their original 80s selves, it is still more than enough to send a chill down your spine and keep a hige smile on your face for 2 hours and 25 minutes of the film. Once you hear Peter Cullen's voice for the first time, it's all over. Nothing else matters because it's the Optimus Prime you know and love.

I saw it 3 times during it's first two weeks in the theater. I will most likely be seeing it at an IMAX loation before the end of the week and I've taken a vacation day from work on October 16th so I can be at the store when they open - to buy it on HD DVD and watch it at least 2 times during the day. As long as you don't think too hard about the story and just enjoy it for it's sheer entertainment value, Transformers is hard to beat. It's eye and ear candy. It's pure nostalgia and it's pretty damned funny, too.

Fantastic response -- thanks for taking the time :)!

Yeah, I'm not so much concerned how the player does the decoding. I have the player hooked up via analog for lossless and bitstream toslnk to my receiver which then passes onto my headphones via toslnk. The headphones do the decoding, DD, DTS, etc. Any I've seen the DTS flag on my reciever come on for DD+ but I admint I haven't tried it with TrueHD. Anyways, I can stick in some disks I find out for myself. Thanks guys!

If you've seen the reciever report DTS coming from your player Toslink, then the other fellow had the right response. The output will be high bitrate DTS for both DD-THD and DD+.

I'm really impressed with the sheer number of respondents saying they are buying the HD DVD. Is this film really THAT good? I haven't seen it, but I've read the story/script is actually on the weak side! What makes it so popular?

Blockbusters don't necessarily = good. Neither does a good movie necessarily = blockbuster. So use your best judgement.

I'm remarkably unconcerned about the sound quality of Transformers. Video quality is important; sound quality is alot less important to 99.999% of the population because they are listening to the movie through so/so speakers, lowering the volume to avoid disturbing the neighbors, talking to eachother during the movie, not in optimal listening position, have other noises in the room like cats/dogs/roaches/children, have external noises like street traffic or sirens intruding, and a hundred other factors.

Yes, there are some people that have the perfect environment and want the perfect audio to go with it. Those people are 1 in 10000 though. I'm sure DD+ will be more than sufficient for most people.

Taking it a step further, we're talking about a multi-layered movie soundtrack here. That's a very different beast from simply mic'd direct recorded acoustic instrumental/vocal music. When FilmMixer tells us he has a hard time telling the difference between the master, DD-THD, and high-bitrate DD+ with his very own surround projects, I for one am inclined to believe him.

I commented earlier regarding sitting in the twelfth row of Carnegie Hall listening to a world renowned symphony orchestra. A principal difference there is instead of sitting back intently observing activity on a video screen with sound occuring all around me, I would instead be sitting still with eyes closed (probably with head canted forward a little) and all senses focused on any and all nuances in musical expression from the orchestra. If I were to open my eyes it would be most likely to observe the conductor and engage in passively tracking his physical expressions and the musical expressions of the orchestra, but I would probably shortly return to eyes closed since that would improve my ability to delve into the subtleties of the music.

My point being that the absolute demands of accuracy in sound are completely different between the recreation of a musical event (especially acoustic) and watching a film. To equate the two with the fox-hunt hurrah for lossless movie sound is an exercise in absurdity. I'm not suggesting there is anything wrong with lossless tracks for movies, but to require them is simply nonsensical.

I'm really impressed with the sheer number of respondents saying they are buying the HD DVD. Is this film really THAT good? I haven't seen it, but I've read the story/script is actually on the weak side! What makes it so popular?

Noise? I'm a bystander and just asked a simple question to try to determine if this was something I should look seriously at. As far as soundtracks are concerned -- I'm operating under the assumption that the DD+ is 1.5Mbps and will be extremely close to the master, and also that the studio probably takes sound quality into account when selecting between track options. Ultimately, I'm sitting watching a movie, I'm not in the twelfth row at Carnegie Hall with a world renown symphony orchestra!

I've no interest whatsoever in dissuading anyone from purchasing this film. Just looking for information is all!

Easy, Tiger. I thnk we're on the same team ;)

I never said that YOU (as a bystander) was saying it has a weak script or that your post was "noise". I was referring to what you read. My apologies if I was unclear on that. I was merely trying to answer your question about why it's popular with my experience with friends. And, BTW, I agree with you about DD+ being more than enough. Note the quotes around "only" in my reply. :)

It's a reasonably satisfying popcorn movie (and it doesn't have the running misanthropy that most if not all of Bay's other popcorn movies tend towards), so I'm at the very least curious to see how Megan Fox, er, the film looks on the small screen...

I'm getting the impression Megan Fox is a MAJOR draw factor :D!

I'm getting the impression Megan Fox is a MAJOR draw factor :D!

Haven't seen the movie nor did I know who she was prior to this thread. However, she makes a nice bonus. ;)

Easy, Tiger. I thnk we're on the same team ;)

I never said that YOU (as a bystander) was saying it has a weak script or that your post was "noise". I was referring to what you read. My apologies if I was unclear on that. I was merely trying to answer your question about why it's popular with my experience with friends. And, BTW, I agree with you about DD+ being more than enough. Note the quotes around "only" in my reply. :)

No sweat -- you did include answering input which I appreciated, it just occurred as a mixed message. Still, I understand the problem, there are some "agenda" shots being taken, though I've seen shots taken in the other direction as well. I try to avoid participating in that scene as best I can, there are usually both pluses and minuses to any position.

No option for "No because the movie sucked *****" :D

I really enjoyed the film. Very over the top but the bay for ya. Id say this is my favorite film by him. So I will buy it for sure.
The whole audio thing is stupid thiers a lot of HD-DVDs with just DD+ they all sound and look great to me.

Your poll lacks the most obvious options one would have for not getting it. It's a combo and doesn't have a TrueHD audio track. I'll wait for the non-combo version, and hopefully they'll add a better audio track at that point. I'm definitely not buying the regular dvd. I don't buy those anymore. If a movie I want is combo only, I just don't buy it.

Of course i'm going to get this. The movie rocked.

It's a combo and doesn't have a TrueHD audio track. I'll wait for the non-combo version, and hopefully they'll add a better audio track at that point

The HD DVD is a combo??? Really? Are you sure about that?

In for one!:)

The back of the slipcover does not say DVD combo. Here is a photo:

http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee59/Helvetian21/displaymedia.jpg

Paramount doesn't make combos.

I really enjoyed the film. Very over the top but the bay for ya. Id say this is my favorite film by him. So I will buy it for sure.
The whole audio thing is stupid thiers a lot of HD-DVDs with just DD+ they all sound and look great to me.

And everyone knows that if it is good enough for you it MUST be good enough for everyone else. Geez, why would people be so stupid to ask for lossless audio on a hi-def format? Everyone knows that only the video matters. Oh, and those people who have spent a lot of money on a nice audio setup, man are they ignorant. Who do they think they are demanding lossless audio? How dare they have better equipment than the average joe. And don't they know what HD-DVD means by The Sound Of Perfect? Of course they mean DD+. Duh!

I think the poll choices are misleading. You could have easily have had:

1) Yes, I like VC1 and think DD+ is awesome.
2) Yes, I like VC1 and will accept DD+ because I have to.
3) Maybe. Let me see review.
4) No, I must have lossless.
5) No, I didn't want it.
6) I hate rdjam. Die in a fire.
7) I am a lemming and need the pro-HD DVD choice. Choose me if you worship everything on HD DVD even if it uses mpeg2 and DD 448k simply for the fact that it's on a disc that's delivered in a red case. Transformers? Next on my list.

See how much easier the poll would have been. We'd have the obligatory "pro-HD DVD" option AND then have the other options for the rest of us sane people who want to see what the real answers are from people who won't vote pro-HD DVD in every poll they encounter.

Instead, you fill up your "yes" choices with praises for DD+ when a lot of us are going to suffer through it because it'll be good enough, even if not as great as it could have been.

Why should we settle for Dolby Digital Plus in a day when Dolby TrueHD is available and provides better quality with room to expand for those who can't take advantage of it now? Answer me that.

I also think Dolby TrueHD should be the default codec on Blu-ray. I think it's usable today, which makes it better than DTS HD MA. And it's backward compatible (in different ways for each side) which makes it usable for everyone on either side.

Instead, we get Blu-ray partners still wasting their time with LPCM and HD DVD partners still wasting their time with lossy DD+. It's beyond stupid.

It's a combo and doesn't have a TrueHD audio track. I'll wait for the non-combo version, and hopefully they'll add a better audio track at that point

The HD DVD is a combo??? Really? Are you sure about that?

My mistake, I stand corrected.

Certainly waiting for my copy. I preordered a while back now.

Jorge

Besides the fact that the anser simply doesn't suit you:

Instead, you fill up your "yes" choices with praises for DD+ when a lot of us are going to suffer through it because it'll be good enough, even if not as great as it could have been.

SUFFER? Come on. SUFFER??? I think it's hilarious to hear this kind of thing.

Why should we settle for Dolby Digital Plus in a day when Dolby TrueHD is available and provides better quality with room to expand for those who can't take advantage of it now? Answer me that.

Why don't you go ahead and ask Paramount. Paramount seems to believe that DD+ is more than "good enough". We're not talking about a movie that would have exceeded the minimum requirements for TrueHD, so it's obviously a choice they made based on other factors.

Suffer?

6) I hate rdjam. Die in a fire.
7) I am a lemming

Instead, you fill up your "yes" choices with praises for DD+ when a lot of us are going to suffer through it because it'll be good enough, even if not as great as it could have been.

Why should we settle for Dolby Digital Plus in a day when Dolby TrueHD is available and provides better quality with room to expand for those who can't take advantage of it now? Answer me that.



Considering that professional audio insiders here have said that it is "amazing," I think it will be very good, and they have far more expertise than either of us.

I'm not sure how to take the part where you talking about "I hate rdjam. Die in a fire." -- I hope you were kidding but you don't indicate that you are anywhere. If not, then you won't have a very long life here as a BD "lemming."

Hey bunkaroo,
Stating this movie sucked is like stating that Halo 3 sucks. Get lost, you are going to end up getting banned. Anyway, I saw the trailer on XBOX marketplace and it looked gorgeous, I can only imagine how much better the HD-DVD version will look.

Uh...........................huh.

Paramount doesn't make combos.

Yet. The Star Trek set is supposed to be combos. I pray for those who buy it. :)

I preordered it. Only reason I bought a HDDVD player is because of Transformers. I still think in the end Blu-Ray will win this stupid format war. Untill there is one, I will enjoy all the studios. And when there is one format, the loser, will become a bedroom player.

I'll get it.

Why the heck would I settle for a SD version of the movie in regular DD when I can purchase the HD version with DD+. I would like TrueHD but DD+ is better than DD.

Did anyone see the hd trailer for the hd dvd after the fox show reaper the other night I watched on my dvr finally,pretty good show by the way,and WOW did Transformers look good,it's going to great demo materail no matter what codecs they use, can't wait!

oops I think it was on the cw not fox my bad.

You forgot:

No: I'm not interested in Transformers.

why bother with the dvd?

What do I think !

The only thing that can stop me from getting my hands on my month old pre order is old Grim Reaper... Other than that I'll be watching this on HD BABY!

I BLEED RED MAN!

LMAO !!!:D:D:D

No kidding. It could come with subtitles only and I would still buy it.

@ OP
there you go !

@ topic

+1000

Seems to me most people will be getting Transformers then.

I missed it in the Theater. I'm going to do a blind buy on it when it hits HD-DVD. Not worried about the audio format at all. Bet it will sound awesome.

It will!!! :D

A guy I know (my brothers buddy) worked on the digital effects for Transfomers. He won some award for his work even. I'm really curious to see how good of work he did.

We saw it on a DLP Digital Theater (Century 16) and the CGI looked empressive, ... real and ... seamlessly integrated throughout the movie.

My friend and I looked @ each other during the movie and we both said, ... at the same time, ... "can't wait to get this on HD DVD!!!" :eek: One of the 1st things we're going to do (after watching the entire HD DVD movie again ;) ) is use the 'slow-mo' options while they transform!!! :rolleyes:

Phil

Matrix only hd dvd, Bourne Ultimatum only hd dvd, Transformers only hd dvd, Hd dvd is the best and for all you blue rayers out there this is revenge for all the crap i get at blockbuster and best buy so biased for blue ray. Hd dvd is dead etc, this is a reward for the patient from the hd dvd god up there ha ha ha

So is there word on why the delay?

Just curious I haven't seen any mention of the Why...

Sorry if it's right under my nose `, > )

Djoel

What delay, did I miss something?

700 yes responses just on an AVS forum...... nice stuff indeed.

BD fans trying to persuade people that the audio on the HD DVD release of the transformers is "sub standard", and asking people to buy the DVD instead.

WTF kind of logic is this? DD+ is better than any vanilla DVD DD 5.1 encode.

There is no delay, it comes out Oct 16. I have already started to see TV adds for the DVD & HD DVD.

This really should be one disc that is an HD DVD combo disc, and halt the DVD version and only have the HD DVD combo...moving that many sales would really make those blu-boys mad...making them buy the combo just to view the DVD...priceless.

This really should be one disc that is an HD DVD combo disc, and halt the DVD version and only have the HD DVD combo...moving that many sales would really make those blu-boys mad...making them buy the combo just to view the DVD...priceless.

indeed.

hutzal,

You're evil! I love it! :D

700 yes responses just on an AVS forum...... nice stuff indeed.


Yeah I got am email from Amazon stating that they where going to be a bit late! I don't know what I did with that email, but others here got the same email...


Djoel

There was no option for: "The movie blew, so I'm not buying it in any format, but I will buy movies on HD DVD that actually have story, plot, and character development."


Actually, I do often enjoy blockbuster style movies, just not this one ;), but it would be nice if movies were discussed in terms of CQ, as well as, PQ and AQ. CQ being content quality.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

I think there will be a lot of people going neutral because of this release, but I doubt that we'll actually hear much about that. ;)

Oh, and those people who have spent a lot of money on a nice audio setup, man are they ignorant. Who do they think they are demanding lossless audio?

Yes, because no one ever had a really nice surround system just so they could listen to crappy old compressed DVD audio formats. Who would even dream of such a thing?! That's just ignorant. :rolleyes:

And don't they know what HD-DVD means by The Sound Of Perfect? Of course they mean DD+. Duh!

Kind of like how "Beyond High Definition" apparently meant MPEG2...? ;)

So, just out of curiosity, can anyone tell me if there has ever been a Paramount/DreamWorks HD DVD release that had a Dolby TrueHD track? And yet this is the title where we are supposed draw our line in the sand and say, "No!" We must punish them for abandoning Blu-r...I mean, for not supporting lossless audio! :D

So, just out of curiosity, can anyone tell me if there has ever been a Paramount/DreamWorks HD DVD release that had a Dolby TrueHD track? And yet this is the title where we are supposed draw our line in the sand and say, "No!" We must punish them for abandoning Blu-r...I mean, for not supporting lossless audio! :D

Punish them for abandoning lossless on two of the highest grossing movies ever, absolutely. Abandoning blu-ray, doesn't really effect me as I have two players. See if you can follow along. One plays HD-DVDs and the other plays Blu-Ray discs. That's called format neutral.

Out of curiosity are you format neutral? Or is it you that is blindly loyal to one format?

So, just out of curiosity, can anyone tell me if there has ever been a Paramount/DreamWorks HD DVD release that had a Dolby TrueHD track? And yet this is the title where we are supposed draw our line in the sand and say, "No!" We must punish them for abandoning Blu-r...I mean, for not supporting lossless audio! :DNext was released this past week with TrueHD.

Next was released this past week with TrueHD.

It's in my queue. Does it default to the TrueHD track?

It's in my queue. Does it default to the TrueHD track?No, it does not. The short Paramount High Definition logo plays and then you're at the main menu.

Are pre-orders always cheaper than post-release purchases, say at Amazon for example? I haven't seen the movie yet and never was a big Transformers fan, but with all the hype (and all of my friends telling me how much they enjoyed it) I figure I might as well go ahead and blind buy it, but obviously I'm in no rush..

Wow - over 800 respondents now! Can hardly wait to see mine arrive.

I pre-ordered it a few days ago. Hell, I pre-ordered my A3 player about 2 weeks ago and still don't have it ;)
Can't wait!
:)

If both the player and movie arrived on the same day............ Yes, it would be awesome!

Did pre-order it weks ago for a one way delivery to Sweden :)

Punish them for abandoning lossless on two of the highest grossing movies ever, absolutely. Abandoning blu-ray, doesn't really effect me as I have two players. See if you can follow along. One plays HD-DVDs and the other plays Blu-Ray discs. That's called format neutral.

Out of curiosity are you format neutral? Or is it you that is blindly loyal to one format?

Blindly loyal to one format! :p

Originally Posted by HomerJay
Next was released this past week with TrueHD.
It's in my queue. Does it default to the TrueHD track?

HomerJay right - just go into settings and move that little selection dot = TrueHD! (based on my Toshiba HD-A1 w/v2.3 FW experience)

Back to the thread - "Transformers" Pre-ordered since September 7, 2007 w/Charter PRIME 10% = $25.15!!! :D

Phil

HomerJay right - just go into settings and move that little selection dot = TrueHD! (based on my Toshiba HD-A1 w/v2.3 FW experience)

Yeah, I get that. :rolleyes: I was just curious if defaulting to the TrueHD track was starting to be a general trend because I'd noticed that the Elizabeth HD DVD does that. I guess it doesn't really matter for titles that don't start automatically, but I'm really hoping that Warner will start doing this.