No Links To Promote Other Sites...

I suppose 4 out of 5 is still a good picture quality rating
but I sure hope I'm not as disappointed as the reviewer was


if it looks better than the last release I'll be happy

great news re: the THD soundtrack

It would be nice to know what setup is used when someone reviews a title. This guy could be watching on a 40" plasma with a $500 HTIB.

It would be nice to know what setup is used when someone reviews a title. This guy could be watching on a 40" plasma with a $500 HTIB.

that is an important and valid piece of information. I've notice on another review site that one reviewer gives high marks in PQ, when many others (usually myself included) find huge problems with the picture. I've notice his set up is less than stellar and a very small screen on top of it. Not trying to bring this to a get out the ruler and measure boys...but it does have a bearing on what one person sees vs another.

Ron

PS: I usually use Widescreen Review as a good limitus for image quality... one knows they are projecting on a large screen and using prof. calibrated equipment w/ an educated eye for the good and bad in PQ.

knowing set up = agreed

I remember watching a promo for the HD DVD release with a side by side comparison of the SD and HD - and noticing that they dropped the overalll brightness level of the show to a more realistic look , rather than the I'm live on Broadway super bright look

I also, think the color was changed a bit as well
specifically Spock's blue uniform looked a few shades removed from what I remember growing up with

neither bothered me though - I still can't wait to get this from Amazon

It would be nice to know what setup is used when someone reviews a title. This guy could be watching on a 40" plasma with a $500 HTIB.

First note that that site is run by beatboy77 (see his past posts if you don't know who that is).

As for the equipment used (it is on the site under "About Us" for Ryan James):

LVM-37W3 (Westinghouse 37" 1080p LCD Monitor)
Onkyo TXSR604
Sony Playstation 3
Microsoft Xbox 360 HD-DVD Add-on
Toshiba HD-XA2

First note that that site is run by beatboy77 (see his past posts if you don't know who that is).


His reveiws for HD DVD exclusives always seem to be off. I would wait for a real reveiw.

:confused:

I have a 50" TV - which may not be as forgiving as his 37"

bring on the " Widescreen " review

I suppose 4 out of 5 is still a good picture quality rating
but I sure hope I'm not as disappointed as the reviewer was


if it looks better than the last release I'll be happy

great news re: the THD soundtrack
beatboy77 gave a similar rating for Transformers. I would simply add +1 to whatever he rates an HD DVD title and a -1 to whatever he rates a BD title. At least he is consistent. IMO.:)

I need an unbiased source first, not to say that 4/5 is bad, I just want to know how accurate it is considering who reviewed it.

I find this site pretty useless for 'reviews'. Aside from the open issue about bias, I think the reviews tend to be too skimpy to be useful. I'll also point out a few things:

He's comparing the PQ to "The Searchers"? Ummm... why? Seriously... why? Because they came out within about 10 years of each other? How about I compare Raging Bull to an episode of The A-Team. Is that a good comparison too?

Also, he spent "an exhaustive day watching this set". What's that -- 6 hours? 8? 12? That's inadequate. The episodes alone run longer than a full 24 hours. And that's not taking into account all of the special features. He "sampled" the set. I expect more from a site that's going to actually write up and post a review.


This short review actually manages to use the word "nice" 7 times. That's real helpful and descriptive. :rolleyes: The site is worthless, in my opinion. It can only give you the broad strokes (terrible, great, OK) at best.

First note that that site is run by beatboy77 (see his past posts if you don't know who that is).

Bingo. More than enough said.

He's comparing the PQ to "The Searchers"? Ummm... why? Seriously... why? Because they came out within about 10 years of each other? How about I compare Raging Bull to an episode of The A-Team. Is that a good comparison too?

Didn't the guy in The Searchers also play Captain Pike? Is that the reason?:eek:

BTW, now I feel like a total Star Trek geek.

The PQ from what I've sampled so far is very, very good. But I also noticed the standard-definition side isn't far off -- both transfers are a sizable upgrade from the older DVDs. The remastering has lowered some of the brightness but really cleaned up the picture, dirt, etc. For a comparison I went back to my old Season 1 set and looked at the beginning of "The Menagerie," and there's no comparison -- they did a real nice job restoring these shows. To me there's more of a difference between this set's HD/SD transfers and the old DVD versions than there is between this set's HD and SD versions -- they are not a night-and-day difference in other words.

In all I am highly satisfied with it, though I have a feeling some are just going to be disappointed because there are limitations to how much better a late '60s television series is going to look in HD. No matter what they do it's never going to be "eye popping" and because of the show's budget there are some issues with the print in certain episodes they can't do anything about.

I think die-hard Trek fans will be excited but people lukewarm on the show are going to wonder what all the fuss is about. It's still a late '60s network TV show after all, and I can't see how they possibly could've done a better job with the material. The people who complain and always find a reason to carp on this or that are likely to have a field day here simply because of the nature of the series and the limitation of its budget.

BTW comparing it to THE SEARCHERS would be like taking STAR WARS and comparing it to, say, WELCOME BACK KOTTER. One's a movie, one's a TV show, one has a much larger budget, etc...as bboisvert mentioned the comparison is simply groundless, if not laughable.

Be warned, that website has zero credibility when it comes to reviewing HD DVD exclusive titles. They are pro Blu-ray, fyi.

Considering "The Searchers" was shot on an oversize VistaVision negative, the comparison holds even less water.

LVM-37W3 (Westinghouse 37" 1080p LCD Monitor)


To review Hi-Def content? For home theatre? Is this for the ken and barbie home theatre play set? All kidding aside, aren't you losing something by watching HD on a small screen?

Considering "The Searchers" was shot on an oversize VistaVision negative, the comparison holds even less water.

Exactly my point. It's an apples and oranges comparision. A low-budget 1960s TV show has nothing to do with a 1956 John Ford VistaVision theatrical film. The only similarity seems to be that both were presumably made before the reviewer was born.

I think he simply made the comparison because it was the only other "old" content he had seen in HD. That shows a level of ignorance so high that it pretty much invalidates everything he typed.

Considering that the show is over 40 years old and was never meant to be seen so clearly, I'd say that I'm surprised at how high the PQ is rated. I've watched a few episodes in HD through XBL and was pretty impressed, though it did hurt in some areas (the sets look even more fake then before! Its so obvious that the doors are ply-wood now, you can almost see the grain).

Still, I think any Trek fan will greatly enjoy it. I know that seeing them on XBL brought back my forgotten love of the series

On top of everything else said about that site, i always find the writing itself to leave much desired. It's like reading through a mid-schooler's book report or something.

Considering that the show is over 40 years old and was never meant to be seen so clearly, I'd say that I'm surprised at how high the PQ is rated. I've watched a few episodes in HD through XBL and was pretty impressed, though it did hurt in some areas (the sets look even more fake then before! Its so obvious that the doors are ply-wood now, you can almost see the grain).

Still, I think any Trek fan will greatly enjoy it. I know that seeing them on XBL brought back my forgotten love of the series

+1

The series looks great on XBL and I plan on getting this set after Christmas.

On top of everything else said about that site, i always find the writing itself to leave much desired. It's like reading through a mid-schooler's book report or something.

Understatement. Again, the word "nice" is used 7 times in that short review. That's not a sign of quality writing. ;)