Link here (http://www.dvdtown.com/reviews/harry-potter-and-the-order-of-the-phoenix/5398) to read more. Should be a real treat ..

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Video:
Warner Bros. have always lavished their best efforts on the picture and sound quality of the "Potter" series, and for "The Order of the Phoenix" they have done nothing less. Not only does the movie look good in SD and HD, it looks as good as anything I've ever seen in a live-action release.

For the standard-definition version, the WB video engineers use a high-bit-rate, anamorphic transfer and obviously some careful attention to detail in getting reproduction so good. The widescreen, 2.40:1 ratio picture (showing up at about 2.27:1 across my screen, given a small degree of overscan) displays superb object delineation and fine, realistic colors. Set against a perfectly clean screen, free of grain or noise, and with the deepest possible black levels, "The Order of the Phoenix" achieves an order of excellence matched by few other optical discs at this resolution.

Nevertheless, as good as the standard-definition picture is, the high-def edition goes it one better. The HD colors are deeper and richer, and, of course, object delineation is sharper. Moreover, the image is never glassy, glossy, or overbright, always remaining natural in appearance, even in the darkest scenes.

Audio:
Matching the disc's superior video quality, the three audio formats--regular Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital Plus 5.1, and Dolby TrueHD 5.1--do everything one could expect of them. From the very beginning of the movie, the purity, the stereo spread, the dynamics, the impact, the surround information, and the bass make themselves manifestly apparent. When the massive stone doors open to the students' secret chamber at Hogwarts, you should feel the walls of your listening room rumble and shake in sympathy. Seldom do we find ourselves so totally immersed in the sound field as in this film. Although Rowling's story line did not particularly interest me this time out, its presentation both in the movie theater and now in the home impressed me greatly.

So, what do the Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby TrueHD tracks do to improve upon the regular Dolby Digital's already fine sonics? The DD+ sounds clearer and cleaner to my ears than the regular DD, and the Dolby THD sounds a touch smoother and a tad punchier, especially in the bass.

My recommendation: Play the movie in as dark a room as possible and turn up the Dolby TrueHD. The audiovisual experience you'll have is well worth the effort.

Link here (http://www.dvdtown.com/reviews/harry-potter-and-the-order-of-the-phoenix/5398) to read more. Should be a real treat ..

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It is a treat! I have watched it 4 times already. The audio is sublime & the climax is pure reference audio.

A 138 minute HD DVD title with "Dolby Digital Plus 5.1, and Dolby TrueHD 5.1" on a 30GB disc with a resultant PQ/AQ rating of 10/10 impossible can't be done lol. :)

Link here (http://www.dvdtown.com/reviews/harry-potter-and-the-order-of-the-phoenix/5398) to read more. Should be a real treat ..

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So much for the weird notion that WB is "dumbing down" the SD release to make the HD look better by comparison!

A 138 minute HD DVD title with "Dolby Digital Plus 5.1, and Dolby TrueHD 5.1" on a 30GB disc with a resultant PQ/AQ rating of 10/10 impossible can't be done lol. :)

And don't forget the "In movie experience" picture in picture video and audio are also included in that 30GB as well as the HDi code for all the interactive elements.

I just got my "HP and the Order of the Phoenix" UK HD-DVD from Xploited and let me tell you, you are all in for a real treat.It's easily going to become known as a reference disc/movie.

HighDefDiscNews also gave HP: OOTF 5/5 for PQ and 5/5 for AQ, and even 5/5 for Bonus Materials.

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Video Quality on this release is 1080p in VC-1 on a 30 gigabyte Dual-Layered HD DVD Combo Format disc. The first thing you’ll notice from just the beginning of the film is a very sharp detailed image in this video transfer. The film was shot in Super 35mm and really translates over nicely into High Definition. The color palette is very rich and vibrant with perfect flesh tones. There seems to be very little film grain or noise present here at all. However there is a slight problem 9 minutes into the film with some compression artifacts and pixilation. Don’t worry though, this isn’t major as it only lasts roughly 10 seconds.

I found there was very little motion blur in the computer animated digital portions of the film which was actually pretty surprising. The action sequences and beautiful scenery throughout the film make for one awesome High Definition visual experience. “Lord Voldemort” looks very creepy here, almost like a character from a horror film. Overall video on this is definitely “5 Star” material and really delivers a great presentation. This is a definite MUST SEE title in High Definition.

Audio Quality on this release is in Dolby TrueHD 5.1 and Dolby Digital Plus 5.1. The film opens up with a great surround presence in the rear channels and remains throughout. An excellent amount of dynamic range can be found in the TrueHD track especially. The Score comes across beautiful in both 5.1 mixes and sets the vibe to the film perfectly. The dialogue is perfectly driven so volume adjusting should not be a problem here. The effects sound absolutely awesome, especially in the action scenes later in the film. A good amount of bass is used and at times shook my room. This is definitely a good example of “5 Star” audio quality.

I got my copy from Xploited yesterday, going to watch it t-nite, can't wait.

Let us know what you think ...

can't wait to get mine from dvd pacific, just another week.Hopefully earlier.

this is why I have very little respect for these HD reviewers.
He gives the video a perfect score, yet in the body of the review he points out a noticeable flaw with the compression (that lasts a fairly noticeable 10 seconds).
Sorry- if you see a visible flaw in the image that gives away the mediums digital signature- then it is not 'perfect'. Very nice maybe, pretty? sure. But not 'perfect'.

this is why I have very little respect for these HD reviewers.
He gives the video a perfect score, yet in the body of the review he points out a noticeable flaw with the compression (that lasts a fairly noticeable 10 seconds).
Sorry- if you see a visible flaw in the image that gives away the mediums digital signature- then it is not 'perfect'. Very nice maybe, pretty? sure. But not 'perfect'.

Ten seconds? HAHAHAHAHA!!!!

Take it back!:p

Highdef Digest review is up

PQ - 5 Stars
AQ - 5 Stars
Supplements - 1 Star
High-Def Extras - 4 1/2 Stars
Bottom Line: Highly Recommended (Note: its getting highly recommended while Blu-ray is just getting recommended because of the exclusive bonus features to HD DVD)

have had my set for a week or so...and it does look GREAT. As does the other entries. I already had Goblet of Fire UK for a year. It kind of looks the best to me....

Good to see Warner give the best treatment to these fine films.

"bloody hell". :D

High-Def Digest gives both the PQ and AQ a 5/5 and also gave the HD DVD 4.5/5 for High-def extras. NICE.

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HD Bonus Content: Any Exclusive Goodies in There?
Once again the two next-gen editions of 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix' differ when it comes to high-def supplements. This time, the HD DVD version gets the edge, exclusively featuring one of Warner's In-Movie Experience picture-in-picture video commentaries, plus a trio of additional web-enabled features.

In-Movie Experience (HD) - By now, most are probably familiar with Warner's "IME" tracks, which use the HD DVD format's picture-in-picture capabilities to offer true interactive video commentaries. 'Order of the Phoenix' is more diverse than usual in terms of its material, combining traditional PiP with additional elements. Activate the track, and you can view three sets of footage. The first is a standard PiP commentary, featuring "Dumbledore's Army," aka a group of younger actors from the film, who pop up sporadically to add random (and often rambling) comments on the film. I can't say this is the most incisive ommentary I've ever heard, but younger fans will probably enjoy it. Also interspersed throughout the film is pop-up trivia, which is encoded as a subtitle stream. There's nothing here that will surprise even casual Harry Potter fans, but it's fun nonetheless. Finally, the IME track also branches off to a series of "Focus Points," which are a series of short making-of vignettes, described in detail below...
Focus Points (HD, 63 minutes) - The only extra shared between both the HD DVD and Blu-ray versions, this is a collection of approximately 28 vignettes (1-3 minutes each) that each explore into a specific aspect of the film's production, covering much of the effects, but also key characters, locations and story themes. Taken as a whole, these go a long way toward offering a true documentary, at least compared to the lame set of standard extras. Also spiffy is that all of the Focus Points are presented entirely in 1080p/VC-1 video, and can be accessed either as a stand-alone supplement or via the HD DVD's IME track.Had the HD DVD only included the above extras, it would have been satisfying enough. But there are also a trio of additional web-enabled features that further distinguish 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix' as truly cutting-edge when it comes tonext-gen interactivity.

Live Community Screening - A true high-def first, this new feature allows multiple owners of the 'Order of the Phoenix' HD DVD to simultaneously watch the film via their own individual web-connected players. Playback is controlled by a single "host" user, who initiates the invitation-only viewing, and can control the film by pausing and playing the feature on everyone else's machines. Participants can also text between their remote devices, creating a virtual "live chat" environment while they watch. Unfortunately, since 'Order of the Phoenix' has not yet streeted as I write this, I couldn't try out this feature as no one I know actually has the disc, but it certainly looks cool.
Share Your Favorite Scenes - Using Warner's standard HD DVD bookmarking function, you can assemble a list of your favorite scenes from the film, and share them with other registered users online.
Downloadables - Since no Harry Potter experience would be complete without the hawking of products, here you can buy various downloadables, including ringtones for your phone, and various desktop patterns and widgets.... As the first Warner domestic high-def 'Harry Potter' release to come our way for review, this HD DVD edition of 'Order of the Phoenix' is an excellent start, boasting exceptional video and audio. Even better for HD DVD fans, this next-gen edition of the flick exceeds its Blu-ray counterpart when it comes to high-def exclusives, boasting a unique In-Movie Experience track and several web-enabled features. Alas, all here is not perfect, with the Blu-ray version boasting a superior standard supplements package that features full 1080p video and a 44-minute TV special that didn't make cut on this HD DVD. Still, given the sheer amount of cutting-edge supplements produced specifically for HD DVD, this disc ultimately edges out its Blu-ray rival by half a point overall.

This is what "next gen" is about. Excellent PQ/AQ is on both formats, but what sets them apart, is the new standard in next gen features found only on HD DVD. HD DVD is the clear choice. I am not surprised, HD DVD deserves 5 stars for extras.:D

Blu-ray version also gets 5 star rating. However none of the special features look as attractive as the Live Community Screening feature.

Interesting--the bottom line grade is 4 stars for the Blu-ray and 4.5 stars for the HD DVD.

Just a second.

I just checked the review, and the HD DVD does have a PinP extra.

You must have missed that bit.

Steve W

Can you trust DVD Town.....They say the SD version looks good....Having seen it i don't think so....I hope they are right though about the high definition version which would mean Warner's deliberately made the SD version bad to make the HD version stand out from the crowd.

Can you trust DVD Town.....They say the SD version looks good....Having seen it i don't think so....I hope they are right though about the high definition version which would mean Warner's deliberately made the SD version bad to make the HD version stand out from the crowd.

Or maybe it just means that HD media can provide a better picture than SD discs. Just a thought.

I'll just enjoy my 44 mins of extras in HD while you have fun with your upscaled DVD picture ;)
Going by the review it's pretty "lousy". That's been my experience too with any TV spot on any movie disc. Enjoy it though (I guess you don't have too much of a choice when you intentionally deprive yourself).

The documentary is pretty neat actually. I've watched it on my HD DVD UK set. It's cool but definitely not a deal breaker. If your a fan you pretty much know it all anyways. I'd say the best part about it is being able to see the other films in HD (there are clips from the other movies interspersed throughout the documentary).

Can't wait for 1-3 now!

Well... highdefdigest gave the HD DVD a highly recommended rating as well. They've been less willing to give movies that rating as of late.

Does anyone know if the tv special that is left out of the HD DVD version is included on the SD side? If it is, then it really isn't missing a thing - the extras on the HD DVD side are SD anyway. It would be a bit annoying to flip to see it, but at least it would be there.

I'm hoping Warner sends the box sets ON TIME for everyone. It's tempting to order from Amazon as a backup...

highdefdiscnews also gave HP: OOTF 5/5 for PQ and 5/5 for AQ, and even 5/5 for Bonus Materials.

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They gave it only low marks on standard supplemental materials, which were in SD on this version. I have the 2 disc UK version, which has ALL supplemental materials in HD....considering they gave this disc a 4.5/5 overall, if they saw the UK version it would easily have gotten a 5/5 overall, which is what I would give it. A great disc!

This is Warner's last combo, too, right?

Does the UK version have the community screening also or is that an NA exclusive?

High-Def Digest gives both the PQ and AQ a 5/5 and also gave the HD DVD 4.5/5 for High-def extras. NICE.

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:)

Does the UK version have the community screening also or is that an NA exclusive?

It does in fact include the community screening features, as well as all web based content.

This is Warner's last combo, too, right?

What makes you say that? Warner hasn't said anything about discontinuing the combo format. Perhaps you are confusing the hybrid HD DVD/Blu-ray disc Warner has decided to shelve with the HD DVD combo.

Actually, HP is the first HD DVD combo with the same official pricing as Blu-ray.

What makes you say that? Warner hasn't said anything about discontinuing the combo format. Perhaps you are confusing the hybrid HD DVD/Blu-ray disc Warner has decided to shelve with the HD DVD combo.

Actually, HP is the first HD DVD combo with the same official pricing as Blu-ray.

http://avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=914750&highlight=order+of+the+phoenix+last+combo

This is where Robert said that Warner announced that OotP was going to be Warner's last combo:

"Beginning in January 2008, the HD-DVD Combo will be discontinued by Warner Home Video for the Theatrical New Release Business Unit. Warner will be offering the HD version only.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix will be the last title we are offering the HD-DVD Combo for. The Invasion will be the first HD only title on the TNR release slate."

I don't think anyone else said to the contrary about this and was curious if it was still true or not. I personally like the combos but if it means that we don't get 2 disc sets in favour of a combo release that is missing stuff, I'd lean towards the 2 disc set...

Or maybe it just means that HD media can provide a better picture than SD discs. Just a thought.

You are stating the obvious...of course HD has more detail....I'm not talking detail i'm talking artifacts that shouldn't be there and decreased detail levels for SD DVD.

The SD version has major problems ( at least in the UK ) There is no excuse for it....I think they did this to make the HD version look superior as the first thing you see when you load the disc in the UK version is HD trailers for it.