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Pirates of the Caribbean 2 in OAR and HD on Comcast PPV

post #1 of 28
Thread Starter 
i was really surprised to see Pirates 2 in HD and OAR on PPV - unfortunately no 5.1 sound. but at least it's not cropped!
post #2 of 28
Quote:
Originally Posted by oleus View Post

i was really surprised to see Pirates 2 in HD and OAR on PPV - unfortunately no 5.1 sound. but at least it's not cropped!

Unfortunately, to me, not having the 5.1 sound on a movie like this is worse than watching it on DVD w/ the DD. I want to know how Comcast decides which movies to provide the DD to with OnDemand programming. I mean Encino Man was in DD but this isn't??
post #3 of 28
What is up with the no 5.1? I applaud them for finally offering a HD movie in OAR but for $6 they should not only give me OAR but 5.1 and serve me a beer and popcorn too.

That's why I'm not going to bother with it.
post #4 of 28
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by DaveFi View Post

What is up with the no 5.1? I applaud them for finally offering a HD movie in OAR but for $6 they should not only give me OAR but 5.1 and serve me a beer and popcorn too.

That's why I'm not going to bother with it.

agreed. and while the transfer was absolutely stunning, i felt really ripped once the movie was over and i realized just how poor a sequel this was.

still, i thought it was worth starting a thread since OAR HD on comcast on demand was surprising.
post #5 of 28
I honestly don't think they care what print they get, much like Starz they probably just show whatever they get.

I'm sure if though if everyone just stopped paying for HD OnDemand movies and sent emails demanding OAR and 5.1 they'd offer it.

Still, at $6 a pop, I can't see many buying it even then.
post #6 of 28
Thread Starter 
well normally i would agree with you DaveFi, but for a title like this i thought it was worth $6 because :

1) it's not on either HD disc format
2) it's unlikely to be OAR when it hits cable HD
3) i had to stop watching the dvd because it looked so bad


unfortunately the movie still wasn't good enough to warrant the $6, but it was money well spent considering i will never be tempted to buy a future bluray or hd-dvd version of it!!!


oleus
post #7 of 28
Just watched this and I gotta say... looks fantastic. No noticeable macroblocking. Possibly the best-looking HD content I've seen on Comcast yet, save the PQ of Batman Returns on HBO-HD.
post #8 of 28
Quote:


i had to stop watching the dvd because it looked so bad

Then you are seriously vision impaired person because special edition I have looks stunning. PQ is not subjective opinion as some wants us to believe but objective and can be precisely described and physically measured.

Standard for HD movies is 5.1 sound so if you have HD PPV then 5.1 must be included or it is a swindle. I watched one early premiere movie on StarzOnDemand and although it was OAR, picture was abysmal and there was no 5.1 sound. When later premiered on Starz HD it was 1.85 ratio with dark picture. Title in question is "Eight Below". Thanks for letting us know that HD PPV is without 5.1 sound. I don't need to waste my money then.
post #9 of 28
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by RavenX View Post

Then you are seriously vision impaired person because special edition I have looks stunning. PQ is not subjective opinion as some wants us to believe but objective and can be precisely described and physically measured.

Standard for HD movies is 5.1 sound so if you have HD PPV then 5.1 must be included or it is a swindle. I watched one early premiere movie on StarzOnDemand and although it was OAR, picture was abysmal and there was no 5.1 sound. When later premiered on Starz HD it was 1.85 ratio with dark picture. Title in question is "Eight Below". Thanks for letting us know that HD PPV is without 5.1 sound. I don't need to waste my money then.

first off, i would love to know how 5.1 became the "standard" for HD. there are plenty of films out there with DD 1.0 soundtracks on HD-DVD. surely this title should have had 5.1 but your comment is ridiculous.

i would have loved 5.1 sound on the PIRATES ppv but there is no doubt that the dvd had serious edge enhancement issues. this HD transfer blew it out of the water.

i'm glad i helped you save money but the premise of your message is just plain wrong.....

oleus
post #10 of 28
Thread Starter 
one more thought on the 5.1 issue....

it's not like the DD 5.1 coming from Comcast on any channel actually comes close to DVD bitrates for 5.1 tracks, so ruling out somehting because it is 2.0 on comcast might not be the best reason not to watch something you otherwise would. i understand not wanting to pay for it but the difference between 2.0 matrixed to surround and 5.1 on comcast might not be that huge.
post #11 of 28
Quote:
Originally Posted by oleus View Post

one more thought on the 5.1 issue....

it's not like the DD 5.1 coming from Comcast on any channel actually comes close to DVD bitrates for 5.1 tracks, so ruling out somehting because it is 2.0 on comcast might not be the best reason not to watch something you otherwise would. i understand not wanting to pay for it but the difference between 2.0 matrixed to surround and 5.1 on comcast might not be that huge.

Comcast here does not re-encode any HDTV channels, and the Dolby rate for 5.1 is usually 384 kbps and I think is about what is on the usual DVD movies, maybe they go up to 448kbps sometimes on DVD's.

It is very poor that a new release that costs $5.99 would have 2 channel sound. If it had been a better movie I would have been more angry.

Mike
post #12 of 28
Comcast simply provides whatever they are given. They do nothing to the transfer whatsover. If they are given a 5.1 transfer that's what they send out.

A good example is The Guns of Navarone. Shocking that it's OAR w 2.0, but it's free and looks really good, like the same transfer used for the Superbit DVD. Check it out.

If you have Starz (not me, they crop) you'd do better to watch most of their movies OnDemand because of the higher bitrate Comcast sends over. It really does make a huge difference.
post #13 of 28
Quote:
Originally Posted by DaveFi View Post

If you have Starz (not me, they crop)

Not always, as shown by THE INCREDIBLES and NATIONAL TREASURE.
post #14 of 28
Quote:
Originally Posted by jrusnak View Post

Not always, as shown by THE INCREDIBLES and NATIONAL TREASURE.

Yes, the exception, not the rule.
post #15 of 28
What is the "window" of viewing on a Comcast "On-Demand" PPV?

Can I watch the movie over 2 nights?
post #16 of 28
Quote:
Originally Posted by DaveFi View Post

Yes, the exception, not the rule.

Well then, they must have quite a few exceptions. Saw PULP FICTION this week and it was OAR and 5.1
post #17 of 28
Quote:


Then you are seriously vision impaired person because special edition I have looks stunning. PQ is not subjective opinion as some wants us to believe but objective and can be precisely described and physically measured.

How did you measure (or what are the measurements) and where does "stunning" fit on a scale from 1-10? How many points get subtracted for EE?

larry
post #18 of 28
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by jrusnak View Post

Well then, they must have quite a few exceptions. Saw PULP FICTION this week and it was OAR and 5.1

Starz used to show PULP FICTION badly cropped but ever since it showed up on Starz On Demand in OAR, it's been uncropped on the channel.

Let's just hope PIRATES 2 arrives to premium HD cable with the same uncropped transfer they had on PPV. Not only will the 5.1 surely be added, but this transfer was just mind-blowingly amazing. For those of you who stayed away because of the sound, you are missing one of the most satisfying PQ displays you could ever imagine.
post #19 of 28
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by PooperScooper View Post

How did you measure (or what are the measurements) and where does "stunning" fit on a scale from 1-10? How many points get subtracted for EE?

larry

the amount of EE on the dvd should subtract 5 points off of that scale, easily. the only viewing impairment we should be talking about here is if someone didn't notice it on their big screen with this title.....
post #20 of 28
Quote:


there are plenty of films out there with DD 1.0 soundtracks on HD-DVD

DD is 5.1, there is no 1.0 DD. Do not mistake Dolby Digital with Dolby. Check out your receiver display and see for yourself. If you see just once Dolby Digital and less than 6 channels lit I'll pay you or anyone else million dollars.

Quote:


it's not like the DD 5.1 coming from Comcast on any channel actually comes close to DVD bitrates for 5.1 tracks, so ruling out somehting because it is 2.0 on comcast might not be the best reason not to watch something you otherwise would. i understand not wanting to pay for it but the difference between 2.0 matrixed to surround and 5.1 on comcast might not be that huge.

This is another crap like Sdurani posted before claiming that PL II is better than Dolby Digital. Difference between Dolby Digital and anything else with less than 6 channels is like day and night. You have to be deaf not to hear it. I watch regularly movies on cable and very well know the difference. If movie is not DD then I don't even bother to turn receiver on, I just use TV speakers. Audio rate on cable is exactly as is supposed to be. You have probably mistaken audio rate for HD video rate that some addressed recently. How good audio you get is how good your cable connection is so if you have any problems then call your cable guy to fix it. I don't have any problems right now.
post #21 of 28
Quote:
Originally Posted by RavenX View Post

DD is 5.1, there is no 1.0 DD.

Incorrect. See #8 at http://www.dolby.com/assets/pdf/tech...y/42_DDFAQ.pdf
post #22 of 28
Quote:
Originally Posted by RavenX View Post

This is another crap like Sdurani posted before claiming that PL II is better than Dolby Digital.

Where did I say that? DD is audio compression, PLII is surround processing. One can't be "better" than the other because they're two different types of technologies. They don't compete. In fact, they're often used together on DD 2.0 soundtracks.

Sanjay
post #23 of 28
Quote:
DD is 5.1, there is no 1.0 DD. Do not mistake Dolby Digital with Dolby. Check out your receiver display and see for yourself. If you see just once Dolby Digital and less than 6 channels lit I'll pay you or anyone else million dollars.

RavenX: Put your money where your mouth is. I have the Pet Shop Boys "PopArt" dvd. On the back it clearly states "Dolby Digital Stereo". On my Anthem AVM20, you can see it reads "Dolby D", stereo, and the LED on the left is lit up for Dolby Digital.

Pay up. Every AVS member shall be treated to a HD disk player of their choice on me!!!!
LL
LL
post #24 of 28
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bing View Post

Pay up. Every AVS member shall be treated to a HD disk player of their choice on me!!!!

If we already have a couple of HDDVD players, can we get the equivalent value in HDDVD titles?
post #25 of 28
Quote:
Originally Posted by RavenX View Post

DD is 5.1, there is no 1.0 DD. Do not mistake Dolby Digital with Dolby. Check out your receiver display and see for yourself. If you see just once Dolby Digital and less than 6 channels lit I'll pay you or anyone else million dollars.

Please do not come here and post misinformation, oh, and sent the check to Ken H, c/o AVS Forum.
post #26 of 28
RavenX.....are you saying that all dolby digital encoded movies have to be 5.1 to get the dolby digital designation?
Cause I know of at least 1 movie in my collection that is not 5.1 and has a doblby digital designation.
Please reply......I could use the million dollars

RayJr
post #27 of 28
Like taking candy from a baby...
post #28 of 28
RavenX:

Where's my money?
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