![Inception (Two-Disc Edition) [Blu-ray]](http://cdn.avsforum.com/4/46/50x50px-ZC-462439c0_B002ZG981E-510BJ7kkgNL.jpeg)
The Informers
recommendation: Tier 2.0
Not a movie I can recommend as entertainment, but Sony has given the 2009 film a suitably nice presentation on Blu-ray. It never looks bad enough to justify the current ranking in tier three, at least to my eyes. Encoded in AVC on a BD-25, the average video bitrate is 19.99 Mbps. The image possesses strong depth and pop, but lacks the overly warm tones and pumped-up contrast frequently seen in some of the better ranked discs that one often associates with tier one.
Compression is not a major issue, but Sony did the video no favors with the relatively low bitrates. Minor examples of chroma fringing and noise appear in a couple of shots. The transfer was derived from an immaculate Digital Intermediate, as clean and pristine as any new, major Hollywood production can produce. A certain level of digital noise reduction might have been applied to the transfer, but it largely goes unnoticed and does not produce the usual telltale aftereffects. Scattered scenes do exhibit some natural ringing, though low in amplitude and not a large distraction.
The picture has definitely been manipulated to favor cooler, bluish colors. The push is not dramatic, and many viewers would likely not notice much of a difference between it and the standard colors of most dramas. High-frequency information is quite good in close-ups, where there is enough true resolution visible to easily distinguish skin textures down to the pores. Fleshtones look as natural and true to life as film can reproduce. From the tanned skins of the rich girls sunbathing, to the very pale flesh of the drugged-up musician, everything looks perfect. The picture is clean and sharp except for a few soft moments used for effect.
The Informers is not an exceptional Blu-ray by any stretch. But its consistency and look give it enough merit to rank at the top of tier two.
BDInfo scan (courtesy of Patsfan123):
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...7#post17168587
recommendation: Tier 2.0
Not a movie I can recommend as entertainment, but Sony has given the 2009 film a suitably nice presentation on Blu-ray. It never looks bad enough to justify the current ranking in tier three, at least to my eyes. Encoded in AVC on a BD-25, the average video bitrate is 19.99 Mbps. The image possesses strong depth and pop, but lacks the overly warm tones and pumped-up contrast frequently seen in some of the better ranked discs that one often associates with tier one.
Compression is not a major issue, but Sony did the video no favors with the relatively low bitrates. Minor examples of chroma fringing and noise appear in a couple of shots. The transfer was derived from an immaculate Digital Intermediate, as clean and pristine as any new, major Hollywood production can produce. A certain level of digital noise reduction might have been applied to the transfer, but it largely goes unnoticed and does not produce the usual telltale aftereffects. Scattered scenes do exhibit some natural ringing, though low in amplitude and not a large distraction.
The picture has definitely been manipulated to favor cooler, bluish colors. The push is not dramatic, and many viewers would likely not notice much of a difference between it and the standard colors of most dramas. High-frequency information is quite good in close-ups, where there is enough true resolution visible to easily distinguish skin textures down to the pores. Fleshtones look as natural and true to life as film can reproduce. From the tanned skins of the rich girls sunbathing, to the very pale flesh of the drugged-up musician, everything looks perfect. The picture is clean and sharp except for a few soft moments used for effect.
The Informers is not an exceptional Blu-ray by any stretch. But its consistency and look give it enough merit to rank at the top of tier two.
BDInfo scan (courtesy of Patsfan123):
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...7#post17168587
I cannot use enough hyperbole to describe the experience, out side of me wanting to say this is the way all of us who are really into movie viewing and reviewing want to be watching BD's at home. I had no idea it would be like this. The last few years I felt my audio over powered my picture and I was right. The balance is now there and if anything, my center channel maybe a bit weak.
Out of the box and on econo mode the PQ and brightness are incredible. I do have what is called a High Power screen with 2.8 gain to help increase brightness and perceived contrast. There are details in BD's that I never knew existed or I hadn't seen before, but blown up on the big screen, my jaw is dropping at the detail.
This is/was not apparent on my A3000. RSbeck was right to an extent. There are some scenes in the Transporter 3 that the ringing is so glaring, that it looks like their jackets are floating around them. The effect is profound. It looks bizarre and does take one out of the moment. Some of the EE is as I suspected. It is dark lines of jackets, objects against light or bright backgrounds giving off the halo effect, so I don't have an issue with it as I believe it is the way film captures the objects against bright lighting. The EE I mentioned as being bad is an anomaly unto itself. There is one scene where they are walking in a hallway and all of the men's jackets have a weird floaty effect to them. If this is ringing, haloing or EE, it is way apparent on the big screen. I feel sorry for you EE sensitive types as it is a nasty anomaly. 
I know there were many other tier 0 supporters of Transporter 3 and although I believe overall the PQ is still tier 0, the EE/ringing is enough for me to see it dropped to the top of tier 1. What a shame.
