What are your favorite DVDs for testing/showing-off your gear?

I use THE FIFTH ELEMENT (superbit). Many recent TV shows are good looking: HOUSE (season 2), ROME.

Costume pieces with lots of fabric and carpets are good tests. I just noticed how fine some scenes from AN IDEAL HUSBAND look.

-Bill

Best Buy had a bunch at one time, and they weren't expensive.

-Bill

Bought about a dozen from best buy @ only $10.00 apiece . That was a while back though. Of course most Superbit titles are outdated / discontinued now due to the advent of Blu-ray.

Yeah you can buy them online:

http://www.sonypictures.com/cthe/superbit/catalog.html

As was mentioned Sony stopped producing them when Blu Ray came out....which I think is foolish when 99% of your consumers buy SD DVD.

My favorite dvd at present is stargate atlantis season 3 pal dvd boxset. The picture on it is stuning

I had 3, but I can only remember 2 at the moment:

a) 1st 20 min of Saving Private Ryan. Landing on the beach.
b) 1st 6 min or so of Pitch Black. What I call, "the crash scene".

House of Flying Daggers and King Kong

Best sounding moments I can think of well, there are many so many, so I'll pick the science fiction thriller Hollowman (2000) for its excellent craft in visual effects and sound effects editing, that has some creepy directional sounds moving around the viewer.


Notably the moment where Linda uses the canister has flamethrower to fight the deranged and dangerous Sebastian, off with devastating results of burns to his body, and the whole underground facility, getting damaged at the same time though, Linda's rage of fury.


When Sebastian has removed all his clothing, leaving a hand full of ashes on the floor, and once again his appearance, is obscure, you don't know if he had time to run around Linda to surprise her? So she then looks around then upwards towards the (fire water suppression system). With a short burst of flame, the sprinkler is activated sending commands to each sprinkler down the corridor.



This starts at centre channel the fans outwards over matching LCR then onto the centre back surrounds if you happen to be using centre back surrounds in your home cinema. You still get a fine result with standardized stereo surround configuration, but its far more exciting and entertaining with centre back surrounds.


Once the sprinklers are working and dispersing water everywhere, with droplets landing on the concrete flooring that sounds like mild pink noise, the rest of the action KICKS back in with some laughable almost insane comic action.

Check it or but it it's a blast of film.

http://imdb.com/title/tt0164052/

Those are good but I would add:
The first 20min of Star Wars ep.III

+1 for the drum dance from House of Flying Daggers and the fight sequence that preceeds the dance.

The rocket going up in Apollo 13 isn't bad either.

Master and Commander in DTS. The opening battle scene.

Open Range is great for audio. The gun fight in the canyon at the end. Picture isn't too terrible either. Those gunshots are like a kick in the chest however. Also the opening 2 scenes show a thunder storm rolling in. The thunder is extremely realistic, and it opens with a brass ensemble. Once the rain starts, you can hear it hitting the canopy above you head. Very well done.

x2 on HBO's Rome. Season 1 is the better season, however Season 2 seems more picturesque to me.

HBO's Band of Brothers - Great picture with amazing audio.

x2 on 5th Element

Some of my other favorites include all 3 Lord of the Rings, Batman Begins, The Prestige, Ratatouille, The Patriot, Gladiator Extended Edition. There are many more to list.

I actually remembered my 3rd: the pod racing sequence in Episode 1. I'll have to check out yours though now.

A few good movies you got to pick up are...Transformers...I don't know what display you have...but on my 60" Sony SXRD XBR 2...it is simply fantastic with my 980...better than with my Toshiba XA-1kn up converting..or with the 1 A-30 I hooked straight up to the set...but took back...(not the DOA one out of the box) Also...get the new 3:10 to Yuma...it is exceptionally clear & bright...with lots of detail..and a pretty good remake of the original..Room 1048...this one is spooky...but great detail...same for Shooter....Besides most the Super bit movies...I Robot is a must see on this player...as well as Bi-centennial Man...Provided your display is calibrated correctly...these will make your jaw drop at how good SD looks

Mac

Yeah, this is pretty good; particularly the audio in DTS. In fact, I got a THX Demo disc awhile back and the pod racing sequence in Episode 1 is the "featured" movie clip.

FWIW, if you're interested in "showing off" your audio system, go find one of those THX discs. There's some really cool stuff on there -- including several of the THX "intros".

--Mav

Pirate of Carribean II : DEAD MAN'S CHEST

scene cut: when jack sparrow was arrested and hang up, the mountain, the colorful scene, oh man, thats the best part

Matrix II: Revolution
it's ok so so quality
but the best part: when Trinity rides on motocycle, very European style filming, fast with motion

I'm used to Blu-ray/HD DVD for demoing my system but for DVDs :

Star Wars (Last two movies)
Master and Commander
Gladiator
Indiana Jones series

For my small home cinema I've tilted the and toed in the centre back surrounds to reach the listeners ears using [wideband pink noise] and listened while turning my head a few degrees to left and right, I was looking for a strong focused sound that would make me turn around when Skywalker use the lightsaber in episode 2 and 3.



Another fine Dolby moment is from Star Wars episode 3 Revenge of the Sith where the the two Jedi's Obi-won and Skywalker locked in mortal combat with Count Dooku, has the lightsbaers clash and sparkle with transparency.


It then moves from front LCR to centre back where the lightsaber tone is heard, with Palpatine observing his new appetence.


Then the lightsbaer is panned back to the LCR fronts.