[Derb]

I consider myself more of a Videophile than an Audiophile.

My set-up for picture;

HDMI - 60" SXRD set, native rez - 1920x1080p

My set-up for audio;

DD+ & DTHD is HDMI 5.1 with Dialog enhancement off & Dynamic Range set off.

I'll rate these transfers on a 10 scale. Some 10's I might rate as Reference. This does not mean one is better than the other, it is just my personal preference with the picture & or audio quality.

Edit,

From The Last Samurai to Field of Dreams, I have been using the Toshiba HD-A1 player.
From Jet Li's Fearless to Children of Men, I have been using the Toshiba HD-A2 player.
From The Good Shepherd on, I have been using the Toshiba HD-XA2 player.

The Last Samurai (2003)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital Plus - 8/10

Million Dollar Baby (2004)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital Plus - 7/10

The Phantom of the Opera (2004)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital Plus - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby TrueHD - Reference

Training Day (2001)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital Plus - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby TrueHD - Reference

Cinderella Man (2005)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital Plus - 7/10

Jarhead (2005)

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital Plus - 9/10

Just watched Jarhead on HD DVD & this is by far the best video presentation of the format. Every single frame is detailed, sharp & never out of focus. This is the first of 6 films I've seen so far that earns a solid 10/10 video presentation.

The Audio is just about equally matched. My beef with the earlier HD releases was that the center channel level was roughly 10-15db below reference.. yet all other speakers were well balanced. I am happy to say that Jarhead makes up for the reference level output & goes even further.. Instead of having a sonic soundstage typical on dvd transfers where the center channel is good but when any music or loud action scenes occur the surrounds usually overwhelm the center channel. With this transfer, the mains & surrounds are actually outputed at a lower sound to equal the output of the center throughout the entire film. Much like Training Day on HD DVD, this disc gets a well deserved 9/10.

Serenity (2005)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital Plus - 8/10

GoodFellas (1990)

HD Video - 8/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital Plus - 8/10

Had to know how this film looks high-def. Its the first I got on the new format that is presented in the 1.78:1 aspect, meaning no black bars. Unfortunately, this film isn't the best looking HD film I got. Lots of grain, dust, digital noise, in the transfer, but the blacks are real nice. The video quality just isn't balanced throughout the film & can be distracting. The audio is crystal clear & gives a nice dts type sound. The surrounds in the Prision scene, (I guess more specific, the one where De Niro & wife & children are having a heated moment) add a nice echo effect in dialog that I don't remember hearing on the dvd version. After watching this disc, I did put in the 2-Disc DVD version to compare video.. I dunno, you guys who own this on dvd want to take a shot at some trivia?

1:51:34 pause the dvd.

Here you see Robert De Niro talkin on the phone. To the right of this frame there is an intersection. Above the stop sign, what street # is show on the green sign?

Swordfish (2001)

HD Video - 10/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital Plus - 10/10

Doom (2005)

HD Video - 9/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital Plus - 9/10

Apollo 13 (1995)

HD Video - 7/10
HD Audio Dolby Digital Plus - 8/10