#277537 - 13/03/2006 18:47
Movies for Stressing a Home Theater System?
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veteran
Registered: 25/04/2000
Posts: 1529
Loc: Arizona
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Rather than derailing the HD Ready thread, I figure it would be better to post this question here. What are some good movies to stress a home theater system? I mean both visually and aurally.
So far, suggestions I have received include:
Titan, AE
The Fifth Element
I'm also thinking movies with good driving, such as Ronin, The Transporter and The Italian Job. The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi might also be good.
Anybody else have any suggestions?
Thanks!
-- Tim
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#277538 - 13/03/2006 19:11
Re: Movies for Stressing a Home Theater System?
[Re: Tim]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31600
Loc: Seattle, WA
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Are you looking for a good "wow" movie, or are you looking for a DVD to test the system with?
Look for a DVD named "AVIA", which is the thing I use to test and calibrate the home theater system.
For "wow" movies, the Pixar films always look fantastic on home theater systems. And if you're going to do the Fifth Element, there is a Superbit version of the movie you can get, where the data compression is at the highest possible quality level.
Don't use the Matrix films as visual calibration tests, they deliberately tweak the colors of the scenes so that all scenes within the Matrix look slightly greenish.
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#277539 - 13/03/2006 19:13
Re: Movies for Stressing a Home Theater System?
[Re: tfabris]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 19/01/2002
Posts: 3584
Loc: Columbus, OH
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ISTR that alot of people used Jurassic Park in the '90s for the sound. Not sure if it's still the film of choice.
_________________________
~ John
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#277540 - 13/03/2006 19:19
Re: Movies for Stressing a Home Theater System?
[Re: Tim]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 30/04/2000
Posts: 3810
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Fifth Element is one of the classics, particularly if you buy the "Superbit" edition.
For showing off / stressing out a home theater, I tend to go for more musically inclined releases, such as Stop Making Sense, Blue Man Group's Complex Tour Live, Trainspotting (not for young audiences), Run Lola Run, or even Rize. Pixar releases also make the short list. All the home theater geeks like the "fish tank scene" from Finding Nemo (with its 35Hz thud noise). There are also some great low-frequency sound effects in Monsters, Inc. Also good are the Sessions at West 54th compilations (link for volume 2). Those push pretty hard on using the full range of a 5.1 system.
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#277541 - 13/03/2006 19:29
Re: Movies for Stressing a Home Theater System?
[Re: DWallach]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31600
Loc: Seattle, WA
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Oh yes, Stop Making Sense is awesome. Absolutely.
Hey, did you see Jonathan Demme did a concert film for Neil Young recently?
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#277542 - 13/03/2006 21:20
Re: Movies for Stressing a Home Theater System?
[Re: tfabris]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 05/01/2001
Posts: 4903
Loc: Detroit, MI USA
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Quote:
And if you're going to do the Fifth Element, there is a Superbit version of the movie you can get, where the data compression is at the highest possible quality level.
I missed that... thanks!
_________________________
Brad B.
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#277543 - 13/03/2006 22:33
Re: Movies for Stressing a Home Theater System?
[Re: Tim]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 25/06/1999
Posts: 2993
Loc: Wareham, Dorset, UK
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Gladiator (sound, contrast and detail) 2001 (the interstellar tunnel and the music) The Big Sleep (Bogart - contrast) Casablanca (contrast, cinematography) Sound of Music (the start scenes, lot of Technicolour and high-frequency visuals) Tron (well, I just thought I'd stick that in  Alien (sound, high-frequency visuals, superb opening, bass response) Episodes of Space:1999 (just re-issued in re-master with surround sound) Blade Runner (visuals, contrast, music) Le Mans (colour, detail) The Battle of Britain (flying scenes) Star Wars (the opening scene, the first dive into the DeathStar trench) Cyrano de Bergerac (Depardieu version - incredible cinematography, especially the sword fights) The Duellists (similar reasons, but with superb lighting and atmosphere) The New Captain Scarlet series (a real test - superb widescreen with 5.1 surround) Altered States (cinematography and visuals)
_________________________
One of the few remaining Mk1 owners...  #00015
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#277544 - 14/03/2006 02:46
Re: Movies for Stressing a Home Theater System?
[Re: Tim]
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addict
Registered: 01/03/2002
Posts: 599
Loc: Florida
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Master and Commander Ghost in the Shell: Innocence (I have an HD version as a 9GB .ts file) Girl with A Pearl Earring Sin City From Hell Wonderful Days This is a very cool list for showing off the subs. http://www.svsound.com/questions-faqs.cfm#moviedemos
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Chad
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#277545 - 14/03/2006 02:58
Re: Movies for Stressing a Home Theater System?
[Re: Attack]
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addict
Registered: 04/09/2004
Posts: 527
Loc: Oklahoma
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The Hunt for Red October
Bourne Identity
and of course no list would be complete without
Swordfish (if for no other reason than to see H.B topless).
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#277546 - 14/03/2006 03:24
Re: Movies for Stressing a Home Theater System?
[Re: schofiel]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
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Seems like Se7en would be a good test for black levels, but I only have it on LD, so maybe not.
_________________________
Bitt Faulk
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#277547 - 14/03/2006 04:03
Re: Movies for Stressing a Home Theater System?
[Re: tfabris]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 08/06/1999
Posts: 7868
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Quote:
And if you're going to do the Fifth Element, there is a Superbit version of the movie you can get, where the data compression is at the highest possible quality level.
One handy tidbit this version is also a Superbit version. They put the movie on one disc, and all the extras on a second.
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#277548 - 14/03/2006 04:58
Re: Movies for Stressing a Home Theater System?
[Re: drakino]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31600
Loc: Seattle, WA
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That's the one I got, once I saw it on the shelf. I actually never got the superbit version, I only had the first release, and then that "ultimate" one you just linked. I did, however read a comparison of the superbit versus the original versions. I wonder how this third "ultimate" version compares.
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#277549 - 14/03/2006 11:52
Re: Movies for Stressing a Home Theater System?
[Re: tfabris]
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veteran
Registered: 25/04/2000
Posts: 1529
Loc: Arizona
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I heard about AVIA, just totally forgot about it while putting my system together. I'll have to pick that up to see how well the system came from the factory. So far it looks pretty decent, so maybe thats why I didn't think about it.
I was looking for the 'wow' movies. Now I have an awesome list to start shopping with.
Thanks everybody!
-- Tim
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#277550 - 14/03/2006 11:59
Re: Movies for Stressing a Home Theater System?
[Re: Tim]
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member
Registered: 24/02/2003
Posts: 111
Loc: Elk Grove, CA
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If you're looking to test out your sound system's low end, The Haunting in DTS is still the reigning LFE champ in my book.
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No longer a stranger, finally a full-fledged member! 
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#277551 - 14/03/2006 12:56
Re: Movies for Stressing a Home Theater System?
[Re: Glen_L]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 18/01/2000
Posts: 5683
Loc: London, UK
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Quote:
If you're looking to test out your sound system's low end, The Haunting in DTS is still the reigning LFE champ in my book.
I can't comment on The Haunting, but if you want to check out low-freq audio, Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring has some good bits, particularly when in the dwarf halls. Also Star Wars: A New Hope.
_________________________
-- roger
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#277552 - 14/03/2006 13:11
Re: Movies for Stressing a Home Theater System?
[Re: drakino]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 05/01/2001
Posts: 4903
Loc: Detroit, MI USA
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Quote:
Quote:
And if you're going to do the Fifth Element, there is a Superbit version of the movie you can get, where the data compression is at the highest possible quality level.
One handy tidbit this version is also a Superbit version. They put the movie on one disc, and all the extras on a second.
This whole Superbit thing is news to me. From what I've read, the standard version was pretty darn good quality too but IIRC mine doesn't have any bonus features. It's one of the first DVDs I purchased, so we're talking 1999 or 2000.
I like the movie, but I have to admit, I was just trying to find anything remotely like Bladerunner to pacify me! Bruce Willis is one of those actors that I'd never say was one of my favorites, but damn he picks some good movies to be in. 12 Monkeys, Fifth Element, Hudson Hawk  , etc.
_________________________
Brad B.
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#277553 - 14/03/2006 14:11
Re: Movies for Stressing a Home Theater System?
[Re: SE_Sport_Driver]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31600
Loc: Seattle, WA
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Quote:
From what I've read, the standard version was pretty darn good quality too
Yeah, look at the comparison here.
Quote:
It's one of the first DVDs I purchased, so we're talking 1999 or 2000.
Yeah, I had that one and it looked fantastic on my 1080i projector, so the Superbit and Ultimate versions should look that much better.
It's funny, all this talk of a "wow" movie, and as much as I loved it, the movie itself was actually a bit silly and not all that great. Us home theater nuts sometimes can't see the forest for the trees, can we?
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#277554 - 14/03/2006 14:14
Re: Movies for Stressing a Home Theater System?
[Re: tfabris]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
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Very much so. (Though I rather liked that particular movie. Probably not enough to buy it.)
_________________________
Bitt Faulk
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#277555 - 14/03/2006 19:54
Re: Movies for Stressing a Home Theater System?
[Re: tfabris]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 25/08/2000
Posts: 2413
Loc: NH USA
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Quote:
It's funny, all this talk of a "wow" movie, and as much as I loved it, the movie itself was actually a bit silly and not all that great. Us home theater nuts sometimes can't see the forest for the trees, can we?
Your rational brain was stunned into paralysis by Milla Jovovich in small outfits. At least mine was.
That movie suffered from the Abyss syndrome - strong start, terrible finish.
Is Blade Runner a well mastered DVD? Now _that's_ a scifi movie.
-Zeke
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WWFSMD?
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#277556 - 14/03/2006 21:47
Re: Movies for Stressing a Home Theater System?
[Re: Ezekiel]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
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Quote:
Is Blade Runner a well mastered DVD?
No. See here.
_________________________
Bitt Faulk
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