Confused about Letters from Iwo Jima/Flags of our Fathers

[Smurfin]

Hi all

Trying to decide which format to buy the Clint Eastwood double bill on. I understand Letters will have TrueHD soundtracks on both BR and HD-DVD, but information on Flags of our Fathers seems conflicting! (seems to be little consistency when you look at a number of sites).

Does anyone know what soundtrack Flags will have, on both BR and HD-DVD? Ideally I'd like to buy them both on the same format (not that it really matters I suppose!)

Cheers
Matt

[Anodyne]

I think Flags will follow the same format as the recent Dreamgirls release and be MPEG-2 640kps DD on Blu-ray and VC1 1.5 mps DD+ on HD-DVD.

[Smurfin]

looks like it'll be HD-DVD for me then!

[TarPot]

Originally Posted by Smurfin

looks like it'll be HD-DVD for me then!

Me too!

[lfletcher]

According to this,

http://www.hometheaterspot.com/fusio...hp?tid/137065/

It looks like the BD version is using AVC (and qute high bitrates as well).

The HD-DVD version uses VC-1 and still has a better audio track (DD+ 1.5mbps vs DD 640kbps).

[Monkeyspoon]

Flags on HD DVD has been dispatched and Letters HDDVD is processing.

[Vandal]

Originally Posted by lfletcher

According to this,

http://www.hometheaterspot.com/fusio...hp?tid/137065/

It looks like the BD version is using AVC (and qute high bitrates as well).

The HD-DVD version uses VC-1 and still has a better audio track (DD+ 1.5mbps vs DD 640kbps).

Excuse my ignorance, but which one is better then - AVC or VC-1.
Or is that a subjective question?

Thanks,
V.

[Vandal]

Originally Posted by Monkeyspoon

Flags on HD DVD has been dispatched and Letters HDDVD is processing.

Did you go for the combo versions or the special editions which I am assuming are HD-DVD only.

Also where from and how much

Ta,
V.

[Anodyne]

Originally Posted by Vandal

Excuse my ignorance, but which one is better then - AVC or VC-1.
Or is that a subjective question?

Thanks,
V.

Subjective as far as I can tell. Most review sites put them on an equal footing, but diehard fanboys of either format seem to claim superiority of one over the other.

[Monkeyspoon]

Originally Posted by Vandal

Did you go for the combo versions or the special editions which I am assuming are HD-DVD only.

Also where from and how much

Ta,
V.

Theres only one type of each HD DVD. Letters is a combo tho but only £1 more.

Im not a fanboy of either format but there is no UK release date for either the HD DVD or Blu Ray so i got the US HD DVD.

Movietyme has Flags for £17.99 and Letters for £18.99

[Indiana Jones]

Stupid question but do you have to have watched Letters from Iwo Jima before Flags of our Fathers?

[Vandal]

Originally Posted by ptaheldaoud

Subjective as far as I can tell. Most review sites put them on an equal footing, but diehard fanboys of either format seem to claim superiority of one over the other.

Thanks for that, wanted to make sure before ordering the 'wrong' format.

V.

[Vandal]

Originally Posted by Monkeyspoon

Theres only one type of each HD DVD. Letters is a combo tho but only £1 more.

Im not a fanboy of either format but there is no UK release date for either the HD DVD or Blu Ray so i got the US HD DVD.

Movietyme has Flags for £17.99 and Letters for £18.99

Cheers.

Weird, I could have sworn I saw two versions of both.
Look now and can't find them so guess I may have mistook the DVD's.

Going to get these ordered on HD-DVD I think.

V.

[coldy]

Originally Posted by Indiana Jones

Stupid question but do you have to have watched Letters from Iwo Jima before Flags of our Fathers?

No, they can be watched in any order although my preference is for Letters from Iwo Jima first and then Flags of Our Fathers because there are a few questions pertaining to the battle in Flags that are explained in Letters. Plus if you do watch them in that order then you are watching the events unfold in more or less chronological order given that Letters is about the troops during battle and Flags mostly about the postwar and how it affected the survivors.

Whichever order you pick they should definitely be watched back to back though as each gains from the others existence.

Oh, and keep an eye out for the way the iconic US flag-raising - which is at the centre of Flags of Our Fathers - is depicted in Letters. It's a brilliant bit of direction by Eastwood.

[enablerbro1]

Watched Flags yesterday on DVD and just ordered it from Amazon on HDDVD, I'll wait for Letters to be released on a noncombo HDDVD.