Films with great Picture Quality on Sky HD

[KeanosMagicHat]

*** READ THIS POST FIRST - IT'S A CONTINUALLY UPDATED LIST CONTAINING ALL RECOMMENDATIONS - HOPEFULLY YOU CAN CATCH REPEATS ***

_______________

Thought I'd start a thread for people to post titles of films shown on Sky HD which in their opinion have supreme picture quality so that others may also get to see them (if repeated).

This is not meant to be a thread for review of the film itself but the fact that it looks one of the best examples of HD on Sky.


EDIT - Rather than thank people individually .... a big thank you to everyone that continues to post suggested titles on this thread. Could prove very useful.

EDIT 2 - Decided to make a list of contributor recommendations to make this thread a little more useful (will try to update periodically).

EDIT 3 - As this list is growing (which is great) I decided I'd embolden those titles that I've personally seen and can vouch for as superior in PQ. Those in Red are outstanding.

3:10 To Yuma
300
A Good Year
A Scanner Darkly
A Very Brady Sequel
The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl
Aeon Flux
Airport '77
All The King's Men
American Pie: Beta House
Amistad
The Ant Bully
Antz
Are We There Yet?
Bad Boys 2
Basic Instinct 2
Batman & Robin
Better Luck Tomorrow
Blade
Blade Runner: The Final Cut
Blood Diamond
Bobby
The Bourne Ultimatum
Braveheart
The Brothers Grimm
Cars
The Cave
Chasing Christmas
Children of Men
Christmas with the Kranks
The Chronicles of Narnia
Con Air
The Constant Gardener
Crank
Cries In The Dark
Curious George
The Dark
Deja Vu
Disney's High School Musical II
Epic Movie
Eragon
The Family Stone
Fantastic Four
Fearless
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Flushed Away
The Fly (1958)
Force Of Impact
The Fountain
Freedomland
Funny Face
Ghostbusters 2
Ghost Rider
Goal II
Godzilla
Grease
The Guardian
Half Light
Happy Feet
Hard Candy
Hard Eight
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harsh Times
Hidden
Hoodwinked!
The Host
Hot Fuzz
Ice Age 2
Idlewild
Innerspace
The Italian Job
It's All Gone Pete Tong
Jarhead
Just My Luck
Karate Kid 2
Keeping Mum
King Kong
Krull
The Lake House
Lawrence of Arabia
Lemming
Lemony Snicket
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
Like Mike 2:Streetball
Little Man
Lord of the Rings - Return of the King
Lord of War
Lost in Space
Lucky Number Slevin
Madagascar
The Magic Roundabout
The Marine
Martha: Behind Bars
McLintock!
Memoirs of a Geisha
Monster House
Mr Bean's Holiday
Munich
My Best Friend's Wedding
The Nativity Story
Next
Night at the Museum
The Number 23
Open Season
Outlaw Trail: The Treasure of Butch Cassidy
Over The Hedge
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer
POTC - Dead Man's Chest
The Prestige
The Reef
Reeker
Renaissance
The Replacement Killers
Robots
The Rock
Rosemary's Baby
Running Scared
Rush Hour
Sahara
Saving Private Ryan
Scary Movie 4
Serenity
Shopgirl
Shrek 2
The Siege
Sin City
Sky High
Smokin' Aces
Sphere
Spiderman 2
Star Wars Ep II - Attack of the Clones
Star Wars Ep III - Revenge of the Sith
Starship Troopers
Stay
Stir Crazy
Stomp The Yard
Stormbreaker
Stranger Than Fiction
Sunshine
Syriana
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
Transporter 2
Texas Chainsaw Massacre - The Beginning
Top Gun [note - there is some grain and a few sparklies in this film but it surpassed the low expections I had prior to seeing it]
Ultraviolet
Underworld Evolution
Unleashed
Valiant
Videodrome
War
The Weather Man
When A Stranger Calls
The Wicker Man
X-Men: The Last Stand
xXx2: State of the Union
Zodiac
Zoom
Zulu

[KeanosMagicHat]

To begin I'll offer up;

Crank - watch for the close up fast moving road scenes, you can almost feel every bump the texturing is sooooo good.

Lemony Snicket - consistently good throughout.

Lord of War - the opening credits sequence following a bullet from manufacture is outstanding.

[FGEvans1]

i thought serenity and children of men were just as good as my hd-dvd copies, so good in fact that i have now sold them.

braveheart which was shown on sky one hd was also very good (even better for me as i love the film and its not out yet on either blueray or hd-dvd)

[sukhy5]

I thought Grease on Sky One HD (broadcast a few months ago) looked great.

[lephoid]

Without doubt the best film I have seen in terms of picture quality is the Magic Roundabout - crystal clear and fantastic colour and depth!

[bigroguk]

star wars films look amazing........ magic roundabout looked great

[mkcurtis]

Magic Roundabout, so many colours all at once!
Lord of War, some outstanding dark/blacks such as when in his appartment with his wife
Star Wars, pretty good given its 30 years old and the work the've done to get it looking so good.
Ive recorded but yet to watch in full Crank but it too look great.
HD Test card with Mylenne Klass. :-)

[dudeonline]

It has to be King Kong, awesome quality, best so far IMO, also Memoirs of a Geisha... haven't seen crank or Children of Men yet so can't comment..

[asimm]

My contribution:

Valiant - which I keep as a demo film (to show off to guests).
Star Wars.
Starship Troopers.
King Kong.

[Reznor]

Blade looked great the other night.

Also Saving Private Ryan

[BrianPK]

Why hasn't Lawrence of Arabia been mentioned?..........We didn't even need a plot, just looking at Peter O' Toole strutting around in those white robes in HD is enough.Noel Coward stated memorably that "if he was any more beautiful, the film would have to be called Florence of Arabia":grin:......But seriously, those wonderful desert scenes .This is what HD is all about.

[mark800]

My vote is for Magic Roundabout:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1241/860317629_61cd5cda36_o.jpg

[WilliamTM]

The Family Stone
xXx2: State of the Union
Children of Men
Jarhead
Crank

[AndyH]

Hidden (French insanity)

[SibTiger33]

My vote is for Magic Roundabout:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1241/860317629_61cd5cda36_o.jpg

nice screenshot

i can actually see the quality from the screenshot!!

looks very impressive


not sure if its been on SKY HD yet but i watched monsters inc a while ago in HD (that looked fantastic)

[holty2503]

I thought Crank, King Kong and Children Of Men where all absolutely stunning.

Also Shrek2 is very good but after watching it about 70 time it get a bit to much, my two year old son needs to find a new favourite :grin: :rotfl:

[WilliamTM]

I thought Crank, King Kong and Children Of Men where all absolutely stunning.

Also Shrek2 is very good but after watching it about 70 time it get a bit to much, my two year old son needs to find a new favourite :grin: :rotfl:
Introduce him to Shrek 3. :grin:

[Kevo]

Lawrence of Arabia beats anything shown on Sky HD so far, movies or otherwise and it's a 40 year old film (ok it did have a big restoration in the 90s)!

It's permanantley on my Planner and is my nimber one HD demo material.

[Goooner]

You lot rub it in why don't you? Spare a thought for all of those of us that didn't get Children of Men on Anytime ;)

[somerset]

Lawrence of Arabia was "wow!" stuff - quite stunning in places.

Collateral was a great example of "subtle" HD for me - it drew me right in and accentuated the whole atmosphere of the film.

[Paul_T]

Really enjoyed Serenity & The Rock, Transporter 2 was also very good (for PQ).

Also watched a few of the Star Wars films and for some reason I think the original trilogy has much better PQ than the newer films.

[Starburst]

Also watched a few of the Star Wars films and for some reason I think the original trilogy has much better PQ than the newer films.





The differences between film and digital video will have an effect and while ep1 and ep2 were not wholly DV they were very CGI heavy. A lot of the problems with HD PQ that some people report seem to come down to the "look" of the HD video format compared to a primarily 35mm film production.

[Gae]

I was surprised just how good "Ghostbusters 2" looked the other night. The last time I saw this was probably in the cinema when it was first released. I remember disappointment at the time because my friends and I didn't think this sequel wasn as good as the first. Nearly 20 years on, the film has aged quite well, looks stunning in HD and was a fun watch! :smashin:

Gae

[mearsy007]

The PQ on Crank is brilliant.:thumbsup:

[clintyeastwood]

fantastic four
the fog - sound from subwoofer deafnin
valiant
the fly not fantastic but gory bits looked really good in hd

[mark800]

King Kong:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1035/899203356_bb63887268_o.jpg

[crazzy kopite]

I think Chiden of Men is the best I have seen, it is proberbly better than anything I have on Bluray and HD too.
Crank was ok but dont think it was as good as Children of Men. Di Vinci Code is the worst imi.

[`BK]

Spidey 2, Revenge of the Sith, Blade (even with the EE/ringing).

Before they hit BD, Pirates 2 + X3 + Con Air were real purdy. Serenity too. The broadcast versions stand up fairly well to their disc counterparts.

[NISMO GTR]

underworld evolution is very impressive the best ive seen so far also king kong and i watched blade last week which was also impressive considering its 10 years old but underworld is the best so far for me.

[clintyeastwood]

speed 2 on hd 2
was very dissapointing
picure quality was not outstanding
sound quality was very poor with centre speaker at about 3/4 volume

[KeanosMagicHat]

speed 2 on hd 2
was very dissapointing

Supposed to be a thread for the best Clinty .....

Never mind, "in all this excitement I've kinda lost track myself". ;)

________


Also, thanks again to all thus far.

Watched a few of the recent HD premieres but nothing else too inspiring for me PQ wise (yet). I'll obviously continue to post my own recommendations when I see a great one and look forward to reading more of yours.

[Pange]

Noticed in the end credits that Crank was actually shot in HD rather than film. Might have been a direct digital transfer without a film intermediate that made it sooo good (except one shot which looked like it was shot on a camcorder)

[BrianPK]

I thought Ferris Buellers Day Off looked particularly good

[SNICK]

I thought ' Brothers Grimm' first shown last Xmas as astonishingly good :)

[LivingForever]

Don't laugh but I thought the PQ on the oustside shots during 'A Very Brady Sequel' looked really good!

:grin:

Otherwise, yeah, King Kong was superb and Night at the Museum on Box Office was also really impressive.

James

[KeanosMagicHat]

As crass as the movie is IMO, Basic Instinct 2 looked good PQ wise throughout and sometimes superb.

[IanMerseyside]

The Rock (although I think it was BBC HD not Sky)
Sahara
Lord of the Rings return of the king

Anyone any idea when DaVinci Code is showing on HD? It will probably appear on Anytime soon but I have mine switched off!

[ridgerama]

ice age 2 is great quality

[lucas22]

Quick question,thinking of getting sky hd,already have sky+(ggrrrr noisy thomson
box)anyway as well as getting a much better picture ala hd will sd look any better due to the hdmi cable,just a thought.

cheers

[Jason]

The original Star Wars Trilogy looks great :thumbsup: and it'll be god knows how long before they're out on Blu Ray. Episode 2 & 3 look good as you'd expect, but episode 1 is terrible; soft pic, edge enhancements, grain, artifacts :thumbsdow

[Goooner]

Anyone any idea when DaVinci Code is showing on HD? It will probably appear on Anytime soon but I have mine switched off!

It is on Anytime now, if Children of Men is anything to go by, I wouldn't expect to see Da Vinci on the normal HD movie channels much before September.

It's crap though, if that's any consolation:)

[BrianPK]

Quick question,thinking of getting sky hd,already have sky+(ggrrrr noisy thomson
box)anyway as well as getting a much better picture ala hd will sd look any better due to the hdmi cable,just a thought.

cheers

Even though you're totally off topic:grin:I'll answer you.
I find sd quality, through HDMI (and Component),to be excellent.Whenever I hook up my old Sky+ box to look at old favourite programmes through rgb scart I am quite surprised at the drop in quality.

[Alphawao]

I just checked my HD and Ice Age 2 is on there and it looked fantastic!

[charker]

My choice

All 6 Star Wars look great, first one probably the worst
King Kong
The toons... Robots, Ice Age, Valient look amazing
The Rock on BBC

I had Shrek and Madagascar but deleted them before upgrading to 1TB disk!! I want them repeating! (Did I really say that! I want a repeat.....!!!)

Nice to have 1TB...space for >30 films!

Cliff

[SuperSeven]

The best I've seen is "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0362270/)" starring Bill Murray

[Giblets2]

Madagascar has it for me - although it's kind of cheating it's still been the best PQ I've seen so far. SW ROTS is next best I reckon.

[Alphawao]

I watched the first 5 star wars films on HD this week and I was looking for ROTS on the HD planner but Sky only showed it on the Sci-fi/Horror Channel....boooo!

I also recorded Robots 2day but I'll watch it later....

[Paul_T]

I watched the first 5 star wars films on HD this week and I was looking for ROTS on the HD planner but Sky only showed it on the Sci-fi/Horror Channel....boooo!

I also recorded Robots 2day but I'll watch it later....

Robots was the first film I watched after getting Sky HD installed - pretty damn good...

[KeanosMagicHat]

My next recommendation isn't a film, it's Lost on SkyOne HD.

They've just started re-running season 3 in HD. I've never seen this season before and it is consistently good PQ wise with some moments that are superb.

[Alphawao]

I watched Munich yesterday and thought the PQ was fantastic..anyone else think so?

[badkarma]

I watched Munich yesterday and thought the PQ was fantastic..anyone else think so?
No, I watched it last night and thought it was pretty poor compared to others. Spielberg though - always tends to be a bit grainy ;)

[WATTS]

King Kong has my vote.

I have a feeling Batman Begins will be better quality once they show that as the HD DVD version is truly outstanding! ;)

Not seen children of men on anytime though...

[GJD]

Only had HD for a few weeks but so far I'd say Transporter 2 and Children of Men. Crank didn't show up on my Anytime (I detect a theme here!) although to be fair I had a powercut whilst I was on hols for a fortnight which I think mucked it up.

[Oldgold]

Crank was definitely excellent picture quality. I also thought When a Stranger Calls was pretty good too (the PQ, I mean)!

[SibTiger33]

Crank is the best i've seen in HD so far

[CAS FAN]

Just watching Karate Kid 2 now. Expected it to be average, but the picture is stunning! Not bad for a 21 year old flick!

[stooshee]

The Rock (although I think it was BBC HD not Sky)
Sahara
Lord of the Rings return of the king

Boo hoo! I missed return of the King when it was on. Does anyone know when it is next on?

Madagascar has it for me - although it's kind of cheating it's still been the best PQ I've seen so far. SW ROTS is next best I reckon.

I loved ROTS, It is the longest "kept" film on my hard drive (sort of) I had taped it when it first came on, then I deleted it and taped it again this year, as it was much better PQ!

[marky1314]

I thought chronicles of narnia was a bloody good picture today :thumbsup:

[KeanosMagicHat]

Running Scared was on last night. Although very stylised in its presentation, I thought it was excellent in PQ.

Hope it'll be repeated sometime as, chances are, most of you didn't see it.

[CAS FAN]

Running Scared was on last night. Although very stylised in its presentation, I thought it was excellent in PQ.

Hope it'll be repeated sometime as, chances are, most of you didn't see it.

Saw it was on, but didn't watch it. To be honest I didn't know anything about it, but after looking on IMDB it looks a good film.

Will have to catch it again.:)

[Alphawao]

Watch Ultraviolet on Anytime last night, crap film but the PQ was rather good also Aeon Flux & X-men 3 too.

[Kev12]

Its all gone Pete Tong.:smashin:

[bobsmaginty]

Got to be 'Bad Boys 2', by far the best picture quality in my opinion.:thumbsup:

[xxTDKxx]

Running Scared & Underworld: Evolution have to be the best looking films i've seen on Sky HD, they even looked good on my 32 inch Goodmans HD-TV!

[KeanosMagicHat]

Watch Ultraviolet on Anytime last night, crap film but the PQ was rather good ...

Seconded.

Whatever people think about the film, Ultraviolet had stunning PQ.

[HRL]

Any upcoming titles to look out for?

Trying find some footage that will justify my £50 a month.

[KeanosMagicHat]

Robots was the first film I watched after getting Sky HD installed - pretty damn good...

Robots - Mentioned several times on this thread (I haven't seen it).

It is repeated at 11am on Friday 7th Sept on SMHD1.

[KeanosMagicHat]

Just watched Stormbreaker, available now on Anytime.

PQ was generally good and sometimes excellent.

[Soulfinger]

Not got the movie channels but watched a couple of films on SBO HD through a Sky HD promo. Goal II had very good PQ.

[KeanosMagicHat]

Why hasn't Lawrence of Arabia been mentioned?..........We didn't even need a plot, just looking at Peter O' Toole strutting around in those white robes in HD is enough.Noel Coward stated memorably that "if he was any more beautiful, the film would have to be called Florence of Arabia":grin:......But seriously, those wonderful desert scenes .This is what HD is all about.

Repeated this month, as per the below;

On another note, everyone has been raving about the great PQ (and film) Lawrence of Arabia on HD. If you ain't had a chance to see it yet, it is on Sky Movies HD1 on 25 September at 21:00.

[Paul_T]

Very impressed with Dead Mans Chest recorded from Anytime... :thumbsup:

[NISMO GTR]

jarhead even though the films rubbish the pq is good,the bit in the oil fields at night is stunning.

[NISMO GTR]

Very impressed with Dead Mans Chest recorded from Anytime... :thumbsup:potc dead mans chest was brilliant pq on par with kong all day long.

[NISMO GTR]

the cave on movies hd2 right now,just flicked over looks very good pq.

[Dave777]

Stormbreaker on Anytime had some great sound, lots of use of surround and good bass.

Dave

[robfosters]

potc dead mans chest was brilliant pq on par with kong all day long.

Agree :thumbsup:

Still a bit short of blu-ray though. But I suppose thats no surprise.

[Paul_T]

Agree :thumbsup:

Still a bit short of blu-ray though. But I suppose thats no surprise.

Misses was wanting me to buy the BR but I'm waiting for a boxset of all 3...

[Silver Serpent]

Scary Movie 4 has very good PQ, although I struggled to get through 30 minutes as the film was absolutely terrible :suicide:

[CAS FAN]

Lost in Space is pretty good picture wise. Again, shame the film isn't up to much!

[KeanosMagicHat]

Was a good day for films with high quality PQ yesterday.

For family based Superhero comedy check out Sky High. Although some scenes are shot in soft focus, those that aren't are very good. I don't think I'm spoiling anything to say look out for the Freeze Ray scene in particular.

Also Shopgirl was pretty good throughout PQ wise.

[NISMO GTR]

well if your like me and have kids then curious george is awesome in hd from anytime the pq made my tv jump to life.did anyone actually get over the hedge in the end cause my kids where looking forward to that so am i now after seeing how good hd looks on kids films.

[SibTiger33]

well if your like me and have kids then curious george is awesome in hd from anytime the pq made my tv jump to life.did anyone actually get over the hedge in the end cause my kids where looking forward to that so am i now after seeing how good hd looks on kids films.

Over the Hedge (as with most animated films) looks fantastic!!!


i would love to watch Robots in HD

[KeanosMagicHat]

i would love to watch Robots in HD

well get it in your planner then. It's being broadcast at 11:00 on Friday.

[NISMO GTR]

Over the Hedge (as with most animated films) looks fantastic!!!


i would love to watch Robots in HD

robots does look very good in hd.

[KeanosMagicHat]

The Weather Man - consistent high PQ.

[Giblets2]

When was Over the Hedge on, and when's it repeated please?!

[KeanosMagicHat]

When was Over the Hedge on, and when's it repeated please?!

There's some confusion on this at the moment, but the current consensus seems to be that it will be broadcasted via Anytime this month.

[KeanosMagicHat]

Freedomland - repeated at 01:50 tomorrow morning on SMHD2 is absolutely stunning.

Second only to Crank in terms of "real word" HD picture quality, in my opinion.

In one scene you can actually see the individual specks of dust in the air, it's that detailed.

Check it out. Oh and Julianne Moore's acting is very good in this, worthy of acclaim.

[robfosters]

Watched fantastic 4 today. I was impressed with that. Really brings out the special effects.

Film was p*ss poor though.

[KeanosMagicHat]

Well Sin City has just blasted right into my top 4 for PQ.

[CAS FAN]

Well Sin City has just blasted right into my top 4 for PQ.

Agreed, watched a 1080p version of that on my HTPC a year or so back and it was an amazing picture! The style of the film really lends itself to being watched in HD, so much so that I can't watch that particular film in SD now as it just looks pretty bad compared.

[NISMO GTR]

renainssance thats in my anytime today is brilliant pq.sin city is the best so far along with potc dead mans chest looking forward to children of men this friday.

[LivingForever]

Ice Age 2 - breathtaking! Any animation really...

[KeanosMagicHat]

I thought ' Brothers Grimm' first shown last Xmas as astonishingly good :)

Absolutely correct. Outstanding PQ.

:thumbsup:

[KeanosMagicHat]

Lemming - strange film but PQ very good.

Also from the recommendation on this thread I recorded, 'Lawrence of Arabia' earlier today to watch at some point soon.

It's repeated at 9PM this evening on SSHD1 for those interested.

[mallet]

Also from the recommendation on this thread I recorded, 'Lawrence of Arabia' earlier today to watch at some point soon.

One of my favourites, really hope it delivers PQ-wise.

edit

Well, I hope it gets another repeat as the recording has ballsed-up.
:thumbsdow

[KeanosMagicHat]

Well, I hope it gets another repeat as the recording has ballsed-up.
:thumbsdow

Not watched my recording yet but just checked the TV Guide on here and it's not showing at the moment, I'm afraid.

EDIT - Just watched this morning and for a film that's 45 years old the PQ is very good indeed.

[wilber]

Well, I hope it gets another repeat as the recording has ballsed-up.
:thumbsdow

4 november 9pm

[KenjohnB]

Just watched "Hidden" which I recorded in the early hours of this morning. I already own this on DVD, but in HD the PQ was stunning.

Up to now, I've never really raved about PQ in HD movies (compared to sports), but this was the best HD movie I've seen in terms of PQ.

Ken

[mallet]

4 november 9pm

Thanks :D

[KeanosMagicHat]

Just watched "Hidden" which I recorded in the early hours of this morning. I already own this on DVD, but in HD the PQ was stunning.

Up to now, I've never really raved about PQ in HD movies (compared to sports), but this was the best HD movie I've seen in terms of PQ.

Ken

It was very good PQ.

Enjoyed the film too.

[KeanosMagicHat]

Syriana - good PQ ..... excellent film.

[Silver Serpent]

Rosemary's Baby wasn't bad PQ at all for a 39 year old Film.

[KeanosMagicHat]

Monster House watched it on Anytime and should be available until Sat 6th.

One of the best animated films PQ wise I've seen.

[NISMO GTR]

agreed was half decent for a kids film my kids loved it its almost like a kids horror.

[KeanosMagicHat]

The Replacement Killers - brilliant PQ for a film that's almost 10 years old.

[KeanosMagicHat]

Unleashed with Jet Li - very good PQ, slightly odd movie.

[Silver Serpent]

Just My Luck had good PQ.

[KeanosMagicHat]

Is this thread proving useful to people?

After a good start with recommendations from other members it seems to have slowed to a crawl.

I add every recommendation to the first post list but, if it's not considered generally useful, I'll discontinue as there are no doubt better uses of my time.

I ask as the only "usefulness" feedback you can get is the "thanks" system.

[NISMO GTR]

does anybody know if there planning to show batman begins or have already on sky hd? as i had never seen this up until a couple of weeks ago watched the sd version on sky and the film was brilliant with great pq in sd.really want to see this in hd.

[GerryH3]

Is this thread proving useful to people?

After a good start with recommendations from other members it seems to have slowed to a crawl.

I add every recommendation to the first post list but, if it's not considered generally useful, I'll discontinue as there are no doubt better uses of my time.

I ask as the only "usefulness" feedback you can get is the "thanks" system.

I for one find this a very useful thread:thumbsup:

[Silver Serpent]

Martha: Behind Bars had good PQ

[Silver Serpent]

Chasing Christmas had very good PQ.

[remlap]

Martha: Behind Bars had good PQ

Stewart?

Dam America will make a tv movie for anything.

[Giblets2]

I for one find this thread really useful Keanos, thanks!

[KeanosMagicHat]

I for one find this thread really useful Keanos, thanks!

I'll keep it updated for now then ... cheers.

I've added the latest recommendations from SS.

To everyone else, when you see a film with great PQ on Sky HD, please add it and I'll update the first post list.

[Silver Serpent]

Christmas with the Kranks - Very Good PQ

[KeanosMagicHat]

Outlaw Trail: The Treasure of Butch Cassidy

A made for TV family movie but good PQ nonetheless.

[Giblets2]

Over the Hedge should be very good tomorrow!

[GerryH3]

I really shouldn't admit to having watched any of this but I recorded Disneys High School Musical II when it was transmitted on HD via Anytime for my daughter.

She finally got around to watching it the other night and I was very impressed by the quality. Outdoor scenes in particular had eye popping colours and that real 3D feel.

[KeanosMagicHat]

Over the Hedge should be very good tomorrow!

Over The Hedge was stunning on my TV .... best CG feature I've seen yet.

:smashin:

[jonstannes]

Little Man best film so far for me(only had HD for a few weeks)

[KeanosMagicHat]

Little Man best film so far for me(only had HD for a few weeks)

Added Little Man to the first post summary.

This thread should prove especially useful to you and other new customers as I've noticed quite a few a the films rated in the list are being repeated at the moment.

[Silver Serpent]

The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl - One of the best I've seen for PQ.

[Silver Serpent]

Force Of Impact - Great PQ

[CAS FAN]

I notice that it's already on the list, but I felt that Ice Age 2 was absolutely outsanding PQ wise after watching it the other day. It was certainly one of the best HD sources that i've seen and surely deserves to be in Red. :)

[Daddy k]

I notice that it's already on the list, but I felt that Ice Age 2 was absolutely outsanding PQ wise after watching it the other day. It was certainly one of the best HD sources that i've seen and surely deserves to be in Red. :)

iv not watched this yet but have recorded it for when i collect my monolith sub as its also supposed to have some good scenes for subs ;)

i may start to write that apology letter to my neighbours now :devil:

[CAS FAN]

iv not watched this yet but have recorded it for when i collect my monolith sub as its also supposed to have some good scenes for subs ;)

i may start to write that apology letter to my neighbours now :devil:

Indeed, sections with ice breaking and falling etc. are very good :).


Does anyone know when Over the Hedge is on again in HD? Or is there a site where I can easily check what films are on the HD movie channels? Thanks Cas.

Oh BTW, just noticed that The Terminator is on again in HD today @ 14:10 & 21:30 for those who missed it previously.

[CAS FAN]

Does anyone know when Over the Hedge is on again in HD? Or is there a site where I can easily check what films are on the HD movie channels? Thanks Cas.

No need for this now guys, just found it - 11am this Friday 23rd :) on HD1. :clap:

[gerryman62]

watched mc lintock the other night film made in 1963 pq was superb even made john wayne look good :thumbsup:

[Silver Serpent]

watched mc lintock the other night film made in 1963 pq was superb even made john wayne look good :thumbsup:

Yes, that was quite good quality considering the film is 44 years old.

The film was as sharp as John Wayne shoots.

[Giblets2]

:rotfl: Considering how well John Wayne shoots now that's not much of an achievement!

[Silver Serpent]

:rotfl: Considering how well John Wayne shoots now that's not much of an achievement!

:grin:

-------------------------------------------------------------

Texas Chainsaw Masacre - The Begining has excellent PQ aswell.

One of the best I've seen actually. Very natural with great detail.

[KeanosMagicHat]

Thanks Gents for keeping this thread going with your continued recommendations.

I've added them all to the first post.

My latest recommended movies for picture quality are;

The Lake House - more plot holes than Swiss cheese but good PQ.

Top Gun - For a film released in 1986 if you look past the occasional sparklies and grain it's pretty good PQ.

and;

Better Luck Tomorrow - PQ very good throughout and sometimes excellent.

[CAS FAN]

Thanks Gents for keeping this thread going with your continued recommendations.

I've added them all to the first post.

My latest recommended movies for picture quality are;

The Lake House - more plot holes than Swiss cheese but good PQ.

Top Gun - For a film released in 1986 if you look past the occasional sparklies and grain it's pretty good PQ.

and;

Better Luck Tomorrow - PQ very good throughout and sometimes excellent.

Not seen BLT, but can agree that The Lake House was pretty good.

I thought that Top Gun was pretty poor however and looked pretty much the same as the upscaled DVD. The detail was pretty average and there was a fair bit of noise. I've seen far better from this era to be honest.

I watched the Guardian yesterday (currently on Anytime) and it's not a bad film. The picture quality was great however, even though most of the scenes in the film are fairly dark. :) Watched some of Open Season too and the picture quality was fantastic (as it is with pretty much all CGI stuff). The film was pretty dull and the graphics were not of a great standard. Got bored of the film half way through.

[Starburst]

I thought that Top Gun was pretty poor however and looked pretty much the same as the upscaled DVD. The detail was pretty average and there was a fair bit of noise. I've seen far better from this era to be honest.






I agree, Top Gun on both SKY1HD and MoviesHD is a very poor example and SKY really need to get a copy of the master used for the HD DVD, that didn't get rave reviews but should be an improvement.

[Silver Serpent]

Better Luck Tomorrow - PQ very good throughout and sometimes excellent.


I would agree with that. There was a bit of grain added, but I thought it made the viewing experience all the better.

[Silver Serpent]

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby - Excellent PQ.

[Silver Serpent]

Half Light
------------
The Dark

Both had great PQ.

[KeanosMagicHat]

I thought that Top Gun was pretty poor however and looked pretty much the same as the upscaled DVD. The detail was pretty average and there was a fair bit of noise. I've seen far better from this era to be honest.

Well that's the beauty of this thread I guess and of the varying opinions in HD world :)

I include all recommended titles in the first post irrespective of my own take on them.

For example, I see you're a fan of animated movies ..... well I watched Ice Age 2 as well and whilst I thought it was good, considering its genre, it didn't blow me away PQ wise, nowhere near Monster House or Over The Hedge.

As for Top Gun, I went into it with very low expectations and was very pleasantly surprised. Grain and sparklies, although present in some scenes were not an issue throughout and as I say it surpassed what I had expected.

Haven't watched The Guardian or Open Season yet, but plan to. As per your recommendations they've been added to the list.

Keep 'em coming ...... :thumbsup:

[KeanosMagicHat]

Reeker - just watched it, absolutely abysmal film but right up there with the best PQ I've seen.

Unfortunately I missed the first 20 mins, which seemed to be the majority of the films daylight scenes, as I only caught it whilst flicking but got hooked on the PQ and suffered the movie to enjoy it.

[Silver Serpent]

The Host - Excellent PQ.

It goes straight into my Top 3 and is a strong candidate for the No.1 spot (which I have yet to decide on).

[remlap]

Stir Crazy looked fantastic tonight - I missed the start so switched over.

[PeteIvy]

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire was very impressive last night. I thought the sound was lacking something though!

[KeanosMagicHat]

The Prestige

[KeanosMagicHat]

Keeping Mum was pretty good PQ throughout.

All The King's Men was outstanding.

[KeanosMagicHat]

The Ant Bully - another good looking animated film.

[bingham67]

The Ant Bully - another good looking animated film.

Caught a glimpse of this yesterday very good :thumbsup:

[KeanosMagicHat]

'Stranger than Fiction' had good PQ.

Both 'Stay' and 'Harsh Times' were very good.

[Goodoldbakes]

I thought A Night At the Museum was excellent. The wide shots of the reception desk with the big globe hanging over it looked fabulous. Easily the best looking film I've seen in my 2 weeks with HD. And it wasn't broadcast in OAR so filled my screen nicely. :thumbsup:

[derek500]

And it wasn't broadcast in OAR so filled my screen nicely. :thumbsup:

Yes it was!!! A Night at the Museum' was made in 1.85:1 which is just about 16:9.

Not all new films are made in 2.35:1

Sky are generally spot on with their broadcasts and show the majority of movies in OAR. And so they should.

[KeanosMagicHat]

Batman & Robin - some grain and the odd blemish but a 10 yr old film with outstanding PQ !!!

[Starburst]

Batman & Robin - some grain and the odd blemish but a 10 yr old film with outstanding PQ !!!




I could only watch it until the rocket blew up and they went sky surfing, I tried but somehow the memory of the movie wasn't as bas as the reality:)

[`BK]

It had good detail considering it's a darker movie. What was distracting though was the rampant blocking (even worse than usual for Sky) during action sequences.

[CAS FAN]

Batman & Robin - some grain and the odd blemish but a 10 yr old film with outstanding PQ !!!

It could have the best picture quality in the world, but you wouldn't get me watching a second of that tripe again. Simply an awful film.

[Kev12]

Cas Fan

As Arnie says, "There's only one absolute.........."

[CAS FAN]

Cas Fan

As Arnie says, "There's only one absolute.........."

Noooooo....stop it, that film was erased from memory :grin:.

[KeanosMagicHat]

... What was distracting though was the rampant blocking (even worse than usual for Sky) during action sequences.

Strange I didn't get any of that ......

I've watched a lot of the films recommended on this thread, as you can see from the first post list and considering all factors, I marked this film in red to list it as particularly outstanding PQ.

The skin textures during closeups were so detailed you could count the individual pores of the actors (if you were so inclined :eek: ;) )

Oh and if you thought this movie was bad, try watching the abysmal 'Reeker' also on the list.

[Panzer22]

A little off topic I know, apologies.

Does anyone know when either Lord of the Rings or Star Wars films will be repeated in HD?

[CAS FAN]

A little off topic I know, apologies.

Does anyone know when either Lord of the Rings or Star Wars films will be repeated in HD?

Would also love to know this. I thought that they were supposed to be showing HD Staw Wars over Christmas, but I never saw them anywhere :(.

[Panzer22]

I know mate. I keep checking the TV guide, but nothing.....

I've sky+'d Flushed Away on SkyHD1 at 8 o'clock tomorrow night; should be excellent picture quality. :thumbsup:

[CAS FAN]

I know mate. I keep checking the TV guide, but nothing.....

I've sky+'d Flushed Away on SkyHD1 at 8 o'clock tomorrow night; should be excellent picture quality. :thumbsup:

Cheers, will stick that one in the planner.:thumbsup:

[orc brute]

Would also love to know this. I thought that they were supposed to be showing HD Staw Wars over Christmas, but I never saw them anywhere :(.your about a year too late for the star wars movies thet were all shown last christmas and throughout the year , as far as i know with the lord of the ring trilogy channel 4 showed them last year , hopefully they will repeat as it will be on 4 hd.

[bingham67]

Is there any more decent animation films coming soon to Sky HD caught Ice Age and Ant Bully but that is all. ?

[KeanosMagicHat]

Is there any more decent animation films coming soon to Sky HD caught Ice Age and Ant Bully but that is all. ?

I've only just logged on so I hope you caught the brilliant (PQ wise) Over The Hedge which started an hour ago.

If not there a still a couple of good ones being repeated.

Antz SMHD1 21st, 11:00 and 19:20 - I have this recorded in my planner but have not watched it in HD yet.

and

Monster House SMHD1 19th, 13:30 and 18:25 - This is very good for PQ.

I'm really hoping The Magic Roundabout gets repeated on Sky HD as from the screenshots early in the thread it looks fantastic.

[bingham67]

Think Monster House was on other day seen that very good missed Over the Hedge though.

Ye wouldnt mind seeing The Magic Roundabout also looks superb :)

[pgup]

Gotta agree very impressed with 'Goblet of fire', nearly took the pain away of not being able to use my PS3 because of Sky messing up my media box. Looking forward to the 'Fugitive' tonight, Ford's last good film to date.

[KeanosMagicHat]

Gotta agree very impressed with 'Goblet of fire', nearly took the pain away of not being able to use my PS3 because of Sky messing up my media box. Looking forward to the 'Fugitive' tonight, Ford's last good film to date.

Yep I'll be watching, 'The Fugitive' tonight too. A very clever film if you watch the first 5-10 mins very closely (won't give any more away for those that haven't seen it).

Slightly off topic so apologies, but the interesting thing for me is that there are a good number of the movies on Sky HD that are also Blu-Ray releases.

I noticed this a while back but this is the first time I've mentioned it.

It's great for a PS3 owner like me as I have a pretty large DVD collection, so watching an HD movie on Sky that I already own, such as, 'The Fugitive', can help me decide whether it might be worth the Blu-Ray upgrade based on PQ.

Also helps with movies I haven't seen yet but fancied that are available on Blu-Ray.


EDIT - Really enjoyed watching this movie again - top stuff.

On the downside and in keeping with some of the reviews I've read of the Blu-Ray, the PQ wasn't that hot so not one for this list. Although detail was fairly good the picture was too soft for my liking.

[andrewg500]

Not Sky HD but I thought that Notting Hill on C4HD was excellent......ohhhhh Julia!

[KeanosMagicHat]

Not Sky HD but I thought that Notting Hill on C4HD was excellent......ohhhhh Julia!

Thanks for the contribution, I've been impressed with most of the HD content I've seen on C4HD as well as the SD upscaling which puts Sky One HD to shame.

Not sure whether to add their films to the list though as they are less likely to be repeated than those on Sky's own HD channels.


EDIT - Having thought about it I don't think I'll add any films that aren't likely to be repeated within a few months or so after broadcast as it kinda defeats the purpose of the list which is meant to recommend films people can look out for.

Panzer - just added Flushed Away, I watched the first 15 mins or so and PQ was good. Film didn't capture my interest though either, one for the kids.

[Panzer22]

I thought the picture quality of Flushed Away was excellent, shame the film is awful, in my opinion that is.....

[pgup]

If you get a chance take a look at Krull. Pretty good PQ. Albeit very silly film.:eek:

[Starburst]

I thought the picture quality of Flushed Away was excellent, shame the film is awful, in my opinion that is.....




It was a good looking movie and well I laughed myself silly at times:grin:
It was by far the most enjoyable animated/cgi movie I've seen over the last few months which includes Simpsons, Shrek3, Ratatouille, Monster House, Over The Hedge, Open Season, Hoodwinked and even Happy Feet, good gawd that's a lot of voice acting going on:)

[KeanosMagicHat]

Hard Eight - 1997 film with excellent PQ.

[KeanosMagicHat]

Texas Chainsaw Massacre - The Beginning

It was already on the list as someone else's tip so I watched it and it was one of the best for PQ I've seen. Outstanding.

Gruesome film mind.

[KenjohnB]

Signs (apart from the BBC HD logo in top LH corner).

One of the best I've ever seen in terms of PQ.

[James Day]

Yep I'll be watching, 'The Fugitive' tonight too. A very clever film if you watch the first 5-10 mins very closely (won't give any more away for those that haven't seen it).


Please put me out of my misery - I watched the film again last night (saw it a good few years ago) - still a great film. Despite re-winding and re-watching the first 15minutes I couldn't see the clever bit. Hints please (use the spoiler tags).

[KeanosMagicHat]

Please put me out of my misery - I watched the film again last night (saw it a good few years ago) - still a great film. Despite re-winding and re-watching the first 15minutes I couldn't see the clever bit. Hints please (use the spoiler tags).

Message to others - Please do not read the following if you have not seen, 'The Fugitive' as it will spoil it for you.

By all means read it afterward. Also this is more than a hint it is my entire thoughts on what's clever and very different about an early scene in the movie.

Spoiler >> Almost the entire premise of the film and two of the three main protagonists are introduced during a single early scene, the one from the benefit dinner (sponsored by Devlin McGregor). Seemingly innocent actions such as Dr. Charles Nichols thanking Kimble for the "loaner" turn out to be key plot points as the mystery unravels. Kimble is also introduced to Dr. Alex Lentz and briefly mentions his concern at some biopsy samples they are working on. The whole scene explains pretty much everything required to work out "whodunnit" and why, except for the one armed man. I think that's pretty clever and not something you see in many films ...... Anyway I hope that wasn't a disappointment JD. I watch many films and off the top of my head I can't currently think of any other movie that has used this technique to such great effect packing so much vital information into a single scene. <<

[KeanosMagicHat]

Signs (apart from the BBC HD logo in top LH corner).

One of the best I've ever seen in terms of PQ.

Thanks for the tip Kenny. Whilst it's great to hear of HD movies on channels other than Sky (as it is a good indication of the potential quality of any disc release) I've decided not to add these to the first post list.

The reason being that I'd like to keep the thread as useful as possible and therefore only add those movies that have a good chance of being repeated.

I still hope though that people will continue to post details of films on BBCHD, C4HD etc when they see a good one PQ wise.

[James Day]

Please do not read the following of you have not seen, 'The Fugitive' as it will spoil it for you.

By all means read it afterward. Also this is more than a hint it is my entire thoughts on what's clever and very different about an early scene in the movie.

Spoiler >> Almost the entire premise of the film and two of the three main protagonists are introduced during a single early scene, the one from the benefit dinner (sponsored by Devlin McGregor). Seemingly innocent actions such as Dr. Charles Nichols thanking Kimble for the "loaner" turn out to be key plot points as the mystery unravels. Kimble is also introduced to Dr. Alex Lentz and briefly mentions his concern at some biopsy samples they are working on. The whole scene explains pretty much everything required to work out "whodunnit" and why, except for the one armed man. I think that's pretty clever and not something you see in many films ...... Anyway I hope that wasn't a disappointment JD. I watch many films and off the top of my head I can't currently think of any other movie that has used this technique to such great effect packing so much vital information into a single scene. <<

Cheers - I did notice that scene - and you're right it is on reflection very clever. I'm not racking my brains for a similar clue in a film (I guess Usual Suspects comes close).

James

[KeanosMagicHat]

(I guess Usual Suspects comes close).

Yeah you're right there, I'll give you that one. Not quite to the same extent but a similar stance.

[roba666]

Signs (apart from the BBC HD logo in top LH corner).

One of the best I've ever seen in terms of PQ.


Terrible film though!

[Starburst]

Terrible film though!



Love the movie but the HD master the BBC was using was very poor, video noise everywhere and wasn't really a showcase for the channel at all:(



Just watched Eragon and I have to say from the CGI right through to the flowing landscapes and fixed shots were all beautiful in HD.

[KeanosMagicHat]

Hoodwinked!

This was supposed to be recording for me as I type but I noticed after it had already been on for 20 mins that the recording just didn't start for some reason.

Anyway I flicked it on and the PQ is absolutely fantastic.

Will be recording it on next showing, Sunday 3rd Feb 11:00 and 17:30 for those interested.

[Starburst]

Hoodwinked!

This was supposed to be recording for me as I type but I noticed after it had already been on for 20 mins that the recording just didn't start for some reason.

Anyway I flicked it on and the PQ is absolutely fantastic.






It's a great movie as well, no idea what to expect but the style was superb and the animation suited it perfectly.

[KeanosMagicHat]

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer

Superb PQ but, as a warning, how this movie got a 15 UK rating is beyond me.

Definitely an 18 given the subject matter - it was an 'R' in the US.

[derek500]

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer

Superb PQ but, as a warning, how this movie got a 15 UK rating is beyond me.

Definitely an 18 given the subject matter - it was an 'R' in the US.

I would say 15 is a fair rating. The violence wasn't too graphic, there was no four letter words and some nudity.

In the US an R is under 17 must be accompanied by an adult. Seems right to me. I would let my fifteen year old children see it. Great movie. Nothing offensive.

[KeanosMagicHat]

I would let my fifteen year old children see it.

Fair play mate.

Just thought I'd put up a warning for others as I wouldn't be comfortable letting my 15 yr old kid watch it (if I had one).

[gerryman62]

watchd film calld airport77 last night cr*p film but pq was fantastic it was made in 1977 with jack lemmon in it :smashin:

[Silver Serpent]

Rush Hour is on now and it has pretty good PQ for a 10 year old film.

[Silver Serpent]

Watched Deja Vu last night and the PQ was very good I thought.

[KeanosMagicHat]

Half Light

Yep watched that earlier today. Film's a bit ropey but the PQ is good.

Also saw Happy Feet, which was easy on the eye too.

[Silver Serpent]

The Host was on again at 1am this morning.

I recommended it previously as it was one of the best I'd seen regarding PQ for 2007.

It was a good film too, if you can handle the subtitles.

I meant to post a reminder for people, but I forgot :oops:

[derek500]

The Host was on again at 1am this morning.

I recommended it previously as it was one of the best I'd seen regarding PQ for 2007.

It was a good film too, if you can handle the subtitles.

I meant to post a reminder for people, but I forgot :oops:

28th of March next showing, I'll look out for it then.

Saw Lemming this week, excellent French thriller with great PQ. On again March 10, 11am.

[CAS FAN]

I know that this is a thread about films with great picture quality, but one that certainly doesn't fit this bill is Batman (The Keaton/Nicholson one). It was on last night to I gave it a try and it looked no better than SD. I even flicked between the SD version and HD version and there was no noticable difference.

I was shocked as to how poor it was as even with poor HD transfers there's usually still been a reasonable improvement!

[Silver Serpent]

The Nativity Story

Excellent PQ.

The undersaturated look really added to the realism of the picture.

[KeanosMagicHat]

Reeker - just watched it, absolutely abysmal film but right up there with the best PQ I've seen.

Unfortunately I missed the first 20 mins, which seemed to be the majority of the films daylight scenes, as I only caught it whilst flicking but got hooked on the PQ and suffered the movie to enjoy it.

I note this is repeated tonight SS2HD, 19:10.

[Silver Serpent]

The Navity Story is on again tomorrow at Noon on S1HD for anyone interested.

[guitardave]

Just found this excellent thread :)


I watched the 1958 version of The Fly a couple of weeks back, and couldn't believe how good it looked in HD. I wouldn't have thought that a film that old could be made to look so sharp. Kind of reminded me of my surprise at the excellent quality of Halloween on blu ray that I bought.



Dave

[New Bloke]

If you get a chance take a look at Krull. Pretty good PQ. Albeit very silly film.:eek:

Couldn't believe the quality of a film that is 25 years old, I feel slightly miffed with buying the original on SD DVD a few years ago and now comparing the PQ.

[Silver Serpent]

I must say, the little bit of the Oscars I saw last night had superb picture quality.

One of the best Live Broadcasts I've seen in HD.

The picture quality kept me up later than I should have been :oops:

:nono:

:god:

[Kev12]

Watched The Number 23 last night, thought it was a good film, but the picture quality was one of the best I've seen on Sky HD.

[KeanosMagicHat]

Like Mike 2:Streetball.

Only watched about 10 mins of this (it's a kids / family movie) but the PQ was good.

[adrian3221]

Finally watched A Scanner Darkly yesterday and I thought it looked incredible!

[KeanosMagicHat]

Finally watched A Scanner Darkly yesterday and I thought it looked incredible!

Thank you for the reminder, I thought I'd added this movie to the list already.

It is now.

[djjimbob]

Videodrome was on the other day on HD. I'd never seen it before, quite enjoyed it actually.

PQ was excellent even if the sets and costumes were firmly rooted in the 80s :)

[KeanosMagicHat]

I hadn't actually realised but the first post recommendations list now includes over 100 titles.

As Sky do repeat each movie at some point (usually) that's a pretty good list.

Thanks to all that have contributed so far.

[kentish_lad]

Look out for ZULU coming soon , PQ was stunning on the preview:thumbsup:

[CAS FAN]

Look out for ZULU coming soon , PQ was stunning on the preview:thumbsup:

Indeed! Got that and the Italian Job in the planner for their HD broadcasts! :thumbsup:

[muffins]

Anyone watch Over The Hedge holy cow did that look so real!:smashin:

[kentish_lad]

Look out for ZULU coming soon , PQ was stunning on the preview:thumbsup:

Indeed! Got that and the Italian Job in the planner for their HD broadcasts! :thumbsup:


Whens it on Cas ??

[rightfulchez]

hot fuzz look amazing on sky hd 1 earlier

[Holy_Pilgrim]

Well I've just got 2001 a space od. on HD DVD. I've read that its used as a reference disk buy many AV installers.. I'm looking forward to seeing it in its full splendor !!

[rightfulchez]

Well I've just got 2001 a space od. on HD DVD. I've read that its used as a reference disk buy many AV installers.. I'm looking forward to seeing it in its full splendor !!
Yeah ive got that on blu-ray considering it was made in the sixties its pq is amazing.I started to collect blu-rays but i got sky hd a week ago so im selling them on e-bay now

[KeanosMagicHat]

The Fountain - very good PQ.

If you start to watch the film, I'd personally recommend you stick with it as it is quite unique.

It's available on Anytime in HD for the next week.

[Silver Serpent]

Epic Movie

I didn't watch the whole film (:god:) but what I saw of it had great PQ.

[tigermad]

Epic Movie

I didn't watch the whole film (:god:) but what I saw of it had great PQ.

What a film :grin:

Got to be one of the worst ever.

[Holy_Pilgrim]

Well I've just got 2001 a space od. on HD DVD. I've read that its used as a reference disk buy many AV installers.. I'm looking forward to seeing it in its full splendor !!

As I thought, Great PQ.. To be honest, it seemed sharper and clearer then 'The Kingdom' did ;)

[Denny Haynes]

The Fountain - very good PQ.

If you start to watch the film, I'd personally recommend you stick with it as it is quite unique.

It's available on Anytime in HD for the next week.

Well i have a Sony Bravia 42" LCD and the PQ was average at best, way to much red bleed in dark areas!

[Dubster]

What a film :grin:

Got to be one of the worst ever.

Got agree on that one :smashin: that why i turned it off halfway and believe me its unusual for me not to finish a film.

[Silver Serpent]

Well i have a Sony Bravia 42" LCD and the PQ was average at best, way to much red bleed in dark areas!

That's probably down to your display though and not the actual movie.

[Denny Haynes]

That's probably down to your display though and not the actual movie.

Don't think i'd get a much better telly to show it off on oO

[guitardave]

Don't take it personally!

I think he was just meaning that your tv probably needs calibrating, not that it's not a good set!



Dave

[gerryman62]

you got to add zulu simply fantastic :smashin::smashin::smashin:

[Silver Serpent]

Don't take it personally!

I think he was just meaning that your tv probably needs calibrating, not that it's not a good set!



Dave

That's what I meant, yes.

[Denny Haynes]

That's what I meant, yes.

Any ideas on how i'd go about that at all?

[CAS FAN]

Any ideas on how i'd go about that at all?

You can get quite good results using a calibration disc like DVE (Digital Video Essentials) or AVIA. Other than that you can pay someone to come along and correctly calibrate your display using the correct instruments & equipment.

[holme1]

Just like to say thanks to all who have contributed to this thread.
I hope to get sky hd this week and thanks to you all I now have a good idea of what films to look out for

[Silver Serpent]

Any ideas on how i'd go about that at all?

As CAS FAN said, you can use a disc such as DVE to achieve a better picture, but if you want 'accurate' results and the ultimate calibration, then ISF is the way to go.

Check out the ISF Forum:

http://www.avforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=311

[Denny Haynes]

As CAS FAN said, you can use a disc such as DVE to achieve a better picture, but if you want 'accurate' results and the ultimate calibration, then ISF is the way to go.

Check out the ISF Forum:

http://www.avforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=311

Ah thx a million, much appreciated :thumbsup:

[New Bloke]

...but if you want 'accurate' results and the ultimate calibration, then ISF is the way to go.

Bearing in mind that DVE will probably be more than sufficient for 99% of the viewing population and ISF may not look any different. But hey, if you have the money, go for it. You could always buy DVE for £15 and give it a try first :smashin:

[CAS FAN]

you got to add zulu simply fantastic :smashin::smashin::smashin:

Indeed, there can simply be no debate about this one. Easily the best live action transfer i've seen on Sky HD, which is incredible given it's age! Can't believe that the transfer is so clean and detailed.

[Silver Serpent]

Bearing in mind that DVE will probably be more than sufficient for 99% of the viewing population and ISF may not look any different. But hey, if you have the money, go for it. You could always buy DVE for £15 and give it a try first :smashin:

There is a big difference between DVE and ISF calibration.

You also have to remember that when using the DVE disc that you are only achieving a 'better' picture for the source the disc is playing on. Copying the final settings to Sky HD for example, will not provide the same results.

The end results of a £300 ISF calibration will certainly look different to that of a £15 calibration DVD.

[Bachstrad]

There is a big difference between DVE and ISF calibration.

You also have to remember that when using the DVE disc that you are only achieving a 'better' picture for the source the disc is playing on. Copying the final settings to Sky HD for example, will not provide the same results.

The end results of a £300 ISF calibration will certainly look different to that of a £15 calibration DVD.

I agree with your post to a certain degree, obviously an ISF trained calibrator can access each input via the service menu of your TV and make the individual changes for each of them. Calibration via the DVE DVD is only available on the DVD input, that's HDMI 2 in my case. However I found that the results I achieved with my DVE disk provided good results over all the inputs. I did try the 'Mylene' test card program on HDMI 1, but preferred the results that I obtained using the DVE DVD. I haven't bothered to calibrate via HDMI 3, my Xbox 360 Elite, as the 1080p picture on that also looks brilliant to me using those same results from HDMI 2.

So overall, I'm more than satisfied with the results I achieved using the DVE DVD and don't think that I would see £300's worth of improvement by having my TV calibrated by ISF trained people. Don't let me stop anyone having it done though, it's a personal choice.

ATB

Max

[Silver Serpent]

I agree with your post to a certain degree, obviously an ISF trained calibrator can access each input via the service menu of your TV and make the individual changes for each of them. Calibration via the DVE DVD is only available on the DVD input, that's HDMI 2 in my case. However I found that the results I achieved with my DVE disk provided good results over all the inputs. I did try the 'Mylene' test card program on HDMI 1, but preferred the results that I obtained using the DVE DVD. I haven't bothered to calibrate via HDMI 3, my Xbox 360 Elite, as the 1080p picture on that also looks brilliant to me using those same results from HDMI 2.

So overall, I'm more than satisfied with the results I achieved using the DVE DVD and don't think that I would see £300's worth of improvement by having my TV calibrated by ISF trained people. Don't let me stop anyone having it done though, it's a personal choice.

ATB

Max

Yes, the results from DVE calibration done on the DVD player may track closely with some sources, but can vary considerably with others. If you are happy with what you see by copying settings from one source to another, then all well and good.

Alot of people are sceptical about ISF calibration, but the sceptics who tried it, and those that have had it done, say it was worth every penny.

I'll probably go the DVE route myself for now (believe it or not I'm still holding out on buying a HDMI based DVD Player :god:), but I'll definitely be going for ISF calibration once all my gear is in place.

[Bachstrad]

Yes, the results from DVE calibration done on the DVD player may track closely with some sources, but can vary considerably with others. If you are happy with what you see by copying settings from one source to another, then all well and good.

Alot of people are sceptical about ISF calibration, but the sceptics who tried it, and those that have had it done, say it was worth every penny.

I'll probably go the DVE route myself for now (believe it or not I'm still holding out on buying a HDMI based DVD Player :god:), but I'll definitely be going for ISF calibration once all my gear is in place.

You don't have to copy the settings from one source to another, certainly not in the case of my Toshiba, there's only one user definable setting available. That was the point I was making, I watch all my kit with the same settings achieved with DVE over HDMI2. The results are excellent and I really don't see the point in having an ISF Calibration done. I just don't believe I would see £300 worth of difference. If I thought I would I'd have it done, it's not the cost.

As to upscaling HDMI DVD players I paid less than £50 for mine and you can now get one in Asda for £29.95. :smashin:

I bought mine as a stop gap purchase until the format war reached it's conclusion, yes I bought Betamax in the previous battle! :grin:

However, even though the 'war's' over, upscaled DVD and Sky HD are fulfilling my film viewing needs right now and I don't see the need to get a Bluray player until the Bluray standard is finalised and you can buy a stand alone player for sensible money.

Upscaled DVD may still be the surprise winner of the war yet, DVD's are so cheap so Bluray disks and players will have to dramatically drop in price to bring it out of the niche and into Joe Public's home.

ATB

Max

[Silver Serpent]

You don't have to copy the settings from one source to another, certainly not in the case of my Toshiba, there's only one user definable setting available. That was the point I was making, I watch all my kit with the same settings achieved with DVE over HDMI2. The results are excellent and I really don't see the point in having an ISF Calibration done. I just don't believe I would see £300 worth of difference. If I thought I would I'd have it done, it's not the cost.

As to upscaling HDMI DVD players I paid less than £50 for mine and you can now get one in Asda for £29.95. :smashin:

I bought mine as a stop gap purchase until the format war reached it's conclusion, yes I bought Betamax in the previous battle! :grin:

However, even though the 'war's' over, upscaled DVD and Sky HD are fulfilling my film viewing needs right now and I don't see the need to get a Bluray player until the Bluray standard is finalised and you can buy a stand alone player for sensible money.

Upscaled DVD may still be the surprise winner of the war yet, DVD's are so cheap so Bluray disks and players will have to dramatically drop in price to bring it out of the niche and into Joe Public's home.

ATB

Max

On the majority of HDTV's settings are stored individually per input, and by 'source' I was meaning item of equipment, i.e. Xbox, DVD Player etc...

I was half tempted to buy a HD DVD Player a while back, but luckily I didn't.

Sky HD satisfies my movie hunger for now and, like you, I'm going to wait for Blu-Ray players to come down to a reasonable price (including the discs) before pulling the trigger on one.

That's probably the main reason why I haven't even purchased a HDMI DVD Player, as when I do make the upgrade to Blu-Ray, I'd never use the basic player again.

[guitardave]

I too am a fan of the DVE disc, and feel that it's done a good job of setting up my tv. However, I have this on pre-order:- http://www.play.com/DVD/Blu-ray/4-/3475913/Digital-Video-Essentials-HD-Basics/Product.html and can't wait for it to turn up so I can do some high-def calibrating! I use my PS3 for both Blu Ray and standard dvd playback, and the calibration that I've done works well for Sky+ HD too, which comes in through a different HDMI port, obviously.
Some people may find all this a bit tedious, instead wanting to just plug and play with their hdtv's, but personally I enjoy messing with DVE and consider it part of the fun of being "in" to all things high def!


Regards,

Dave

[Holy_Pilgrim]

So is the DVE disc worth the money .. ?

[guitardave]

I think so, if only to set your brightness, contrast, colour, and sharpness settings correctly. It's also quite educational if you want to learn about all things AV, although a little out dated in some respects now. If you have a Blu Ray player, maybe wait for the HD version, which is out in April (see link above).


Dave

[CAS FAN]

The Italian Job has to go on the list. The PQ is stunning and is up there with Zulu in the quality stakes. A very clean transfer indeed! :)

[reckless]

Have to agree. Saw it last night and was very impressed. Thought it was better than Zulu simply due to the fact that although Zulu was gorgeously detailed it "juddered" when it panned whereas the Italian Job was just perfect.

I'm looking forward to seeing A Fish Called Wanda next weekend as it's one of my faves.

[KeanosMagicHat]

Epic Movie

I didn't watch the whole film (:god:) but what I saw of it had great PQ.

you got to add zulu simply fantastic :smashin::smashin::smashin:

The Italian Job has to go on the list. The PQ is stunning and is up there with Zulu in the quality stakes. A very clean transfer indeed! :)


Sorry haven't had internet for a week due to a major BT fault.

Will add all of these now.

Have recently watched the Sky part funded restorations of Zulu and The Italian Job as mentioned above.

In my opinion The Italian Job looks very, very good, better than you've ever seen it before, but Zulu was simply outstanding.

I hope these are released on Blu-Ray soon.


Just like to say thanks to all who have contributed to this thread.
I hope to get sky hd this week and thanks to you all I now have a good idea of what films to look out for

Excellent, that's exactly the purpose of the thread.

I hope some of the best PQ movies are repeated so you can see them for yourself (a good number should be).

[KeanosMagicHat]

My vote is for Magic Roundabout:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1241/860317629_61cd5cda36_o.jpg

Great news .... The Magic Roundabout, which to my knowledge as not been repeated since this thread was created, is being shown on BBC HD this Friday at 12:55 !!!

Toy Story 2, which I also imagine will look pretty good PQ wise, is being shown on BBC HD at 17:40 on Saturday.

I haven't seen either in HD, so I'm very much looking forward to the broadcasts.

[Silver Serpent]

The 70's classic 'Midnight Express' is showing tonight on Screen 1 HD @ 11.55PM for anyone interested.

I'm not recommending it for PQ, but definitely one to watch.

[KeanosMagicHat]

Hi All,

This thread was designed to provide recommendations which show off the Picture Quality of Sky HD itself rather than the content of the movies themselves.

It's great to see that people have taken that onboard by recommending films on the basis of PQ rather than their own enjoyment.

For example today I'll be recommending, The Marine. The movie itself was poor, as per my own tastes anyway, but the PQ was very good.

Obviously if a movie looks great and you enjoy it then all the better - get it on the list :smashin:

Keep the recommendations coming.

Cheers.

[KeanosMagicHat]

Don't forget, The Magic Roundabout, whose stunning screenshot is included above, is on today at 12:55, BBC HD.

I've never seen it so I'm looking forward to it.


EDIT: Well it lived up to expectations.

Even better PQ than Over The Hedge and Hoodwinked in my opinion and that's high praise.

[Alphawao]

I caught the last 10 mins of Magic Roundabout and the PQ was fantastic!!

[badkarma]

Crank is on Monday 12.45am Sky Screen 2HD. Stunning PQ :smashin:

[muffins]

Crank is on Monday 12.45am Sky Screen 2HD. Stunning PQ :smashin:


Yeah haven't seen it yet it set to record.:grin: