Whats so special about Superbit DVDs ?

Hi folks
Recently many movies are released with Superbit. I have not bought them yet . Can anyone explian whats the speciality of superbit DVDs over normal DVDs . Thanks.


Jazzartist

 

basically they ditch all extras and use as much of the dvds capacity as possible for picture quality so what you get is a pristine picture but very little else

 

and sound quality........

ad

 

to buns i was too lazy to write sound quality but i knew that(honest!!!)
from ben from dublin

 

if your not bothered about xtras go for it!!!
but if your on of those people that have to know the colour of the directors underpants then stick to the special collectors editionsl

 

You could always get the Superbit Deluxe versions. 2 Discs, one with the film in full superbit glory, the other disc with all the extras, only 15.99 as well. One drawback, not many releases as yet, only three. The Patriot, Hollowman and The Mask of Zorro.

 

And Snatch.

 

No need to be smutty.

 

???

 

Snatch = Muff, Beaver etc

 

I'm confused as to why almost all the Superbit titles are so pants.

 

Because it's Columbia Tristar that produce Superbit titles and most of their films are crap.

That said if you compare a superbit to the original version of the disk the small image details are way better. I have done this on a number of disks.

 

im shocked that needed saying!

I agree about the quality of the superbit films, so far i have vertical limit and 5th element, none of the others really interest me.

Ad

 

buns,

In your opinion, is there a noticable difference in picture & sound quality compared to the R2 version. I've got the R2 version but I've also got the superbit getting delivered soon. Just wanted to know what to expect.
I guess I should also tell you that I'm speaking about the 5th Element. Doh!

 

I have the R2 Fifth Element but thanks to Nic Rhodes have compared the UK R2, R1 and the superbit. The bog standard R1 beats the R2 into a cocked hat picture wise the sound is about the same. The R1 print is cleaner no scratches or dirt on the print like the R2. The best place to see this is in the opening scenes at the temple in Egypt. The image is sharper and brighter, the colours look a little different to the R2.

The superbit is stunning and beats both hands down. The jump in quality is not as obvious as between the R2 and R1 but you can tell it's different. Then you notice the small details, You can see every pore on peoples faces, sweat stands out off of the skin like your looking at a real person, metal is more shinny the list go's on, it's hard too describe just how good it is. You can even read the names of buildings where on the R2 you can't. Even my wife could see the difference. The best demonstration of this is at the end of the film when the presidents limo pulls up outside of the nucleo lab, there is a red LED sign with something scrolling on it that you can't read on the R2, on the superbit you can read what it says, "Nucleo Lab".

Sound is a little bit better than both versions plus it includes a DTS track if that’s your bag. I prefered the DD. The space the soundtracks take up on the disk is the same as a normal DVD so is not enhanced in quality or encoded at a higher bit rate than normal. DD is full bit rate and DTS is half.

 

I agree with Kev that the superbit is head and shoulders above the R2, but i cant comment on R1 since I havent see it.

Superbit is definitely the way i would go for 5th element.

ad

 

Buns - snap, fith element and vertical limit are the only 2 that i have as well! as i only have a 36" tv, i am not really veiwing these discs at their best but they're still good! sound is not too impressive though, the dts track on fith element is not as good as the dd track on the standard r1 release

 

Heresy. The DTS is God brigade will have you burnt at the stake for making comments like that

 

It's true though, even on the superbit to my ears the DD track walks all over the DTS. The sound is not as spatially enveloping as the DD. I'm not a big fan of DTS but to be fair Blade II and Brotherhood of the wolf are very nice indeed.

 

Since when has the truth been allowed to stand in the way of hype.

For what it's worth, I have long been amused by all of the people that won't buy a disc if it doesn't have a DTS track on it.

 

Totally agree. With the odd DTS lip-sync problem here and there I tend to use DD as a matter of course. At the risk of being hung, drawn and quartered I reckon DD can emulate DTS with a tweak of the bass and treble controls anyway.

I'll just go and put my crash helmet on and wait for the backlash.

 

im informed by THX*ive forgotten the number* that the best sound is on the german transfer.

I dont mind buying a disc without DTS, but it is always nice to have the choice, it is a good excuse to watch it twice! I am however, very picky about discs without DD5.1 or more

ad

 

with a name like DTS_boy, when i registered i would wait for the dts releases. nowadays, if i like a film i will just buy it regardless. does this amuse you Ian J?

 

This is a novel concept for DVD Talk that I hope catches on.

As it costs money in terms of licencing fees to include DTS I think that DVD distributors should offer two versions, a cheaper version without and a more expensive version that includes DTS, for all the badge snobs.

 

THX1138:

I knew where the name derived from, but i still couldnt remmber the name! I havent even seen the film which is my excuse!
ad

 

I havent seen the film, is it any good?

 

So if I buy 5th Element on superbit will I see a noticable difference in picture quality from the regular R2 disc which I already have?
I have a 28" Panny Widescreen TV and DVD connected with a RGB scart lead.
Iam only asking as I already consider 5th Element to be one of the best transfers ive got and find it hard to believe that I will get better results with my equipment.
Oh and Likewise with Dolby Digital most of the time I prefer it to DTS with the exception of Blade 2 for some reason

 

I thought that the difference between SB and R2 was pretty large, but i am using a projector..... given the difference i saw though, i think you would be able to tell the SB better, but i cant be sure!

ad

 

I Was the same as you, I thought the R2 was an excellent transfer. The Superbit is far better though. I tested the R2, R1 and the superbit back to back on a 32" widscreen and the Superbit is far better. Like I said earlier in the thread the differences are no dirt or scratches on the print and enhanced small object detail, you can really see a 3D like depth to the transfer and more film like quality.

I buy the Superbit right now but the wife won't let me have two copys of the same film.