DVE Digital Video Essentials: HD Basics Blu-ray
Edition
Picture
Demos: A- Sound Demos: A- Extras: B- Main Content: B+
Continuing
their standing as the best set-up software on the market, Joe Kane Productions
and DVD International have delivered a next-generation set of demo discs for
the very best High Definition playback around.
Last year, they issued an excellent HD-DVD/DVD-Video Combo Disc that set
new high watermarks in the industry to get the most out of your HDTV and
software playback. You can read about
that groundbreaking release at this link:
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/5410/DVE++Digital+Video+Essentials
Unfortunately,
a Blu-ray was not available, though we had heard rumours one would be along in
the near future. Not only was that true,
but it would be a modified edition that was so new, there would be an HD-DVD
version (not a Combo disc this time for those having problem with Combo
playback) and both have now arrived with DVE
Digital Video Essentials: HD Basics.
This review focuses strictly on the Blu-ray
Edition and the highlights the makers rightly boast about include:
- An easy to use menu system
that makes this material accessible to everyone.
- 25 minute 'quick set-up"
option including an in depth description and explanation of how to use
specific test patterns to calibrate your display.
- Audio calibration test
signals continuing to use Dolby TrueHD and lower formats.
- Very descriptive text in the
menus to help navigate each of the options.
- A 97-minutes-long overview of
the basics of HDTV.
- An introduction to the world
of creating HDTV programs.
- Separate, informative audio
commentary tracks by Cinematographer Allen Daviau and Joe Kane.
You also
get the same effective Tri-Color Optical Filter to thoroughly adjust the
picture in a way no previous releases have, just like the HD Combo first
offered. As with the previous released,
you get 1.78 X 1 reference quality HD images that come in 720p/24fps,
720p/60fps and 1080p/24fps, the latter of which tends to offer the best
performance, but some HDTVs (to the shock of many, including those who bought
them) can only do 720p and it turns out TVs before 2006 do not have 1080p, but
1080i. You can still use the 1080p to
set the 1080i displays at their best, so do NOT use the 720 modes. A paperboard pullout is also included showing
you how to set up your equipment.
For those
following the growing capacities of menu Profiles the format offers with its
Blu-ray Disc Java (BD-J) technology, this not only covers Profile 1.0, 1.1
& 2.0, but shows how to get the most out of their implementation per each
machine and how a higher number does not automatically equal backwards
compatibility with a lower one.
But best
of all, something struck me about this release is how it settles an issue about
the future of High Definition and the potential success of Blu-ray. Blu-ray is finally going to keep the promise
regular DVD never could in delivering (at its best) high quality digital HD
video and (even better) film-like images from said sources that finally can
compete with the high quality images that drove those who had the money to
invest highly in 16mm and even 35mm and 70mm systems for the home.
With
HD-DVD retired after a very fair competition, Blu-ray is the next great format
and there has been much misinformation and confusion about what HD is and its
future. Some falsely believe there is no
difference between low and high def TV, some mistakenly think all HD is created
equal, some think downloads are the future when the infrastructure is many
years away from making that possible and some think a old-format low-def
DVD-Video player with HD upscaling is somehow full high definition.
Unfortunately,
that is all myth and very, very bad assumption.
Once you see Blu-ray at its best (especially from the discs we highly
recommend all over this site) on a properly calibrated HDTV via this Joe Kane
release and you start watching, you realize without words that hardly anyone
has seen High Definition at its best and all those other supposed options are
by those who dont know better, have never seen the unbelievable playback the
format can deliver or dont care and just like to talk.
Fortunately,
people like Joe Kane, his crew and ours do care, which is why discs like HD Basics are produced and sell so
well. It is also because people still
love films, TV, concerts and other programming in the highest quality program
that does the work for you so you can enjoy it even more. That is what the Home Theater experience is
all about and that is why releases like this are must-own and arrive in every
format so no one is left out.
With
Blu-ray the future, this particular disc will be hot for years to come.
- Nicholas Sheffo
