Reference Quality Blurays

*Originally published on 6/22/09



With the dawn of high definition, viewers can see movies in a whole new light. Blu-rays are capable of providing stunning picture and audio quality. While I still think DVD quality is quite good, there are some movies that show us that there really is no comparison between it and blu-ray. These are the reference quality blu-rays, the ones that you show to your friends who are not familiar with the awesomeness of high def movies.

The first is 10,000 B.C, now it should be noted that the movie itself is quite bad. I have a theory that the writers concocted this script by saying to themselves "People thought Pocahontas was historically inaccurate, just wait'll they get a load of what we come up with". I'm not joking, Wooly Mammoths are used to help build the pyramids. It's borderline goofy. That being said, the picture quality on this movie is downright amazing. It's sad that such great picture quality is wasted on a movie so bad. It's like how the artwork for All Star Batman and Robin is amazing, but the comic itself stinks.

Another great one is the Planet Earth series. We've only watched one episode, but I was continuously wowed by how good this show looks in high definition. It's a must have for any blu-ray fan, and a definite one to show your friends who think that it's no different from owning on DVD.

Not only is Wall-E a gem of an animated film, and in my opinion the best thing PIxar's done, but it looks great in high definition. As if there already wasn't enough reason to watch this movie, seeing it on blu-ray is something to behold. Unlike some movies, where everyone seems to whisper, all the sounds come quite clearly. It's true there's next to no dialogue in the first act, but the sound is still clear.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind is a tough one to call. There is some grain at parts, though some argue that grain's a good thing. Overall, the quality on this film is quite good. The film's a classic and you get three versions of the film all on one disc. Even though it's an older movie, it still gets crystal clear picture quality that rivals some of the new releases.

Another film that looks great in high definition is the film that should have won best picture at the MTV movie awards, The Dark Knight. Even on your television screen at home, the film is a mind blowing experience.

While some argue the merits of the film itself, the 2007 live action Transformers movie was pretty much tailor made for high definition. The picture is outstanding, the sound is clear and the special effects really get to show off when seen in 1080p.

I haven't seen it on the format, but I've heard almost universal acclaim for the blu-ray release of the Disney classic, Sleeping Beauty. You'd think animation could only go so far as far as picture goes, however that does not seem to be the case.

A lot of people don't feel the need to upgrade to Blu-ray. I understand not wanting to buy all the movies you own all over again, and I'm not knocking the quality of DVD's. A lot of people do, but there are times when I'll be watching a DVD and will still take a moment to notice how good the movie looks. With the movies I listed above, you'll get the same sensation, only triple. If you have a high definition television, but have been hesitating on upgrading to blu-ray. Seeing these films will almost surely change your mind and show you that the change is noticeable and worth upgrading to.