Blu-Ray Reference Discs

[mcsoko]

Hello,

I wanted to start a thread about the best Blu-Ray discs to show off your HT setup. I purchased my first player on black friday and would like some suggestions on what movies I should get first!

[dark_shroud]

One of the flashiest Blu-ray you'll find is Speed Racer. Whether you like the movie or not (I do) the quality is sex for the eyes.

People are also saying good things about the new Start Trek. I just bought a copy but haven't had time to watch it yet.

[tokenuser]

Animation ... pretty much any.

KungFu Panda is amazing in BD.
The Bourne Trilogy is a great action set in BD as well.

[smoke_me_a_kipper]

I use the Chronicles of Riddick. The battle scenes are amazing.

[mcsoko]

So far I must say the IMAX scenes from The Dark Knight are the best I have seen. I plan on picking up Star Trek i've heard also that's good. Great suggestions so far, thanks!

[cheapbastardhd]

Originally Posted by mcsoko

So far I must say the IMAX scenes from The Dark Knight are the best I have seen. I plan on picking up Star Trek i've heard also that's good. Great suggestions so far, thanks!

I think The Dark Knight is too inconsistent to really use as "reference material", though. If I'm going for a modern example, I'll generally go for Pixar's stuff. Their animators make insanely beautifully detailed animations that are really unmatched by any other CGI animators out there, and their Blu Rays really shine in terms of picture quality.

Many people don't seem to realize how good some old movies can look. Casablanca set a high standard for HD transfers of old movies back when it was on HD-DVD, and The Wizard of Oz has recently trumped with what may be the best HD restoration of a product to date. What makes old films such good reference material is that they ARE old films, and people have seen them in standard def. In the case of Wizard of Oz, they may have seen it in standard def a dozen times before. They know what the original looks like in comparison, and the clarity of the film is generally more apparent. More than that, it really shows people that Blu Ray doesn't just benefit the artificial and diital blockbusters of today, but also can greatly enhance the classics of the past. Just make sure to check reviews before buying an old film, though. Some get incredible, just for HD remasters, but others simply get their DVD releases(which may not have been great DVDs to begin with) upscaled and slapped onto the disc. I was highly disappointed when I bought Godzilla(1954) on Blu.