Our first HD-DVD vs. Blu-Ray showdown featured the undisputed champion: “The Chronicles of Riddick” (encoded in VC-1) vs. the newcomer “XMEN: The Last Stand” (encoded in MPEG-4 AVC). Riddick destroyed the XMEN and cast some serious doubt over the ability of MPEG-4 AVC to challenge VC-1 for Visual superiority in the High Definition Optical Disk Format wars. As I mentioned in the Riddick vs. XMEN review, the Blu-Ray camp changed from using MPEG-2 to using MPEG-4 AVC as MPEG-2 has NO chance in competing with VC-1’s awesome SNR (Signal to Noise Ratio). At this point in the game, the large majority of Blu-Ray titles are all encoded in MPEG-4 AVC as they attempt to save face and beat HD-DVD.

Sony’s Casino Royale is the biggest MPEG-4 AVC release to date. Does Bond have what it takes to beat Batman? Let’s find out!

The test environment will consist of a Windows XP Media Center 2005 SP2 System (my system) using PowerDVD 7.3 HD with the following hardware (hardware review using home players will come at a later date):

MSI K8N Neo 4 SLI
AMD 4600+
2GB PC3200 (400 MHZ) in Dual Channel mode
ATI X1900XT using Catalyst 7.3 drivers (the latest at time of testing)
Creative X-FI Elite Pro
Panasonic 52” Projection HDTV LCD (DVI to HDMI X1900XT) – Resolution is currently set to 1280 x 720 (720p)
XBOX 360 HD-DVD Drive
Panasonic SW-5582 Blu-Ray ROM/Burner
Movies are stored on a 500GB Hitachi Enterprise SATA Drive

All unnecessary applications have been terminated so no adverse affect on performance will occur during the test process.

Visual Showdown

Casino Royale is “without” a doubt the BEST looking Blu-Ray title to date. Many Blu-Ray titles feature excessive noise in the picture. Not only is the noise level low in Casino Royale but the level of noise remains consistent throughout the movie. In other Blu-Ray titles such as XMEN, the noise level would go from “low” to “high” in a heartbeat, ruining the visual experience. In Casino Royale the Hue levels are very good. Blues and Reds in the movie are striking in most scenes. In one of the opening scenes where Le Chiffre meets with the warlord Obanno in the UGANDA jungle to discuss their business you will notice tons of eye candy. The falling rain leaves every surface radiant, Obanno cap is a deep shade of green and the puddles of water (actually muddy water) reflect everything in the surrounding environment. When Bond is chasing the “free runner” through the jungle and then the construction site you will notice tons of details in the environment such as the sweat on the free runners head and the flying dust and chunks of concrete from the collision Bond creates (striking part of the building under construction) when chasing the runner with the construction equipment. When they are fighting on the blue crane you can see every nick, scratch and wear and tear of the cranes dynamic shade of blue. The scene that takes place on the tarmac of the airport is solid. The wet runway, the canary yellow of the gas truck driven by the bomber and the explosion when the truck strikes the bus is stellar and sharp. Even Bonds cut-up face after the whole incident is impressive with cuts on his eye brows, lips and cheek visible in great detail. The only problem I have with the opening scene where Bond is chasing the runner is the lighting. In some of the MPEG-4 titles the contrast and brightness are over saturated along with the orange hues leaving an undesirable tint on the environment and the characters. I noticed the exact same issue while watching Rocky Balboa earlier this week. The other problem I have is that all background objects (out of focus objects) suffer from grain (noise) a little more than I like which at times seems to take something away from the visual quality of the movie. Overall the visual experience is solid and feels more like a Next Gen experience then other Blu-Ray titles on the market.


Batman Begins is one of my benchmark titles for many reasons. One reason is the visual quality of the movie and the other is the support of TrueHD. Batman Begins has some of the best hues I have seen in a HD title. All of the skin tones are remarkably accurate throughout the movie. Definitely the best tones since the release of Riddick in the summer of last year. The opening scene with Bruce and Rachel playing when they are children shows off the movies excellent colors. The color of the flowers and plants are all very distinctive with good separation (no bleeding). When Bruce falls in the well you will notice very detail of every brick as Bruce falls to the bottom. In SD, this level of detail is not possible. Before Bruce is released from prison, Henri instructs him to locate the blue flower on the eastern slope and carry the flower to the top of the mountain. When Bruce locates the brilliant blue flower, the snow on his face has melted turning to water which glistens on his facial hair in the failing light. The sparring session on the frozen river is one of the most impressive visual scenes in the movie. From the ominous blue tint of the semitransparent frozen ice to the scarring left on the surface of the ice from their boots as they spar the scene is impeccable. Another favorite of mine includes the effect of Scarecows toxin on his victims. In HD these scenes are reminiscent of “acid trips” on a Sunday afternoon. The scene where Batman questions Flass while hanging him above the alley is sweet. The falling rain leaves everything very wet with surfaces shimmering in the lights of the city creating cool reflections from the surrounding environment. Without a doubt you feel totally immersed during these scenes which is what HD-DVD content is all about. I could go on and on but I believe you get the point.

Noise levels in HD-DVD movies are always to a minimum and Batman Begins is no different. Noise is generally exceptionally low or nearly non-existent in Batman Begins. Low noise increases clarity which in turns adds immersion to the experience. Batman Begins is visually one of the best titles available on HD-DVD today.


Audio Showdown

Casino Royale features 5.1 PCM Uncompressed Audio. The Audio is very good. Dialog via the center channel is above average with Bass levels and Mid-Range sounds pleasing. From the foot chase with the runner in the beginning to the chase scene on the tarmac of the airport, the sound is solid and engrossing. As a whole the audio in Casino Royale is delightful.

Batman Begins “TrueHD” track is “outstanding” (TrueHD is bit for bit the same as the master audio track). You are in for something special during the opening scene where the bats swarm in a circular motion right after the DC logo is displayed. The sound of bats totally surrounds you. Close your eyes and you could swear the bats were in the room with you. Bass levels in Batman Begins is off the scale. Every explosion, fight scene, the raging fire in Bruce house, the sound of his cape when it expands in the air and gun shots pulse with overwhelming low frequency bass. Bass is everywhere in this movie and I absolutely love it. One of my favorite scenes goes back to Henri and Bruce sparring on the ice. In this scene you can HEAR much more of the ice cracking beneath their feet. The intensity of the sound in this scene is not present in the standard 5.1 version. TrueHD is as good as Audio gets and once you experience TrueHD there is NO going back, EVER.


Final Thoughts

Casino Royale Blu-Ray is a damn good movie both from a visual and audio standpoint but some of the limitations of MPEG-4 AVC hold it back. Unfortunately MPEG-4 AVC and MPEG-2 are both plagued by noise and unexpected problems with contrast and yellow/orange hues (too much saturation). MPEG-4 and MPEG-2 were not developed for High Definition Video (unlike VC-1) and are simply being adapted to do so. Even with the high bitrates (24 Mpbs +) used in Casino Royale, issues still exist.

Batman Begins is an exceptional title. From the excellent facial detail to the chase scene with the Batmobile, the Visuals are superb (at a much lower bitrate than Casino Royale). Audio is devastating throughout the entire movie with more bass than a rap song. The audio effects are crisp and clean leaving you with the “WOW” feeling time and time again. In fact, every time I watch Batman Begins, I am always amazed by the TrueHD track and how ridiculously good it sounds. This concludes showdown number 2 with HD-DVD and VC-1 taking a 2-0 lead over Blu-ray and MPEG-4 AVC.

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