I want to test out my new Home Theater.Thanks.
2007-12-20 05:59:28 · 7 answers · asked by B-Rad 4 in Consumer Electronics ➔ Home Theater
If you wish to simply test and optimize your A/V system then I highly recommend that you begin by purchasing a copy of Digital Video Essentials and/or Avia in the format(s) appropriate for your system.
If you also wish to demonstrate and/or evaluate the audio and video performance of your system then—in addition to the Digital Video Essentials and/or Avia discs—you should purchase one or more copies of Silicon Optix’s HQV Benchmark discs (standard- and/or high-definition.) Finally, to round-out a basic collection of reference quality demonstration/evaluation discs you should focus primarily on acquiring one or more of the ‘real world’ evaluation discs that are currently popular with the better A/V equipment reviewers (see below.)
OPTIMIZATION, TEST, AND EVALUATION DISCS
Silicon Optix “HQV Benchmark” and “HD HQV Benchmark”
http://www.hqv.com/benchmark.cfm
(Discount codes are available from various Websites)
Digital Video Essentials
http://www.videoessentials.com
Ovation Multimedia Avia II or Avia Pro
http://www.ovationmultimedia.com
Avia Pro
By Thomas J. Norton • July, 2004
http://guide.printthis.clickability.com/pt/cpt?action=cpt&urlID=16197579&url=http://ultimateavmag.com/testtools/704avia/index.html
“Test DVDs”
By Geoffrey Morrison • March, 2007
http://hometheatermag.printthis.clickability.com/pt/cpt?action=cpt&urlID=22303912&url=http://hometheatermag.com/gearworks/307gear/index.html
Secrets of Home Theater & High Fidelity
DVD Player Benchmark
http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volume_7_3/dvd-benchmark-introduction-9-2000.html
DTS • Dolby • THX • DVD • HD-DVD • Blu-Ray • Demo Discs
http://www.demo-world.eu/demo-dvds/
(The discs listed on DEMO WORLD are not available for resale)
PRECISION TEST DVDs (expensive):
Rohde & Schwarz® Test DVDs Professional
http://www2.rohde-schwarz.com/en/products/test_and_measurement/product_categories/audio/audio_products/Test_DVDs.html
BUROSCH Audio-Video-Technik
http://www.burosch.com/shop.html
________________________
Popular ‘real world’ evaluation discs used by A/V equipment reviewers:
• Gladiator - the Coliseum “flyover” test in chapter 12;
• Star Trek: Insurrection - classic test for motion related artifacts. Look for flicker, moiré and other artifacts as the camera pans across the village buildings in the movie’s opening sequence;
• Mission Impossible 3 (Blu-ray or HD DVD) - Vatican wall and steps tests. Look for artifacts such as moiré on the Vatican wall in Chapter 7 and flicker on the Vatican steps in Chapter 8;
• Batman Begins (HD DVD) - good test of contrast and color performance;
• Ghost Rider: Director’s Cut (Blu-ray) - another good test of contrast and color performance.
POPULAR DEMONSTRATION/EVALUATION DISCS (in alphabetical order)
• Apocalypse Now Redux (DVD-Video)
• Blade (Platinum Series) (DVD-Video)
• Blade Runner (Complete Collector’s Ed. or Ultimate Collector’s Ed.) (Blu-ray and/or HD DVD)
• The Chronicles of Riddick (HD DVD)
• The Fifth Element (Remastered) (Blu-Ray)
• The Fifth Element: Superbit Edition (DVD-Video)
• Finding Nemo (DVD-Video)
• Gladiator (Two-Disc Collector’s Edition) (DVD-Video)
• The Last Waltz (Blu-Ray; uncompressed PCM soundtrack)
• Legends of Jazz Showcase (Blu-ray)
• The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (DVD-Video)
• Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (DVD-Video)
• Mission: Impossible III (Blu-ray or HD DVD)
• Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man’s Chest (Blu-ray)
• Renaissance (German import HD DVD)
• Serenity (HD DVD; Dolby Digital Plus soundtrack)
• Starship Troopers (DVD-Video)
• Toy Story 2 (DVD-Video)
________________________
ADDITIONAL REFERENCE QUALITY HIGH-DEFINITION VIDEO DISCS
~~~~~ Blu-ray ~~~~~
• Blade Runner (Complete or Ultimate Collector’s Ed.) - Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (48kHz/16-bit)
• Hairspray (2007) - DTS HD Lossless Master Audio 7.1 (48kHz/24-bit)
• Ratatouille - PCM 5.1 (48kHz/24-Bit/6.9Mbps)
• 2001: A Space Odyssey - PCM 5.1 (48kHz/24-Bit/6.9Mbps)
• Fantastic Four: The Rise of the Silver Surfer - DTS-HD Lossless Master Audio 5.1
• Live Free or Die Hard - DTS HD Lossless Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz/24-bit)
• Nine Inch Nails Live: Beside You in Time - Dolby TrueHD 5.1
• Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl - PCM 5.1 (48kHz/24-Bit/6.9Mbps)
• Big Fish - PCM 5.1
~~~~~ HD DVD ~~~~~
• Blade Runner (Complete or Ultimate Collector’s Ed.) - Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (48kHz/16-bit)
• Hot Fuzz - Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 (1.5Mbps)
• 2001: A Space Odyssey - Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (48kHz/24-Bit/3.0Mbps); Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 (640kbps)
• 300 - Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (48kHz/16-bit/1.7Mbps)
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (48kHz/24-bit); Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 (640kbps)
• The Bourne Ultimatum - Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (48kHz/24-bit); Dolby Digital Plus 5.1
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (48kHz/24-bit); Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 (640kbps)
• Mission: Impossible III - Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 (1.5Mbps)
• Nine Inch Nails Live: Beside You in Time - Dolby TrueHD 5.1
• Transformers - Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 (1.5Mbps)
RESOURCES
http://www.highdefdigest.com
http://www.dvdtown.com
http://www.dvdverdict.com
http://www.widescreenreview.com
http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/masterindex_movie_reviews.html
2007-12-21 14:36:00 · answer #1 · answered by ? 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We use U-571.
It's a submarine movie with a good balance between the large sound effects, waves, bombs, et cetera and the quieter sounds like dialog and spacial effects - there is a good segment in the middle that shows close dialog and panning effects (dishes and utensils sliding around on the table) - this is very valuable to see that your speaker levels and delays are set properly - does the sound track properly or suddenly jump to the surrounds? This scene is immediatly followed by an external shot of the sub hitting the waves, which is valuable for setting the level of your LFE (x.1) output.
2007-12-20 11:47:26 · answer #2 · answered by Nathan Junior 3 · 1⤊ 2⤋
For testing - Digital Video Essentials
As demo disks - Saving Private Ryan, U-571 and Blade II for audio. LOTR and 5th Element for video
And, here's a link to a collection of recommendations.
2007-12-20 07:12:21 · answer #3 · answered by agb90spruce 7 · 3⤊ 2⤋
I like chapter 2 of "Star Trek - First contact". In one five minute chapter there is male, female voices, music, special effects and an outer-space battle with swirling sounds.
To show off the subwoofer - the Lobby Shootout scene in the original "Matrix" is very good as is the helicopter crash scene.
While "Saving Private Ryan" does have great sound - It just feels wrong to use the reenactment of such a horrific real-life battle to test your sound system.
2007-12-20 09:09:52 · answer #4 · answered by Grumpy Mac 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋
It's obviously not a "demo" dvd, but "The Fast and The Furious" really shows off the sound!
2016-03-16 04:12:38 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Lord of the Rings
Pirates of the Carribean
Star Wars
All of them are loaded with sound effects and music. Perfect for testing bass, balancing and all that jazz. :)
2007-12-20 06:08:40 · answer #6 · answered by Melody L 3 · 2⤊ 2⤋
I'd say Air-Force 1 and Independence day and any Starwars movie.
2007-12-20 06:55:38 · answer #7 · answered by tedpogee h 1 · 1⤊ 4⤋