Training Day (Blu-ray)

 

Picture: B     Sound: B     Extras: B     Film: B

 

 

In the High Definition format race, Antoine Fuqua’s Training Day (2001) has been one of the most popular and sought-after HD-DVD demo discs and also one of the best films, especially one recently released, to make it to the format so far.  Warner Home Video is supporting both formats and it is no surprise that they picked the film right off the bat as one of their first four Blu-ray releases.  Our HD-DVD coverage can be found at:

 

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/3760/Training+Day+(HD-DVD)

 

 

Now to the Blu-ray version.  Immediately, the question is how the two compare technically.  Well, though this is a decent transfer that outdoes the standard DVD, 5GBs less of room plus all the extras of the other editions (HD-DVD and DVD) have undermined the 2.35 X 1 digital 1080p High Definition image and the sound.  The picture is just not as clean, clear, naturalistic and seamless as the HD-DVD.  There are drawbacks and detail limits not found on the HD-DVD and this is not a matter of what video compression was used.  It is just not enough room for one of the few stylized pieces of darkened cinematography that actually works.

 

As for the sound, all we get is a PCM 16Bit/48kHz 5.1 version of the multi-channel mix featured as Dolby TrueHD 5.1 and Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 mixes.  While this PCM mix can compete with the Dolby Plus version by simple virtue of less compression to begin with, both cannot take on the Dolby TrueHD versions.  That combination on the HD-DVD is better than just about anything in either HD format right now to boot and the Dolby True HD can do up to 192kHz/24Bits in multi-channel, far outdoing the 96/24 limit of MLP (Meridian Lossless Packing) it is somewhat similar to.  With that said this is still one of the better Blu-rays to date and one of the best films early on in the format, so it is worth getting if you happen to have a player and will remain a favorite because the film and its stars are that popular.  When Warner gets around to doing 50GB Blu-rays, if they continue to support the format and it gets that far as it likely will, Training Day will come out in one more version and that will be the true comparison in the two formats.  For now, the HD-DVD is the way to go.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo