I think some of the best demo DVD's include "The Haunting", "Top Gun", the IMAX film on Formula 1 racing (features Paul Newman's race team), and one of my personal favorites, "Dark City" (an excellent, very original sci-fi flick that all sci-fi buffs should see) For music DVD's, the two that I like best are "Talking Heads: Stop Making Sense", and "James Taylor In Concert". |
There are some really awesome demo scenes in the Matrix, pick your favorite. |
I gotta go with "Meet Joe Black" for some reason that DVD has one of the best if not the best picture quality I have seen, not much for action. But the color contrasts and vividness(if that is even a word??) is amazing such a rich, warm picture. The Matrix is good too. |
Gladiator DTS - First scene & Fight scene in colosium
Fleetwood Mac The Dance- Track #9 & #10
Matrix - First scene & shoot um up scene
Phantom Menace - Pod racing scene
Swordfish - First scene
Jurasic Park DTS - I think you can figure it out
Hope this helps |
U571 - the beginning scene, DTS depth charges will really test the quality of your sub
Desperado (SuperBit only) - pretty much all of it, best picture quality I've seen so far on a DVD, the DTS gunshots are awesome.
The Matrix - the jump-kick in the beginning, need I say more?
If you want a good drama, try L.A. Confidential. The DTS sound helps to create a very encapsulating surround for the whole movie.
For comedy...Austin Powers 1&2 (who does #2 work for?)
Happy Viewing! |
The Fifth Element: The Diva singing(Lucia Di Lamermoor)/Fight edits. Superbit DTS Audio.
Definitely on my top ten! |
The chase scene in "Gone in 60 Seconds" with the Mustang and the BMW 540. It really rocks. I think it's Chapter 18. |
IMAX films: Speedway chapter 10, or Jordan to the Max
T2 the Ultimate Collection: Destroying Cyberdyne
Animation: Space Jam--the Ultimate game or Toy Story 2
the Matrix: (great movie--love the effects--but don't consider it a demo because of the grey green tint when you are "in the dream world") |
Hello Leoturetsky:
All of the demonstration scenes that I have EVER seen on DVD that was ever used to demo and test the quality of a home theater system are located on the following DVDs (most of which I own myself). And they include:
(01). Die Hard (1988)*
(02). Die Harder (1992)*
(03). T2 -- Judgement Day (1990)*
(04). Exit Wounds -- Try the scene in which Steven Segal rescues a politician by pulling him out of an SUV and then getting him to jump over a bridge in an effort to rescue him from firearm assault from corrupt cops. There is gunfire galore in that scene as well as several vehicle explosions. The soundtrack of this piece is magnificent, and the picture quality is immaculante. Not bad from what is considered a consumer DVD (2001)*
(04). Top Gun (1986)
(05). Lethal Weapon I (1987)*
(06). Lethal Weapon II -- especially the opening scene in which Danny Glover and Mel Gibson will be trying to catch a big time thief by driving a station wagon, while the thief drives a high performance red BMW. Later on in the scene, the BMW crashes into the window of a car dealership and overturns in which then, millions of dollars in cougeranne (hope the spelling is correct..... if it isn't, forgive me in advance) coins spill out of the trunk of the BMW (1989)*
(07). Swordfish (2001)*
(08). The Terminator -- especially the scene in which a big eighteen wheeler blows up in a very big explosion in the latter part of the movie with Linda Hamilton looking on. Afterwards, Arnold Schwarzenegger emerges from the same truck that is fully engulfed in flames (1984)*
(09). Jurassic Park -- the T-Rex scene (1993)
And for music DVD's?? Give me Fleetwood Mac any day of the week. A great concert.
Happy Viewing my good people!!!!!!!!!!!
--Charles--
P.S.: "*" means that I actually own this DVD. |
i'm kinda' surprised no one's mentioned toy story 1 or 2. i saw bits of these at ces 2001 played directly from hard drive and they were simply the most 3-dimensional pictures i've ever seen. i agree with sdcampbell on stop making sense as the best concert movie/dvd ever made. -cfb |
I have to second the Star Wars Phantom Menace pod racing scene. I've never heard such good sound come out of my 5.1 system. It seems to my ears they engineered that DVD so you can turn it up loud. |
The car chase scenes from Ronin! |
Anything from Goodfellas, A Clockwork Orange, Vacation or the love scene from Deliverance. |
gotta add my votes for the shoot 'em up scene in the matrix, pod race, and the diva in the 5th element. |
SdCambell was right on the money with Super Speedway(IMAX) Amazon has it for $20.00. I just recieved my copy last night. Cranked it up in DTS. The newer MACH II version (Just released) has the 16:9 transfer. Except no substitutes :~) |
There seems to be some confusion on Super Speedway (IMAX). I own this. It is about Formula 1 racing, but is not about Paul Newman's team, rather Mario Andretti and his son Michael. It's also not DTS. I checked the DTS site to see if there has been a DTS release (I would definitely want it if it existed), but it wasn't listed there. The DD 5.1 soundtrack does rival some DTS soundtracks--I can only imagine how good it would sound with the DTS encoding.
Can someone clear up, what is the name of the Paul Newman racing movie? And is there really a DTS version of Super Speedway? This is a great demo piece--I'm surprised I don't see it playing continuously in showrooms. |
AB7, Check the Amazon.com Mach II edition It is widescreen DTS. I know I own it! |
Glen, found it--thanks. Is it the same movie--Mario Andretti or is it something entirely different--with Paul Newman's racing team? I guess I'll know soon enough. |
These are the favorites that immediately come to mind.
Cheerleader scene in "Bring it On'" with Kirsten Dunst.
The dance scene in "The Mask" with Cameran Diaz.
Milla Jovovich's pod escape in "The Fifth Element."
Each of these films had great action or special effects, but long after those are forgotten, I remember the beauty of these females. Sort of like remembering how wonderful a song was, regardless if heard on the car radio or your 250K home system. |
for a demo that dosen't involve the usual explosions, cars,
jets, etc. and is excellent for the fairer sex, try "City of Angels" the chapter titled "Seth Falls". |
The opening scene in Dusk till Dawn.When Clooney and Tarantino are in the liquor store,and shoot the cop and the clerk,and then set the place on fire.When I'm showing off my HT system I turn my powered sub up a little bit more,and let it rip. |
True Lies-opening scene and the helicopter scene with Jamie Lee Curtis hanging out of the limo (which by the way she did herself with no stunt double)...Phantom Menace-Pod race and the underwater scene...Close encounters of the third kind-the scene where the mother ship flies over the mountain and lands on the runway...Planet of the apes(the new one)-the battle at the end of the movie....saving private ryan-the opening battle on the beach....Heat(with Al Pacino)-the gun fight after the bank robbery....Fight Club-the scene when the plane blows apart...Apocolypse Now(remastered version)-the air-cav. attack...Cast Away-the plane crashig into the ocean....Big Trouble in little china(dts)-the alley fight with the storms...and all the scenes that everyone else has listed... |
Thanks everyone! It's gonna take me a while to look through all those. :-) leo. |
A scene that will give you an idea of detail, high frequency response, and low frequency response is the scene from Jurassic Park where the cast is caught in the vehicles during the power outage and the T-rex is about to make its first appearance. The rain offset by the low bass thump from the T-rex footstep works both ends of a system simultaneously. A really good system will put the footstep under the rain which is just sizzling on the metal car surfaces & windows.
True Lies has some good surround sequences.
Both of the newly remastered Terminator movies have good surround sequences.
The scene in Lawrence of Arabia where the airplane comes out of the canyon is really fun as it approaches and flies past overhead transitioning from the front speakers to the rear and then going off into the distance. |
A scene that will give you an idea of detail, high frequency response, and low frequency response is the scene from Jurassic Park where the cast is caught in the vehicles during the power outage and the T-rex is about to make its first appearance. The rain offset by the low bass thump from the T-rex footstep works both ends of a system simultaneously. A really good system will put the footstep under the rain which is just sizzling on the metal car surfaces & windows.
True Lies has some good surround sequences.
Both of the newly remastered Terminator movies have good surround sequences.
The scene in Lawrence of Arabia where the airplane comes out of the canyon is really fun as it approaches and flies past overhead transitioning from the front speakers to the rear and then going off into the distance. |
The train wreck scene in "The Fugitive". |
