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Transformers HD DVD review roundup

Transformers was one of this year's biggest blockbusters at the theater, and now its one of HD DVD's biggest weapons in the format war. With exclusive features and online connectivity, the HD DVD camp expects this disc to show why Paramount chose them, and consumers will too. The biggest part of any HD release is the picture quality, and all the reviews we've found have high praise for the 1080p MPEG-4 AVC transfer. While HighDefDigest noticed some jaggies during horizontal pans, there were no other faults to be found, impressive considering the high speed action in the film. An unfortunate casualty of all the extras on this two disc set was a high-res audio track -- a strike against HD DVD's 30GB capacity -- although the Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround mix that is present got the all-important "reference material" nod from several outlets. Paramount's much-ballyhooed special features include the opportunity to check out the CGI models in HD, all of the DVD extras in HD, and online options to download special widgets that play along with the movie or check out continually updated IMDB-style guides about the movie and its makers. Perfect its not, but reviewers seem to agree, this is a huge step forward for the format...will it be enough to keep Michael Bay happy?

Read
- DVD Talk
Read - Home Theater Forum Review
Read - High-Def Digest