THE BIG PICTURE

In UAV's never-ending quest to bring you the ultimate in audio and video, we are proud to introduce a new feature on the site—Ultimate Demos. Each week, movie reviewer David Vaughn will identify a reference-quality Blu-ray title, complete with the chapter number and time code of specific scenes that exemplify different video and audio performance parameters, such as detail, color, blacks, shadow detail, audio dynamics, frequency range, and surround imaging. He'll also point out what to look and listen for in each case.

The purpose of Ultimate Demos is to recognize superlative Blu-ray titles that can be used to demonstrate the qualities of your home theater. After all, everyone with such a system wants to show it off to family and friends, and the titles we recommend will do so in the best possible light.

But keep in mind that this is a double-edged sword. In addition to showing off the best that your system can do, reference-quality titles can also reveal its shortcomings—in fact, playing these discs might tempt you to upgrade your equipment, a potentially expensive proposition. Just don't blame us if you find fault with your gear!

As a reviewer, I find it invaluable to have a collection of known reference-quality Blu-rays, which helps me determine what a display, player, or audio component does well and not so well. But this is also important for users so they can demonstrate and evaluate the performance of their own systems. In the end, playing these titles can provide a deep sense of satisfaction in just how good modern home theaters can be, so turn down the lights, turn up the volume, and get ready for the best that Blu-ray has to offer.

If you have a suggestion for an Ultimate Demo title, please send it to me at scott.wilkinson@sorc.com.