Cars Blu-ray

Cars

 (2006)

Animation | Comedy | Family | Sport



From the acclaimed creators of Toy Story, The Incredibles, and Finding Nemo comes a high- octane adventure comedy that shows life is about the journey, not the finish line. Hotshot rookie race car Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) is living life in the fast lane until he hits a detour on his way to the most important race of his life. Stranded in Radiator Springs, a forgotten town on the old Route 66, he meets Sally, Mater, Doc Hudson (Paul Newman), and a variety of quirky characters who help him discover that there’s more to life than trophies and fame. Revved up with a sensational soundtrack, featuring Rascal Flatts, Sheryl Crow, John Mayer, James Taylor and others, plus exciting bonus features, including the exclusive short movie "Mater And The Ghostlight," Cars is full of freewheeling fun for everyone.

For more details about Cars on Blu-ray, see the Cars Blu-ray Review

Starring: Owen Wilson, Paul Newman, Bonnie Hunt, Larry the Cable Guy, Cheech Marin
Directors: John Lasseter, Joe Ranft

Cars Blu-ray, Video Quality

 


Presented in 1080p high definition in the 2.35:1 aspect ratio on this Blu-ray disc release, Cars looks absolutely marvelous. Compared to the previous DVD release, viewing this Blu-ray disc is like seeing the film all over again for the first time. Detail is spot on and colors sparkle and leap from the screen. It is, in a word, amazing.

Where I really noticed the biggest difference between this release and all other versions I’ve seen, is in the Piston Cup racing scenes and in the scene where Ramone (Cheech Marin) gives Lightning his new paint job. In the racing scenes, the crowds and the backgrounds are much more detailed and clearly defined than on the DVD version. DVD just seems blurry in comparison. This Blu-ray also eliminates the various compression and motion artifacts that are so prevalent in the high definition MPEG-4 satellite broadcasts. In the paint job scene, I’d never noticed, on the DVD, that Lightning's paint was a brilliant metallic red. In previous versions, it always looked like a flat red paint, just like his original paint job. On this Blu-ray release, the metallic red paint glitters with such a dazzling sheen it practically comes to life on screen.

I could not find a single fault with the AVC/MPEG-4 encode on this disc. So, to call it perfect would be an understatement. There were no artifacts present and contrast, black levels, and color saturation were all superb. This Blu-ray release is the very definition of reference grade. Disney should be applauded for their unsurpassed attention to detail.

Cars Blu-ray, Audio Quality

 


The soundtrack options available on this Blu-ray disc release are English 5.1 uncompressed PCM (48kHz/24-bit) and English 5.1 Dolby Digital. I listened to the uncompressed PCM soundtrack and it was yet another well recorded, brilliant mix from Disney-Pixar.

Typical of the soundtracks for Pixar’s releases, the Cars 5.1 mix was very aggressive, utilizing the rear channels and LFE to full effect. During the many racing scenes, crowd effects and automotive sounds were panned through the rear channels generously and the subwoofer was heavily utilized giving the entire mix a very solid bottom-end and an all encompassing soundstage.

EQ was also even and easy on the ears. High frequencies were never overbearing and the midrange was solid and precise. Dialogue and sound effects were delivered with absolute clarity and were well placed and balanced throughout. To sum it all up, Cars features a well-recorded, well- mixed soundtrack that was beautifully suited to the material at hand.

Cars Blu-ray, News and Updates

• Buy Up, Monsters Inc, and Cars for $30.97 - November 12, 2009


• Disney Re-releasing Cars Blu-ray as Combo Gift Set - August 24, 2009


• Inside the Making of Cars Blu-ray - December 21, 2007


• IFA 2007: Pioneer Blu-ray Player, Cars, Sin City - September 7, 2007

Cars Blu-ray, Forum Discussions

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