Hi-Def Preview

High School Musical 2

Walt Disney Home Entertainment

Released: 12/11/07

Review By: Joshua Noyes

Picture Quality – 4.75/5

Audio Quality – 4.75/5

Special Features – 4/5

Overall – 4.75/5

Comments: High School Musical 2 it is clear that yet once again Disney has hit another one out of the park! Disney is on a serious role the past 45 days with the quality of their releases. Disney used an AVC encode on to a BD50 disc and the results for PQ are STUNNING! There were no hints of noise, macroblocking or any defect for that matter. The element, which struck me most, were the colors. Simply put, this release is an EXPLOSION of colors! The colors were incredibly vibrant and uniform and really enhanced the viewing experience Even the darker scenes of this film (there are few) did not suffer from noise or softness, which is common in many HDM releases. The detail in the film is amazing as well. I would say this release has among the most 3-D effect I have ever seen in HDM to this point.

In-terms of AQ, this too was a very impressive showing by Disney. I listened using the PCM 5.1 6.9 Mbps option and it was AMAZING! This is one of the best I have heard thus far on HDM. The Center Channel presented the dialog perfectly. It was as though the characters were sitting on your couch with you. The Surrounds too were used to perfection and used frequently. The many songs in the film felt very powerful and alive. Finally the LFE was used to perfection too, albeit in a more discreet manner. The LFE made the drum and bass parts come alive.

The Special Features on this disc follow both the PQ and AQ in that they raise the bar for future HDM. All Special Features are in 480i and included on the main disc. Here is a list of what is included for Special Features:

Sing Along Feature

High School Karaoke – Sing the lead vocals with help from optional on-screen lyrics

Rehearsal Cam – Watch the dance rehearsal footage along with the movie (PiP)

Bloopers

Music Videos

In conclusion, the purchase of this disc simply put, is recommended. It is reference material for both PQ and AQ, the story is fun, the Special Features are great and interactive and the entire family will enjoy this experience!