Video:
If I had any concern at all with the French disc, it was that in some shots the picture didn't seem to look as bright or the hues as deep as I expected them to be. In the German edition, I might have noticed a touch deeper color and contrast, and maybe a tad more noticeable grain. On the other hand, I could have been imagining it. As with the French edition, the German disc has moments of stunning clarity, mostly in close-ups, and moments of slight softness, mostly in medium shots. Although both discs are quite good in HD picture quality, frankly, if you already own the French HD DVD and are only getting the German edition for its video, I could not guarantee that it's any better.
Audio:
The French Studio Canal sound engineers provide a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack in English and French, and the German Kinowelt folks provide a DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track in English and German. In both cases, there is plenty of rear-channel activity, especially in the big fight and chase sequences. Indeed, the audio shows its strengths in its wide frequency response (the bass thunders), its strong dynamic contrasts (things explode with vigor), its powerful dynamic punch, and the all-around tautness and clarity of its reproduction.
Parting Thoughts:
Without question, "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" is the best of its breed. It's a milestone in the evolution of action films and their now-omnipresent computer-generated imagery. It goes without saying that in high definition "T2" looks and sounds better than ever, and the German edition provides all the bells and whistles you could possibly want. Decisions, decisions.
DVDTOWN.com rates this HD DVD:
Video 8
Audio 9
Extras 9
Film value 9