Since this Ultimate Steelbook Edition of Terminator 2 is suppose to make HD-DVD go out with a bang, I've decided to order it for myself. Despite the price, I didn't spend a lot of time thinking about whether or not I should buy it.

This version has both remastered video and remastered audio, but this time is 7.1 surround, as opposed to 5.1 in earlier releases. It also has many extra bonus materials.

There are many mixed reviews on whether or not the video is better or worse or somehow equally the same, and even a few that say that if you have a 5.1 surround system and playback this, compared to the 5.1 version of t-2, the 5.1 version sounds better on a 5.1 system, although a 6.1 and 7.1 system sounds better with this version. Anyway, they're both backwards compatible with each other. So, if you get a 7.1 disc and play it on a 5.1 system, it'll downmix the two back channels to the side channels. With a 7.1 system on a 5.1 audio track, most likely it'll actually matrix out the two side channels and copy the matrixed track out on both the 6th and 7th (rear) channels. What that means is that the 6th and 7th channel should play the exact same sounds, otherwise like a mono track played on two speakers.

Now, there could be some type of newer surround stuff that will matrix the 6th and 7th channels out independently of each other, but I'm unaware of anything like that.

OK, I've probably confused many of you enough...

I have seen a few comparison screenshots of the two HD-DVD editions, and this version may be a little more bright, but images in a distance seem to be a lot more clear and in focus, while images closeup seem about the same.

I'll write more about it when I get it in the mail and can watch it.

I've tracked this hd-dvd to the local postal warehouse. So, it should be here tomorrow!

This came in today, and I've watched some key pieces of the HD-DVD, to try and compare this to the French release. Kinowelt was actually suppose to release this new remaster, but Studio Canal actually bought Kinowelt out shortly before this movie was to be released, the same studio that brought you the French version, which had both the theatrical and director's cut.

The case is probably double the width of regular HD-DVD cases. It appears to have some tin or some type of metal on the outside of the case.. I guess it's metal and not plastic.. Afterall, it's called the Steelbook Edition.

As I've said, I watched some key chapters for video and sound, some of my favorite chapters of T-2. The first scene is the bar scene... The second and third scenes are the galleria and semi/motorcycle chase scenes.

Before I mention anything about each scene, I have to also mention that I don't have side-by-side comparisons of the video, as I don't have two HDTVs side by side. So, if I say I can't see much or any difference, there still could be a difference..

Scene #1: Nothing special or noticeably different at the bar scene..

Scene #2: When John Connor is running from the T-1000 and Arny shows up and shoots the shotgun, the sound seems to reverberate just a little longer than in the French version.

Scene #3: Just as I don't have a side-by-side HDTV, I also don't have Side by Side Surround Receivers, but I did notice quite a bit of difference in the soundtrack. On my receiver, the French version sounded a lot fuller. At times, the mix seemed just slightly different on both but not much.

Now, let me explain that my receiver isn't capable of listening to DTS-HD, Master, or any of the HD formats. The XBOX 360 is setup to transform hd-dvds to dolby digital, most likely a 1.5mb stream, which would be better quality than most dvds.

The French version is DTS-HD Master 5.1, while the German Steelbook edition is DTS-HD 7.1. 5.1 is most likely easier for my receiver to work with, as its configuration would be closer to the French HD-DVD. Since 7.1 would be discreet channels versus matrixed channels, then the soundtrack could very well be much different sounding than it would on a 6.1 system, not to mention that the sound quality should be quite a bit better.

Does this mean that the 7.1 soundtrack would be better than the 5.1 soundtrack, giving the right circumstances? I'm not really sure.

A comment about the video... Some of the dark scenes look grainy or washed out in some places... Maybe they're just about the same but definitely not better... The night driving scene still really didn't look any more realistic than the other version, and when the camera was focused on one person, yet aimed at two people, the person not being focused on had a lot of grain on their face.

Also, when John gets on his dirtbike and is being chased by the T-1000, there was a few spots where his face was washed out, sometimes even blurry in the original. They haven't really fixed it in this one, although it may be just a tad better at times.

I've originally read that the menus are all in German, but in the XBOX 360, the menu selections were pretty much all in English. Maybe certain HD-DVD players don't have the correct flag for showing English menu options on this particular HD-DVD.

Extras... I haven't had time to really go in to all of the extras, but it does have a section where you can go in to "skynet" aka the Internet and download updates, view little things of information, concept artwork, and even download trailers to other movies. There are also some deleted scenes and various other things that I haven't attempted to watch yet.

Which version would I recommend to people? Most likely the French version, as it's a little more cheaper, has both the Director's cut and theatrical release on it, and it sounds quite a bit better on a surround receiver that isn't HD sound. Even it should sound even better with HD sound, as it's DTS-HD Master.