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Super Speedway (Large Format)

Super Speedway (Large Format)

List Price: $24.99
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Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Strap Yourself In For A Super Ride!
Review: This is probably the best DVD I own (I have about 120 right now). The sound is incredible in 5.1 Dolby Digital. The video is excellent, but even better is the story line - this is extremely well done and interesting. And get ready - you get a driver's view (and sounds) of what it is like to drive an Indy race car. I have a front projection TV and an 84" diagonal screen - this is awesome with the volume cranked up! I don't anyone who hasn't enjoyed this experience. They all have been extremely impressed. If you want to show off your system, look no further - buy this today!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: WOW! Can I have 8 Stars to put on this one?!
Review: I don't own this DVD - yet...but I will!
I just saw this at a friend's house who has an HDTV rear projection TV, and a decent audio system ... Audio and video were of the utmost quality - no grainy translation of color or image to the HDTV's screen in widescreen format, even though the DVD is too old to be HD.

This has got to be the best quality DVD I've ever seen from a presentation standpoint. Even if you don't like racing, I would be willing to bet money that you'd still like this for its excellent documentary quality. Though this film is older ('97 originally - in IMAX) it is still a very true to life behind the scenes story (I work in motorsports). It is captivating and interesting to see just how an Indy car team lives and breathes year-round.

The sound is incredible! One scene shows Mario and Michael Andretti working on something in the paddock area while there are cars out on track testing. You actually hear the cars on the track in the background going AROUND your viewing room as if you were standing in the paddock with the Andrettis.

The in-car/on-car footage is the same - a racing competitor comes up to pass on the left; you hear him in the left-rear before you see him, then the nose of his car appears and the sound is beside you (in both front and rear speakers) and finally as he passes the sound of his car moves to the front, all with appropriate volume levels. You can almost feel the steering wheel in your hands! And the visual experience of going 180-200 MPH around Homestead is astounding! None of this watered down, graphic crowded, short focal length/narrow-angle view junk you see on TV...You get a VERY GOOD idea of what it's like to travel at such speed in an open cockpit car!! Wind noise and all! Unbelievable!!

Truely the most immersive home theater experience I have seen to date. If you want to test or show off your system, if you like racing, or if you like documentaries, you should NOT deprive yourself of this absolutely awesome experience. It is truely amazing - even the (non-racing fan) wives of the world will enjoy it :-)

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Simply Amazing!
Review: This DVD is a must have for your home theater. I bought it on the recommendations here on the website and was not disappointed. The clarity is amazing. I am using an Optoma H56 projector onto a 92" Da-Lite screen and it is one of the sharpest programs I have ever seen. Nearly HD. The sound is even more mind boggling. The music and the sound effects are great.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Not just for racing fans
Review: I was initially put off by the title and the artwork on this DVD, believing it was aimed at hard-core racing fans. After reading numerous reviews praising the quality of the sound and images, I decided to buy it as a "show me why DVD is so great" disk. And in that regard, I certainly wasn't disappointed; it is a spectacular showcase DVD.

What I didn't expect is how much I enjoyed the human interest story of the Andretti family. The movie takes you into their world, and places racing in perspective: technological, historical, and social. The story arc gently draws you to the racing track, immerses you in the raw excitement of driving at over 200 MPH, and then eases you back out to the real world, your heart still pounding. While the cars are unquestionably exciting, this isn't just about sitting in the cockpit. It's really about the people who do this, from the driver all the way back to the car's designers.

In the "Behind the Scenes" video (an outstanding piece in its own right), the director points out that you couldn't invent a story like this, that no one would believe it. Without giving away anything, the finale of Super Speedway is more touching, more emotional than any Hollywood fiction. Highly recommended.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Simply Amazing!
Review: This DVD is a must have for your home theater. I bought it on the recommendations here on the website and was not disappointed. The clarity is amazing. I am using an Optoma H56 projector onto a 92" Da-Lite screen and it is one of the sharpest programs I have ever seen. Nearly HD. The sound is even more mind boggling. The music and the sound effects are great.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Incredible footage...
Review: This is an incredible DVD. The images are absolutely the cleanest. As clean as you can get on an HDTV without an actual HDTV signal - almost 3D. The racing and testing footage was spectacular. I have an Hitachi 65" HDTV(WS) but the DTS and 16:9 function would not work on this DVD - each time I selected 16:9 WS and DTS it would lockup the DVD. I watched it in 4:3 fullframe in the 16:9 std mode on the TV and the audio in DD 5.1 EX with no problem. That is the beauty of Hitachi WS televisions. They will take a fullscreen 1.33:1 and expand the image without distortion in the 16:9 std mode - although I prefer movies in WS. Do not use the 4:3 expanded mode - it creates distortion. I have no idea why the 16:9 WS function would not work along with the DTS audio and I tried it several times. I am returning it for another. I know there is nothing wrong with my system because we watched Cheryl Crow - Rockin the Globe in DTS before watching SuperSpeedway and the Eagles Hell Freezes Over in DTS after that - it must be the DVD disk. If you like racing - it gives an incredible feel - at times "almost" as if you were actually driving...

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Simply Awesome!!!
Review: This is a must see DVD. It's everything the previous reports have to say about it. It's simply AWESOME if you do indeed want to show off your HD surround sound system get this DVD NOW. The visual and audio propertys are breathtaking. Every audio visual dealer should be required to use this DVD as a selling point for its products. Very highly recommended.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Wow...What a great movie.
Review: I bought this with the intention of being able to Demo it in a home theatre lounge at a high end retail outlet where I work. It still continues to WOW! the audiences, sound quality (D.T.S) STUNNING and picture quality truly superb..so as you can see, even though Im not an avid race fan..I still appreciate the rewarding experience of vision and sound this red hot disc offers. And what was particularly nice was the 16:9 widescreen vision (optional)and the storyline was a pleasant suprise. Bravo'IMAX, a real keeper.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great DVD
Review: I own this DVD. I just wanted to respond to the review from Mike M. below. Another reviewer commented as well, these scenes are NOT sped up. The racing in the CART and IRL series is REALLY this intense! That's why these drivers are truly althletes, contrary to much popular belief. This film was shot a few years ago and the driver's heads really bobbed around as Mario's did in this movie. The newer race cars have padding and safety features which limit the head and neck movement for safety reasons.

I had the opportunity to race an open wheeled car at a racing school, and this DVD accurately captures that seat-of-the-pants feeling. The only thing missing was the wind whipping past your head.

This is a great DVD, and I highly recommend it.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Good, but....
Review: As others have said, the DVD is great, and probably even better when seen in an actual IMAX theater. I think I found the making-of documentary actually more interesting than the feature itself. It was interesting to see the challanges of mounting a 70 lb IMAX camera on a car that was engineered and designed taking into account where every ounce is placed. Hanging 70lbs on it and still expect it to perform is quite a task.

I felt the audio was not accurately dubbed at some points. Too many/not enough gear shifts, mixing of two audio tracks with different engine RPM without a break in the video.

The biggest thing I had a problem with is the fact that it seemed several shots were sped up a bit to make it look more intense. Thats not cool. I hate when "World Scariest Police Chases" does it, but its expected from them. To have it done in a professionally done IMAX feature just is not acceptable. If you look at the on-car shots, watch Mario's head bouncing around. He doesn't have a natural movement- it moves to fast.

IMAX is supposed to bring the awe and adventure of things the normal everyday person will never experience. I feel there is a certain responsibility to bring it to us true, not buttered up.


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