OTHER TECH

7 Pirates of the Caribbean (collector's edition, Disney)

The Picture With the seagoing passages set mostly under sunny skies - it is the Caribbean, after all -the oceanic sparkle combines with deep natural shadows to produce unusually realistic images with fine details.

The Sound Effects are placed in the Dolby Digital EX mix with unusual sensitivity. For instance, Johnny Depp's rescue of Keira Knightley in Chapter 3 includes a terrific sequence of subtle and layered effects - from underwater bubbling to gunshots whizzing past your ears.

The Killer Demo While most people would probably choose Chapter 11, "The Battle," with its pounding ship-to-ship cannonades, I'd recommend the passage in Chapter 3 where Depp first encounters Orlando Bloom. Their swordfight is a tough test for an HDTV's ability to portray details in deep shadows. Standout Extra The "Fly on the Set" featurettes on Disc 2 focus on the kind of production details I'd have shot if I could have wandered around during filming, camcorder in hand.

Depp's over-the-top performance is nicely set off by the rich sounds and images. - David Ranada