AVC vs. MPEG-2 Version

There are two versions of this movie on Blu-ray. For some reason, Lionsgate determined the original AVC transfer was not good enough and instead, secretly pressed an MPEG-2 transfer. Personally, I don't like MPEG-2 as a codec for HD. AVC and VC-1 should be the only codecs used. But even this biased opinion aside, we do have documented differences between the versions. It is known the MPEG-2 version does have a marginal amount less of detail, smoothing over the film in key areas. For some in-depth research on the subject, I highly suggest going to the AVS Forums and searching for the film title.

By a matter of serendipitous purchasing, DigitalDingus managed to obtain the AVC version. Unfortunately, the MPEG-2 version is not available for comparison. For the common viewer, the MPEG-2 version still has a significant amount of detail, so nothing significant is missing. However, for those who want the best transfer available, the AVC version is the best.

The Plot

One year ago, Sarah (Shauna Macdonald) survived a horrific event which changed her life forever. Now, she and five of her friends are getting back together for some female bonding and a rigorous outdoor exploration adventure. As the lean and fit ladies leave their cabin and head out to a cave, what they don't know is Juno (Natalie Mendoza), who is the leader of the group, decided to slightly modify the trip and neglected to tell the others they were going to an unexplored cave. Not really a bright idea, but then again, staying on the highly-trodden path never gave much satisfaction anyway.

We don't exactly where Juno got her information about this cave, and all we know is that it's somewhere in the deep recesses of the Appalachian Mountains in the state of Virginia. One by one, the women descend down into the beautiful abyss. However, the further they descend, the more serious problems present themselves.