The.Hire.2001-2002.Short.Films.360p-720p.H264

The BMW financed film series, The Hire was a series of eight short films (each about eight minutes long, on average) produced for the Internet in 2001 and 2002. A form of branded content, all eight films featured popular directors from across the globe, starred Clive Owen as the "Driver", and highlighted the performance aspects of various BMW automobiles.

Directed by:
John Frankenheimer
Ang Lee
Wong Kar-Wai
Guy Ritchie
Alejandro González
In~árritu
John Woo
Joe Carnahan
Tony Scott

Ambush (2001)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0283875/
Dir.: John Frankenheimer
A mysterious BMW driver must protect an eccentric old foreigner from criminals.

Chosen (2001)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0283994/
Dir.: Ang Lee
The Driver is carrying an Asian child who has been chosen for a strange ritual. He must drive him through a dark night in the city to get to a monk's house, while eluding several American cars out to get the child.

The Follow (2001)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0285104/
Dir.: Kar Wai Wong
The Driver is now spying on a celebrity's wife suspected of adultery.

Star (2001)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0286151/
Dir.: Guy Ritchie
The Driver now carries an arrogant rock star who is visiting a major city (not Pittsburgh as earlier believed). Played by Madonna, this title character wants to get away from her bodyguards in the Driver's BMW. He soon gets tired of her and decides to have a bit of fun.

Powder Keg (2001
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0285930/
Dir.: Alejandro González In~árritu
January 13, 2001. Times war photographer Harvey Jacobs is wounded while witnessing a massacre at Nuevo Colon by terrorists. In a desperate effort, the United Nations sends a vehicle to get him out, a BMW driven by the mysterious Driver.

Season 2

Hostage (2002)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0338111/
Dir.: John Woo
The driver races to locate a kidnapped victim locked in the trunk of an abandoned car somewhere on the water's edge. Linked to her only by cell phone, the driver narrows in on her location in a desperate race against time and tide.

Ticker (2002)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0340398/
Dir.: Joe Carnahan
The Driver finds himself in a dangerous, yet highly political situation; this time being pursued by a helicopter gunship while carrying a passenger with a suitcase... the contents of which will decide the fate of a nation.

Beat the Devil (2002)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0338768/
Dir.: Tony Scott
Decades ago, the legendary James Brown sold his soul to the devil for fame and fortune. Now he wishes to renegotiate. Hired to take Mr. Brown to a rendezvous with the devil (Gary Oldman), the driver soon finds himself entangled in fiendish plans.

Driving Techniques (Extra)

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"Home" of my torrents (for Bookmark/Favorites in your browser)

NOTE: 272p = frame-size 480x272 pixels, 16:9 aspect ratio, playable on all kinds
of MP4 capable devices/players/playback systems
360p = frame-size 640x360 pixels, 16:9 aspect ratio, middle-format, playback
as for 272p (except streaming)
480p = frame-size 720x480 pixels for 16:9 aspect ratio (TV) or 720x304
for 2.35:1 (movies/theatrical AR)
720p = frame-size 1280x720 pixels for 16:9 aspect ratio (TV) or 1280x544
for 2.35:1 (movies/theatrical AR), hardware intensive

Most problems people have are with frame-sizes 1280x720 (720p). I recommend
and have used one system for years - CoreCodec for H264 ("Deblocking" set to
"Standard") and part of DivX7 for AAC.
Both are proved perfect, fastest and provide seamless playback up to 1080p
on new generation of computers. Newer NVIDIA graphic cards processors (GPU)
decode H264 using dedicated subroutines directly served from CoreCodec
(I have an ATI card, just in case you were wondering).

Problems one can have may come from either one of the following
and/or a combination of these – the playback system itself, a
malfunctioning device or lack of knowledge.

For instance, any so called "jerky" playback of "system-heavy" 720p comes
from insufficient CPU and graphic engine power or simply - overloaded
computer. Use of ddshow filters and "codecs" is suicidal. This is not
Russian 720p Matroska format ("official" 720p) and completely different
setup is required (extremely high bit-rates of .mkv 720p to some extent
"hide" bad encoding style). In low bit-rate H264, such as mine,
those errors and bad technique cannot be hidden and therefore are avoided as
much as possible.

Any 'blurriness' of video comes from less-than-recommended media player.
VLC and a few other players are the most versatile and, generally speaking,
good - but quality is 10-20% lower.
Any ‘blockiness’ comes from 'system-too-slow' situation, when decoding
engine of ones device become over-capacitated and cannot process all frames
as it supposed to.
On "I have no video" and "I have no sound" I don't waste my time as this
is generally a complete lack of knowledge and/or understanding.
RTFM is the best response I can give.

MP4 is absolutely ISO 14496-1 compliant. There are no B-frames, no CABAC
entropy in 272p and 360p, no strange filtering and no AV weirdness of
any kind.

Recommended resolution for computers is 1024x768 (no matter frame-size).
PS3 + HDMI cable + newer TV have been reported as best combination.
I am very proud on sound quality and hence I recommend use of stereo system
and proper loudspeakers (connect Line Out of Soundcard or standalones
with Line In of any Stereo rack).

I encode H264 for six years and I have experienced (first-hand) any problem
one might have or imagine. I have heard almost every ‘complaint’ out there
and would, if asked POLITELY, be happy to answer questions and give as much
help as humanly possible
I always have.