Seriously, this is a truly magnificent effort - an absolute poster boy for just what all the HD fuss is about.

To put a few more specifics on these general upbeat ravings, the sharpness of the picture is truly electrifying. For instance, during Harry's hearing for using magic in the presence of muggles (tut tut), check out the way you can clearly see the different weaves in Harry's rather shrewish brown jacket and unflattering stripey shirt. Not to mention the pores on the faces of all the assembled Ministry of Magic no-gooders, the hairs in Dumbledore's beard, and textures in the rather attractive fancy floor design and marble pillars.

This same scene also provides a cracking showcase of the disc's terrific contrast, as the inky blackness of the chamber's seating sits starkly at odds with the almost spot-lit faces of the actors and the fire-based lighting.

Then there are the immaculately toned colours of this Harry hearing sequence, as all the Ministry faces look perfectly natural in hue, even though the transfer also portrays the red outfits and leaping flames sprinkled through the scene with extreme vibrancy.

Actually, now I've pretty much plundered this scene of all its treasures, I'm kind of wondering why I picked it in particular, for the truth is that pretty much every frame of every scene on this disc is equipped to bring tears of joy out of any self-respecting high definition screen. And just to prove the point, I've picked a totally different scene for the Showstopper bit at the end. Seriously, this is stunning stuff.

The only problem I could find was some very low-level green dot noise during extremely dark shots, such as those where Arthur Weasley is attacked by a Dark Lord snakey type thing.

The fact that the picture quality is, for the most part, nothing short of mesmerising is actually quite a relief, for unlike the HD DVD version of this film the Blu-ray edition comes on a single disc, a fact which initially raised fears with me that the picture quality would have to be compromised in order to fit all the extras on the same disc.

As you’d expect, the star of the show is the PCM 5.1 mix, which delivers extra clarity and range that's easy to hear even on a relatively unsophisticated surround sound audio system.

As for the mix itself, it's a bit of a cracker. Not quite as sensational as the picture, perhaps; but terrifically clean; packed with subtle details that help bring the world to sonic life; infused with a perfectly pitched and subtle score that knows exactly when to wax and wane; and capable of erupting into grandstanding life when required.

For a cracking example of what I'm talking about, check out the short scene where the criminally underused Helena Bonham Carter escapes from Azkaban during a thunder storm.

My only complaint would be that the rather drama-free script means these grandstanding moments don't occur as often as I'd like them to.

The only problem with the package as a whole is that - in my humble opinion - the vast archive of often fascinating supplemental material merely reinforces just how flat the actual film is, and how depressingly it seems to have missed the opportunity to get the most out of the dazzling special effects and production design it had access too.

Cue millions of complaints about my Potter blasphemy - doubtless sent by Owlmail.