Possible pratfall if Universal goes Blu...

[Jodi]

You know how Universal standard DVDs use only English Dolby Digital 5.1 (as well as a seconday language in DD 5.1) and no other audio codec period?
I would be afraid that if....IF......Universal finally goes Blu, they might use DD on all of their Blu discs and nothing else. Not even LPCM.
Any thoughts???

Jodi

[CptGreedle]

I doubt this since DVD is far more limited than Blu. Also what are their HD-DVD sound settings?
Besides, few people back then had more than a 5.1 surround sound system.

[Sir Terrence]

I am afraid the original poster is quite incorrect. The biggest user of the Dts codec is Universal. They have Dts on far more DVD's than most studios.

Since Dolby TrueHD is not used on the majority of HD DVD's releases, then they really have no pressure to include it on theirs. However if they want to compete with the studios who are releasing on Blu-ray, then LPCM or Dolby trueHD is going to be a must, or they will not get the software sales of the studios that use it get. Their product will be looked at as insufficient in comparison.

[Jodi]

Originally Posted by CptGreedle

I doubt this since DVD is far more limited than Blu. Also what are their HD-DVD sound settings?
Besides, few people back then had more than a 5.1 surround sound system.

All their HD-DVDs have Dolby Digital Plus ONLY. No other audio codecs to speak of. Again, that's what worries me.

Jodi

[Jodi]

[QUOTE=Sir Terrence;146312]I am afraid the original poster is quite incorrect. The biggest user of the Dts codec is Universal. They have Dts on far more DVD's than most studios.

Actually, Universal USED to put DTS codecs on a lot of their DVDs. However, during the past two to three years, Universal actually STOPPED using DTS on their DVDs and have only been using DD. Same with DreamWorks. Which is why I have stopped buying both Uni and DreamWorks DVDs over this period of time for the lack of the original DTS theatrical codec. This "boycott" will continue as long as this current course remains.

For Uni's sake, they better, at least, use DD+ (If not DTrueHD) on the Blu's.

Jodi

[CptGreedle]

Still, they are a long way away from joining us. I hope it happens sooner than later, but we'll see.

[ClaytonMG]

Dolby Digital Plus isn't nearly as good as everyone thinks it is. Do a comparisson and you'll hear major differences between DTS and Dolby Digital Plus. Also, Universal HAS used Dolby TrueHD. End of Days, The War and Nutty Professor 2 all have TrueHD tracks on them. Chances are, if they switch to Blu, they'll have way more room to work and will be able to include more than just Dolby Digital-Plus. Also, there have been Universal titles with DTS within the past 3 years. Anyone remember War of the Worlds? That was one of the best audio tracks ever.

[Sir Terrence]

Originally Posted by ClaytonMG

Dolby Digital Plus isn't nearly as good as everyone thinks it is. Do a comparisson and you'll hear major differences between DTS and Dolby Digital Plus. Also, Universal HAS used Dolby TrueHD. End of Days, The War and Nutty Professor 2 all have TrueHD tracks on them. Chances are, if they switch to Blu, they'll have way more room to work and will be able to include more than just Dolby Digital-Plus. Also, there have been Universal titles with DTS within the past 3 years. Anyone remember War of the Worlds? That was one of the best audio tracks ever.

Thank you for this

[Blu Tiger]

I used to be hip on sound back with DTS and DD 5.1, but I have to admit that I'm more than lost with all this PCM lossless, LPCM, Dolby HD... Guess I'm going to need to do some research and figure all this out. Maybe time for a new receiver too. I've had my Harmon Kardon AVR 520 for about 5 years now. I feel so ignorant.

[WickyWoo]

Which is why I have stopped buying both Uni and DreamWorks DVDs over this period of time for the lack of the original DTS theatrical codec. This "boycott" will continue as long as this current course remains.

You do realize that

A- DVD DTS and Theatrical DTS are radically different animals
B- It's the mix that people prefer, and not the codec 98% of the time
C- Movies are distributed with a stereo magtrack, Dolby Digital, SDDS and DTS, there is no "original" theatrical codec, and it's been that way well over a decade?

[Chad Varnadore]

I think the concern that Universal may skimp on the audio is very valid. That said, since DD+ isn't used for 5.1 on BD and most of Universal's HD DVDs are at 1.5 mbs rather than the maximum of 640kbps that DD supports... As long as they have to redo the audio anyway, there's always hope that they'll actually decide to treat BD with greater optimism as to the formats longevity than what they afford HD DVD. With BD, they don't even have to have any other than TrueHD. Hopefully, they won't dumb down their BDs just so they aren't proven wrong in all the bogus statements they've made endorsing HD DVD as "superior".

[Jodi]

Originally Posted by ClaytonMG

Dolby Digital Plus isn't nearly as good as everyone thinks it is. Do a comparisson and you'll hear major differences between DTS and Dolby Digital Plus. Also, Universal HAS used Dolby TrueHD. End of Days, The War and Nutty Professor 2 all have TrueHD tracks on them. Chances are, if they switch to Blu, they'll have way more room to work and will be able to include more than just Dolby Digital-Plus. Also, there have been Universal titles with DTS within the past 3 years. Anyone remember War of the Worlds? That was one of the best audio tracks ever.

Actually, you have Steven Speilberg (the fairy Godfather of DTS himself) to thank for the DTS track on the "War of the Worlds" DVD. DTS was Speilberg's baby; the culmination of many years of technological development that made it's premiere to the world with the release of "Jurassic Park" (theatrically) back in 1993.
Speilberg put the DVD of "WotW" domestically on his DreamWorks Home Entertainment label. Theatrically, "WotW" was co-produced by Paramount and DreamWorks. The film was distributed domestically by Paramount (the 1953 classic and 2005 remake are both Paramount properties).
Had it not been for Speilberg, the "WotW" DVD would have sorely been missing the powerful and thunderous DTS track.

Jodi

[dobyblue]

There were a lot better DTS tracks on DVD than War of the Worlds.
Whilst you have Spielberg to thank for DTS, you have Universal to thank for the many releases that utilized the full 1.5 Mbps DTS track on DVD.

Dreamworks were pretty good supporters of the full bitrate DTS along with Universal, so WOTW may well have seen its DTS track regardless.

I though Dantes Peak and Daylight was a much better DTS track than War of the Worlds to be honest. It looks like the HD DVD release of Daylight was not as good audio-wise as the DVD release though!

DTS on DVD at 1.5 Mbps

Amistad (DreamWorks) 1509kbps
Antz (DreamWorks) 1509kbps
Apollo 13 (Universal) 1509kbps Discontinued
Babe (Universal. Warning: Pan and Scan) 1509kbps Discontinued
Born on the Fourth of July (Universal) 1509kbps Discontinued
Boxer, The (Universal) 1509kbps
Dances With Wolves (Image Entertainment) 1509kbps Discontinued
Dante's Peak (Universal) 1509kbps
Daylight (Universal) 1509kbps
Dragonheart (Universal) 1509kbps
EdTV (Universal) 1509kbps
Flintstones, The (Universal) 1509kbps
For Richer or Poorer (Universal) 1509kbps
Galaxy Quest (DreamWorks) 1509kbps
Interview with the Vampire (Warner) 1509kbps
Jackal, The (Universal) 1509kbps
Lethal Weapon (Warner) 1509kbps
Lethal Weapon 2 (Warner) 1509kbps
Lethal Weapon 3 (Warner) 1509kbps
Liar Liar (Universal. Warning: Pan and Scan) 1509kbps
Little Rascals, The (Universal) 1509kbps
Mercury Rising (Universal) 1509kbps
Mouse Hunt (DreamWorks) 1509kbps
Nutty Professor, The (Universal) 1509kbps
Out of Sight (Universal) 1509kbps
Passion of the Christ, The (20th Century Fox) 1509kbps Canada/754kbps US Standard and Definitive Edition
Patch Adams (Universal) 1509kbps Discontinued
Paulie (DreamWorks) 1509kbps
Peacemaker, The (DreamWorks) 1509kbps
Primary Colors (Universal) 1509kbps
Prince of Egypt, The (DreamWorks) 1509kbps
Re-Animator: Millennium Edition (Elite Entertainment) 1509kbps
River Wild, The (Universal) 1509kbps
Shadow, The (Universal. Warning: Pan and Scan) 1509kbps
Small Soldiers (DreamWorks) 1509kbps
Super Speedway: The Mach II Special Edition (Image Entertainment) 1509kbps
Thin Red Line, The (20th Century Fox) 1509kbps
Twister (Warner) 1509kbps
Virus (Universal) 1509kbps
Waterworld (Universal) 1509kbps

For the full list of all DTS tracks you can visit the site here - http://www.spannerworks.net/reference/10_6a.asp

All material copyright Adam Barratt

[ClaytonMG]

I actually was refering to the sound mix. And I already know all about Speilberg and DTS (oddly enough, Munich didn't have a DTS track... very strange, though it was in Dolby Digital Surround EX). I also have like 90% of the movies on that dts list there. And it is a valid complaint about the whole uncompressed audio on a Universal Blu-Ray thing. The movies I mentioned having Dolby TrueHD are pathetic (aside from The War, I actually liked that movie.) But someone got the facts wrong so I corrected them about it. Also, as you guys mentioned, Spielberg will probably want DTS-HDMA audio on his movies. At least, that'd be my guess. As for Dante's Peak and Daylight, Dante's Peak has pops in the sound and Daylight has poor use of the rears and the explosions don't have a very good sound design. But I do like Dante's Peak. I bet anything the Dolby Digital-Plus track on Dante's Peak sounds worse than the full bit rate DTS track on the Dante's Peak DTS disc. Someone should try to compare those two. I have an HD-DVD player, but I haven't bought a movie on there for months and months now due to the poor quality (and lack of uncompressed audio) that Universal's been shoveling out. WHY DOES SOMEONE NEED NUTTY PROFESSOR 2 IN DOLBY TRUEHD, but movies like Daylight and Dante's Peak only have Dolby Digital-Plus, a sound codec that doesn't even sound as good as DTS? Sorry, I just had to get that out.

[WickyWoo]

Actually, you have Steven Speilberg (the fairy Godfather of DTS himself) to thank for the DTS track on the "War of the Worlds" DVD. DTS was Speilberg's baby; the culmination of many years of technological development that made it's premiere to the world with the release of "Jurassic Park" (theatrically) back in 1993.
Speilberg put the DVD of "WotW" domestically on his DreamWorks Home Entertainment label. Theatrically, "WotW" was co-produced by Paramount and DreamWorks. The film was distributed domestically by Paramount (the 1953 classic and 2005 remake are both Paramount properties).
Had it not been for Speilberg, the "WotW" DVD would have sorely been missing the powerful and thunderous DTS track.

WoTW was always a Dreamworks film. DW had no theatrical distribution division and always relied on another studio to movie their films to market. Just like Private Ryan was "Paramount", and Minority Report was "Fox", but they were always DreamWorks movies.

I'm sure he'll be just as happy with PCM on all his movies, especailly if it's true that he's no longer financially involved with them (rumor, don't know if it's true)

[darinp2]

Originally Posted by Jodi

You know how Universal standard DVDs use only English Dolby Digital 5.1 (as well as a seconday language in DD 5.1) and no other audio codec period?
I would be afraid that if....IF......Universal finally goes Blu, they might use DD on all of their Blu discs and nothing else. Not even LPCM.
Any thoughts???

Universal used TrueHD for a couple of titles a while ago and I think some recent ones have had it too. If they could get BD50s and they were Blu-ray exclusive I think they would use lossless audio a lot, since they would have more bandwidth and space than they've gotten with HD DVD. If they go neutral they may make things to the lowest common denominator though.

--Darin

[Jodi]

Originally Posted by dobyblue

There were a lot better DTS tracks on DVD than War of the Worlds.
Whilst you have Spielberg to thank for DTS, you have Universal to thank for the many releases that utilized the full 1.5 Mbps DTS track on DVD.

Dreamworks were pretty good supporters of the full bitrate DTS along with Universal, so WOTW may well have seen its DTS track regardless.

I though Dantes Peak and Daylight was a much better DTS track than War of the Worlds to be honest. It looks like the HD DVD release of Daylight was not as good audio-wise as the DVD release though!

DTS on DVD at 1.5 Mbps



For the full list of all DTS tracks you can visit the site here - http://www.spannerworks.net/reference/10_6a.asp

All material copyright Adam Barratt

I have 26 out of those 40 titles. Altogether, I have nearly 250 titles in DTS (on Blu-Ray, on DVD R1 North America, DVD R2 UK, and DVD R2 Japan).
I would like to somehow attach my movie collections so that people can see them. They are all Word documents. Is this possible? Is it allowable?

Jodi