Redbox rentals: BD movies w/DD5.1 audio?

[benji888578]

(not sure where to post this, and, yes I searched and didn't find)

So, the last couple (or so) movies, some being blockbuster movies, I rented from Redbox have had only DD5.1 soundtracks!?! Anyone know what the heck is going on? I understand only putting the movie and a few previews on there without the special features, since it's a 24 hour rental, but, why the dumbing down of audio?

(I still rent movies, sometimes before I can buy the movie, sometimes to find out if a movie is worth buying, sometimes if I missed it in the theater.)

[lilboyblu]

Were they Lionsgate titles by chance? If so, it's been going on for a few years already, unfortunately.

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=205502

[steve_dave]

Originally Posted by benji888578

... but, why the dumbing down of audio?
...

To fit on the cheaper BD-25 disc.

[Rik1138]

Originally Posted by steve_dave

To fit on the cheaper BD-25 disc.

Nah, there's only about a 2-gb (maybe 3) difference between lossless and lossy... They can easily make the movie and lossless fit on the disc.

They do it deliberately because they want you to buy the disc to get all the 'good stuff' (lossless audio being on of the 'good things'), so they make the rentals as undesirable as possible...

[8traxrule]

Universal's stripped-down rental discs are still BD-50s, though they still include DTS Master Audio.

[1blufan]

Originally Posted by 8traxrule

Universal's stripped-down rental discs are still BD-50s, though they still include DTS Master Audio.

Lionsgate is really the only one to do it. Like Rik said it's done on purpose to sway people to buy it. To be honest it's worked on me I know if it's a good Lionsgate released film I will buy it and not rent it just for the audio factor alone.

[benji888578]

Originally Posted by lilboyblu

Were they Lionsgate titles by chance? If so, it's been going on for a few years already, unfortunately.

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=205502

thanks, I didn't think this was new. I see this is a problem with Netflix too, I'm definitely not going to add discs to my Netflix plan.

Originally Posted by steve_dave

To fit on the cheaper BD-25 disc.

Why do they spend extra money pressing different discs for rentals? I would think they would save money by just using the same discs for rentals as for sales.

Personally, if they want to sell us the movie, we need the full experience with the rental, otherwise we might think the audio will be crap if we buy it, right? WTF?

I actually had problems with the channels on one disc, ...it was Insurgent, the voice would be way off center at times, terrible.

Some of us can't buy every movie we want, when we want to, at the prices they are asking when they are released. Or, we missed it in the theater, for whatever reason, want to rent it so we can see it, and buy it later when we can. ...So, this is just B.S. and bad marketing, IMO.

[HD Goofnut]

Originally Posted by benji888578

thanks, I didn't think this was new. I see this is a problem with Netflix too, I'm definitely not going to add discs to my Netflix plan.

Why do they spend extra money pressing different discs for rentals? I would think they would save money by just using the same discs for rentals as for sales.

Personally, if they want to sell us the movie, we need the full experience with the rental, otherwise we might think the audio will be crap if we buy it, right? WTF?

I actually had problems with the channels on one disc, ...it was Insurgent, the voice would be way off center at times, terrible.

Some of us can't buy every movie we want, when we want to, at the prices they are asking when they are released. Or, we missed it in the theater, for whatever reason, want to rent it so we can see it, and buy it later when we can. ...So, this is just B.S. and bad marketing, IMO.

I have already covered this in the Lionsgate thread. The only time they do this is when the movie alone with a DD 5.1 track will fit on a BD-25. So instead of making nothing but BD-50s for everyone they make BD-25s for Netflix and Redbox since they cost about 3/4 less.

[bigdaddyhorse]

I can't count the number of times I've ran into a disc for sale in a rental or used store and had to put it back for being stripped of something. I thought the different versions were for that reason, so no one would buy cheap ex-rentals that don't count, and cut into, the studio's bottom line.
Even more annoying is when they don't offer the unrated versions the retail discs do.