Check Your Copy of Close Encounters For This Audio Glitch with The Center Channel...

[Semp1]

There is an issue with Close Encounters on blu-ray that I have discovered, the center channel comes through the front 3 speakers instead of just the center with dialogue coming from all 3. Only the lossless tracks are affected by this with the foreign track being unaffected. I thought maybe it was my copy so I exchanged it but it wasn't the new copy does the same thing and it's not my receiver or playert because I checked many movies all with lossless tracks and they do not do this, so it definately is Close Encounters...

[Semp1]

I just want to know if this was intentional because I am assuming it was not...

[Sonny]

So much for "really taking there time".....

[Seretur]

Don't forget it's a 1977 film, which wasn't recorded in 5.1.

The decision to spread the dialog to the full front soundfield probably had to do with the lack of ability to separate it from the ambiental noise recorded concurrently with it (i.e., in cases where there was no ADR). It can be done, yes, but perhaps it wasn't an option here.

Dubbed versions naturally have a language track separate from the ambiental noises and sound effects, which would facilitate the central separation.

Just guessing here, of course -- but I would never call this a glitch, nor belittle the efforts of the sound engineers who had to create the 5.1 mix from the original elements. It still sounds great.

[Semp1]

Well it's only a glitch when someone tells me their copy only has dialogue in the center channel...did you check your copy??? If this is how it is supposed to be I'm fine with that but I'll be honest this would be a first and i own hundreds of movies...

[Semp1]

Does anyone even own this movie. This in my opinion if unintended is just as annoying if not more than when Disney cropped Pirates wrong...

[Scooby Blu]

Originally Posted by Semp1

Does anyone even own this movie. This in my opinion if unintended is just as annoying if not more than when Disney cropped Pirates wrong...

Yes, I own the movie. I will have to check it out tonight when I get home from work. Did not notice anything unusual the first time I watched it. I was just blown away because I saw it in the theater when I was a kid. This BD version blew that showing away ! Plus, watching it on blu I enjoyed more than a few cocktails as well.

[Petra_Kalbrain]

Originally Posted by Semp1

Does anyone even own this movie. This in my opinion if unintended is just as annoying if not more than when Disney cropped Pirates wrong...

I'll check it right now.

[Semp1]

all right cool thanks...

[Petra_Kalbrain]

Originally Posted by Semp1

all right cool thanks...

Yup... definitely coming through on all 3 fronts. But, if calibrated properly the dialogue from FL and FR is only noticeable if you get within 5 feet of those speakers. My centre speaker is much more prominent with the dialogue, so I never noticed the FL and FR dialogue.

[nycomet]

Originally Posted by Petra_Kalbrain

I'll check it right now.

Well? What happened? I'm on pins and needles here waiting for your feedback!

Edit: okay - that was fast. I am not on pins and needles anymore. Thanks. I will simply turn off the left and right front speakers when I watch it again. EZ fix. That will solve the problem.

[Semp1]

yeah but thats how it is for me too much lower on the FL and FR speakers...there's no way that was done on purpose the only reason I noticed it was because I was standing between the center and the front right and I heard a slight echo...but thank you I appreciate you checking, been waiting all day for someone to check I posted this on every forum possible to get my answer...lol...