What Blu-ray is best to compare DD vs HD-audio...

[DeadDog]

So I recently upgraded my system (speakers, receiver etc.) so that I can get HD-audio via LPCM from my PS3, and just better sound overall. My wife seems to think that the upgrade wasn't really worth it. We used to have an old Philips HTiB from Wal-mart and she says she can't tell a difference (although she says it's "louder" now).

I have tweaked my audio settings, calibrated the setup, set crossover's etc. I can definitely tell a difference when watching movies. Dialog is clearer, sounds are more dynamic, overall it just sounds richer. Now I know that on some level it sounds better to me because I want it to sound better . But my question to you all is, what blu-ray can I use to show my wife (or anyone for that matter) the difference that HD-audio has? I know some movies have seperate DD and either TrueHD, PCM, or DTS-HD (such as many warner movies) and others just have a core DD track within the HD track.

I am trying to find a movie where sounds/noises are present that are either not noticeable or aren't nearly as clear as they are on the HD track. Preferably a movie from my collection. I figure I can switch between the tracks either in the pop-up menu if it has it, or by changing the PS3 to Bitstream instead of Linear PCM in the options menu during playback.

So what movie, and specific scenes from it, show an obvious difference that can be irrefutable by my wife or anyone else . Any ideas would be appreciated.

[Beta Man]

You got a new receiver but you're still using the Philips HTIB speakers?????

Many say there is still a very noticeable difference..... but I tend to think the difference may be less noticeable....

Just pick any Blu-ray with both an HD 5.1 or 7.1 track, and a standard Dolby Digital track How about "The Dark Knight" ?????? I don't have it, so I can't tell you specific scenes etc.

[aramis109]

Personally, I think it shows up best in dynamic music or long explosions, things like that. Stacatto gunfire or dialog usually isn't putting lossless' best foot forward. There are a few movies that when they start I've been like, "Wait, that isn't lossless" or "Ahh, lossless is the default on this one!" and when I check it on ye olde PS3, that's the case.

Anything that is effects-heavy or has a sweeping soundtrack I would think would be a good tool. Also keep in mind that they typically have a larger dynamic range as well.

[DeadDog]

Originally Posted by Beta Man

You got a new receiver but you're still using the Philips HTIB speakers?????

Many say there is still a very noticeable difference..... but I tend to think the difference may be less noticeable....

Just pick any Blu-ray with both an HD 5.1 or 7.1 track, and a standard Dolby Digital track How about "The Dark Knight" ?????? I don't have it, so I can't tell you specific scenes etc.

Only for the rear surrounds, I'll be upgrading them eventually. I just purchased a new center and fronts. I have to wait a little while before I can purchase anything else.

I've tried a couple movies already, TDK included, and so far the differences are somewhat hard to tell. I can hear some differences such as the glass shattering when the school bus smashes into the bank, but I'm hoping to find something a little more dynamic that will make my wife go aaaaaahhhhhh!

[BIslander]

You will probably need to do the comparison playing the same movie simultaneously on a DVD player and on your BD player while switching back and forth between them. If you do the comparison between lossless and lossy on Blu-ray, you may not hear much difference, perhaps no difference at all. The reason is simple: lossy tracks on BD are less compressed than the same tracks on DVD and they sound quite a bit better. You get better sound on Blu-ray even when using optical to feed legacy DD 5.1 and DTS tracks to your receiver.

[Jello]

What about concert blu-rays? There are many.

[Canada]

The Dark Knight (DD vs True HD)
Black Hawk Down (DD vs Uncompressed PCM)
Casino Royale 1st edition (DD vs Uncompressed Audio) Special Edition ( DD vs True HD)
Top Gun (5.1 True HD vs 6.1 DTS-MA)

[saprano]

The only movie i heard where the lossless track really sounds better than the lossy is diahard4. yeah other movies i can hear a little difference, but this movie was night and day. the dolby digital track sounded low and compressed, and had no dynamic range. the dts-ma track came to life. it was crisp, clear, and airy.

But like BIslander said, you should really do the comparison with dvd and blu-ray. DD and dts on blu-ray sounds so much better than they do on dvd.

[DeadDog]

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll definitely have to look at some concert blu-rays. That will probably show the most discernible difference.

Also, I might have to do the dvd/blu-ray comparison. I thought about how the core Dolby Digital track is already better than the dvd one, so the difference wouldn't be quite as large between it and the HD track on the blu-ray disc.

Thanks again for the suggestions.

[jimmy the comic]

My friend didn't believe Blu-Ray would really sound that much better. So, he did a blind test- I played him the opening song of "Nightmare Before Christmas" in blu-ray, then again on the regular DVD. (I still had my DVD from double dipping.) It blew him away!

[tilapiah6]

Originally Posted by Beta Man

You got a new receiver but you're still using the Philips HTIB speakers?????

Many say there is still a very noticeable difference..... but I tend to think the difference may be less noticeable....

Just pick any Blu-ray with both an HD 5.1 or 7.1 track, and a standard Dolby Digital track How about "The Dark Knight" ?????? I don't have it, so I can't tell you specific scenes etc.

I would say with the OP not having new speakers, The Dark Knight wouldn't be a good choice. They did an outstanding job on the DD track, and the difference, while obvious with different speakers, is still minimal. I'd say try Akira or one of the Lost seasons. The difference with those two are HUGE.

[crazyBLUE]

Originally Posted by saprano

The only movie i heard where the lossless track really sounds better than the lossy is diahard4. yeah other movies i can hear a little difference, but this movie was night and day. the dolby digital track sounded low and compressed, and had no dynamic range. the dts-ma track came to life. it was crisp, clear, and airy.

But like BIslander said, you should really do the comparison with dvd and blu-ray. DD and dts on blu-ray sounds so much better than they do on dvd.

I agree with saprano ~ die hard 4 , another one would be 3:10 to yuma !

[DeadDog]

I found a pretty noticeable difference on Into the Wild. My wife and I both listen to the soundtrack on our ipods fairly often so we are very familiar with the songs. I took a scene (where he starts driving down the highway) where there is just music and then he narrates a little.

The difference isn't "huge" but it was certainly enough to convince my wife of the difference. The music was more clear as was the voice over, when I played the DD track my wife noticed how it sounded "muffled" and had almost a far-away aspect to it as opposed to the clear, impactful HD-track.

I'll have to take a look at 3:10 to Yuma since that's in my collection already.

[Joe Cain]

My vote goes to POTC: Dead Man's Chest. The earth-moving stuff is all very impressive, but what really struck me at first (and it was the first BD I played) was the enhanced presence of all the incidental ambient effects. I love to listen to the early scene between Jack & Bootstrap in the Pearl's hold, all rocking and creaking and dripping and slapping of waves...really nice stuff.

[Jeremy1983]

I did the test with 3:10 to Yuma during the stagecoach robbery, and there was a noticeable improvement between the DD and PCM.

[NotMe]

Listen to the beginning subway scene in Underworld. The difference between the two tracks is amazing.

At that movie is what, 6 years old.

[Sonny]

"The Eye" has a lot of jumpy type scene's, make the wife's heart pound & watch her (& you ) jump out of your seat. Oh DTS-HD MA

[Canada]

Originally Posted by Jeremy1983

I did the test with 3:10 to Yuma during the stagecoach robbery, and there was a noticeable improvement between the DD and DTS-MA.

You must live outside North America because 3:10 to Yuma was 7.1 uncompressed PCM

[Canada]

Pirates of the Caribbean: Any
Black Hawk Down
Bridge to Teribithia
Ratatouille

[callas01]

what I did was use PTOC and switched between LPCM and DD using the popup menu, and let my wife hear the difference, it was all better after that.