Where's the 7.1 mixes?

[mr.hidef]

OK......so you've went out and spent thousands of dollars on a sweet 7.1 home theater system. Now.....where is the 7.1 movies? What is with these studios? There are THOUSANDS of titles out now, and maybe 100 with 7.1 soundtracks.......was all this hype worth it? If studio's want to sell more blu's, they need to give us what we need......thoughts?

[un4gvn94538]

my thoughts are that they will sell the blus no matter if its 7.1 or 5.1 but i would like more 7.1 though but its not a deal breaker when i buy

[Clark Kent]

I would not expect a plethora of 7.1 mixes anytime soon. They are more expensive to produce and the vast, vast majority of users are not capable of 7.1 surround sound. Hollywood has pulled back from features that do not propel sales figures.

[ShelbyGT500]

As much as I want the movies to be in 7.1 I will take 5.1 as long as it's the lossless track. The thing I hate is when they release a BD with lossy audio, those I refuse to buy.

[Jwilly019]

Originally Posted by Clark Kent

I would not expect a plethora of 7.1 mixes anytime soon. They are more expensive to produce and the vast, vast majority of users are not capable of 7.1 surround sound. Hollywood has pulled back from features that do not propel sales figures.

Agreed. Until the majority of HTiB's are 7.1, most people won't have 7.1 systems. Until then, we're in the minority and Hollywood isn't going to cater to us. We just have to enjoy the 7.1 discs that we do have.

Also, I'm sure there are a few members here who could ask, "Where are the 9.2 mixes?"

[BozQ]

Erm...that's because most of the movies released to cinemas are in 5.1. And a very few are mixed in 6.1. And even if it were in 6.1, it's mostly matrixed and not discrete (AKA Dolby Digital Surround EX)

5.1 is the de facto standard and it will continue to be for a very long time.
The only way now is to turn on Dolby Pro Logic IIx or DTS:NEO6 if you want to make use of your speakers.

[Gremal]

I sure wish 7.1 would become the new standard. But I agree it will remain 5.1 for the foreseeable future.

[ClaytonMG]

Originally Posted by BozQ

Erm...that's because most of the movies released to cinemas are in 5.1. And a very few are mixed in 6.1. And even if it were in 6.1, it's mostly matrixed and not discrete (AKA Dolby Digital Surround EX)

5.1 is the de facto standard and it will continue to be for a very long time.
The only way now is to turn on Dolby Pro Logic IIx or DTS:NEO6 if you want to make use of your speakers.

There are other ways to use all your speakers. THX offers quite a few listening modes that put all speakers in a 7.1 set up to use.

If 7.1 became the standard for theaters, I'd want more 7.1 mixes. But as it is now, I'd rather take the original 5.1 mix than a 7.1 mix created from a 5.1 master.

[Fighter]

Big 7.1 audio fan

Looking forward to more future releases with this option.

[Dexter Morgan]

Most new Lionsgate releases are capable of 7.1.

[krazeyeyez]

My question is..... if the make a 7.1 track, from a 5.1 original, put it on a blu.... then i listen to that 7.1 track on my 5.1 system, am i getting the original or is a whole lot of matrix work going on?

Agree 7.1 systems are far from the norm currently and until they are doubt you will see a bunch out there.

[ClaytonMG]

Originally Posted by krazeyeyez

My question is..... if the make a 7.1 track, from a 5.1 original, put it on a blu.... then i listen to that 7.1 track on my 5.1 system, am i getting the original or is a whole lot of matrix work going on?

Agree 7.1 systems are far from the norm currently and until they are doubt you will see a bunch out there.

The extra information that's being sent to the back channels will instead be sent to the side channels. Or at least should be, there's been some speculation that on certain DTS-HD MA titles people might be losing anything that's being sent to the back channels. I think that applies more to the movies that had the incorrect channel mapping applied.

Unfortunately, if you try using Pro-Logic IIx or something similar on 7.1 titles, it will not have the same effect as the extra channels are actually "locked" in the sides.

[dvdwatcher]

so if the soundtrack isnt 7.1 but you have 7 speakers connected do you have to do anything special to output the 7.1 or what? If the movie is only 5.1 the two speakers just do nothing?

[Beta Man]

Originally Posted by dvdwatcher

so if the soundtrack isnt 7.1 but you have 7 speakers connected do you have to do anything special to output the 7.1 or what? If the movie is only 5.1 the two speakers just do nothing?

Depends on your AVR etc..... many allow you to select options to matrix the surrounds to the rear surrounds also.

[deado]

Well I didn't think Fox would ever use 7.1 but they have with Ice Age 3... so who knows what will happen from now.

[ClaytonMG]

Originally Posted by Beta Man

Depends on your AVR etc..... many allow you to select options to matrix the surrounds to the rear surrounds also.

Yeah basically any receiver that lets you connect 7 speakers will have some optional form of you activating them. There's some that duplicate the side channels to the rear, some that have different features to put ambient noises from the side channels to the back, THX Ultra2/THX Select2 listening modes... It all depends on the receiver...

[Travis]

I love the idea of 7.1, but until more have it, I won't get it. I don't like the idea of the AVR upconverting 5.1 to 7.1. I never upconvert mono or stero either.

I thought my fronts would be great to move to the back, since they are the same as the surrounds, thinking now they will go to the bedroom for a Hi-fi setup.

[Trogdor2010]

It's the same problem with some of us 6.1 users in the days of DVD, it's more of a niche to have surround back channels, but it is becoming more popular however.

[mr.hidef]

Originally Posted by Trogdor2010

It's the same problem with some of us 6.1 users in the days of DVD, it's more of a niche to have surround back channels, but it is becoming more popular however.

I know what you mean.....I went from 6.1 to 7.1 .....

[wallendo]

Originally Posted by mr.hidef

OK......so you've went out and spent thousands of dollars on a sweet 7.1 home theater system. Now.....where is the 7.1 movies? What is with these studios? There are THOUSANDS of titles out now, and maybe 100 with 7.1 soundtracks.......was all this hype worth it? If studio's want to sell more blu's, they need to give us what we need......thoughts?

Why does the fact that you spent "thousands of dollars on a sweet 7.1 home theater system" obligate the studios, which received NONE of those "thousands of dollars" to mix movies just for you. I have a 7.1 system and would be pleased if my BD's had 7.1 mixes, but I don't think the studios owe me a 7.1 mix. Until most cinemas install 7.1 systems, most movies will be mixed in 5.1 for theatrical presentation, and their soundtracks will mostly just be ported over for the BD.