From now on, I won't buy anymore BDs with no lossless audio

[McCrutchy]

So I'm noticing a disturbing trend lately, first we have Uncle Buck and The Blues Brothers with DTS 2.0 and 5.1, respectively, then we have Halloween II with DTS 5.1, and now it appears that Tom and Jerry: The Golden Collection Vol. 1 will have Dolby Digital Mono. This is quite an upsetting development.

I know there are a couple threads about the Universal releases, but I just wanted to say that, in general, from now on, I will not support any release without lossless audio, especially one from a major studio.

Now, there are always a lot of people--and I bet that they'll show up here--who are fine with lossy audio on a BD released in 2011. Why exactly, I don't know, and I suppose many people have not yet experienced lossless due to the age of their systems, but the fact remains that without lossless audio, Blu-ray consumers are being cheated out of the aural experience Blu-ray can deliver, and it's simply not appropriate. Lossless audio should be as standard for Blu-ray audio as 1080 resolution is for Blu-ray video.

Another thing: If the movie was mixed in mono or stereo, you can deliver a mono or stereo lossless track, it doesn't have to be 7.1 or 5.1. So if the problem stems from the expense of re-rendering a 5.1 re-mix in lossless, then please just deliver the original audio in lossless; I would prefer this in the first place, anyway.

[Mahatma]

Not even Blues brothers?I really liked the audio there even though it was lossy.So did the reviewer here

[McCrutchy]

Originally Posted by Mahatma

Not even Blues brothers?I really liked the audio there even though it was lossy.So did the reviewer here

No, not even that.

Imagine what it could have been with lossless. I realize that in reality, the difference may not be there for that particular mix of that particular release, but it's the principle of the thing. I'm starting to see a trickle effect and I want it to stop.

[coolmilo]

That's been my policy since 2008. I will not buy any flipper discs either. In my opinion, Blu-ray is a premium product and deserves the very best audio/video encodes as possible. Otherwise, there are alternatives that are much more affordable than Blu-ray.

[Petyr_Baelish]

"without lossless audio" sounds better

[Johnny Vinyl]

Sometimes you're not going to get better than what's been offered (included), and to discount titles based on that is limiting yourself to some great movies. JMO of course.

[Cevolution]

Obviously we all prefer blu-rays we purchase to come with lossless audio, but like John said sometimes it's just not going to happen and you're limiting youself if you choose not to buy blu-rays that don't come with lossless tracks. Lossy on blu-rays is still superior to lossy on dvd's. As for Uncle Buck just import it if it bothers you that much, I can't remember if it's region free but my Australian version has 2.0 dts hd ma.

[AYColumbia]

Originally Posted by McCrutchy

So I'm noticing a disturbing trend lately, first we have Uncle Buck and The Blues Brothers with DTS 2.0 and 5.1, respectively, then we have Halloween II with DTS 5.1, and now it appears that Tom and Jerry: The Golden Collection Vol. 1 will have Dolby Digital Mono. This is quite an upsetting development.

I know there are a couple threads about the Universal releases, but I just wanted to say that, in general, from now on, I will not support any release without lossless audio, especially one from a major studio.

Now, there are always a lot of people--and I bet that they'll show up here--who are fine with lossy audio on a BD released in 2011. Why exactly, I don't know, and I suppose many people have not yet experienced lossless due to the age of their systems, but the fact remains that without lossless audio, Blu-ray consumers are being cheated out of the aural experience Blu-ray can deliver, and it's simply not appropriate. Lossless audio should be as standard for Blu-ray audio as 1080 resolution is for Blu-ray video.

Another thing: If the movie was mixed in mono or stereo, you can deliver a mono or stereo lossless track, it doesn't have to be 7.1 or 5.1. So if the problem stems from the expense of re-rendering a 5.1 re-mix in lossless, then please just deliver the original audio in lossless; I would prefer this in the first place, anyway.

I couldn't agree with you more. In the case of Uncle Buck, it even states "Purest Digital Sound" on the back cover and that's not true since it comes with lossy audio. Very disappointing. Why the hell would they release it elsewhere with lossless audio and somewhere else with lossy?

[ImportFanatic]

Halloween II doesn't have lossless audio!? Damn!

[Pirate King]

Obviously, we all prefer lossless audio. However... if it is an older catalogue release, i.e. Blues Brothers.. I would purchase it anyway. It will still be much better than my DVD.. and who knows if and when Blues Brothers might be re-released with lossless audio.

I want the very best version of the movie that I can possibly buy.. and if that version only has Dolby Digital... it is not a deal breaker for me. I can remember when everyone was blown away by Dolby Pro Logic.

Dolby Digital is certainly not the same as Lossless audio.. But it is not horrible. In fact, it is quite good.

I guess I am saying... I buy movies. If given a choice I will always buy lossless audio. I would rather have Blues Brothers with Dolby Digital than to have to watch my DVD PQ.

[Johnny Vinyl]

Listen to The Eagles Farewell I Tour in DTS 5.1 and tell me you won't be blown away.

[Atreyu]

Originally Posted by Pirate King

Obviously, we all prefer lossless audio. However... if it is an older catalogue release, i.e. Blues Brothers.. I would purchase it anyway. It will still be much better than my DVD.. and who knows if and when Blues Brothers might be re-released with lossless audio.

I want the very best version of the movie that I can possibly buy.. and if that version only has Dolby Digital... it is not a deal breaker for me. I can remember when everyone was blown away by Dolby Pro Logic.

Dolby Digital is certainly not the same as Lossless audio.. But it is not horrible. In fact, it is quite good.

I guess I am saying... I buy movies. If given a choice I will always buy lossless audio. I would rather have Blues Brothers with Dolby Digital than to have to watch my DVD PQ.

I couldn't agree more. Lossless is best, but if nbo other option on a blu is available I will still purchase it.

[Mahatma]

Originally Posted by John72953

Listen to The Eagles Farewell I Tour in DTS 5.1 and tell me you won't be blown away.

had a rough night, and I hate the f¤&%ing Eagles, man.

[Johnny Vinyl]

Originally Posted by Mahatma

I hate the f¤%&ing eagles.

Obviously my point was lost on you!

[Mahatma]

Originally Posted by John72953

Obviously my point was lost on you!

Oh dear.Look whos talking.Think you've got a bee in your bonnet,man

[HHX]

hahaha "and I hate the f%ck!ng Eagles, man!". Far out dude

[McCrutchy]

Again, it's the principle of the thing. It's not 2006, it's 2011, and from now on, I shouldn't see any Blu-ray film titles without lossless audio. The only time I would be willing to accept it is if somehow, the original audio was recorded in a lossy format to begin with (i.e. at the production level), and for those releases a disclaimer should be placed on the packaging. Otherwise I simply won't waste my money anymore. Studios are aware of what consumers expect for Blu-ray, and the lossless codecs have been around for years now.

There is no excuse that I can think of for a release from 2011 to have lossy audio on it. If the issue is that only lossy quality materials exist, then the studio needs to go back to the materials and re-render the audio in lossless quality. Think about it: You wouldn't accept the video if a studio upconverted an SD video master for a Blu-ray release.

As I have said before, there is a double-standard of acceptance, and my real fear is that with so many consumers accepting what they get, we will start to see more lossy audio on releases. Remember, we are still getting lossy audio on brand new titles from some labels.

Originally Posted by John72953

Listen to The Eagles Farewell I Tour in DTS 5.1 and tell me you won't be blown away.

That never came out on Blu-ray (yes, there is an HD DVD), so it's not relevant.

In any event, I am not comparing specific mixes to one another. I am saying that lossless should simply be a standard in general by now. Depending on the particular mix, it could sound better or it could sound the same, but the opportunity to make that distinction should be available on every Blu-ray title at this point.

[Gempulse]

Originally Posted by Mahatma

had a rough night, and I hate the f¤&%ing Eagles, man.

Lol nice!

[Johnny Vinyl]

Originally Posted by Mahatma

Oh dear.Look whos talking.Think you've got a bee in your bonnet,man

I seriously doubt that. My point was simply to state that DTS or Dolby Digital can indeed sound wonderful, and to dismiss titles based on a lack of DTS HD MA or the Dolby equivalent is short-changing yourself to experiencing some wonderful titles.

[Johnny Vinyl]

Originally Posted by McCrutchy

Again, it's the principle of the thing. It's not 2006, it's 2011, and from now on, I shouldn't see any Blu-ray film titles without lossless audio. The only time I would be willing to accept it is if somehow, the original audio was recorded in a lossy format to begin with (i.e. at the production level), and for those releases a disclaimer should be placed on the packaging. Otherwise I simply won't waste my money anymore. Studios are aware of what consumers expect for Blu-ray, and the lossless codecs have been around for years now.

There is no excuse that I can think of for a release from 2011 to have lossy audio on it. If the issue is that only lossy quality materials exist, then the studio needs to go back to the materials and re-render the audio in lossless quality. Think about it: You wouldn't accept the video if a studio upconverted an SD video master for a Blu-ray release.

As I have said before, there is a double-standard of acceptance, and my real fear is that with so many consumers accepting what they get, we will start to see more lossy audio on releases. Remember, we are still getting lossy audio on brand new titles from some labels.



That never came out on Blu-ray (yes, there is an HD DVD), so it's not relevant.

In any event, I am not comparing specific mixes to one another. I am saying that lossless should simply be a standard in general by now. Depending on the particular mix, it could sound better or it could sound the same, but the opportunity to make that distinction should be available on every Blu-ray title at this point.

While I agree that every release should have the best possible audio quality represented, that is simply not going to happen as studios aren't interested in providing product to satisfy a niche market. And yes, the members here who are into HT are considered a niche market. The vast majority of consumers could care less about the quality of sound and this is the market segment that studios and recording companies cater to. It isn't about creating the best possible product...it's about moving product.

The digital music downloads are a perfect example of this. The general public doesn't care about quality...they want convienience. Quick downloads at $0.99 from iTunes to load on their PC, tablet or phone is what they want and have indeed demanded.