Transformers won best audio quality at the Hi Def Awards?

[ClaytonMG]

Originally Posted by dialog_gvf

If the care that went into Transformers was applied across all HD DVD titles, then would be something to talk about. We can imagine they spent a great deal of time on the segment re-encodes and the audio to get it to that level. It was the statement title for Paramount after defecting. It had to be great.

If you're willing to put up with 3/3.5 PQ/AQ for most releases to get the occasional HD DVD title that matches Blu-ray's fairly common level of quality, then HD DVD is your format.

Gary

Thank you! I 100% agree. And I think the only reason some people are puting it down is because it's HD DVD. Granted, given HD DVD's track record, it's a pretty unimpressive format, but still. I am still 100% Blu, but this title was impressive, no matter how you cut it. Would it be more impressive on Blu? There's no way of knowing so it's pointless to even discuss it. But an amazing soundtrack won an award for amazing sound. That's all there is to it.

[Grif32]

Originally Posted by kiskiboy97

I wonder what the other nominees were. I can't imagine it sounding better than Live Free or Die Hard.

Well it did..

[fronn]

Originally Posted by ClaytonMG

Again, since you must not have read what I said earlier, they are looking into errors on some discs. My disc has killer bass.

You have any link so I can keep track of this?

My only real complaint with the AQ of Transformers what I felt was a bit of a lack of bass in some parts (it sounded fine otherwise, but I felt like the low end wasn't totally covered). Otherwise, I think it was an excellent audio track... love to hear a 24bit lossless version of it though. Personally I thought there was quite a few other BR's which sounded just as good and rivaled it or beat it -- I definitely wouldn't have chosen it for best AQ (I think there are HD DVDs that beat it too, to be honest). I thought the DTS track on Kingdom of Heaven sounded just as good, if not better than Transformers (I wish PS3 could decode the DTSHDMA track).

I'd definitely put it in the list of well done audio tracks though.

[ClaytonMG]

Originally Posted by fronn

You have any link so I can keep track of this?

My only real complaint with the AQ of Transformers what I felt was a bit of a lack of bass in some parts (it sounded fine otherwise, but I felt like the low end wasn't totally covered). Otherwise, I think it was an excellent audio track... love to hear a 24bit lossless version of it though. Personally I thought there was quite a few other BR's which sounded just as good and rivaled it or beat it -- I definitely wouldn't have chosen it for best AQ (I think there are HD DVDs that beat it too, to be honest). I thought the DTS track on Kingdom of Heaven sounded just as good, if not better than Transformers (I wish PS3 could decode the DTSHDMA track).

I'd definitely put it in the list of well done audio tracks though.

I can't find it now. It was on MichaelBay.com. Someone actually asked him about the bass lacking on their HD-DVD and he said he was going to personally speak to Paramount about it and see if there were some issues with it. It's in the forum somewhere.

[Rumar 4U]

Transformers... MORE THAN MEETS THE "EAR"...

[ClaytonMG]

http://www.shootfortheedit.com/forum...ighlight=Audio

Found the link. It doesn't look like Bay found anything out about it. But it does sound like there's something fishy going on. I wish I knew what everyone was using as far as equipment goes and how it's connected. I got perfect bass with my HD-A1 connected via HDMI. I think that one guy bragging about HD-DVD there said that connections over HDMI are the problem, but that's obviously not the case for me. Then one person with the A2 complained as well. So I am willing to bet there's some weird bad apples out there.

[Brain Sturgeon]

Just a couple of thoughts after reading through this thread:

I, myself, have not heard the DD+ soundtrack on the HD DVD of Transformers and I don't have any plans of doing so. That having been said, anyone who does not think a lossless track from the original master would not best a DD, DD+, or DTS track from that same master is just plain nuts. Do A-B listening yourself on any disc out there that has a lossless and lossy track, and there is just no comparison. You can pick out the lossless track as better sounding every single time. The absolute bottomless bass, definition and coherence of the bass, and the width/depth of the soundfield is just so much better with lossless tracks. A lossy soundtrack needs to cut corners to fit it into space/bandwidth constraints based upon what the codec designers felt that, psychoacoustically, they could get away with and not sound too much off from the original. But regardless, there are elements of the soundtracks that are degraded with this process, and lossy is not as good as lossless on ANY soundtrack. Period.

Transformers DD+ soundtrack may be the best there is available for a DD+ soundtrack, but it still is not as good as the master that it was derived from. This is the point many of the posters are making in questioning the logic of giving a "High Def" award to a soundtrack that does not fit into that category. This has nothing to do with the fact that it is on HD DVD only. If this track was on a BD (a la WBHE), I would be making this same argument.

As far as the argument that DD+ is better at high bitrates-- this is not true. Quoted from Roger Dressler in talking about DD+ on Universal releases on HD DVD:

"The same question can be asked for the 1.5 Mbps rate, but at least in that case there's ample room to grow for the 7.1 option, but after that, we're almost maxed out again. We thought it was cool that Universal matched our bitrate to DTS's. But that rate is not necessary to get the full benefit of DD+ for 5.1. It is indeed rapidly diminishing returns beyond 640 kbs."

DD+ is better than DD at 640 Kbps, but it is nowhere near as good as lossless. Anyone who would argue that DD+ is transparent to the original studio master should probably have their hearing checked.

[quetzalcoatl]

Here is where there might be some problems. What equiptment was being used in the judging. If those that are making the decisions cannot listen to the advanced codecs then they are using a core track to compare it. Many of the review sites are just starting to get stuff to play the advanced codecs.

I have heard the HD DVD track and it is a good one and when you consider it is lossy it is a great track. But I donot think any lossy track can compare to a lossless one.

[lildon24]

Put it like this... rip the Transformer DVD if u own it or your family or friends have it.

Use the Nero Recode from Nero 7 or Nero 8.

Turn the MPEG-2 to Nero Digital AVC (720x480) (1.8 Mbps)

Turn the Dolby D 5.1 to Nero AAC 5.1 (256kbps)

You will notice that it is far better than DVD version by experiece it on the PS3 watching as AVC video of Transformer. You will hear the sound quality much better, louder, and softer than Dolby Digital. But sound like HD PQ and SQ but still SD but looks good.

I also use the second pass before it start to encode.


Folks want to know how to burn it and play it.

After the file is done encode on your hard drive. Open Nero Rom Burning... Use the Burn Data DVD Disc setting/option, then create a folder call "VIDEO" and then place the file you encode inside the VIDEO folder and then burn... after it done.. it should play on the PS3. Note: PS3 will not autoplay the disc like a DVD-VIDEO type, you have to press X button three times for it can play. But the way... the size of full movie should be 2323MB (2.3 GB)

[ClaytonMG]

Originally Posted by lildon24

Put it like this... rip the Transformer DVD if u own it or your family or friends have it.

Use the Nero Recode from Nero 7 or Nero 8.

Turn the MPEG-2 to Nero Digital AVC (720x480) (1.8 Mbps)

Turn the Dolby D 5.1 to Nero AAC 5.1 (256kbps)

You will notice that it is far better than DVD version by experiece it on the PS3 watching as AVC video of Transformer. You will hear the sound quality much better, louder, and softer than Dolby Digital. But sound like HD PQ and SQ but still SD but looks good.

I also use the second pass before it start to encode.


Folks want to know how to burn it and play it.

After the file is done encode on your hard drive. Open Nero Rom Burning... Use the Burn Data DVD Disc setting/option, then create a folder call "VIDEO" and then place the file you encode inside the VIDEO folder and then burn... after it done.. it should play on the PS3. Note: PS3 will not autoplay the disc like a DVD-VIDEO type, you have to press X button three times for it can play. But the way... the size of full movie should be 2323MB (2.3 GB)

You want to compress the video even more... Change the audio by also compressing it more, but you think it sounds better because it's louder (and softer, whatever that means)? And also pirate the film? Come on now, this is getting beyond silly...

[MatrixS2000]

Originally Posted by Brain Sturgeon

DD+ is better than DD at 640 Kbps, but it is nowhere near as good as lossless. Anyone who would argue that DD+ is transparent to the original studio master should probably have their hearing checked.

I agree. I would compare DD+ to DTS SQ levels - not lossless.

[fronn]

Originally Posted by ClaytonMG

http://www.shootfortheedit.com/forum...ighlight=Audio

Found the link. It doesn't look like Bay found anything out about it. But it does sound like there's something fishy going on. I wish I knew what everyone was using as far as equipment goes and how it's connected. I got perfect bass with my HD-A1 connected via HDMI. I think that one guy bragging about HD-DVD there said that connections over HDMI are the problem, but that's obviously not the case for me. Then one person with the A2 complained as well. So I am willing to bet there's some weird bad apples out there.

Thanks for checking into it more... much appreciated!

I wouldn't have even thought there was something wrong if you hadn't mentioned it (I'm not sure if there is anything or I'm just expecting more bass in certain scenes).

The scene I have in my head that I'm wondering about most is near the start at the military base that gets attacked, when the helicopter guy (whatever his name is) first shoots off that big plasma-y cannon of his... it sounds like it wants to go down deep, but just doesn't... it still sounds neat, but there's no deep boom to it -- doesn't seem to go below 100hz or so (sub is still doing stuff, but it's not hitting the deeper stuff). Is that how it's supposed to go? I can't remember how it was in theaters, but I feel like there should be more heft to it.

I've got an A2 connected through HDMI to an HK AVR-247.