DTS or not?

 
Old 04-13-03, 09:44 AM
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DTS or not?

Hello,

I was wondering if someone could explain why some movies are DTS and others aren't. I see a lot of movies at the theater are DTS but when they come out on disc, they aren't. I know for some, they re-release them in DTS and make more money but others they never release it in DTS. I'm sure there is a reason but since I don't work in the industry I don't understand it. I could understand if the movie wasn't originally in DTS but for those that are, it doesn't make sense to me. I have some movies that are in both formats and for some the difference is huge although others, it doesn't seem to matter much.

Thanks
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Old 04-13-03, 10:10 AM
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It's all about dollars and cents. Simply put, the DTS track used in theatres is not the same version that appears on DVD. The creation of this track takes time and money and moreover disc space. Dolby Digital requires less space therefore more extras can be included on a disc supporting this audio format. Sure there have been releases that include both DD & DTS, but the bitrates have been compromised to squeeze in the two tracks. An excellent example of an uncompromised DTS track is DANTE'S PEAK. Also available as a DD special edition, the DTS version is movie only. The compression used for the creation of a DD track allows for a greater capacity disc of extras. However, when both tracks are compared, the DTS edition has a wider soundfield and better overall dynamics. So basically it's all about the Benjamins.
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Old 04-13-03, 11:00 AM
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highdef,

I follow your explanation makes sense- thanks.

I typically haven't seen a significant difference in some movie's DTS vs. regular version pricing. I would be much happier if both formats were presented at the same time with a slight price (say $2) difference. I think the studios would then get a better idea of the consumers want. I might be dissappointed, I have no idea of if the average consumer would pay more as I would.

I know the movie aficionados really love the commentaries, and extras but given the choice between a DVD filled with extras or a good video transfer and a DTS sound track I'll take the second every time. I think all the work and effort for those extras might offset a DTS sound track.

Last edited by boe; 04-13-03 at 11:13 AM.
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Old 04-13-03, 12:27 PM
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I've seen a couple of comments about the space - which may be an issue for this post or a new post - compression. I think the current standard is MP2 - is that correct? I've seen different opions on MP4 using less space but the as to the question of image quality some say it is better and others saying it is worse.

Anyone?

Last edited by boe; 04-13-03 at 12:31 PM.
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Old 04-13-03, 02:20 PM
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MPEG2 is the format used for the video compression. For audio, Dolby Digital (also known as AC-3 or Audio Codec 3) and DTS are their own compression schemes.
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Old 04-13-03, 02:30 PM
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Mr. Salty - thanks. Have you heard anything on the quality of MPEG4 VIDEO being better or worse?

Last edited by boe; 04-13-03 at 04:20 PM.
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Old 04-13-03, 02:37 PM
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I don't know, but it's a moot point. The DVD standard is MPEG-2. Any change to that and existing players become paperweights.
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Old 04-13-03, 03:53 PM
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MPEG-4 is not an audio format. It is nor is it a video format. It is a container format - just like avi files on windows can be divx, or mpeg-2 or indeoor just about any other encoding, but they still all are avi files. MPEG-4 is almost the same thing as Quicktime from Apple, which is (surprise) a container format.
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