Spottedfeather

I may have asked about this before, so if I have, please forgive me. I am trying to watch Clash Of The Titans, the 1981 version. The audio is DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. My question is this...what listening mode should I use ? I have All Channel Stereo, but I think I should be using either DTS NEO:6 Cinema or DPLII. I looked on imdb, and it said that Clash Of The Titans was Dolby Stereo. Now, I take this to mean, and correct me if I'm wrong, that Dolby Stereo is 5 channels matrixed onto a 2 channel mix. So, what listening mode should I use ?

Spiky

The soundfield you use is really a matter of opinion, and likely different for every stereo movie. It might sound better in stereo rather than NEO. Try both.

"Dolby Stereo" can mean a couple things. It might just mean that it had Dolby noise reduction applied. (remember that?) It is too early to really be a surround movie with original matrixed encoding (I think), that should be labeled Dolby Surround, or later Dolby Pro Logic. According to wiki, Dolby Surround came out in 1982. But, they could have remastered it with matrixed surround, too.

Spottedfeather

Well, on the display of my receiver it says DTS-HD MSTR 2.0. Wasn't Star Wars, that came out before Clash, a surround sound movie on some mixes ? Maybe Clash IS just a stereo movie. I think that it's the crap DTS sound that's throwing me off. I hate DTS.

Spiky

Yeah, with all the remixes they've done on so many older movies, anything is possible. What does it sound like? As I recall, that movie wasn't exactly a reference soundtrack. Maybe it just sucks. I think you are listening to stereo only when the receiver says DTS2.0 like that.

Frankly, DTSHDMA & DolbyHD are so similar there really isn't much difference. There was a lot more difference with the original lossy 5.1 versions.

Spottedfeather

I find a huge difference between Dolby 5.1/TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. The dialogue in DTS-HD Master Audio is always FAR too soft when compared to the effects and music. Whereas, in 5.1/TrueHD, the dialogue is very rarely too soft. DTS has way too much dynamic range for me. I can't believe that people like it that way. I really want to save up for a receiver that has DRC for DTS audio. Whenever I've mentioned this, people have told me that it's not the codec, it's the mix of the movie that's the problem (if I was perceiving a problem.) But if that's true, I just don't understand why each and every DTS-HD Master Audio track I've tried listening to has the dialogue way too low, and I rarely have problems with Dolby 5.1 or TrueHD. And it also boggles my mind (I guess is the best way to put it) that movies that existed long before DTS are given DTS mixes. I can understand Jurassic Park having it, as it was the first DTS movie, but Rocketeer ? A Dolby 5.1 mix would have been just fine, as it had a 6 track soundtrack and a Dolby Surround mix in the theaters. Another movie that has a DTS Mix that really gets me is Tron. It came out in 1982 with a Dolby stereo mix in the majority of theaters and a 6 track mix when it was shown in 70mm. The blu-ray for Tron didn't even have a stereo choice.

Put all the updated mixes you want, but at least give us the original audio mix as an option.

Spiky

Interesting. I'll have to pay attention to that. Are you using the DRC for Dolby tracks? Maybe that is part of it. I don't have a modern receiver so I don't have a lot of tweaking options.

Spottedfeather

No. I don't normally use DRC for anything. If I come across a DTS-HD Master Audio track that is especially messed up, I mix the HD audio so that the receiver reads it as Dolby. Then it let's me use DRC. Except, with DTS, the Night Mode is either on or off. For the most part, that works just fine. I have to do this with It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World. Firstly, the movie came out in the 60s. LONG before DTS existed. So, it doesn't make sense that it's even in DTS to begin with. Secondly, this is one of the worst DTS offenders that I've come across. Particularly the car ramp scene and the plane flying scenes. Using the DTS-HD mix, the movie is just fine except for those two scenes. They blow you out of your chair. So, DRC is the only option and brings you closer to the original 4 track audio. Well, at least it evens out the sound properly.

I just can't stand DTS. Another offender is The Incredibles. There are a few scenes, the fire scene at the beginning, the train hit, and the explosions that are WAY too loud. Luckily, the blu-ray has a Dolby Surround track. I just do not get why people insist on mixing the dialogue so low and the effects so wildly bombastic. A little "boom" is alright, but they take it way too far.

And before someone says it, it has nothing to do with adjusting the speakers or their positions. According to all the guides that I've read, I have my speakers pretty much where they're supposed to be and everything besides DTS-HD Master Audio sounds just about perfect. I've been told that it's not the DTS codec, it's the movie's mix that's the problem. Sorry, but it's not. If it was true, why do I only have problems with DTS ?

JZ1276

ProLogic

Pizza

How many speakers do you have:2, 5 or 7? If you got 2 then stereo mode otherwise you'll risk not hearing the center channel and surrounds. If you got 5 or more then any surround mode is fine if your DVD player and amp can decode it. I'm not sure why you're expending the added energy reading IMDb for audio info. You're making the process more difficult than it has to be.

Spottedfeather

I don't have the ability to play ProLogic. I have Dolby Prologic II, if that's what you mean....

Spottedfeather

I have a 5.1 setup. I've tried playing Clash Of The Titans with just 2 speakers, but it sounded kind of weak. If I were to use stereo mode, only 2 speakers would be used for the movie. No center channels or surrounds. I'd only get use of the center channel or surrounds with a surround mode.