well this is sucky.

i was (and still am i guess) stoked on this release...couldn't wait! now im gonna be spending money on a flawed disc (i know...i dont have to buy it...yes i do...no..yes...im addicted). i dont care how minor of a flaw it is...when i purchase something i dont want 90% quality, i want 100%.

Does this problem affect the 2.0 mix?

It shouldn't the rear is all together. This is probably the way I'll watch the movie until its fixed.

Of course they will not do a recall. Why recall millions of discs when the vast majority of people who buy it will not notice the problem and demand a replacement? Also, since this is one disc of a 4-disc set, 75% of the recalled discs would have nothing wrong with them.

What they will do is eventually offer a replacement for just ANH, and a small percentage of people who buy this set will bother to send in for it.

Just to clear this up, no I never sent mine back. I just asked how the process went, I don't think anybody answered or what. I've forgotten. Didn't think it was that big of a deal in the end. Never seen Leon. Does that make sense now? Probably not, since we clearly see things differently.

Well looky here, seems I was able to get some free time to re-watch my 1995 THX ANH VHS, 2002(or was it 2001?) WS SE re-release VHS, and d/l'd LD rips. Played the aforementioned first attack run on the Death Star and compared it to the linked soundfile which is supposed to be from the DVD. What do you know? The score ALWAYS got drowned out. You hear the first few notes and as the X-wings dive, WHOOSH.

I am stunned that people who would otherwise (and did) order this set would cancel to "wait and see."

Perfection would be ideal, but to imagine that someone who cannot stomach watching the film over a handful of (barely) noticable audio changes in one movie could simply write it off instead strikes me as overly impulsive.

They will offer a replacement, or they will not (hopefully will). Either way, you will still most likely have to buy the set to see the film in the DVD format. What does waiting accomplish? I have a corrected BTTF set via the replacement disc offer, but do you know how long it took for pre-corrected BTTF sets to show up in retail? Have they ever? And could you tell before buying it was corrected? This will be handled similarly at best. Face it.

I would have never noticed this, and even now I really don't care...

Maybe the reason the Force Theme is drowned out is because none of those pilots are actually using the Force.

Well, I've watched the DVD, and I did indeed notice the change in audio quality in Tarkin's voice. Actually, what happens is the dialogue audio is of a certain quality, then suddenly becomes clearer when Leia says "No, Alderaan is peaceful...", and then shifts back to the same quality when Tarkin says "Then name the system." However, after that, I started noticing other instances of shifts in audio quality, since I was listening for them.

For example, in the scene that follows that one with Luke, Obi-Wan, and Han (where Chewie and R2-D2) are playing chess, some of Han and Luke's lines sound very clear and others don't.

Not clear: (Han) "Well, you can forget your troubles with those Imperial slugs; I told you I'd outrun 'em."

Clear: (Han) "Don't everybody thank me at once."

Clear: (Han) "That's cause a droid doesn't pull peoples' arm sockets out when they lose. Wookies are known to do that."

Not clear: (Luke) You mean it controls your actions?" (Han)"Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side." Just after that line, Luke says "You don't believe in the force, do you?" and it is clear again. In the following scene, when they are being pulled towards the Death Star, much of Luke's dialogue sounds clear, whereas Han's and Obi-Wan's isn't.

Those are just a few examples-other lines vary in quality too. I don't "know" the films like some people do, but it sounds to me like some of the audio elements were in better condition than others (or were cleaned up more), and we're hearing the differences with the clarity of digital sound. Although it would have been nice if they would have made everything consistent, I don't think it's something to get worked up about. The rear channel music being reversed is another matter altogether, and they should issue a replacement disc for those that want it.

It wasn't known as the Force theme until TESB. Williams had always referred to it as "Ben's Theme" at this point and had specific reasons why it was heard during the early Death Star run.

So is the score really messed up in the surrounds?

Ummm... where?

I said I thought your argument/analogy was silly. That's now considered a personal attack?

Has anyone listened to the 2.0 mix to see if the music during the X-Wings' descent on the Death Star, and the Tarkin dialog, is better?

At least the flipping of the music in the real channels will be unnoticible in the 2.0 mix...

-HM

FWIW I just read this on HTF:

As well as other region's versions of the disc. I've read posts on two different boards from region 2 folks saying that their discs are fine. edited to add: And now I've read a post reporting that they have the problem too. So there goes that theory.

Well,....it's almost noon on the east coast. Where are the opinions from you guys who were taking the day off to watch these?

I wish I was taking the day off to watch these

I think there's a lot of Power of Suggestion fueling this claim. Like I said, review your tapes/LDs or whatever older version you have. Ben's theme/the force theme has always been drowned out. I'm more concerned about the alleged messed up surrounds.

So far so good.

The music sounds fine to me on my 5.1 system. Heck, I read all the posts about the glitch on this forum and HTF and it still sounds fine to me. Of course, maybe the cues are off, but to most it won't be noticable. For audiophiles, however, it may be a different story.

So the front right is not reflected in the rear left and vice versa as has been reported?

quote:
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Guys, listen to the French 2.0 track on the R1 DVD. Why? Because it features the 'missing' cue of Ben's theme in the Death Star battle. It's pretty much gone from the English 5.1 and 2.0 tracks, as well as the Spanish 2.0 track. But listen to the French track, and it's there in all it's Gallic glory. Now that's messed up.
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Okay, then there's definitely a defect relating to sound!

What a hassle, all this time to do this right and they goofed, no doubt about it.

This and yellow subs on La Dolce Vita, not my day!!!!!!!!

Unnoticeable to me as well; maybe my ears aren't the best, but it works well for me here.

What kind of system do you have Toad?

i'm getting some weird audio drop outs.

One when obi won feels the great disturbance in the force. After alduran (sp ?) is destroyed. He sits down and talks to luke, the word terror is just about silenced.

My reciever turn the lfe channel on and off at that moment. Almost looks like it changes audio formats for a split second. It does it in a couple of other places too.

Also during the scene with leia and the alduran destroying scene. I get some pixelation after see reveals the location of the rebel base when she is shocked that he will still destroy her home planet.

man after all this time i was hoping they could get this right.

i'm using:

dvd player - Panasonic dvd-rv31
reciever - Sony DE-835


edit: I just tried it on my computer, the pixelation seems to disapear i guess its my dvd player but the audio drop out is even weirder on the computer. The movie freezes for about 3 seconds like a layer change when obi won says terror.

Is this the layer change ?
if it is it seems a bad place for it.