No the 1997 US and japan set had 5.1 as well. Stored the traditional way they are stored on a laserdisc you need an rf out and demodulator to access the ac3 audio.

The bitrate is much lower on a 5.1 Dolby laserdisc mix than an equivalent 2 channel PCM digital audio on the disc. But the 5.1 is sort of like the bitrate on a DVD?

You would have to ask the resident know it alls not me.

But there was no dedicated stereo mix made for the 1997 film the 5.1 was just mixed down to stereo? Anyway the 5.1 sounds better.