Moth3r said:
The Dolby Stereo (Dolby Surround) format only has a mono surround channel. Unless you're feeding it through a Pro-logic II decoder?
Yes, I was really meaning separation, but as mentioned here in a review by the Widescreen Review of the LD, that single mono surround is so well done that it gives the impression at times of being split into two.
http://www.widescreenreview.com/ld_detail.php?recid=8
Then again, my receiver is 5.1 and only does ProLogic so the rear surround info is copied over both surrounds, giving the impression of one mono channel being in the center, like 2.0 mono.
msycamore said:
I have noticed that several Dolby 2.0 surround tracks sound incredibly good through ProLogic II, The Empire Strikes Back is one of them, but I have also noticed that some sound a little weird in places, Star Wars is one of them, I usually force my receiver to regular ProLogic on that one. Was Batman ever re-mixed for the DVD/Blu-ray? I have both the old and new DVD release, maybe I should compare them.
I think it's like what I mentioned above, some Dolby Surround titles are better mixes for separation when compared to others, and some even can sound remotely like 5.1.
Batman immediately sounded off to me on the 2005 Special Edition. All four films got new HD masters and sound mixes (DVD: Dolby/DTS Blu: TrueHD). The mixes seem to come straight from original stems or something but lack in presence for some reason at points. Returns was the first major Dolby 5.1 release, so I think it was just the first film that was remixed. I think the original DVDs were pretty much straight transfers of what was on hand, but IIRC there was already a 5.1 remix there for Batman. IMO once you get the LD, there's no need for anything else. And the Surround track on Forever bests the ac3 and DVD mixes.
TServo2049 said:
I wonder what the 6-track sounded like compared to the Dolby Stereo. For a lot of these movies, I wonder if the 70mm was just a higher-quality, discrete version of the mix used for the 35mm, maybe with a little "baby boom" added. I don't recall the 70mm prints of Star Trek II or Ghostbusters sounding different.
I've wondered about that myself. Everything I've read on Batman points to the 35mm and 70mm being identical in content. It should indeed be matrix encoded versus discrete from my understanding.
msycamore said:
Lucky you!
I've heard reports that the newly restored prints should've the same mix as on the DVD's, no newly added content. The reflection that was removed back in 2003 is apparently removed this time as well but the reflections on the shots of Marion is still there, and the odd CGI cliff-shot is not included.
Since the DVD release I've heard some say that a guide-track for the boulder was removed and that some mattelines were cleaned up, is this bullshit or what? Would be nice to get this straightened out.
captainsolo said:
I'm actually hoping that the repertory dept. just shipped an original 35mm print with Dolby Stereo. I quite liked the DVD's mix, but wished that the Stereo surround had been included somehow.
Except the superior format, in terms of content there wasn't any differences on Raiders like with Star Wars between the 35mm Dolby Stereo and 70mm 6-track. Also, if it was originally mixed with split surrounds in mind, the 5.1 DVD mix might be even more faithful to the makers intent than the original presentations in '81 (if it now was only with mono surrounds back then). But I understand your thoughts on it, even if the 2003 re-mix is faithful.
captainsolo said:
And the LD mix is some kind of home video version like the '85 Star Wars mix, correct?
It depends which Laserdisc you're talking about, the old pan & scan CAV should have the original 35mm Dolby Stereo in analog which would be kind of nice to preserve. I have never seen or heard the widescreen release myself, but it was apparently a re-mix, a different sound effect for when Indy dropped the staff into the map room is one thing I have heard mentioned by several people.
Thanks! I've been planning on noting every little detail possible in both PQ and AQ, not to mention plexiglass reflections... ;) I figured the reflection would be gone, along with some of the sfx shots with matte lines.
And I did mean the WS LD, perhaps they had to tweak a few things here and there for home surround. In any case, I'm just too used to the VHS Dolby Stereo I grew up on.