It really depends on the source, the room acoustics and your system. Do what works best. That being said, I've heard mono in theaters in every way imaginable on films from various decades and the quality of sound depends on those three things.
The best mono will usually come from LD digital tracks because of higher bitrate and the fact that most were taken straight from a film print. DVD mono is usually added as an afterthought and is very compressed. (DD 2.0 or 1.0 96-192 kbp/s) With that being said, the best DVD mono titles I can think of are Jaws, any Bond pre-1977, Criterion titles, and especially classic titles by Warner Bros. Warner is the studio that always presents even their most bare bones classics in mono. You can spread the signal to the L and R channels on some receivers but not all the time. (Learned this the hard way on my old school's receiver)
Mono should be heard only when there was a specific mix for it. As we know with SW there can be a world of difference. But films that were always stereo would only have had a fold-down or usually older equipment that could only read the safety mono track on the 35mm print.
What I don't get is the desire to remix mono into 5.1. Especially on classic titles. 24 bit audio on blu-ray should mean a more clear presentation of the original theatrical audio. The Manchurian Candidate should not be in 5.1 DTS HD-MA. OVERKILL!!!
This all carries over into music too. Whenever I play a mono record I have to plug my phono cables into a double-Y connection and then run that into my stereo receiver. That maintains the mono signal while playing through two speakers and reduces stereo noise. (I do this because my receiver does not have a mono switch.) Look up any album that you know very well that has a mono mix. You will hear significant differences if there was a true mono mix, and some variations if it was a fold-down.
The simplest way to go mono vs. stereo is The Beatles catalogue. Please Please Me through The White Album were mixed and released in mono. Starting with The White Album the band started mixing in stereo which is why that album has an alternate previously rare mono mix. For all of their early albums, the mono versions were mixed by the band and producer and feature clear elements in one channel. The stereo versions were done separately by studio engineers weeks later and have the vocals in one channel with all of the instrumentation on another. Pick any track on any of the early albums and do a listening comparison.
I will say that discovering many of my favorite things in both film and music were originally mono blew my mind. The Beatles were meant to be heard in mono, which means my childhood of hearing stereo Beatles was a lie...which in turn would mean...that yesterday was a lie....
Barry Lyndon versus Jaws?
No contest. Even though they are two completely different types of movie and I adore both: Jaws is no Barry Lyndon.
Tyrphanax said:
Hard Boiled.
It's amazing.
Hands down the best action film ever made. If you haven't seen it you owe it to yourself. Find a good widescreen transfer with the original Cantonese mono and be amazed.
Insane.
The Yakuza One of my all time favorites. A 70's classic, and a must for Mitchum fans. 5 balls out of 5 yakuza thugs killed by a katana.
Biutiful. Well done story, but wasn't really what I was expecting. Fortunately, this does not go down the road of retracing Ikiru, but is more of a real life drama/tone poem. 4 balls out of 5.
I meant something like the GOUT V3.
Puggo - Jar Jar's Yoda said:
It's never too late :)
Seriously, it's extremely easy to put together a decent turntable/amplifier setup. And if you're patient, you could probably find one for cheap, even free.
This. I got my technics from the college AM station I worked in while in school. If you want to get into the format, now is the time. Online sites have popped up everywhere with all of the equipment you would need and used records are becoming dirt cheap. Just check ebay.
It's addicting though. You'll realize this when you go into a record shop and find yourself holding an LP up to the light to check the hand etched matrix numbers in the deadwax on each side.
Anyway to do this with vob files or an iso?
Ziggy Stardust said:
asterisk8 said:
Ziggy Stardust said:
Reading Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
How is it? PKD is the one author I'm always meaning to read, but never do.
It's no Blade Runner, but it has it's moments.
I actually view it as sort of an alternate universe. The ideas presented can be extremely different. Maybe it's also because I saw the movie after reading the book. Essential for BR fans. Just don't really go into the two book sequels. They're not really good because they try to bridge the film and book. Case in point: Roy Batty comes back as a briefcase. No joke.
Currently I'm rereading Robert Ludlum's Bourne Tirlogy for the first time in years. These books are nothing like the awful films. In fact, I'd definitely say The Bourne Identity is one of the best spy novels ever written. The Bourne Supremacy is also as good as I remembered. Now on The Bourne Ultimatum which doesn't pack quite the same punch as the other two.
Ziggy Stardust said:
One day I was thinking about joining some forums for the first time and I didn't want a Star Wars name for this website.
At one point I saw someone (probably Bingowings) make a faux quote featuring a picture of David Bowie. Many people gave psotive feedback about it.
So I thought to myself, "Hey, these people know who David Bowie is!".
I decided to call myself Ziggy Stardust. Immediately after my first post, bkev said "^That is the best username on the website. I wish I could give you a prize."
As a matter of fact, here's my first post, in all it's glory:
http://originaltrilogy.com/forum/topic.cfm/Star-Wars-coming-to-Blu-Ray-UPDATE-May-4th-2011/post/462756/#TopicPost462756
But can you play guitar?
TV's Frink said:
I really mean it. I hate Gump. Dear lord, I hate it so much...it makes me feel like skyjedi for a moment.
Agree.
From what I've seen of the vaults etc. from various videos and behind the scenes expect a bunch of concrete, fluorescent lighting, and probably if allowed someone overseeing you with a print on a Steenbeck in a little nook somewhere.
I'm not really a fan of the series but Alien all the way. Cameron could never hold a candle to Scott.
Field trip?
Blu-ray is 1080p. Why not 2K? Then 4K, 6K, 8K...
They can look phenomenal when done correctly and when viewed on proper equipment that is calibrated. However, few films are done correctly and many to me seem off. HD projection does work better for films than HDTV viewing IMO.
Sometimes you just feel like watching a laserdisc.
Ziggy Stardust said:
What?
No Arthur C. Clarke thread?
Ziggy sad.
I love Clarke, but 2061: odyssey three? WTH?
I need to read more of Asimov. I like his thoughts and ideals.
BNW is one of the great novels though. Doors of Perception...you have to be in the mood for. ;)
It is sad. Just goes to show that even the LoC doesn't know much about it. And we're all there is.
Why would they have no 1983 print of ROTJ?
Really......why does this exist?
I adore both Raiders and TOD, but KOTCS was so painfully bad it entered the "never happened" category.
ray_afraid said:
So, anything that captures the feel of the original Star Wars film is something I'd be interested in checking out. Anymore suggestions?
Besides the Daley books and Splinter your best bet is to stick within the Bantam published 90's canon. It can be hit or miss though.
Hey George: remember THX?
Allright guess I have to chime in on Pixar too...most of my responses to these films are "meh" or "forgettable".
Toy Story = 5/10
A Bug's Life = Wait...you mean a children's dumbed down Seven Samurai with bugs? 2/10
Toy Story 2 = 5/10
Monsters, Inc = 3/10
Finding Nemo = 3/10
The Incredibles = 5/10
Cars = 3/10
Ratatouille = 4/10
WALL-E = 4/10
UP = This is the only Pixar film I can actually enjoy in any real way. Go figure. 9/10
Toy Story 3 = 5/10
Bleed Like Me-Garbage
