Transformers On HD DVD: Sound Good to You?
A large segment of the Home Theater crowd has been anxiously awaiting the (high-def DVD) release of Transformers since the day it was released in theaters. Many were very disappointed with the Paramount HD-DVD exclusivity announcement on August 27th as they would be able to purchase the disc on Blu-Ray. Now the HD-DVD crowd is upset with the announcement yesterday (Sept. 5) that the HD-DVD release will not have a Dolby TrueHD track and will have Dolby Digital + only at 1.5 mps.The stone throwing has already started on the Internet forums. Even the BD fanboys are getting into the act claiming, with no proof whatsoever, that their is no lossless encode due to the lack of space on the HD-DVD, ignoring the fact that there are longer movies released on HD-DVD with TrueHD tracks. As I do not work for a movie studio, I have no idea why some releases have lossy or lossless encodes. I am sure there are a number of factors that go into this decision, with capacity only one of them.
Me? I will wait for the final product is released before I pass judgment on the sound quality. Too many HT enthusiasts and audiophiles get too caught up in the specs. There is more to real world performance than specs. Look at audio. I have many a component with great specs that sound awful and visa versa. Remember all the great specs withb the release of the CD way back when. Only one problem, the LP counterparts sounded better. So much for specs.
How about HD? One keeps hearing how 1080p is better, if your set is not 1080p yada yada yada. No way a HD DVD player outputting 1080i into a 1080p set can look as good as one outputting 1080p! Wrong. They should look the same, provided the scalers are good. Viewing
distance is a factor here also.
What does that have to do with Transformers on HD-DVD? Given that none of us will have the chance to actually experience the audio track in the studio, how would we possibly know whether a TrueHD track will sound better than the DD+ one? Maybe it won't! In fact, an insider on AVS Forum known as Film mixer, who actually works mixing films, claims that the DD+ track on the HD-DVD Dreamgirls release sounds the same as the film track he heard in the studio. Maybe, just maybe, Paramount knows more than us and feels that the DD+ encode they have done sounds transparent to the master.
If it does, does it really matter what the encode is? Let's relax guys and wait until we hear the track for ourselves in October. If you hate it, bitch about it then but at least wait till you hear it before you pass judgment.
For more high-def news and views, please click: TVPredictions.com
16 Comments:
just shows that blu ray is better and they should have had transformers on blu ray too!! i and all blu ray fans would have got it o well there loss
Paramount really screwed their customers, I hope no one buys their movies. This should of been on both HD and Blu Ray format.
Like any of you could tell the difference in the audio tracks. Do you post dumbass comments like this just to prove how much of a sony bluboy fanboy you are? Look, I know it hurts that you can't get it in the format of your choice, but give it a rest. On the other side, if you don't like it, then don't buy it...oh wait, thats right, you can't LOL LOL
"the LP counterparts sounded better"
They did?? I guess if your thing is scratchy white noise filled music.
Paramount is going to be losing a lot of potential sales, by not doing Transformers in Blu-Ray. this war between the two formats is hurting everyone. One side needs to buy the other out.
Blu-Ray discs hold more data, why would someone support Hd-Dvd that is an inferior product??
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Who cares? Most everyone has 2.0 sound from their set's speakers. Nearly everyone else has no way to get anything past DD or DTS over optical.
I really don't understand why these audio geeks expect the studios to care about 0.01% of their audience. Just because said geeks spent $7000 on A/V and speakers doesn't obligate the world to jump through hoops for them. They call it the bleeding edge for a reason.
Next time they should save some money. They'd be happier.
It's interesting how "Transformers HD-DVD will not have TrueHD sound track" translates to "HD-DVD sucks, long live Blu-Ray" for some people here.
Audio quality is a highly subjective measure, to be sure; but there are some quick calculations we can make to see if this debate over TrueHD vs. DD+ really is worth all the fuss.
Typical TV speaker THD: 1-3% (5-7 bits)
Reference headset THD: .03-.05% (11-12 bits)
Theoretical DD+ 192/24 track THD per channel (other than subwoofer): about 21 bits
Theoretical TrueHD 192/24 THD per channel (other than subwoofer): about 23 bits
It seems to me that we're arguing over a straw that could break the camel's back, while ignoring that big bale of hay.
If size was everything, people would buy BR. However, standardization is what people want. BR disks have not been standardized, which is why you have the, some use MPEG2 some use VC-1(HD-DVD always use VC-1). No updates w/o ethernet, harder to develope for(menus, xtras, etc), aside from the fact that I'd prefer not to have to say a "catchy" term that will make foreigners think we can't spell.
Transformers was a crappy movie anyway... A huge disappointment. I wouldn't pay $5 for an HD-DVD of it.
The same is true of Spiderman 3 so what? Look at Blades of Glory and how well it has sold. It is an awful movie also. Too each his own.
We are so caught up in this war that now we all sound like a bunch of crying babies. You guys argue about sound and picture before the product comes available grow up and act like adults di you invent the products or tested them before they come shut up and wait and get a hobby.
I was Planning to get the Transformers in Blu-ray. Well, I guess I have to wait for two years. I will get if and only if I am still interest in Transformers at the time. If not, time to move on.
Well soon Blu-ray will go the way of the Beta and you will be forced to accept HD-DVD.
I am positive there isn't one person out there that could actually Hear the difference between Dolby True HD and regular 5.1 surround sound. I work in a home theater store and clients that claim to be audiophiles and own thousand of dollars of equipment absolutely CANNOT TELL the difference. If I tell them They are listening to a superior DTS or Dolby True HD track they immediately claim they can hear the difference... even when I have't changed one damn thing. Human ears(with the exception of a few very gifted individuals) cannot pick out the minute differences in audio depth or quality of any of these formats. After all, we still only hear things in stereo. I don't know anybody with more than TWO ears.
This is the numbers game electronic manufaturers have been playing for years. They know people have a "keeping up with the Joneses" mentality, and if someone has one set of specifications on their equipment, the next guy MUST have one better. It does not mean a damn thing.
That being said, Don't cry too much because your favorite movie wasn't released on your perfered format. You can still buy the regular DVD. Just like 99.9% of the rest of the worlds population. I'm lucky. I have an HD DVD player, and wont miss out on Transformers in High Def. However, there are plenty of titles I have missed because they are only on Blu-Ray. I just buy the DVD and I live with the upconversion.
Maybe I'll buy a Blu-Ray player down the road. I'm not opposed to it. I think it's a good machine with great specs. It's just too pricey for a difference I'll never be able to see or hear. When it comes down in price, and I can afford it, hell, why not?
I dont claim to be an audiophile, but I can tell the difference between DTS and DD5.1.. anybody can, or maybe if you have the right cables you can...but most people think just because they have a dts logo on their dvd player or disc, that they too will get those results....WRONG... You need to have all the equipment necesarry to enjoy it..
One guy earlier said he worked in a home theatre store, and he couldnt tell the difference...I think he needs to consider a new job...DTS is usually about twice as loud and clear than a regular 5.1 track. I dont care about a hi-def audio track..I want DTS...
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