True HD vs. Dolby Digital: Who's Wins?

Back when Transformers was released on HD DVD, there was a real uproar over the fact that it did not include a lossless audio track. There were many who complained that Transformers would have sounded much better with a lossless track like True HD or DTS HD Master Audio. Unless you had access to the actual studio master, there was no way to tell whether the Dolby Digital Plus track was transparent to the master or whether a Dolby True HD track would have been better. All you knew was that the Dolby Digital Plus sounded excellent and was of reference quality in its own right.

Since there has been no Blu-Ray release of Transformers with a lossless track, we were not able to answer this question at the time. However, we do have a source of comparison for another title released by Paramount on HD DVD here in the US: Beowulf.

Beowulf was released on HD DVD with a Dolby Digital Plus track at 1.5 mpbs. Having reviewed the release on HD DVD, I can state that the audio on that release was amazing as well, although not up to the level of that on Transformers. However, as Warner Brothers has distribution rights to that title in the UK, there is a Blu-Ray release of Beowulf in the UK which has a True HD track so that a direct comparison between the two audio codecs is possible. I purchased the Beowulf Blu-Ray release from Amazon.uk to make this very comparison as the UK release was not region coded and will play on Blu-Ray players sold in the US.

The result? No contest. The True HD track beats the Dolby Digital Plus track hands down. Much better clarity, better bass, a more immersive feel, more detail, a smoother more open sound. The True HD track is better in all aspects that matter to HT enthusiasts. Would the same be true for Transformers? I can’t say for sure but if Beowulf is an indicator, the answer is a resounding yes. I guess we will just have to see. For fans of the film, the UK release is a must buy. Even though the video presentation on both is identical, the audio is so much better on the Blu-Ray release that it is worth a purchase. I am sure glad I did.

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