Info and forum posts by 'cervantes'

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Joined on: Thursday, 18th September 2003, 19:49, Last used: Monday, 26th July 2010, 16:33

Access Level: Mostly Harmless

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This user has posted a total of 27 messages. On average, since joining, this user has posted 0 messages a day, or 0.02 messages a week. In the last 30 days, this user has posted 0 messages, which is on average 0 messages a day.

Recent Messages Posted:

RE: Saving Private Ryan DTS

Calm down Westy :)

In my opinion I always go with what my ears hear, and there is a difference between the two formats, be it slight or a lot. Yes in some cases there is no difference but I`d much rather have the choice. So what if it forces the manufactures to put extras onto a second disc, I`m not bothered.

Quote:
Highlander is way too old to even be considered, the movie was an old Dolby Stereo release with a VERY poor master.

Older films can sound just as good as modern ones, take Ghostbusters for example, it`s older than Highlander but is an excellent showcase for re-mixing to Dolby 5.1 The same can be said about the Indiana Jones films, stunning sound for an old film. The DTS versions of Big Trouble in Little China and Predator are a testament to competant mixing too, old films that were in Dolby Stereo can sound very good if done right.

Quote:
If dts was so much better, then it would be able to showcase it without the need for boosting frequencies. They can quite easily do it to Dolby as well you know - there`s no special software or capability that allows the mixer to heighten the frequencies just for DTS

That is exactly what I mean, Dolby can change the sound in the same way as DTS but they choose not to. Dolby can be, dare I say it, lazy in that respect. If a track is flat like Highlander they can if they choose, to try and make it sound better but they don`t. This is what I`m trying to get across, that some Dolby 5.1 mixes don`t seem to have much thought put into them. I would rather have DTS around to force Dolby into mixing good soundtracks because of the competition. It would be bad for everyone if Dolby were the only format and they churned out generic 5.1 tracks that were lifeless.

It is possible that my World is not Enough disc is faulty in some way. It is by far the worst Dolby EX soundtrack I have ever heard, I`m talking about whisper quiet speech and weird hollow sound. I saw it at the cinema and they sound nothing alike.

RE: Saving Private Ryan DTS

Quote:
If that comment had any validity, you`d have given examples - but you haven`t, so your comment is void as far as i`m concerned.

I can give examples, The World is not Enough, Spiderman, Highlander and Dog Soldiers are a few of what I consider poorly mixed Dolby 5.1 audio.

Quote:
showing up DTS for what it really is, explaining in scrupulous detail of the +10db boost in the lfe channel, and of the treble boost added at the recording stage to give the listener the impression of `increased fidelity`

And surely if DTS do increase the DB level on some frequencies to highten the sound then they are succeeding at making the sound better during the mixing stage, even if they are creating an illusion.

My system has cost £10k+ and I would hope at that level I am getting as close to the sound that the mixers intended.

RE: Superbit - your opinions

I agree with what you say that on paper half bitrate DTS tracks are a waste as they are not taking advantage of the `superior` sound DTS is meant to offer if they were to use full bitrate, so by all accounts DTS tracks are worthless. But at the end of the day, if a half bitrate DTS track sounds as good and in some cases sounds better than full bitrate Dolby tracks the algorithms DTS use for compression are better.

When I saw Jurassic Park at the cinema, I remember it being the loudest film I had ever seen and I think it still is, there were also some serious sub-sonics going on that day. I had the R2 edition of Jurassic Park on DVD but could never re-create the same sense of huge sound with the Dolby mix. Don`t get me wrong, it`s very good but it just lacked something. I wanted to get the R1 DTS edition but I`m not a huge fan of NTSC material, sure the picture is more stable due to 60hz, but resolution is not as good as PAL.
Then the Japanese Superbit trilogy was released so I got that instead. The Superbit edition is taken from a high-def original so although it is still NTSC I am not worried about the resolution. A few minutes viewing in DTS and I felt the same as I did in the cinema. The track has more clought I think, and at reference volume levels can become deafening. I`m sure the track was recorded at higher DB levels than the Dolby edition and the bass was just how I remebered it, seriously huge. Definately the best version yet.

RE: Saving Private Ryan DTS

Quote:
Well then, I suggest you listen to the R2 LOTR: Fellowship of the Ring: EE DTS track. It`s awful when compared to the DD track

I`ve not tried that one, I have the original versions of the LOTR films and am happy with the Dolby mixes. The Dolby versus DTS debate could go on forever so it`s just a matter of personal taste. On films where there is a choice of the two formats, I do tend to go with the DTS variant.

But there are some amazing Dolby only discs like Twister (R2), The Haunting (R2), both Star Wars films and Resident Evil for example. As a rule of thumb, if the guys at THX had a hand in it, then the Dolby mix is as good as it gets.

RE: Who`s the hottest Actress/Model/Singer? (A picture thread)

Sorry, my bad! :(

RE: Saving Private Ryan DTS

It`s true that there is little difference between Dolby and DTS, but I have yet to hear a bad DTS track. I have listened to some appauling Dolby 5.1 mixes, where the sound is dire and lacks any sense of spatial separation or where the dialogue is really quiet or muffled. Choice of the two is good because it keeps Dolby on their toes so that they don`t get complacent by having a monopoly on the market, a bit like Sony has with the Playstation or Microsoft with Windows.

I`m not slating Dolby, they have been around for years and practically invented cinema sound but competition is better for the consumer.

I listen to all my DVDs at the same levels and settings so if there is a difference is audio it is down to the mixing on the disc.

RE: Who`s the hottest Actress/Model/Singer? (A picture thread)

Ha! I get your point. I do have a weakness for hispanic women. Dark hair and eyes, warm, tanned skin, fiery temprement and sexy accents. What`s not to like?

RE: Who`s the hottest Actress/Model/Singer? (A picture thread)

So many beautiful women to choose from. Here are my faves:


External Image: D:\Archives\Photo sets\Celebrities\Salma Hayek\salma_tv_couch.jpg

External Image: D:\Archives\Photo sets\Celebrities\Penelope Cruz\pcruz55.jpg

External Image: D:\Archives\Photo sets\Celebrities\Charisma\S30_010CharismaCarpenter01.jpg

External Image: D:\Archives\My pictures folder3\michelle rodriguez.jpg

RE: Which 5 DVD`s from you collection could you NOT do without?

Difficult question as I like most if not all of my films. If I had to choose then they would be:

1. T2 Ultimate edition (R2)
2. Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (R1)
3. Alien Legacy box set (R2)
4. The Exorcist (R2 original)
5. Indiana Jones Trilogy (R2)

RE: Superbit - your opinions

Superbit has received a lot of bad press as most people cant tell the difference between the two formats. Some people see it as just a marketing ploy to get people to spend money on movies they already own. The only Superbit titles I own are the Jurassic Park trilogy. And before you say it, they are Japanese R2 limited edition dics. In Asia, Columbia Pictures own the rights to the Juassic Park films unlike Universal in Europe and America.

I have a big screen and in my opinion there is more detail and colours are definately richer. Plus all 3 films now have DTS sound. If you remember Jurassic Park was the first film to feature DTS in the cinema so it is definately a good thing. The way I see it, Superbit is like THX. Both offer the best in picture and sound avaliable for their respected movies. The only down side is you do need good quality equipment to get the most out of them.

RE: Saving Private Ryan DTS

This is quite a funny subject for me. I bought myself a new DVD player (Denon 2800mkII) and had problems with the original R2 Dolby edition. The bottom half of the picture kept on breaking up and it went blocky all the time. This gave me a reason to buy the new DTS edition as I was hoping it would solve the problem.

I paid £19.99 for it at HMV about 6 weeks ago! The new disc did solve the problem, it plays perfectly now with stunning DTS sound. The funny thing is I saw it for £7.99 in Virgin last Monday! The DTS track is louder and the action to the rears seems more dynamic, your sub will also get some serious usage too. The Dolby version is still very good but it lacks the muscle of the DTS version. It also comes in a nice fold out case.

My opinion......Buy it!!

RE: So how many DVD players do you have at home?

I have 4 players:

1. Denon 2800mkII
2. Hitachi DV-P305e
3. Philips DVD 623
4. Xbox

RE: T3: Rise of the Machines

A bargain for less than a tenner. Not as good as the first two films but there is plenty of action and good special effects. Because T3 was not directed by James Cameron like the previous two, the movie does feel different in comparison, maybe it`s me, but I feel it lacked something, possibly due to the dumbing down of hollywood films of late.

cervantes.

RE: Quick question on cables.....

There is no difference in quality between the two, especially for short runs. Had you needed a long cable to connect your DVD player to your amp then I`d recommend Co-ax, as they tend to have better sheilding and construction if you buy a quality lead from the likes of IXOS or QED.

cervantes.

RE: `24` series 3 - starts february, not on BBC...

I agree that `24` moving to Sky One will be a disappointment for most of us. Adverts, on screen logos and don`t forget, hardly anything on Sky One is in widescreen. This really baffles me as all their movie channels are in widescreen and the BBC, ITV, C4 and C5 all transmit 16:9 programmes 99% of the time.

This was the case with Buffy (series 4+) and Angel (series 2+). They were shot in widescreen but we have to put up with the 4:3 versions on Sky and wait for the BBC to show them a year later to see them in widescreen.

I`m betting series 3 of `24` will be in 4:3 but I hope Sky pull their finger out and switch to 16:9 soon.

cervantes.

Denon 2800mkII DVD player - any known issues?

Does anyone know of any problems with the 2800mkII? I`ve not really looked into it yet, but first impressions of the picture quality are not that good. Almost every disc I`ve tried suffers from noise and dark areas seem like washed out greys.

I have updated the firmware to PAL progressive and multiregion. I have it set to RGB scart and have a quality scart lead going into my Hitachi 43" prog scan tv. I calibrated everything with a THX disc (the player can render below black) and set everything up correctly on the player.

Anything that is THX mastered looks stunning, there is much more detail and colours look perfect, but discs that are not vary in quality. Most noticable was Gladiator, it looked great on my old Hitachi DV-P305E (which is a first generation player) but now I see lots of noise in dark areas. I`m going to try more discs, but I`d like some help on the matter.

cervantes.

RE: Best DVD player up to £700

Ha! :D

Thanks, but no thanks.

cervantes.

RE: Are these R1 DVD`s worth getting?

Ok, thanks for letting me know.

cervantes.

RE: Best DVD player up to £700

Thanks for the recommendation. I`ve been on Denon`s website and checked it out, it`s a damn fine player. Definately the type I`m after.

Thanks,
cervantes.

RE: Are these R1 DVD`s worth getting?

As far as I know there are 2 R1 editions of Twister. The standard Dolby 5.1 version and the `enhanced` version with full bitrate 5.1 DTS. Had it just been the regular `half` bitrate, I probably wouldn`t consider it. It`s a great film that deserves to be heard with the best possible audio track. Not too fused about PAL or NTSC as I have progressive scan tv.

I didn`t know that the UK version was cut though. I hope you get the right version.

Thanks.

RE: Silly eBayers

That is crazy. Some people just don`t have a clue.

The most outrageously priced item I`ve seen on ebay is a signed David Beckham Man Utd shirt with a starting bid of £9,999!!

Are these R1 DVD`s worth getting?

I have Twister R2, and was wondering if the DTS R1 edition is worth getting? The Dolby version on my R2 is very good but is the full bitrate DTS soundtrack that much better to warrant buying it again?

Same goes for The Haunting. The sound of the Dolby R2 is excellent, with some seriously low frequencies being pushed out. Is it worth getting the DTS 6.1 R1 version?

Thanks,
cervantes.

RE: Underworld

I`ve been waiting a long while to see this and I finally saw it today. It`s a good film and the effects are first class. It does have some scenes that are similar to the Matrix and Blade so there are bound to be comparisons but it has much to merit. Definately one to buy on DVD. The only thing that spoilt it for me was the rear speakers in the cinema kept cutting out.

Kate was simply stunning, and that catsuit, WOW!

I hope the DVD has some nice behind the behind scenes, if you know what I mean.

cervantes.

Best DVD player up to £700

I am looking to upgrade my DVD player and was interested on your views about which is the best to get. £700 is the most I`m willing to spend.

The most important thing is picture and sound quality and multiple format support (CDR, CDRW, SACD etc.) It also must have RGB scart output and dual PAL/NTSC progressive scan would be a bonus.

It`s been a long time since I last looked at DVD players so I expect the technology has moved on a bit. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
cervantes.

RE: Telly in the Pink

My sister has a Philips widescreen tv and when I was setting it up I noticed a similar problem. This time it was a green effect on the picture. Everything would look more greener than normal, similar to the effect seen in The Matrix but that was intentional. At first I thought it was something to do with the colour settings on the tv, but soon realised it was the scart socket I was using to route the DVD player to. I was feeding an RGB cable into what I thought was and RGB scart socket. It seems the labelling on the back of the set was round the wrong way. I switched the cable to the other socket and it was fine.

Your problem definately sounds like a faulty tube. Philips supply tubes to many different manufacturers and are very common, so finding a replacement won`t be difficult. The repair shouldn`t take too long, but don`t hold me to that. It is very unlikely that they will refund you, they will only do this if the cost of the repair is more than the price of the tv.

Cervantes.

RE: Rear projection tvs - any good?

Rear projection tv`s are now common in a lot of electrical stores as plasma tv`s are now considered `high-end` and have made them much more affordable. Plasmas are overrated and overpriced in my view and rear projection tv`s offer huge pictures at modest prices.

Be very careful when looking at sets in stores as they really do look awful. This is mainly due to being set up incorrectly. Usually the picture is very blurry as the convergence of the red, green and blue guns is way off. Also lighting is a big factor, a store with lots of light will make the picture seem dark and on some sets almost invisible.

My best advise is to do lots of research, buy magazines and look on the web for reviews.
This is what I did and I bought a Hitachi ILLUMINA C43WP910TN about 2 years ago. It is a stunning set with onboard Dolby Digital and DTS sound with PAL and NTSC progressive scan, and absolutely packed with features and connections. In fact it was the first tv in the UK to have DTS and progressive scan. The picture quality of this set is something to behold and blew the competition away and received many awards in 2001. The sad news I`m afraid is that these ILLUMINA sets are no longer made.

Out of the box rear projection tv`s don`t look great so you will need to spend time setting them up. Try using a THX optimiser DVD to set your colour, brigtness levels etc. And make sure it has an RGB scart socket so you can get the most out of your DVDs. The best way to view a rear projection tv is to sit directly in front of it and somewhere between 7 and 12 feet from the screen (depending on screen size). The more you are at an angle to the screen the more the brightness will seem to fade, although the screen is still very watchable except for the most extreme angles.

Another good thing about rear projection tv`s is reflection. If the sun is on the screen you won`t see your reflection or a bright white glare as with conventional glass CRT. They do work best however in low light conditions or no light at all so you can see every detail. 100hz is generally better than 50hz as the image is refreshed at twice the normal rate giving a more natural and stable picture and is much easier on the eye. This is dependant on the hardware used in the set and not all 100hz tv`s have good processing.

I`ve been lucky with my tv as I`ve not suffered from screen burn and the image is consistantly excellent. If I was to recommend another brand I would have to go with Sony as their sets are built to high standards or the high end Toshiba sets. You get what you pay for, I suppose.

Regards,
Cervantes.