Dark Knight Blu-ray Audio Details

Ethancf

So it looks like Warner won't be **** up this one with Dolby Digital 5.1 like they did with Speed Racer. I'm good with Dolby TrueHD, but I think many will be upset that it's not DTS-HDMA 7.1.

http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=1787

Opinions, thoughts?

cheddar

Certain studios seem to have different arrangements with Dolby and DTS as well as different commitments to remastering audio for 7.1. Warner may very well end up being a Dolby shop, just as New Line and Fox appear to be DTS shops. Just the way the licensing deals went, I suppose. I think TrueHD and DTS-HD MA are pretty much equivalent to each other, though as they are supposed to reconstruct the original uncompressed PCM data, not add anything special to the mix that wasn't already there.

So I'm much more concerned that major studios don't seem to think it's worth the effort to remaster audio for 7.1 surround on their flagship titles. Pretty much a missed opportunity every time they don't. New Line has been a notable standout as they have produced great 7.1 remasters. My guess is that the big studios will get a lot of people to double dip when they offer their 7.1 surround collector's editions...:rolleyes:

Ron-P

Well, it seems Warner is **** this up. The SD-DVD release will contain the 2.35:1 release while the Blu-ray will contain the 2.35:1 release with the IMAX shots (1.78:1, I believe) mixed in. This means that during playback the aspect ratios will change on us through the entire film.

I can see why this is being done but find it a screw-ball job, give us both versions. Now my mattes will not work and I have to watch the film change AR's which will be nothing but a distraction.

Thanks for another fubar Blu-ray release Warner, this studio just flat out sucks donkey balls. I'll rent this but no purchase until I can get a 2.35:1 Blu-ray release of the film.

kuntasensei

Yeah... Tried to watch this last night. The aspect ratio change is SOOOOOoooooo annoying. I ended up stopping it and playing Gears of War 2 instead. They absolutely ruined the experience by putting the IMAX shots in. I really don't understand why there wasn't an option to watch the whole movie in 2.35:1. It sounded amazing... but as soon as it changed to IMAX the second time, I couldn't stand to watch it.

Way to go, Warner. Way to screw up your biggest Blu-ray release release of the year.

kuntasensei

Y'know, as much as they hype the extra space of Blu-ray, you'd think they could have put both versions on the disc. DVDs have offered multiple versions using branched video (for director's cuts, etc.), so there's absolutely no reason they couldn't have done this right. I checked the BD against the DVD... and I gotta say that I preferred watching the DVD. It's a pretty sharp transfer, the audio's still very nice, and I don't have to worry about the aspect ratio changing.

Ron-P

Here's a thread (over at AVS) that has screen caps from both the SD-DVD and Blu. The difference is quite amazing.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1089714

dholmes

So during the movie it switches between 2.35 & 1.85,that's going to be annoying

Ron-P

Yes it does, and yes it will be. One reason this is off my to-buy list. I'll rent it to see what it's like but I won't buy it.

Ron-P

Keiko wrote: »

Not trying to start a debate, but if that PQ is accurate for the blu-ray disc, I'll stay with the DVD. I'm 100% certain the pic quality on my player is much better than those blu-ray screen shots.

Well, first off, it's a screen cap, they never do justice to the real deal, never. Secondly it shows a substantial difference between the two but I'd image both are better then what those screen shots show.

I will say I have yet to see the PQ of an SD-DVD upscaled come even remotely close to that of Blu-ray.

I have no idea what this DK Blu-ray will look like but it is in my rental queue so if there's not a long wait I'll find out soon enough. I did read that the IMAX footage suffers from EE which will suck. That's one very nice aspect of Blu, no EE.

millerman 3732

Keiko wrote: »

Not trying to start a debate, but if that PQ is accurate for the blu-ray disc, I'll stay with the DVD. I'm 100% certain the pic quality on my player is much better than those blu-ray screen shots.

There not actually screen shots, Xylon, uses some kind of computer program to get direct image captures from the disc, so not saying that it won't look better on your set up, especially when its in motion, but your seeing exactly what is on the disc.

dholmes

Have any of you that gets movies early seen the blu-ray of Dark Knight,if so how does the 2.35 to 1.85 look? thanks

kuntasensei

On my 100" screen, the transition is really jarring. And the IMAX scenes look kinda' meh compared to the others, almost hazy by comparison.

This is one of the only times you'll hear me say this: Watch the DVD instead. The BD looks like they jacked up the sharpness meter to its max and the changing aspect ratios are horrible to watch. The DVD, on the other hand, has a pretty smooth transfer without any noticeable enhancements.

mutelight

kuntasensei wrote: »

On my 100" screen, the transition is really jarring. And the IMAX scenes look kinda' meh compared to the others, almost hazy by comparison.

This is one of the only times you'll hear me say this: Watch the DVD instead. The BD looks like they jacked up the sharpness meter to its max and the changing aspect ratios are horrible to watch. The DVD, on the other hand, has a pretty smooth transfer without any noticeable enhancements.

But then again you are watching a re-encode of it anyway. I will reserve judgment until the disc actually releases and I can see it in full quality.

High Def Digest spoke quite highly of the image quality.
http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/1825/darkknight.html

kuntasensei

My initial impression was from the recode. That last post was based on the retail BD via PS3 to my calibrated Z2000. But feel free to reserve judgment.

KrazyMofo24

Just curious how are you guys able to watch the blu ray version already? One review didn't complain about the transitions. I don't think it's going to be that noticeable it was at the IMAX the scenes were great. Just my assumption it would suck if I have to get the dvd instead.

mutelight

kuntasensei wrote: »

My initial impression was from the recode. That last post was based on the retail BD via PS3 to my calibrated Z2000. But feel free to reserve judgment.

How did you see the Blu-ray before its street date?

kuntasensei

Friends who work at certain less-than-vigilant retailers.

mutelight

kuntasensei wrote: »

Friends who work at certain less-than-vigilant retailers.

Ah right, the internet, the ones who work with torrents, IRC, and newsgroups. haha

kuntasensei

Nope, retail disc. He doesn't have surround yet, so he dragged his PS3 over and we strung HDMI cables through my Onkyo 705 and across the room to my Z2000. Only the second time I've hooked up anything to my Z2000 via HDMI ('cause I'm all component) and the first time I've run lossless audio to my 705 (though it was decoded in the PS3, not bitstreamed). Can't say it made me want to jump on the BD bandwagon or buy a PS3, but I may have to do an HDMI run to my projector soon just for the video.

The TrueHD soundtrack was pretty nice! We also spun the BD of Wanted, which was surprisingly a better movie than I thought it would be and had one HELL of a soundtrack!

mutelight

Haha, whatever man, glad you enjoyed yourself. While I still don't buy it, it is all good.

danger boy

how many in here are going to go out and buy this movie on Tuesday?

millerman 3732

danger boy wrote: »

how many in here are going to go out and buy this movie on Tuesday?

Me.

polkatese

I have one coming from Amazon.

danger boy

i plan on picking it up on Tues from BB. I got a $5 off coupon. Blu ray should be amazing.

mutelight

I will definitely be at Best Buy tomorrow picking up my copy. :cool:

thsmith

danger boy wrote: »

i plan on picking it up on Tues from BB. I got a $5 off coupon. Blu ray should be amazing.

+1 BRD from BlockBuster

Roy Munson

danger boy wrote: »

how many in here are going to go out and buy this movie on Tuesday?

I'll be renting it.

Ron-P

danger boy wrote: »

how many in here are going to go out and buy this movie on Tuesday?

I'll rent it until they fix the aspect ratio problem.

Sherardp

Coming from Amazon

mutelight

Ron-P wrote: »

I'll rent it until they fix the aspect ratio problem.

What is the problem exactly? They do change the aspect ratio for the scenes shot on a larger film stock but it is done purposefully and not a "problem" except for on possibly a personal level.

kuntasensei

Well, I don't know if this is Ron's problem, but a lot of people with projectors use mattes to block off the black bars. Because of the aspect ratio changes, you can't use your mattes with this disc unless you want to see image on them during the IMAX scenes. Comparing the BD to DVD, it looked like all they did for the IMAX scenes was go open matte... so if you are using mattes at home and can tune out the image overspill during the IMAX scenes, it should recreate the theatrical ratio pretty closely.

Personally, I don't use mattes... I just find the aspect ratio change really annoying and prefer the theatrical ratio for this movie. Given the storage space of Blu-ray, they should have given people the option.