Lord of the Rings SE

Ron's on the money - the DD version is mastered about 5 dB too hot, and seems a bit compressed - like it's lacking in dynamic range and they made up for it by overcooking it.

DTS usually excels at dynamic range, and I hope this version is less compressed sounding.

Honestly though, I think the quality of the bass on the DD version is very, very good. If the DTS version represents a big bass quality improvement, LOTR-FOTR - DTS could become one of the all time favorite bass demo DVDs. It's already a top demo disc for many HT buffs. I can't wait to hear it.

Doc

Originally posted by scottvamp
The biggest improvment was the BASS. The DTS version has a much cleaner (not so boomy), tighter and much more controled sub.

This soundtrack is much less compressed, has way more dynamic range, and is much more natural sounding than the DD counterpart. The voices seem to float in front of the TV, and the surround effects are much more noticeable and detailed. It's a nice upgrade in this respect.

I thought the bass quality of the DD version was very, very good but it was clearly overblown. Honestly I didn't notice a huge improvement in bass quality - the DTS version does has slightly tighter and cleaner bass.

What is majorly obvious is that LFE track in the DTS version is not nearly as strong as the DD version (usually it's the other way around). It is still strong, but my sound meter tells me it's been dropped a solid 5-6 dB across the board with respect to the other surround channels. Actually, the bass sounds much more natural and realistic at the DTS level, but I would not call this an LFE monster by any stretch compared to the DD version.

Bottom line on sound: The DTS version sounds better in every way, but you lose the majorly strong bass the DD version was famous for. If you want, you can just dial up 5 dB on the sub control at the receiver and recover what you lost to the DD version. I might split the difference and run it 3 dB hotter. Hot bass and the battle for Middle Earth just go hand in hand!

Doc

You won't be disappointed, Ron. If your system is up to exploiting the differences (and I know yours is), the DTS version is like silk sheets and the DD version is like a wool blanket.

Doc

forwarded from a coworker:

'Special Edition' DVD Easter Eggs Worth Looking at:

The first one is actually the MTV Movie Awards spoof on the Council of Elrond scene that
is pretty hilarious. I've wanted to see this again since it first aired (and was repeated
a
thousand times on MTV), and now it's on DVD.

To find this one, go into the Scene Selection menu on disc one, and head to the final
page where you'll find the real Council of Elrond scene. High light that scene and press
"down" to find an image of the Ring. Press enter to view the entire clip from MTV
complete with an introduction from Peter Jackson.

The second egg can be found on disc two, and is the awesome four-minute "Fan
Preview" of The Two Towers that was shown at the end of The Fellowship of the Ring this
past March as it was on the way out of the theaters.

To watch this awesome trailer, go to the Scene Selection menu and navigate your way to
the final page where you'll find the chapter with the Fan Club Credits. Move the cursor to


the numbers on the far right of the screen, and when it's on "48" press down to make an
image of the Two Towers appear. Press enter to view the trailer in full anamorphic
widescreen and Dolby Digital 5.1
audio.