Dolby 5.1 on old films

[t1grm]

Going to audition some home cinema/hi-fi kit this afternoon and am trying to pick some CD’s and DVD’s to take with me

I’d love to play the opening lap from Le Mans and the DVD casing says it’s Dolby 5.1 but there’s no way the original film was recorded in that. So I assume it’s been re-mastered. My question is would the re-mastering be a workaround using the old sound track or would it be true 5.1 quality? Would I be testing the full capability of the equipment playing a 70’s movie re-mastered for Dolby 5.1? The same goes for Apocalypse Now (I’m thinking the Ryde of the Valkaries (sp?) scene )

Has anyone got any other general advice on selecting music/scenes?

ATM for music I’m going for:

One deep and bassey track (probably a dance track)
One track with delicate vocals
One track that’s very busy with lots of instruments (probably some big band jazz)

And for DVD I’m going for:

One action scene (1st lap of Le-Mans)
One scene with lots of dialogue (undecided)

[alexkp]

t1grm said:

Going to audition some home cinema/hi-fi kit this afternoon and am trying to pick some CD’s and DVD’s to take with me I’d love to play the opening lap from Le Mans and the DVD casing says it’s Dolby 5.1 but there’s no way the original film was recorded in that. So I assume it’s been re-mastered. My question is would the re-mastering be a workaround using the old sound track or would it be true 5.1 quality? Would I be testing the full capability of the equipment playing a 70’s movie re-mastered for Dolby 5.1? The same goes for Apocalypse Now (I’m thinking the Ryde of the Valkaries (sp?) scene ) Has anyone got any other general advice on selecting music/scenes? ATM for music I’m going for: One deep and bassey track (probably a dance track) One track with delicate vocals One track that’s very busy with lots of instruments (probably some big band jazz) And for DVD I’m going for: One action scene (1st lap of Le-Mans) One scene with lots of dialogue (undecided)

It is a very clever remastering of the original stereo track.

Good, or even very good, but not the best you can get.

Try a big budget blockbuster like Attack of the Clones - anything Lucas done in THX. That is about the best there is and great for comparitive listening.

[einion yrth]

Both Le Mans and Apocalypse Now! Were originally mixed for 70mm 6 Channel, so if the analogue to digital conversion has been done tastefully, both should stand up well.

[bengie]

The Omaha beach landing scene from Saving Private Ryan.

Loads of detail in the surround channels, and will exercise the sub nicely. (Don't use the DTS track - the DD mix is better, and the Sub level isn't too high)

Or one scene that appears on a DTS demo disc is from Behind Enemy Lines - the bit where he's walking through an apparently open courtyard - but realises that it's full of trip wires. Again lots of dynamic range - it's deathly silent at first, then gets quite dramitic towards the end.

Last one: True Lies. The LaserDisc version of this film was known as an excellent showcase for Dolby Digital. The DVD is just as good. I like the scene towards the end where whats-her-face drops the machine gun thing down the stairs. You can hear the bullet casings hitting the ground, and bullets flying rear to front etc. Nice

The music should be representative of what you normally listen to, and a track(s) that you know well.

HTH

[alexkp]

einion yrth said:

Both Le Mans and Apocalypse Now! Were originally mixed for 70mm 6 Channel, so if the analogue to digital conversion has been done tastefully, both should stand up well.

I never knew that.

Very interesting.

Quality should be pretty good, but still won't be quite there against more modern recordings.

However, if the analogue - digital conversion has been done well it should be very close. I'll go have a listen later.

[einion yrth]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

The 35mm prints of both were in gorgeous dolby surround so hopefully it was the 70mm mix that they used for the DVD.

[jacobyte]

For a good music test for dynamic ability and crispness of equipment you need a mix of good modern polyphony and also a contrapunctal and contrasting orchestral work. I would take:

One Of These Days I'm Going To Cut You Into Little Pieces (Pink Floyd)

and

Symphonie Fantastique - final movement(Berlioz)

I used these two when testing my B&O and I heard things I had never heard before on my Sony. And we all know that B&O is by no means the best equipment available.

[skinny]

t1grm said:

ATM for music I’m going for: One deep and bassey track (probably a dance track) One track with delicate vocals One track that’s very busy with lots of instruments (probably some big band jazz)

Amon Tobin would do 1 & 3 for you - Bricolage probably being the best...

[mcflurry]

Try Broken Arrow, when the Nuke goes off underground it will test the sub properly

[_dobbo_]

The opening sequence from blade where New Order is playing - that'll give you a dance track and an action sequence rolled into one!