In-depth DVD and movie reviews - the JBL sound!

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Given the Bourne films/Bluray a listen and they along with Terminator Salvation are dtsHDMA sounds wicked!

Plus I can’t hear my new neighbours below, guess they don’t have JBL!

The Foley effects of (hand to hand) on chapter 16 is nicely choreographed with Borne jumping leaping from building to building and the leaping though a window head-first to prevent an assassin from knocking off Nicky.

The glass shattering if played on larger JBL cinema PA would be vividly realistic in this case I prefer a bit of audio limiting on the LF/HF fronts while maxiuming the softer quieter sounds.

The beating beats of drums percussion rolling suddenly comes to halt when Bourne cashes though the shattering glass (83dba) at listening area, while dbc was at (89dbc) the impact was felt on my body, as if I was going though the glass with him.

Real glass shattering let me tell you, is LOUD! I’m talking 90dba and its not really comfortable sound to listen too.

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Brought Cliffhanger yesterday which I got around to playing late of last night and couldn’t believe it had technical sound issue.

The fronts left and right are reversed making onscreen sound totally opposite to where sounds should be placed.

So when gun is cocked its heard to off screen on the left! But the gun appears onscreen its moving in from the right and that just doesn’t happen in real life, unless you happen to be facing the rear with your head turned away from the screen.

The issue has seen be resolved on the landline where I spoke to (Optimum Home Entertainment) technical department where the chap was very jolly and helpful at resolving the resolution.

They have been aware of this issue since last year, as the Bluray was released around (4th August 2008). There are newer copies out to replace the botched up version and I’m rather surprised that HMV still had some or that some may have been in circulation at warehouses?

Other technical issue is Terminator Salvation, it won’t go past the menu the menu is locked up! I may have to had some software upgrade on my Philips BDP3000 sigh, why, why, why?

Or I can use Jedi mind trick on Sony pictures UK to send me copy that will in fact play!

It played on my friends Sony PS3 and I don’t want a PS3! The console controller is pants.

I have several other Sony Bluray titles and they play fine.

Is this going to be the same issues as it was with DVD where some menus just lock-up yet they play fine on other DVD players.

Take any dual 35/70mm projector and you can play any film anywhere in the world without issues! Sigh.

This regional coding is bollocks for ONE! VHS/Laserdisc in someway was regional coded because some didn’t have an NTSC player or may not have had TV that supports NTSC making the picture unwatchable due to (roll bars) rolling down the screen.

I have the earlier DVD first edition that sounds correct (and my cat Sooty, has this annoying habit of opening my living room door), excuse me.

The Bluray is dtsHDMA so that’s a nice plus, but! The film was never released in dts it was released in Dolby stereo SR optical and 70mm six-track Dolby stereo I think a Dolby SR-D print was also in circulation at the time or it might have just been the Dolby stereo SR. dts was around at the time but dts doesn’t appear on the credits!

Oddly enough (Dolby stereo SR) is in tiny print the logo on the front cover of the Bluray.

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Correction the split-surrounds are reversed after muting the LCR/LFE.1 for closer listen and a simple quick re-plug as sorted it! Point is no one should have to do this.

The part where the helicopter lands and the guideline cable bridging between to cliff points has tingly dangling sounds as that cable waves around in the wind on right surround, not left!

At 00:07:45 I can hear the climber pulling himself along the cable sidewall arrays then onto centre front as he appears onscreen left then centre of screen.

Looks great on the LCD at 1080i

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Screen captures are from the DVD since I don’t have Bluray pc player only standard Bluray player.

You can see the slight difference in frequency due to DVD speed-up. The Bluray at 24fps sounds infamy better plus the range level is higher and crystal peaky clear!
This is the un-cut version that has some brutally grim scenes not seen on PAL VHS rental or the PAL laserdisc and the later region 2 DVD.

This is the un-cut version that has some brutally grim scenes not seen on PAL VHS rental or the PAL laserdisc and the later region 2 DVD.

Gabe and Jesse quickly descend down along the face of the mountain to escape from bomb, that’s set on a timer. The lows on the Trevor Jones score tensely vibrates nice on the LFE.1 at steady pulse, while gritting my teeth, I hate heights!

I’ve included the DVD region 2 from the same sequence on the same player. AVR fader is set at (0db) (LFE.1 is set at 0db).

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The explosion jolted off to sudden slam while raining thunderous falling debris of crashing rocks around the room all-JBL speakers!

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Apparently there have been numbers of reported issues with (Terminator Salivation 2009) within the UK about its (main menu). I’ve spoken to Philips consumer UK and they are 100% aware of the issue that has also been reported on Samsung and LG Bluray players, where the films menu locks-up!

The issue lies with the (jarva menu) that has been fouled-up!

I own a Philips BDP3000 for getting on close to three weeks now and have since brought 6 Bluray titles.

Titles so far

The Bourne Supremacy (2204)
The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
Terminator 3 Rise of the Machines (2002)

Cliffhanger (1993) which as sound technical issue only that has been resolved, the issue is the left and right fronts and split-surrounds are reversed and unless you have RCA and separate amps to (re-plug) then undoing cables on the back of common AVR will be annoying.

I’m awaiting my replacement Bluray disc to come from (Optimum Home Entertainment UK)

Star Trek (2009)

I replaced Terminator Salvation for an afterburning sound classic Top Gun (1986) so I’ll give that spin in jiffy on some of the sound highlights.

Well the issue with Terminator Salvation should be resolved in 3 weeks just in time for Christmas.

Further more I tried two of the same Bluray with Terminator Salvation with the same issue!

ASDA compensated with £5.00 pound gift card which I spent on some food, as you can’t eat Bluray discs!!!

I’ve since called ASDA to speak to the same chap also to thank him, and told him the news on the issue as ASDA has had no recalls of the Bluray as of yet?...unless most happen to have a (Sony PS3) and very few with Philips BDP3000 or LG and Samsung???

Yeah maybe it’s Sony Bluray conspiracy?

[JBL 4645]

Yes my, ears have yet again picked up an issue that will no doubt be on the bluray since this is sourced for the same master.

It’s plainly obvious I’ve got the region 2 DVD box-set. The chapter make is 13 time 64m.55s this is where Sulu leans slightly forwards after receiving new coordinates to manoeuvre over the intruder.

What you should hear is button click on screen left! why this was eluding for so long since I’ve had the box-set for months now. Oh, well if Paramount Pictures are going to mess us around what is the point in trusting these studios to produce 100% transparent copies.

There is another weird one with the Scotty on the intercom left channel chapter 9 time 37m.29s the voice shouldn’t have an echo rather than a dry sound to it.

It’s fortunate that I still have the original on widescreen laserdisc PCM. Sigh.

The more things change. The more they stay the same.

I must say there is something a bit out of place something sly? If you mute the centre there is mild soft dialogue heard within left and right front but its many db down and only happens in few parts of the film where there are soft low level ambient sounds. Its if they have someway manipulated the 4.2.4 mix to give us a fake 5.1 mix.

According to the In-70mm site there was 70mm print stuck but whether this is the true original six-track elements

Most other effects are in the correct locations but I’d have to rate this 97% rather than 100%.

I’ve also listened to other language tracks as some effects tend to end up on foreign language tracks, no sign.

Well due to this I’m now unsure if I should touch the Bluray, because this will enrage further, its just a waste of money and someone is getting too greedy out there!

Right now I feel like kicking who ever the Muppet was that slightly botched this in the nuts!

Its fortunate I can still hear and was even to pick these effects out on the original 35mm Dolby stereo type A print, at the Empire from 20 meters away from the screen, 20 years ago. Hmm “20” well you might say have 20-20 hearing.

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I don’t think I can say anything nice about this version! It’s the same sly version that was produced around late 1990’s I think for the dts 70mm version? Then it appeared on region 2 DVD around 2001 and I noticed it even back then, since I already owned the laserdisc with all the crazy dialogue panning over the screen even thou some portions are folded on top of one another over the LCR.

Most of what is on this bluray that is all, the original dialogue panning as been centralized taking away the integrity of the original theatrical mix that was produced for the 70mm format with five fronts and only one single mono surround.

The image well err okay kinder off sigh! If one part of the presentation fails! It all fails! Now then!

What really pisses me right off is these silly fanatical bluray owners that keep saying “lossless" "lossless" is great! and have the gore to tell me a bluray is a must see a must hear! I bet half of these f$*(ks are stone deaf!

I SAID STONE DEAF!

My views on Bluray has gone from 100% down to 70%. I’m going to keep a low profile on buying Bluray titles if I can help it.

So Tom, if you’re reading this? Bluray isn’t for you, you need 20-20 hearing first off and lossless really it sounds like f*(%^king snake oil!

Fortunate there is still one original format that will eat bluray alive! And that is the CINEMA!

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I agree with the views on this 100%.

'Avatar' reviewed by Mark Kermode
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJXfiSrAuTU&feature=rec-fresh+div-r-1-HM

Yeah the story is far too predictable to waste £13.50 at the rubbish worst cinema in the UK the Odeon Leicester Square! I would have sooner wasted the £13.50 at the Empire Leicester Square in Dolby3D JBL 56KW THX sound system that has far better sight lines and far superior JBL THX 56KW sound!

If I want to look at something like an Avatar I’d need only to just glance around and wham! Sooty, looks like an Avatar!

No, I’m not going to the cinema to see this, I’ll wait till the Bluray comes out.

[JBL 4645]

Here are samples of different Klingon belches over different versions of laserdisc to region 2 first edition to special edition region 2 to original motion picture collection and Bluray region B original motion picture collection.

When I first saw Star Trek V for the first time at, the Empire Leicester Square presented in 70mm Dolby SR JBL 13KW THX it sounded like, a mild aftershock reverberating though the auditorium that was felt in the seat and over my body.

The output is direct from AVR at 0db level passing directly to the pc.
I have taken tests of centre front and (LFE.1 to see if there is anything within this track.)
Some versions show LFE.1 content with less others show less in on the centre front and others even more over the various language types.

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region 2 DVD first edition

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region 2 DVD second edition

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region 2 DVD orignal motion picture collection

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Bluray region B orignal motion picture collection

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Region 2 DVD first edition
Region 2 DVD director edition
Region 2 DVD same as Bluray original motion picture

What is wrong with this picture?

I tell you the laserdisc shows more height on the top portion of the fame but less on the width.

No I don’t have software to do screenshot of the laserdisc but the letter A or part the top portion of frame does show the letter A more cleanly.

Also the colour is a slight issue. These are film studios that can’t do a simple thing as standardization they’d rather show-off and manipulate the image. Thank god cinema still exists!

Also note captain Terrell getting smaller in the frame as the bottom frame opens up, but still someone had to botch the top part of the frame up, with a slight crop.