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

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I can often sense the HF above 8KHz which is fairly common and relatively easy to pick out.

Now since I’m limited to how far I, see the HF on the Technics SH-8055
25Hz 63Hz 100Hz 160Hz 250Hz 500Hz (1KHz 2KHz 4KHz 8KHz 16KHz)

Anyway I’ve patched the centre out the spectrumlab, changed the settings for higher frequency resolution.

Okay now, this might be an old film but at the time, it was rather state of the art in Dolby stereo SR.

The cat-scan scene in Alien3 (1992) chapter 19 region 2 DVD shows sharp edge high end that pinches on the ear.

I’m presently readdressing the HF for smoother flatter response and bit of extra boasting on the amps (not too much only what I need for the room). A little of the usual audio limiting will be applied for HF protection.

The blinding bright yellow with patches of orange on part 1 lower part is where the record graph starts from and ends at the top. (12 KHz 18 KHz)

Part2 between (17 KHz and 18 KHz)

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The Truman Show (1998) has a laughable moment as Truman drives though the town, while having radio reception difficulties. The higher pitch frequency (I’ve outlined in red).

I recall this bending my ear in the cinema in Dolby SR-D played over the JBL 4675-A.

The tone extends quite far up the HF register. Maybe I need to reset the Spectrumlap to higher scale above 20 KHz.

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Brought Westworld for as little as £4.99 from play.com last week, and received it two days ago. So far its had at least 5 viewings and counting.

I’ve seen it once before on Turner Network Television on cable many years ago.

“Boy, do we have the vacation for you…”

It’s basically a futuristic theme park where guests play out there fantasies in Roman-world medieval-world and West-world against computerized programmed robots to act and bleed like, real humans.

It kinder pre-causes “The Terminator” (1984) of later years.

Yul Brynner is gunslinger who goes a bit haywire along with the rest of the theme parks robots that start killing the guests systematically.

Also starting Richard Benjamin (Catch-22) and James Brolin (Capricorn One) in Michael Crichton first written/directional film nightmarish world and fight for survival against man and machine…

Framed at 2.35:1 scope letterbox, no 16:9 enhancement but that doesn’t spoil the viewing. The image is as crisp for any standard DVD colours are fine as to is brightness and contrast level.

Sound is stereo 2.0 that plays fine in Dolby stereo Pro-Logic with moderate open front sound stage. Dialogue mix is recorded well for its time, by sound mixer (Richard S. Church). The sound effects have fair bit of openness over the LCR and the music by (Fred Karlin) sounds menacing when gunslinger roams around looking for his target in the lower levels of “Delos”

Extras are bit thin with just one theatrical trailer.

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David Lean’s romantic weepy ‘Dr. Zhivago’(1965) is out on Bluray, Its hard to resist the temptation. The screen captures at DVDbeaver look dazzling that shows grain structure and virtually no visible (EE) edge enhancement as there is on the region 2 DVD and no doubt region 1 DVD.

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film3/blu-r...go_blu-ray.htm

Price is remarkably low at £11.97 at Amazon (forest) LOL
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0030A0Z3...29&camp=211189

Play.com £11.99 wow I’m not going to cry of spilled milk at 2pence difference.
http://www.play.com/DVD/Blu-ray/4-/1...n/Product.html

I’ve just given the DVD a quick listen on side (A and B as this is flipper DVD) I’m into films of this era that use, crazy wild wide dialogue panning over the fronts LCR and the (inner-left inner-right).

The surrounds are original single monaural or duel mono surround played over the arrays sounds brilliant for vintage mixes, of the late composer Maurice Jerra.

There is one thing I’m worried about Bluray and that is possible (fake stereo surrounds) as this seems to be an issue with studios/Bluray taking liberty. Reviewers don’t really give solid facts on the audio side nor does the studios that produces the titles as 5.1 is rather misleading.

The mix here might as well be 4.1 since the surrounds are playing the same sound twice and what is the point of the LFE.1 since its hardly every used its just a waste of two channels. The film would have benefited well with the two other discrete channels 2 and 4 left-centre right-centre, while perceiving the original presentation as seen in 70mm.

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DVD screen captures

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Screen captures curtsey DVDbeaver

Between the two screen captures DVD/Bluray there’s a noticeable framing issue with the DVD where the framing is pulled back slightly on the Bluray that shows more frame width.

Also possible colour manipulation, which one is true colour? Guess you need frame from the film itself. sigh I rather like the colour on the bluray the tone looks skin tone natural. The tone on the DVD looks like everyone had bad Indian curry. Why can’t studios leave the colour controls alone? Mucking around with the colour phase makes for a bad colour!

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Seems like over at AVS, the poor lambs are all having a bad with Avatar on there bluray’s…the scope 2.35:1/2D version is a fake aspect ratio GET IT!

Avatar
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0499549/technical

If it was filmed in (1.78:1) that is it! Its only been manipulated to simulate (scope 2.35:1) in fake untrue unreal unnatural, just like the mad directors other love for Super35 was in earlier days, just so that, he can later bullshit all-of-us with framing (this way, or that way)…sigh, wow what a poor excuse for filmmaker!

Use guanine anamorphic lenses!!!! Oh, but I get it the director is too bone idle lazy to have keep switches lenses. No wonder his films have wooden dialogue, the guys always in a rush and impatient.

Fuck knows what aspect ratio I’d be getting on region B I hope it’s the 1.78:1 W/S and not that disgusting fake scope cropping off the top and bottom portions of the image.

This was also an argument in days when few films would turn up on VHS in letterbox for rental along with customer complaints.

“I have these black bars top and bottom of the screen”...“I’m loosing picture information I want full screen!”

The image was presented as it is on the film print as it was projected in the cinema, with no loss or degradation of image.

The only real issue is the Super35 and now digital manipulation to create fake like scope films, to con audiences. Shame on all, you filmmakers that use this process!

I have feeling I’m going to really dislike this over hyped film now on bluray the unfavourable format in my books. (I really, couldn’t care less for 3D, Fox and Cameron can keep there 3D one focal directional image and cram it where the sun doesn’t shine in 3D!)

3D is a CON!

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Oh, my god look what just turned up in the post this morning at 9:40am? Wasn’t expecting this till next week!

It better live up to the technical standards on bluray/DVD with none of this green smearing colour overkill manipulation!

The judge to day will be Sooty he, will decent if this deserves Sooty paw approval!

I’m going to review it first on the CRT Panasonic widescreen to see if it’s worthy of running on the LCD video projector at 1080i.

Hope the new EQ gives good solid all-around-JBL performance.

I noticed THX has had some involvement with it. Hmm wonder if they use the Amazing Life THX intro or new THX trailer, cautionary measures will be taken while playing this as it’s a new film and I have no idea what the dynamic range is going to be like on effects or music.

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Well I enjoyed it. The film mix released in (dtsHDMA) was rather neat, with plenty of dialogue panning, while narrated from centre channel, Jake Sully paraplegic marine played by (Sam Worthington). The story is predictable but enjoyable and the two-dimension needs no 3D here the sound was mostly 3D.

At chapter 1, time, 00:05:04 to 00:05:09 dialogue pans from centre across to left front and along the sidewall surround arrays as marine yells out to marines…

[Centre front] Go, go, go, go! [Left front] “Get out of there!” “Keep moving!” [Surround left] “Let’s go, let’s go!” Go directly inside!

The low end seems to be mostly covered by the LCRS.

LFE.1 was sparingly used but effective when it comes in.

Image W/S 1.78:1 was plenty shape for the CRT widescreen TV why bother with a HD TV, I only use the LCD video once in short while and didn’t even bother using it today.

The colours was remarkable...

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Screen captures from the DVD since I don't have bluray pc drive LOL why would I won't one same film.

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Avatar screen captures

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LFE.1 track chapter 1, time 00:03:18 to 00:05:11

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Frequency waterfall LFE.1 track earthquake effect!

This happens just after they’ve gotten the Grail and Indy and co vandalize the knights home after being warned “not to cross the seal”

Nice effect that accompanies the LCRS.

It’s fairly strong within the 30Hz to 60Hz range. Little traces falling below 30Hz to about 18Hz and below thou the 30Hz to 60Hz is going to be a bit more noticeable.

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Some more poor colour balance issues the difference is easy to spot though its not quiet perfected enough for the original motion picture editions on DVD/bluay just some form of lowering the levels.

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(Majel Barrett) Miss Carrie in Westworld!

Full cast list for "Westworld" (1973)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070909/