CONSOLIDATED LOTR:FOTR Extended Ed. Problem Thread; Please Post ALL Problem Reports Here! (1 Viewer)

[Brian W.]

On the DTS track, the bass is there but much less prominent.

I compared the DD & DTS tracks directly and did notice slightly less bass on the DTS, but to me there wasn't a great difference.

 

[Paul E. Fox II]

There are those out there that would proabably say the DTS LFE track is actually more accurate and that the DD track on both the original AND the EE release is overblown. I have no idea. The DD LFE actually pushes my chest on the Sauron Explosion and on the DTS track it's there but not like the DD. Is this a problem disc? Is it the same problem as the original Jurassic Park release? I have no idea. From what I'm reading here, it doesn't appear so I'll just go on and enjoy the movie!

 

[Ryan_TD]

my problem is i bought the gift set and there was no movie ticket in it..........
and no i don't live in canada

 

[Aaron Silverman]

After scanning through discs 1 & 2 on my Pioneer Elite DV-05. . .

No problems changing audio tracks on the fly.

The LFE channel on the DTS track is CLEARLY lower than that on the DD track. I'm not sure if the DD has too much bass, the DTS has too little, or if they were simply mixed differently. Hopefully we'll get some kind of definitive answer from New Line. To be honest, both tracks sound *good*, just *different*.

 

[Aaron Schmitt]

So far I'm not experiencing any issues with the EE (5 disk set). I have not changed any settings in my system since I last watched the theatrical cut about 2 weeks ago, and the bass with the DTS track is wall shakingly loud, much louder than the DD on the theatrical cut (in fact, one of my friends commented that the bass was low on the theaterical cut). I am running on a Toshiba 3109 with a Sony ES receiver.

Aaron

 

[Michael Reuben]

slightly less bass on the DTS, but to me there wasn't a great difference.

When you have that wide a variation in listener reactions, it's unlikely that the problem is with the disc.

M.

 

[Jeff Adams]

Well I guess tonight I will try the DD track, but I can't see needing anymore bass than is on the DTS track. And beleive me, I am an LFE nut. I like alot of bass in my movies. And the DTS track is some of the lowest and loudest bass I have heard on any dvd. The part where Frodo is going to put the ring on and then stops was amazing. My entire house was shaking.

 

[Brent Hutto]

In trying to assess the DTS versus Dolby level question, I made my methodology as simple as possible. I set up my Radio Shack SPL meter and did a quick check of my receiver settings using Avia (and bumped up the level of the right rear surround, making a perfect match all around). Then I put the Extended Edition DVD in and picked one scene from the Prologue and another, quieter one from later in the movie to use for the evaluation. I did this at about 8db below reference volume.

I set the player to A-B repeat a 10-second portion of each scene. I'd let it play several times on the DTS track and then several on the Dolby track, noting the pattern of SPL readings. What I found was that the peak levels during dialog were exactly the same between the two soundtracks but whenever there was something loud in the lower frequencies the Dolby track always peaked 2-3db louder than the DTS. The average levels seemed very similar for the two tracks in each scene, as far as I could judge by eyeball averaging.

My setup uses the "small" setting on all speakers so I can't easily say for sure whether the 2-3db difference is in the LFE channel or just generally in the low-frequency range. I like the DTS sound much better in terms of overall subjective impression. There's plenty o' bass in the DTS mix so I don't intend to bump up the subwoofer when we watch the movie tonight. A couple of decibels is pretty much within the uncertainty of my ability to measure, anyway. Onkyo receiver, Polk speakers, Velodyne subwoofer, 250 square foot room with hardwood floors, BTW.

 

[Wayne McRae]

I watched the first 5 minutes in DD & DTS last night. There is a difference in the LFE output here on my copy. The DD sounds very hot, while the DTS is a little lower but sounds smoother.

 

[DarrenA]

I watched the first 5 minutes in DD & DTS last night. There is a difference in the LFE output here on my copy. The DD sounds very hot, while the DTS is a little lower but sounds smoother.

I concur completely! The DD sounds like the overall balance is set too high. The DTS track sounded louder in the rear surrounds (as usual with most DTS soundtracks), but the LFE sounded lower in overall volume but tighter and not so "boomy" over it's DD counterpart.

 

[GrantM]

Last night I watched the prologue again, first in DTS, then in DD. My GF and I both agreed that the DD mix was louder overall, and it seemed to have more LFE.
I need to play the prologue from the theatrical cut again as well. I remember that cut having MUCH more bass than either of the EE soundtracks, but i have made some adjustments to my seating area since I last watched it.

 

[Ryan Wright]

my problem is i bought the gift set and there was no movie ticket in it..........

Hi Ryan,

I must have your movie ticket, then. Mine had TWO in it! When I saw both of them, I dug the shrinkwrap out of the garbage just to be sure I hadn't misread it. Sure enough, it says "ONE" movie ticket included.

Looks like I just got lucky.

 

[JeffreyMercado]

I concur completely! The DD sounds like the overall balance is set too high. The DTS track sounded louder in the rear surrounds (as usual with most DTS soundtracks), but the LFE sounded lower in overall volume but tighter and not so "boomy" over it's DD counterpart.

I think the above is enough to get my point across. Would you still say a problem with the disk is unlikely?

 

[Aaron Silverman]

Michael,

Regarding the quotes you mentioned:

slightly less bass on the DTS, but to me there wasn't a great difference.

I agree that there wasn't a *great* difference, but it's definitely there.

To be honest, I haven't listened enough to decide whether I like the DD or DTS mix better. Interesting to have a difference though!

 

[Michael Reuben]

Quote:

Yes.
M.

 

[Geoff_D]

I have to say this is something which I've experienced a few times, which is basically dts tracks not sounding as 'hot' as their dd counterparts. R1 T2:UE sounds very similar to what people are reporting with R1 LOTR:EE; the lfe seems to go just as low on each track, but the dd lfe appears to have more output in the higher bass freqencies, so you hear it as well as feel it, making it sound louder (ie 'boomy'). Bass should be felt and not heard, or at least that's what audiophiles would tell you.

Dts lfe, in my experience (on different amps/recievers I might add), can sound more refined than equivalent dd lfe on the same movie. It simply doesn't boom as much, while still reaching those gut-wrenching lower frequencies that make us squeal with delight when the windows start rattling. There do seem to be 'hot' dts tracks out there - I'm not disputing that point - but on discs that carry both 5.1 formats, the dd lfe nearly always ends up sounding 'hotter'.

And when you've got a pair of L/R fronts that can reach down to 25Hz (lower than my crappy sub!), you appreciate the subtle differences in low bass tones, instead of proclaiming that one is significantly louder than the other etc. But y'know, I'm not a sound engineer (I don't even own an SPL meter), so I'm giving my opinion, not stating the facts.

As for the LOTR question, the dts track doesn't boom as much. It's as simple as that. And the prologue is an excellent place to highlight this, as there is a clear tonal 'shift' in the lfe when Sauron explodes and the shockwave goes off. It almost sounds like some sort of test tone! The dts goes low without fail, but the dd lfe sounds cluttered and distracting because of the extra 'boominess' present. For the record, I have the R1 4-disc set, going through a chipped Pioneer DV-525 via optical into a Yamaha DSP-AX630.

 

[todbnla]

Upon playing my Gift Set edition in DTS, I quickly noticed the subdued bass as well and changed over to the DD-Ex mix. I noticed increased BASS as on the original theatrical DD mix. On my "antique", but flawless playing Panasonic A120U coupled to an Outlaw 1050, I have NO video performance related problems thus far thru disc 1. Scheduled to view disc 2 tomorrow. (yawn)

 

[Jay Sylvester]

Just got finished viewing both feature discs of my 4-disc set on my HTPC (using a Toshiba DVD-ROM drive) and digital projector (Hitachi 5500). My pre/pro/amp combo is an AVM 20 v. 2.0 with Rotel RMB-1075/RB-1050 amps, paired with an M&K THX speaker setup with the MX-150 sub. Played through the entire film without a noticeable skip, crackle, or hiccup. Very small but perceptible improvement in image quality. About as good as a film transfer can get on DVD.

As for the DTS-ES soundtrack, "reference" is the only word I can think of. Clear and detailed with PLENTY of bass. Those of you mentioning poor bass performance on the DTS track either have miscalibrated systems or have gotten used to the boomy nature of the DD tracks. I found the bass to be powerful and deep, yet refined and smooth. Much more pleasing than the overcooked sound of the theatrical DD track. My walls and my couch shook regularly; sure doesn't sound like weak bass to me.

There's no problem with the DTS track. It's flawless as far as I'm concerned, and the best soundtrack of the year--easily better than AOTC.

 

[Ray Chuang]

In regards to the bass level issue with the DTS-ES soundtrack:

I wonder who many of you have seen a movie in a real THX-certified theater? I have at the Century 20 Great Mall complex in Milpitas, CA and from what I remember, when I saw The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings in the theater the bass was deep but not overwhelming.

I think the DTS-ES track was mixed so it sounds almost exactly like what you get in a THX-certified screening room.

 

[Paul E. Fox II]

Just to add my thoughts on this,
I tried the same passage in my Bedroom rig last night (Sony STR-DB930 receiver) and there was very little difference PERCEIVED difference in the LFE tracks, other than to say the DD Track still seems overblown.
I then went back to the Main Rig (Yamaha RXV-995 receiver) in the the Living Room and listened to the same passage again. Both tracks are good, but my personal perception is that the DD Track is just "Overblown or Boomy". The DTS track is great and the LFE is there, just more subtle in the mix. The transients on Sauron's footsteps, the ring hitting the ground, and the Helmet Drop scene just don't sound as bloated (for want of a better word). This was NOT the case as I recall on the DTS version of Jurassic Park where the LFE channel just didn't appear to be there at all, unless you boosted the DTS LFE from 0 to +10.
Now that I've tried to nail that down, do any of you tend to agree or disagree? As others have pointed out, this may just be a difference in the way your processor/receiver is decoding the track. As I stated before, I don't want to raise the DTS LFE level as it causes other DTS tracks to get "Boomy/Bloated".
Again, I'll let more technical minded people be the decisive factor as I'm sure someone will decide to tear this track apart scientifically sooner or later!.
All that being said, I really think this is the Superior Version of this film. The added material only furthers the story for me and I'm looking forward to finishing the movie, then watching it again in toto.