Movies in mono on DVD (1 Viewer)

[Rich Malloy]

Dunno about the bitrate, but there's certainly no need for DD-2.0 encoding when one can simply select "phantom" mode to split it out to two channels. I find the center channel (1.0) solution to be best, as two-channel mono tends to sound slightly smeared and can create effects sorta like "lobing" (I'm not sure how to describe this... different frequency responses depending on where the listener is located).

But Mattias cuts directly to the chase: a mono soundtrack (or stereo one, for that matter) should be presented in full-blooded PCM as there is no reason why a lossy compression encoding scheme is needed. Or maybe I'm presuming too much... is there any reason why a mono or stereo soundtrack needs to be encoded in dolby digital?

 

[Lyle_JP]

Well, like everything else on DVD, there is always the matter of space. Even if you could encode mono as a whopping 384kbps DD 1.0 track, it would still take up only 1/4 the space that a PCM track would. PCM tracks are huge, nearly twice the size of the average DTS track.

-Lyle J.P.

 

[Rich Malloy]

Of course, space is an issue and PCM takes up more than any lossy compressed scheme...

...and yet, Criterion was able to include a stereo-surround PCM track on their "Do The Right Thing" disc (disc 1), which includes a 2-hour film, anamorphically encoded at a high bit-rate, a DD-5.1 track, a commentary track, and the PCM track. Likewise, "Pink Floyd's The Wall" has a similar number of features and audio tracks, and manages also to include a PCM track. I'm just not convinced that PCM takes up so much space as to be problematic in most instances.

 

[Charlie Essmeier]

When I saw Anything Else in the theater, there was a handmade sign placed on the door of the theater that stated that the sound would be mono. I thought it odd that they'd posted a sign for that on the door, but it was, indeed, mono.

Charlie

 

[Ken_McAlinden]

There is no DD5.1 track on "Do the Right Thing" There is a PCM track, a 192kbps DD 2.0 pro-logic flagged track, and the commentary.

Regards,

 

[Kevin M]

And before someone chimes in with "Mystery Science Theater 3000 the Movie has a PCM track...", no it doesn't, it has a 2.0 DD track...albeit a high bitrate 2.0 track but a DD track nonetheless. Of the three copies of Image's OOP DVD I have personally checked out over the years none have had a PCM track.

 

[Ruz-El]

I currently prefer 2.0 mono on DVDs, mainly because I have a cheap Panasonic HT in a box and the center channel sounds kind of tinny if the the track is isolated there, particularly on older titles. Adjusting the EQ doesn't help, and splitting it through the surrounds usually buries the dialog. 2.0 mono tends to sound better because it uses the 2 front speakers with the "super-woofers" in them. Of course, the dialog is still usually low in the mix.

Of course having said this, I'm sure that when I have enough cash (which is impossible in my case: too many DVDs to buy!:b) to upgrade my HT to have a decent center channel, I'll regret posting the above and prefer a true 1.0 mono sound.

 

[Kevin M]

Yes but Russell all you have to do is turn off the processing, the center channel will be disabled and the sound will come out of the main speakers.