Blu-ray Review HTF Blu-ray Review: Star Trek: The Original Series Season One (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED) (1 Viewer)

[Nelson Au]

Are you guys with the low volume issue listen with an old processor that cannot process the new audio? I have a very old processor and I listen with the downconverted DTS audio for the new audio track. It's lower for me too.
So I was wondering if you have the newest processors, it will give you sound levels on par with what you're used to.
For me, it's not that big a deal, I just turn it up.
Gary, thanks for the easter egg info. Wished you hadn't spoiled it, I would have liked to have found it myself! No worries as I wasn't looking for them.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Same audio issue here, as well... nothing wrong with it, but it does come out extremely low mixed down to a 2.0 stereo setup. Definitely have to keep an eye on it, I let it jump back to the main menu after forgetting I had turned it up so high, and I nearly had a heart attack.

 

[Tino]

how do you access the bd live features ?

 

[RDarrylR]

Sam: Yes, I have the same "issue" with audio - it is VERY quiet. I have to turn up the audio +10 db over the usual listening volume. It can be quite a shock when you go to the main menu after an episode finishes playing!

Or if you put in disc 1 with the volume up so high and the trailer for the new Trek movie starts playing. You could wake up the whole city. If the episodes on disc 1 are well under volume then the trailer at the beginning is even more than that over volume.

 

[troy evans]

Same audio issue here, as well... nothing wrong with it, but it does come out extremely low mixed down to a 2.0 stereo setup. Definitely have to keep an eye on it, I let it jump back to the main menu after forgetting I had turned it up so high, and I nearly had a heart attack.

Exactly. There has to be a reason for the lower audio levels. I wonder if something was wrong with the audio processed at higher levels or something? That may not make much sense, but I'm guessing here.

 

[Edward Schatz]

I have to turn all of my Blu-Rays to a much higher decibel than regular DVDs. Is that a compression related issue?

 

[Stephen_J_H]

No. Usually, audio tracks with a higher volume are more compressed. What you're experiencing is moe likely due to the fact that many BDs use Dolby Digital (compressed, not lossless True HD) for trailers and special features, including menu audio. These items are mastered at a higher volume than the DTS HD MA tracks and so you'll find yourself cranking the volumeon the DTS tracks, only to go back to the menu and get blasted out of your seat. HSM3 is like this as well, as are Sleeping Beauty, Pinocchio and Bedtime Stories. I haven't tested Bolt yey, but I suspect it is the same situation.
Widest disparity in volume I've ever encountered? Peter Gabriel's Play on SD DVD. The DTS 96/24 track is EXTREMELY quiet. I was nearly blasted out of my seat when the disc went back to the DD 2.0 track on the main menu. My wife was upstairs and screamed at me to turn it down; a valid concern @ just after midnight.

 

[Edward Schatz]

No. Usually, audio tracks with a higher volume are more compressed. What you're experiencing is moe likely due to the fact that many BDs use Dolby Digital (compressed, not lossless True HD) for trailers and special features, including menu audio. These items are mastered at a higher volume than the DTS HD MA tracks and so you'll find yourself cranking the volumeon the DTS tracks, only to go back to the menu and get blasted out of your seat. HSM3 is like this as well, as are Sleeping Beauty, Pinocchio and Bedtime Stories. I haven't tested Bolt yey, but I suspect it is the same situation.
Widest disparity in volume I've ever encountered? Peter Gabriel's Play on SD DVD. The DTS 96/24 track is EXTREMELY quiet. I was nearly blasted out of my seat when the disc went back to the DD 2.0 track on the main menu. My wife was upstairs and screamed at me to turn it down; a valid concern @ just after midnight.

I figured as much. Given how much I loathe the compression, clipping and other maximization placed on popular music CDs, I find the low volume mastering of Blu-Ray HD tracks pleasant. Unfortunately, I occasionally forget how loud I turned the receiver up when I switch back to cable TV. Yikes!
I'm surprised engineers have not gotten nasty letters complaining their DTS HD tracks are "too soft" and that they want their soundtracks "loud." Because you know LOUDER IS BETTER.

 

[Karl Pozorski]

how do you access the bd live features ?

BD-Live is on Disc 7 in the special features.

 

[Karl Pozorski]

On the second disc there is a LED light with no header attached to it. Press it and you get the collection of new effects put together to music.[/QUOTE



You can also do this on Disc 5 for a very cool commercial.

 

[Joe_G]

Are you guys with the low volume issue listen with an old processor that cannot process the new audio? I have a very old processor and I listen with the downconverted DTS audio for the new audio track. It's lower for me too.
So I was wondering if you have the newest processors, it will give you sound levels on par with what you're used to.

I'm running a new receiver - Pioneer Elite SC-05, which can process DD+, TrueHD and DTS-HD MA internally.

 

[BrettGallman]

For what it's worth, I have Season 1 on HD-DVD, and the volume is especially low on that set as well.

 

[Tino]

how do you access the bd live features ?
BD-Live is on Disc 7 in the special features.

thanks karl.

 

[Osato]

I've been watching quite a few of the episodes on this set. Wow. I'm so impressed with the work that was done! Thank you CBS and Paramount!
It's so great to see the episodes carefully remastered and the picture is amazing. The audio is so rich too.
I noticed a few comments on the sound. I also noticed this as well. I've turned the volume up a bit when watching them.
When are sets 2 and 3 coming out?
I love having the option of original effects or remastered, if only CBS could handle the Star Trek films box set too!

 

[PaulaJ]

Could someone please let me know the apparently super-secret instructions for turning off the commentary?

I got my BD Star Trek set the other day and put in "Balance of Terror," because I wanted to rewatch the Romulan episodes before seeing the new Star Trek movie.

Within a minute a commentary started (by a female person) and I can't turn the dang thing off! It's on both the English tracks, the original mono track and the 7.1 track. I can't find anything in the menu about a commentary and an option to turn it on and off, and I've pressed every button I can think of and that still doesn't do it.

So at the moment I can't watch "Balance of Terror" without this woman coming on and commenting on things like why they're not wearing dress uniforms for the wedding, etc.

This is driving me nuts. Especially since it LOOKS so beautiful in Blu-Ray. But at this point I just want to watch the episode without commentary and there doesn't seem to be any way to do so.

But there must be... right? HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[ATimson]

Could someone please let me know the apparently super-secret instructions for turning off the commentary?

Buy a new player?
There's no "super-secret instructions"; it just works on my BD-P1500. It sounds like your player isn't properly handling the picture-in-picture stuff (turning off the picture but not the sound).

 

[Nelson Au]

Paula, no secrets here. What you're experiencing is the Starfleet Access function.
It sounds like you player is defaulting to this function, I don't understand why. Once you start the episode, if this Starfleet Access is activated, just press the menu button, scroll to the left, you see 4 buttons there, scroll down to the bottom where it says Starfleet Access and press that. You get a new window that asks you if you want to watch with Starfleet Access on or off. Just turn it off there.
Good luck, great episode! It's a favorite of mine.
Edit: I checked a disc and after the menu first appears upon insertion of the BD in your player, you see on the left at the bottom of the screen, options for the set-up and play. On the left, on top is Episodes and below that is Starfleet Access. Perhaps you pressed Starfleet Access instead of Episodes. If you use the Episdoes button, the Starfleet Access should not be activated.

 

[PaulaJ]

Andrew -- no way I'm buying a new BD player after all the money I spent just last summer on my high end Pioneer model!
Starship Captain Nelson Au -- thank you for your assistance. I finally was able to turn off the commentary.
Any instructions, Captain Au, on how to get rid of that annoying camera icon which pops up every time you're allowed to toggle between the original and enhanced version of the episode?
(Don't get me wrong, I love Star Trek in Blu-Ray -- the show looks like it was shot yesterday and I can make out every pockmark on the faces of Sulu and Spock.

But the technical blips are less than thrilling.)

 

[Zack Gibbs]

Paula it sounds like you could likely use a firmware update.

 

[Nelson Au]

My player is a Sony and I don't see the Camera icon pop up. Sorry, Paula, I don't have a solution. Zack has a good suggestion, you could check to see if you have the latest firmware.