No DTS on any of the big summer blockbuster DVDs? (1 Viewer)

[Brent M]

OK, what gives here? The following movies: 2 Fast 2 Furious, The Matrix Reloaded, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, The Hulk, T3: Rise of the Machines, Pirates of the Caribbean and Bad Boys II are all being released on DVD in the next couple of months with no DTS track. While I realize that none of these movies are cinematic masterpieces, they are big-budget action flicks that deserve the best sound treatment possible for home theater. As far as I can tell, the only summer movie getting a DTS track is X2: X-Men United. Thank you, 20th Century Fox! So, my question is this: why aren't any of these other big action movies getting a DTS track? I know that Matrix Reloaded and T3 are Warner Bros releases and that they abandoned DTS a while back(don't get me started), but what about the rest? Are the studios like Columbia and Universal just planning on releasing these movies again next year as SuperBit or Ultimate Edition titles with a DTS track? I may not buy any of these DVDs and just wait for the eventual "upgraded" versions as I'm getting sick of this stupid practice of releasing a movie and then releasing it again with better audio/video quality just a few months later.


By the way, please don't turn this into a DTS vs. Dolby Digital(which is better) thread as that's already been done to death in many other threads. Thanks.

 

[Scott Kimball]

why aren't any of these other big action movies getting a DTS track?

With risk of entering forbidden territory... the differences between DTS and the alternative are so minor, my suspicion is studios would rather reserve the bandwidth for picture quality.

-Scott

 

[AllanN]

So, my question is this: why aren't any of these other big action movies getting a DTS track?

Answer:

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$

Why would the studio spend the extra money ona DTS track when most of there J6P buyers do not have the proper equipment to play it back. Pluss then they can get us HT enthusiasts to double dip when they do release the multi disk SE complete with better video and DTS.

Look at LOTR, they at least have the decency to tell us a SE is coming.

 

[Lew Crippen]

While I realize that none of these movies are cinematic masterpieces, they are big-budget action flicks that deserve the best sound treatment possible for home theater.

You may want to think about how you phrase your posts, if you really wish to avoid this debate.

 

[Shoaib Lateef]

Allan hit the nail on the head...its simply a matter of $$$. Isn't capitalism grand??

 

[Michael St. Clair]

Pluss then they can get us HT enthusiasts to double dip when they do release the multi disk SE complete with better video and DTS.

If anything, the extra bit headroom stolen by DTS and commentary tracks will make the SEs have worse picture quality...unless they are intentionally degrading picture quality on the earlier releases.

 

[Malcolm R]

Yep, the biggest reason is probably that it gives them a significant feature to hold in reserve for the likely double-dip in the future.

 

[Brent M]

This thread is not supposed to be about which format is better, but rather why DTS is not showing up on any of the big summer action releases. Personally, I prefer DTS and think it is better(I am entitled to my opinion) and I'm pissed that none of these movies are going to have a DTS track. For those who think DD is better, however, obviously this isn't an important topic and I don't expect you to care that these films are not being released in DTS. Let's just stick to the topic at hand which is the fact that the biggest action movies of the summer aren't getting DTS tracks and the reasons behind it. Thanks.

 

[TheBat]

The Hulk is getting a DTS track for Region 2-4..both the 2 disc and 3 disc boxset.. I have a link about in the software section to read more about it.there is a petition to get the 3 boxset relased here in region 1 over at www.hulkmovie.com


JACOB

 

[rutger_s]

Terminator 3: Rise of The Machines is distributed by Warner Brothers Pictures and Warner Home Video. WHV no longer supports DTS audio.

Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle is distributed by Columbia Pictures and Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment. Any betting person would sure place all their winnings on a Superbit Deluxe release to promote the third film.

Bad Boys II...see above.

Pirates of The Caribbean: Curse of The Black Pearl is distributed by Walt Disney Pictures and Buena Vista Home Entertainment. Its a dart throw to surely fathom how they choose which titles get DTS audio. After all, Lilo and Stitch had no DTS audio but Stitch: The Movie had it.

 

[John Beavers]

What I find curious is that the other regions do tend to get DTS versions of movies that are released with DD only here. For instance Black Hawk Down Deluxe edition was DD only for Region 1, but in Europe it got the full Superbit treatment along with DTS-ES.

 

[Randy A Salas]

Let's just stick to the topic at hand which is the fact that the biggest action movies of the summer aren't getting DTS tracks and the reasons behind it.

* DTS is a space hog.
* DTS is a redundant feature.
* DTS costs extra money to license and/or to add the second disc that often becomes necessary when DTS and meaningful extras are included.

Those are three major reasons why DTS is the first feature to go or not be considered on DVDs, and none has to do with the quality debate over the format.

To the mass buying public, DTS is not a "significant feature." It's rarely something that the studios latch on to for marketing either. Most commercials for DVDs tout unseen footage (probably No. 1) and other extras such as commentaries, but rarely the audio format (see the current Scarface ads). There might be a comment along the lines of the movie "looking and sounding better than ever" but nothing specifically about DTS.

 

[Lew Crippen]

What I find curious is that the other regions do tend to get DTS versions of movies that are released with DD only here. For instance Black Hawk Down Deluxe edition was DD only for Region 1, but in Europe it got the full Superbit treatment along with DTS-ES.

A good question. Does anyone know if license costs are different in the different regions?

 

[John Beavers]

To the mass buying public that have HTB's, perhaps, but to those of us who have systems that can take advantage of DTS's superior sonics it is far from a redundent feature. I have only heard one DD version of a movie where I thought it had better sonics than it's DTS counterpart. The fact that DTS is included in most European releases of blockbuster movies and not here makes one wonder if perhaps we early DVD adopters were right. If DVD ever caught on with the mass market audience, it would be castrated as an audio/video enthusiast product, in order to increase profits; since Joe Public doesn't care about superior quality why waste the effort and money.

 

[rutger_s]

It depends on which company is handling distribution...

Universe Video & Laser Co. handles DVD distribution in Hong Kong for Driven, Angel Eyes, and We Were Soldiers(to name a few). These titles have DTS audio in the Hong Kong.

Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever has DTS audio in Hong Kong(distributed by Panorama HK) and Thailand(distributed by Monpong) thanks to Franchise Pictures.

And sometimes just because it has DTS audio does not mean that it is in the original language.

Bulletproof Monk distributed by EVS Pictures in Thailand has DTS 5.1 Surround but it is DTS Thai 5.1 Surround. On the other hand, Universe Video & Laser Co. includes DTS English 5.1 Surround for Bulletproof Monk.

And in a lot of cases, the inclusion of DTS audio causes special features to be dropped. Albeit, Black Hawk Down is available as a Superbit Deluxe in Korea...the DVD does not have the three commentary tracks. Ronin(The Ultimate Edition) in Japan has DTS English 5.1 Surround but again no commentary. And Angel Eyes, We Were Soldiers, and Driven have none of the extras from the R1 releases.

 

[Michael Reuben]

If DVD ever caught on with the mass market audience, it would be castrated as an audio/video enthusiast product, in order to increase profits

There are legitimate grounds for such a concern, but the absence of a DTS track isn't one of them.

M.

 

[Lew Crippen]

DTS is a redundant feature.

I would have to agree with Randy (and Michael) because DTS provides a second 5.1 soundtrack (to be sure on some releases the DD track is 2-channel).

Another of the same thing is by definition, redundant. This has nothing to do with the quality or perceived quality of the sound.

 

[John Beavers]

I stand corrected, there are some enthusiasts with very good equipment who do not hear a difference between DTS and DD. I cannot understand it because it's not even a close call to my ears, but that's the way of it, and I do respect their viewpoint. However, it's not the enthusiast who doesn't hear a difference that is the factor with industry's choice to not release a DTS track. Obviously in Europe it's considered a viable selling point, why not in America? Makes you wonder.

 

[Larry Sutliff]

I had a Sony receiver for years that only handled DD(the infamous STR-DE915), and I recently upgraded to an Onkyo receiver that has DTS. I have to say that I was sceptical of the supposed superiority of DTS before I bought this receiver, but now I'm convinced. The DTS DVD's I've listened to recently-FOTR EE, CASPER, DAREDEVIL, GLADIATOR-all sound more dynamic to my ears than their DD counterparts, and also easier on the ears.

Having said that, I'm no expert, and the increased sound quality could just be because my new receiver has much better overall sound than the Sony did. And DD is still pretty damn good. I lived without DTS for years and was satisfied with DD, so I'm not going to be too upset that flicks MATRIX RELOADED and PIRATES... only have DD tracks, as long as they're good mixes.

 

[TheBat]

If Universal had dropped the spanish and french 5.1 on the hulk.. they could of done a DTS track.

JACOB