2 channel audio WEIRDNESS... need help! (1 Viewer)

[Mike Kao]

Right now I'm at college and sadly away from my home theatre system. I've tried to replicate my HT at home in my dorm and have come up with a modest 27" Wega & a set of Boston Acoustics BA4800 multimedia speakers (4 speakers/sub). I set my sound system up so the front speakers are used for my computer and the rears are used for my TV & movie material. I have my DVD player route the sound to the TV and the TV back to the speakers, all via anolog connections.
Now I've noticed THREE problems with this setup:
1)Dialog seems a wee bit muffled compared to environmental noises/sound
2) The low-end (bass) doesn't seem to be passed onto the speaker system very well at all
3) Some DVD's sound as if DD5.1 material is trying to go through my 2 speaker system... otherwise sound is surprising crystal clear.
In concern to the last problem, I used the Matrix as a reference for positional audio. Now in the lobby scene, it seems as if sounds that should be going to a center channel (that is non-existance), is coming out, even though only 2-channel information should be processing. For example, whenever a bullet is shot from a front angle (which normally would come out of the center channel on a 5.1 system), I can barely hear it. It's like certain gun-shots are MUCH louder than others... and the sound gets muffled as it pans from left to right. Now I can hear this 'center' info (barely), but it's at a very low volume. I can't tell if this what it's SUPPOSED to sound like on a two speaker system, but it certainly doesn't sound very natural. Technically I could use the TV as a center channel but it's not like I have a digital decoder or any decoder for that matter.
But anyway, I have my DVD player set to PCM audio out (only choices are PCM, Dolby Digital & DTS; however the manual tells you to choose PCM for analog connections), and most DVD disks have a choice on the menu for Dolby, DD5.1 and DTS, but the Matrix doesn't... perhaps that could be it? Does anyone have any other ideas?
[Edited last by Mike Kao on September 16, 2001 at 04:58 AM]

 

[Massimo N]

Sound like you need to set your receiver to NO CENTRE. It should be in your receiver's setup menu.
Cheers!
Mass

 

[Andy Kim]

Well, speaking from experience, I think the downmix of the Matrix from 5.1 to 2 channels sounds horrible. I know because I only have a 2 channel system. Most 5.1 downmixes are all right but the Matrix and the World is Not Enough stand out as the worst.
The problems I've had are :
1) INCREDIBLE dynamic range. Some explosions and gunshots and just way too damn LOUD.
2) Dialogue is recorded tooo low...I can barely hear it.
The downmix does exhibit nice left and right directional sounds such as the Neo bullet time sequence. Bullets on the left side clearly come from the left channel only and so on.
So maybe its not so much of a problem with your system. I think the problems you've had with the Matrix seem similar to mine. I think the problems lies with a poor downmix in the 5.1 material.
As for the PCM, that's only for PCM material...it shouldn't make a difference in this cause as you are listening to a Dolby Digital track. There should be individual options for each actually, but if you can only choose one (?) then pick Dolby Digital.

 

[Mike Kao]

Sorry, I wasn't clear. I don't have a receiver (the BA4800 is a computer speaker set). In the action sequence you describe andy (the one where Neo does a sideways one-handed cartwheel while unloading a rifle), I get good left right signals, but as it is panning from left to right I hear delayed muffled center material. As if it was passing information to 3 channels on my 2 channel system. Also the scene where Trinity kicks the guy with a shotgun and shoots him the back... that sounds very muffled as well.
Those are two particular instances that I could remember.