Best Demos for Dolby Pro-Logic IIx ... here is one (1 Viewer)

[MaxMenon]

Having got my Yamaha HTR-5760 in my system for a week ... I was curious to explore the hype behind DLPIIx. I have a 7.1 setup.

Last night we watched ...

IDENTITY (2003)

This is a Dolby Digital 5.1 disc.

Absolutely stunning ... never before have I experienced this much discrete information coming from each of the four surround speakers.

To double the fun I highly recommend that you have transducers mounted under the couch ... no sub-only setup can equal this experience.

Highly recommended. Especially, if Amanda Peet catches your fancy.

Max

 

[Ed Moxley]

Will have to check it out.
Best movie I've seen for use of surround speakers is Master and Commander.

 

[John Garcia]

Identity - average movie at best, decent sound. I would expect ANY 5.1 movie with a good mix would sound good with PLIIx, wouldn't it? Try something like Fight Club.

 

[MaxMenon]

I liked Identity because I like movies that are obtuse ... kinda like "Run Lola Run" or "Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" ... if you like movies that shock you to look at things from a very different angle ... then its highly recommended.

The sound of rain and thunder totally envelopes you ... if you analyze it further you realize that the surround backs are quite discrete ... a benefit of having DPLIIx.

Also ... the transducers really make scary movies scarier. Ok you younger folks might not find it too scary ... having been desensitized by video games and gory teen slasher films. I enjoyed the film.

But this thread is not about the merits of the film ... but the sound effects that are very nicely presented thanks to DPLIIx.

Max

 

[LanceJ]

Does DPLIIx add two more channels to the rear by somehow deriving them from the existing left and right surround channels (i.e. matrix processing)?

I'm wondering because the original DPL and DPLII were designed to generate a 5.1 sound field from (I think) specifically a stereo mix using sophisticated processing software.

Does DPLIIx "know" not to change the character of the front three channel's information? Or, does it downmix everything into a stereo mix first then reprocess it into 7.1 form? This last option would worry me.



LJ

 

[John Garcia]

"Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" - excellent flick

PLIIx "creates" individual channels for each of the 4 rear speakers, similar to what Logic7 does, and it can be applied to most anything, not just a stereo signal, is the way I am understand it.

 

[Daryl L]

DPLIIx applied to 5.1/6.1 material doesn't affect, alter or manipulate the three front channels (L/C/R) at all. It takes the Ls & Rs and decodes it into 4 surround speakers (Ls/Lb/Rb/Rs). Unfortunately I don't have DPLIIx yet.

Underworld and Blade2 have great soundtracks with quite active surrounds that you might wanna try with DPLIIx.

P.S. I saw Identity a couple of times and think its a very good movie with good acting, writing with a unique story line and an excellent sound track utilizing surrounds very effectively. :

 

[John Garcia]

I know the thread is not about Identity, but while I felt it had tension and was well acted, it still did not do anything for me (I actually bought it because it was on sale for $9.99). The final ending was at least a nice twist, but the foundation was too obvious. It was a unique story the first time it was done...Agatha Christie's 10 Little Indians.

If you like this movie, you must see Memento, if you have not seen it.

 

[Fernando Saa]

I never choose DPLIIx for regular movie watching. Do you guys recommend it over the standard 5.1 or 6.1?, like LOTR the Two Towers for example. I never really tried it and I have a 7.1 system with a Yamaha RX-V2400. Right now I'm getting up and I'm gonna try it!

 

[Kevin C Brown]

I also liked the surround effects of Underworld. In general, I think movies with front to back pans (along either side specifically), or pans across the back, would be the best highlighter of what DPL IIx could do.

I am still curious as to if DPL IIx can do what Logic 7 does. For example, for a front R to surround R pan, Logic 7 continues that pan to the rear R speaker. In other words, the content of the front 3 speakers aren't changed either, but Logic 7 *does* look at what's going on in the front 3 to further decide what to do for the surrounds and rears.

Will be interesting to compare someday!

I do have it from a very reputable source, that DPL IIx is quite an accomplishment.

 

[Fernando Saa]

I couldn't get DPLIIx to work, it changes automatically to surround standard when the movie starts. What am I doing wrong?

 

[Jimi C]

I second underworld, the movie sucks but it sounds amazing. Also U571 has a good surround track.

 

[MaxMenon]

Fernando - thats the problem with the Yamaha Rcvrs ... it will not select DPLIIx when it detects the dd5.1 or dts stream ... you need to manually set it to dd5.1+DPLIIx mode.

This has been discussed in one of threads I started a few days ago.

Max

 

[MaxMenon]

John - I will watch Momento again (the last time I played it ... it was too late in the night and we had guests over ... etc.).

Max

 

[Roger Dressler]

Kevin wrote:

>>I am still curious as to if DPL IIx can do what Logic 7 does. For example, for a front R to surround R pan, Logic 7 continues that pan to the rear R speaker.>In other words, the content of the front 3 speakers aren't changed either, but Logic 7 *does* look at what's going on in the front 3 to further decide what to do for the surrounds and rears.

 

[Kevin C Brown]

Roger- See if the link comes through. Kind of a long (but interesting) document, but I do remember it being in here:

http://www.lexicon.com/products/down...ID=7&FileID=49

 

[Fernando Saa]

Thanks MaxMenon, after tweeking a bit I figured out how to turn DLPIIx on, and you're right, it sounds like sort of more lively!, I have to check out more movies in this new set up thanks!

 

[Roger Dressler]

Kevin,

Thanks for the link. I have seen this document before. I suspect the passage you are referring to is on page 6: They do seem to resemble what you mentioned. But all of this is referring to their 2-ch matrix decoder, not the 5-to-7 decoder. I don't find anything in their manual to suggest their 5-to-7 decoder looks at L/C/R activity. I'm not saying it is a problem--PLIIx doesn't do it either.

 

[Daryl L]

Roger,

I haven't read any of this but it might have some more info within.

http://world.std.com/%7Egriesngr/

I think Sanjay over at AVSForum mentioned L7 doesn't alter the L/C/R fronts but but looks at L/R front cues to decide how the side and back signals are handled but I could be wrong (gettin old and memory sux).


John,

Sorry, I haven't seen or read Agatha Christie's 10 Little Indians or Memento So the Identity plot was totaly new to me. I'm always been the Horror/SciFi nut, my Dads the Mystery/Western nut. I have to order him Agatha Christie, Ellery Queen & Earle Stannley Gardner paperbacks every month from Amazon. He gave me a list of 6 today.

 

[John Garcia]

My mom's the murder mystery nut, got me hooked too, and exposed me to a lot of the old-school versions of what a number of current horror movies are "freshenings" of. Identity added a few nice little twists to the 10 Little Indians theme though.

Memento is a cool/bizzare movie, because of the way it was edited - you are only given blocks of info, in reverse...each subsequent block tells you what lead up to the portion you just watched. Well done, very creative. Excellent DTS track on the special edition also.