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Matt Hough

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Matt Hough

Compulsion Blu-ray Review

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The notorious 1924 trial of killers Leopold and Loeb, disguised somewhat as cinematic historical fiction, gets something of an unusual treatment in Richard Fleischer’s Compulsion.

[review]
Read more.
 

Mark-P

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The soundtrack should at least be stereo. It was originally 4 track magnetic stereo and the European Blu-ray has a 5.1 mix.
 

Jimbo64

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That's odd it would be in mono as you can stream it on Netflix in 5.1 with a very directional soundtrack. Also I had the DVD which had the directional sound as well (it might have been pro-logic or 4.0)
 

Mark-P

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That's odd it would be in mono as you can stream it on Netflix in 5.1 with a very directional soundtrack. Also I had the DVD which had the directional sound as well (it might have been pro-logic or 4.0)
The DVD was discrete 4.0. I've ordered the U.K. Blu-Ray and will report back if the 5.1 track is a remix or actually the 4.0 mix in a 5.1 configuration.
 

Robert Crawford

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Despite the audio issues that have been noted, I agree with this review's grading of this BD Release. Also, I enjoyed the audio commentary.
 

Mark-W

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Thanks for another fantastic review, Matt.

It tempted me enough to get it, especially now that it is $14.99 at Amazon.
 

Mark-P

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The DVD was discrete 4.0. I've ordered the U.K. Blu-Ray and will report back if the 5.1 track is a remix or actually the 4.0 mix in a 5.1 configuration.
Reporting back, as promised. The 5.1 track on the Region B (locked) Blu-ray is indeed the original 4.0, configured as 5.1 with surround channels identical (mono). Comparing it to the 2.0 mixdown which is also on the disc and I presume the same as the Kino mix, I found the 5.1 to be superior simply because playing the 2.0 stereo mix in pro-logic results in way too much dialog leaking into the surround speakers. Discrete is the way to go because you have a clean front soundstage with directional dialog and a unique surround channel with no crosstalk.
 

Stephen PI

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Reporting back, as promised. The 5.1 track on the Region B (locked) Blu-ray is indeed the original 4.0, configured as 5.1 with surround channels identical (mono). Comparing it to the 2.0 mixdown which is also on the disc and I presume the same as the Kino mix, I found the 5.1 to be superior simply because playing the 2.0 stereo mix in pro-logic results in way too much dialog leaking into the surround speakers. Discrete is the way to go because you have a clean front soundstage with directional dialog and a unique surround channel with no crosstalk.
I agree with you there Mark-P.
What I cannot understand is how Hollywood Classics, the distributor of the UK disc, received the HD master with the two feature audio streams, unless they, HC, specially requested the 5.1. Yet on the Kino, the HD master has only the 2.0. For what reason would Fox leave off the 5.1 on one master and not the other? Unless Kino requested leaving it off, which is unlikely, but possible.
 

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Now I'm confused, the review said the Kino audio was 2.0 mono but the comment above says the UK disc has 5.1 and 2.0 stereo... Is the 2.0 on the Kino mono or stereo?
 

Mark-P

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Now I'm confused, the review said the Kino audio was 2.0 mono but the comment above says the UK disc has 5.1 and 2.0 stereo... Is the 2.0 on the Kino mono or stereo?
I did find one online review that attributed "a pleasing amount of channel separation" to the Kino Blu-ray, so it is possible that Matt could be mistaken. Someone else will need to verify. If in fact the Kino disc is not just down-mixed to stereo but is actually down-mixed to mono, then that really would be a shame. It wouldn't be the first time Kino has mono-ized a stereo film, e.g. Taras Bulba and The Falcon and the Snowman.
 

Stephen PI

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Reporting back, as promised. The 5.1 track on the Region B (locked) Blu-ray is indeed the original 4.0, configured as 5.1 with surround channels identical (mono). Comparing it to the 2.0 mixdown which is also on the disc and I presume the same as the Kino mix, I found the 5.1 to be superior simply because playing the 2.0 stereo mix in pro-logic results in way too much dialog leaking into the surround speakers. Discrete is the way to go because you have a clean front soundstage with directional dialog and a unique surround channel with no crosstalk.

I have an issue with the 5.1 on the UK Blu Ray.
I have deleted my original post as I have discovered upon listening to the 5.1 left and right channels only, at least in the first ten minuted or so, so far, the left channel is considerably low in level and I have compensated for this and will watch the film through to the end to see if it is consistent.

I have just finished watching the film listening to just the left and right channels and according to my receiver, the left channel is down 6 to 8db throughout. Then I played "GARDEN OF EVIL" the same way and set the left channel back to 0db and the balance was correct.
So anybody with the UK disc, if they wish to hear the LCR correctly balanced, mute the center, raise the left level until the dialog placement is correct then add the center channel. The adjustment made a huge difference.
 
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Mark-P

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I have an issue with the 5.1 on the UK Blu Ray.
I have deleted my original post as I have discovered upon listening to the 5.1 left and right channels only, at least in the first ten minuted or so, so far, the left channel is considerably low in level and I have compensated for this and will watch the film through to the end to see if it is consistent.

I have just finished watching the film listening to just the left and right channels and according to my receiver, the left channel is down 6 to 8db throughout. Then I played "GARDEN OF EVIL" the same way and set the left channel back to 0db and the balance was correct.
So anybody with the UK disc, if they wish to hear the LCR correctly balanced, mute the center, raise the left level until the dialog placement is correct then add the center channel. The adjustment made a huge difference.
Just for you Steve, I did a quick A/B comparison of the DVD and Blu-Ray soundtracks. To my ear they are identical. This is exactly what I was referring to in the Peyton Place thread as "sloppy" localization that comes with 3-boom recording technique (and I know you heartily disagree). They are unable to nail down voices to a specific location in the front soundstage. While the 3-mic technique might work wonders through a pair of headphones as it would replicate the aural acuity of a pair of ears, it really doesn't work well for a soundstage with an array of speakers. The voices are more amorphous blobs rather than pinned down to specific locations which is how sound is mixed today.

Edit: Eek, I just noticed that you deleted your original request for me to compare the discs for you. So my response was to your original post rather than what you replaced it with.
 

Stephen PI

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Thanks for checking Mark-P. I deleted my original message because I had discovered what the problem was after I had sent it.
I agree that there are very minor errors with the three-microphone technique and they are masked mostly by the center channel.
That is nothing compared to the problem that I am referring to and that is Fox home video's sound department's lack of effort to ensure that the LCR channels are correctly configured and assigned, (which they completely messed up on the "BLU DENIM" dvd) and that the channels (left and right) are balanced correctly by making sure that the center information, from the left and right, is audible from the center area of the screen, from beginning to end, before assigning the center channel, which is not difficult to do.
I have done some Fox titles myself and I always made sure of the above simple rules.
It is pure incompetence on the part of Fox's department to make sure errors like this don't get out on the market.
 

RolandL

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Blu-ray review - "The audio is presented in its DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 format with a pleasing amount of channel separation and even depth on several occasions."
 

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