Fox: please redo the soundmix on your classic titles. (1 Viewer)

[Joe Caps]

Have been hoping forever that Fox would redo two of thier classic films - Affair to Remember and Love is a Many Splendored Thing - both DVDs have good picture quality but poor 2.0 sound made from old (1983) two channel mixdowns from the original four track stereo mags. Time to redo the sound.
Both films have been announced for the Studio Classic series. Amazingly, both will still be 2.0 sound instead 4.0.
They could be new and better sound transfers but I doubt it - Peter Staddon - why do it this way?

 

[Joe Caps]

Read this morning that Fox is releasing Blue Maz - NOT in the original 4.0 but in 2.0 - why, why why????

 

[Claes Ljunghorn]

I hope it is a misprint. I was really looking forward to hearing these and "Anastasia" in their original 4.0 glory.

 

[GregK]

There's two possible scenarios I can think of Joe:

1) Some or all of these releases still may end up being 4.0 releases, as sometimes a few studios in the past have for reasons unknown announced upcoming DD 4.0 DVD releases as "stereo" or "2.0 surround". One current example again is Fox, who currently has the upcoming "Journey to the Center of the Earth" DVD listed as stereo. ..But there was a 4-track mix for this film, and it was DD AC-3 encoded for the LD which means the 4-track audio is still viable. So it makes NO sense to have a 2.0 surround mix only. (Who knows Fox may surprise me and piss me off yet!)

2) I know from sources in the early days of home theater that some studios made Dolby Surround mixdowns right off of the 4 or 6 track magnetic masters, and only later when the advent of consumer discrete surround sound arrived, did some go back to retransfer the audio from their discrete mag masters. Problem is, some of these discrete mag tracks are unstable and a few have already turned to 'cheese' sense the previous Dolby Surround mixdown sessions.

Obviously let's hope it's a situation #1 scenario! :wink:

 

[Claes Ljunghorn]

in the early days of home theater some studios made Dolby Surround mixdowns right off of the 4 or 6 track magnetic masters

"In the event that anything happens to the original 4-track, we at least have the optical stereo version"
Rick Montez, Head of the Fox Film Services Division, ca 1985.
BUT, Good news on "Love is a Many Splendored Thing". I just found out it is being released in region 2 PAL, 3rd March in - You guessed it - english 4.0, so it is probably a misprint. (It would be strange to have it in 2.0 in region 1 and 4.0 in region 2)Here is the link:
link