DVD to HDX reduces audio quality

[pghflyer]

Re: DVD to HDX reduces audio quality

I agree with you in philosophy, I am willing to trade 100% of a 5.1 BR soundtrack for 80-90% of a 5.1 IVOD soundtrack.....but I won't trade 100% 5.1 BR for 80-90% 2.0 Stereo.

Found this......

http://www.amazon.com/gp/video/ontv/faq

Can I watch content with 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound?
Most of our HD movie rentals and HD TV shows are encoded with 5.1 audio. If you have 5.1 capable equipment and sufficient bandwidth you will be able to enjoy surround sound. If you do not meet the requirements for 5.1 audio, you will receive stereo sound.

[Walter-S_North_Carolina]

Re: DVD to HDX reduces audio quality

Unfortunately, Amazon doesn't advertise their Audio Quality, which is a reason I buy nothing from them.

I have never used anything from Apple, but as far as I can tell, they don't appear to provide that information either.

Humm, yes I see that too. Let me think.

Well, I do know that when Amazon calls something HD, they are referring to 720p. Maybe some folks on this forum will chime in as to quality of audio on iTunes and Amazon Instant.

...,but again, the iVoD market is pretty new. Generally, the best quality is from Kaleidescape.

LINK:
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-relea...205624741.html

Vudu is second with iTunes a close third and Amazon coming in last/fourth.

There is really no question that quality is lost going iVoD instead of Bluray Disc. So too going from CD to an MP3 service, but the convenience is there. So popular are MP3 audio files that automobile manufactures are starting to phase out CD players for cars and instead just giving bluetooth links for MP3 mobile players and also in-dash MP3 storage.

It is well established fact that MP3 audio is far inferior in audio quality to CD. Regardless, the herd has adopted that route in the name of convenience.

I love having all my plastic discs in boxes in the garage and instead having remote access to my entire video collection. For that, I am glad to have 90% quality to BRD. On my gear, there is really no noticeable difference anyway. For high end folk who want to go UV/iVoD, there is Kaleidescape. For me it is an expense I could not justify. Vudu is free to view once the content is purchased.

[pghflyer]

Re: DVD to HDX reduces audio quality

Unfortunately, Amazon doesn't advertise their Audio Quality, which is a reason I buy nothing from them.

I have never used anything from Apple, but as far as I can tell, they don't appear to provide that information either.

The fact that VUDU is transparent on their quaility is one of the main reasons I prefer them as my IVOD provider of choice.

I do get and appreciate your point though. I think your average consumer cares much more about video than audio, and so for the IVOD services in general are more geared to mobile devices where quaility isn't a huge factor.

[Walter-S_North_Carolina]

Re: DVD to HDX reduces audio quality

Seriously, this is a MAJOR problem with this service. I guess I almost believe them for the older titles, but BRAND NEW titles should not be released with such poor audio quality.

http://www.vudu.com/movies/#more_inf...mpire-Season-3

Brand New release this week. DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

Vudu is offering STEREO, yes folks, 2.0

Even if this is a studio problem, they should have at least a little quality control on their intake of new titles

Check Amazon Instant Video for those titles and iTunes. If they are all the same, then it is a studio problem. That is often the case.

Remember iVoD is a relatively new product offering. Offering it as a convenience on a mobile device is one thing. Playback onto ubiquitous flat screens in people's homes is something totally different and the vendors & studios are still adapting.

Anyway, check out Amazon and iTunes. Let us know what you find. Thx.

[pghflyer]

Re: DVD to HDX reduces audio quality

Seriously, this is a MAJOR problem with this service. I guess I almost believe them for the older titles, but BRAND NEW titles should not be released with such poor audio quality.

http://www.vudu.com/movies/#more_inf...mpire-Season-3

Brand New release this week. DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

Vudu is offering STEREO, yes folks, 2.0

Even if this is a studio problem, they should have at least a little quality control on their intake of new titles

[jeremymc7]

Re: DVD to HDX reduces audio quality

How do they manage to give us an HDX picture but lower the quality of the audio encode to DVD or less-than DVD quality?

Really, you would have to WORK to actually separate the good encode and find some of these crappy audio releases because you can't even BUY some of these in such low audio quality as they are offering here!!

It goes beyond that and I've never really gotten an answer. It's not a bandwidth issue due to the examples you're talking about, especially in contrast.

For example:

Pirates of the Caribbean On Stranger Tides HDX 7.1
Pirates of the Caribbean On Stranger Tides HDX 5.1 3D

So basically to get 3D you have to give up 2 channels of Audio, PERHAPS, at this extreme upper end Vudu needs to impose this limit but certainly not with the kind of titles you're talking about. That sounds more like encoding and whatever the studios happen to provide to them. That MIGHT be the case with pirates as well but seems less likely since the Blu-Ray which also came out the same day was 7.1 for 2D and 3D IF I recall correctly. if so I can't see why they would encode a different audio version for Vudu for no reason unless Vudu requested it, or they just didn't want Vudu to compete with the Blu-Ray. Who knows !

[FelipeF]

Re: DVD to HDX reduces audio quality

Studio requests can and usually do take a while to happen, if at all. Sometimes the studio does not have the right encode at all unfortunately.

[pghflyer]

Re: DVD to HDX reduces audio quality

Anyone know where we can open these tickets? And has anyone had them actually FIX their request??

Support (up top of the page)
Need Help?
E-mail Support

They did respond back and say they would request a new encode from the studio.....but I haven't seen anything come through.

[Walter-S_North_Carolina]

Re: DVD to HDX reduces audio quality

LINK:
http://www.vudu.com/movies/#featured...lby-Digital-71

in case it is helpful, above is a link to Dolby Digital 7.1 titles on Vudu.

For me, this and the 3D section are ignored since I do not house the in-home equipment to enjoy it, but I know some folks do.

Actually, I know of a few 3D TV folks who really appreciate Vudu for making 3D titles so easy to get access to.

Anyway...

[lujan]

Re: DVD to HDX reduces audio quality

No, I haven't seen a single instance where the movie had a higher audio quality on the HD version than the HDX version that was fixed.

I have 10 such movies that I've reported on an open issue since August of last year and they still haven't been fixed.

[lujan]

Re: DVD to HDX reduces audio quality

Anyone know where we can open these tickets? And has anyone had them actually FIX their request??

No, I haven't seen a single instance where the movie had a higher audio quality on the HD version than the HDX version that was fixed.

[MrRomine12]

Re: DVD to HDX reduces audio quality

Anyone know where we can open these tickets? And has anyone had them actually FIX their request??

[pghflyer]

Re: DVD to HDX reduces audio quality

EXACTLY. I can deal with 5.1....but I don't want to head back to VHS quality with plain old Stereo (2.0).

[Squatting Hen]

Re: DVD to HDX reduces audio quality

Keep in mind that you are trying to stream a file that is already pretty large. If you wanted to add 5.1-7.1 lossless audio (like you get with a blu-ray), the file size and/or bandwidth requirements would exceed the network download speed of most users. Most blu-ray discs run at 25+ Mbps, some quite a bit higher. I know that exceeds my home network's capability and I couldn't reliably stream anything that quickly.

For now, I am okay with HDX video quality and the 5.1 lossy audio available. It is a non factor when i travel, since hotel TVs have crappy speakers anyway, and when I am at home, my receivers process the audio into full surround.

Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe the point the poster is making is that these titles are coming over in Stereo and not 5.1 on HDX.

[Nygiantsfan3342]

Re: DVD to HDX reduces audio quality

How do they manage to give us an HDX picture but lower the quality of the audio encode to DVD or less-than DVD quality?

Addicted to Love - 5.1 on DVD, Stereo on HDX
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me - 5.1 on DVD, TrueHD5.1 on BLU, Stereo on HDX
Black Hawk Down - 5.1 on DVD, 5.1 on BLU, Stereo on HDX
Breaking Bad: The Fifth Season - 5.1 on DVD, 5.1 on BLU, Stereo on HDX
Contact - 5.1 on DVD, TrueHD5.1 on BLU, Stereo on HDX
Corpse Bride - 5.1 on DVD, 5.1 on BLU, Stereo on HDX
Elf - 5.1 on DVD, TrueHD5.1 on BLU, Stereo on HDX
Empire of the Sun - 5.1 on DVD, DTSHD5.1 on BLU, Stereo on HDX
Independence Day - 5.1 on DVD, DTSHD5.1 on BLU, Stereo on HDX

You get the idea, so I won't do it for more, but these are also in the same situation:

L.A. Confidential
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider - The Cradle of Life
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
National Lampoon's Vacation
Notebook, The
Ocean's Eleven
Oklahoma
Panic Room
Remains of the Day
Singles
Sixteen Candles
True Romance (Unrated)

Really, you would have to WORK to actually separate the good encode and find some of these crappy audio releases because you can't even BUY some of these in such low audio quality as they are offering here!!

Keep in mind that you are trying to stream a file that is already pretty large. If you wanted to add 5.1-7.1 lossless audio (like you get with a blu-ray), the file size and/or bandwidth requirements would exceed the network download speed of most users. Most blu-ray discs run at 25+ Mbps, some quite a bit higher. I know that exceeds my home network's capability and I couldn't reliably stream anything that quickly.

For now, I am okay with HDX video quality and the 5.1 lossy audio available. It is a non factor when i travel, since hotel TVs have crappy speakers anyway, and when I am at home, my receivers process the audio into full surround.