eugimon Posted March 20, 2008 Posted March 20, 2008 sweet. my next fanboy dream. software DTS HD support.
wm cheng Posted March 20, 2008 Posted March 20, 2008 Fantastic! I love my PS3 specifically for BR player and home media center to stream video files from my desktop computer upstairs. So what's new with the recent v2.17 firmware update? Is it true that there's a new 3D interface that will be replacing the XMB?
jwinges Posted March 20, 2008 Posted March 20, 2008 Here's a good one. I got jerked around by Phillips customer service (in malaysia or something) when asking some questions about my new Phillips upconverting DVD player. So I called the office of Phillips president to inform them of the crappy customer support. To make up for the hassle they give me a free Blu-ray player (its refurbished...but its free). Anyway it turns out that they are selling these in their phillips outlet for $179. So if you want a cheap blu-ray try there. It even comes with the HDMI cable. BTW the Blu-ray works great...just as good as my PS3...at least until the new ps3 update with Blu-ray live comes out in a week or so.
marimba Posted March 20, 2008 Posted March 20, 2008 Ah, one of the 2 "missing" features will be implemented, resume play! Now Sony needs to get on the ball and release DTS-HD Master Audio update along with bitstream output of both DD True HD and DTS-HD via the HDMI or optical. Then I can get the little Dolby True HD icon on my receiver to light up and see which component sounds better, the PS3 or the Onkyo.
eugimon Posted March 21, 2008 Posted March 21, 2008 http://www.jr.com/JRSectionView.process?Se...kendSale.032108 JR.com is having a blu-ray sale, some pretty good titles including T2 and first blood
Dangard Ace Posted March 25, 2008 Posted March 25, 2008 PS3 2.20 BD-Live firmware went live 15mins ago. I'm done DL and installing it 5mins ago.
Gaijin Posted March 25, 2008 Posted March 25, 2008 PS3 2.20 BD-Live firmware went live 15mins ago. I'm done DL and installing it 5mins ago. DLing now.
eugimon Posted March 25, 2008 Posted March 25, 2008 are there any 2.0 BD discs out there to play with?
CoryHolmes Posted March 25, 2008 Posted March 25, 2008 (edited) Watching my new Batman Begins HD disc I've come across a problem that I've repetadly bumped my head against: how do I get the dialog to be louder than the background noise without cranking the volume way up? Nice, good Dolby TrueHD Audio, fantastic ambience, with characters whispering being drowned out by the rumble of passing car engines. Admittadly I'm using a 4 year-old Yamaha HTiaB, but there has to be some way around this mess. Edited March 25, 2008 by CoryHolmes
David Hingtgen Posted March 25, 2008 Posted March 25, 2008 Inherent problem with anything made for home viewing after 1995 IMHO. VHS, DVD, BluRay. Dialogue is too quiet, "background sounds" are too loud. Sounds fine in the theater, but don't expect to understand conversations at home.
Gaijin Posted March 25, 2008 Posted March 25, 2008 Watching my new Batman Begins HD disc I've come across a problem that I've repetadly bumped my head against: how do I get the dialog to be louder than the background noise without cranking the volume way up? Nice, good Dolby TrueHD Audio, fantastic ambience, with characters whispering being drowned out by the rumble of passing car engines. Admittadly I'm using a 4 year-old Yamaha HTiaB, but there has to be some way around this mess. With your equipment, you could adjust the center channel volume to be louder than the left and right channels, while also turning both of those down too.
eugimon Posted March 25, 2008 Posted March 25, 2008 yup, what Gaijin said. Some of the newer discs with HD/uncompressed audio tracks are a lot better about properly balancing the dialogue to the center channel, but it still pays to fiddle with your particular audio settings and manually adjust the balance levels between the center channel and the front speakers.
CoryHolmes Posted March 25, 2008 Posted March 25, 2008 Any ideas where I can find a sound-calibration/fiddling program? I used the video calibration from Episode III and have been quite pleased with that for the picture.
Gaijin Posted March 25, 2008 Posted March 25, 2008 Any ideas where I can find a sound-calibration/fiddling program? I used the video calibration from Episode III and have been quite pleased with that for the picture. Honestly, the best thing to do is turn down the left and right about 2 or 3 levels below the center speaker. That should work well enough.
Dangard Ace Posted March 25, 2008 Posted March 25, 2008 are there any 2.0 BD discs out there to play with? Saw IV is supposed to be 2.0. AvP double dip is supposed to be 2.0. I still don't care about BD Live much. I like the resume play function. Works on DVD's and Blurays.
VT 1010 Posted March 25, 2008 Posted March 25, 2008 Watching my new Batman Begins HD disc I've come across a problem that I've repetadly bumped my head against: how do I get the dialog to be louder than the background noise without cranking the volume way up? Nice, good Dolby TrueHD Audio, fantastic ambience, with characters whispering being drowned out by the rumble of passing car engines. Admittadly I'm using a 4 year-old Yamaha HTiaB, but there has to be some way around this mess. In addition to adjusting the speaker level, you can also use Dynamic Range Compression. DRC (sometimes called "Night Mode") is a feature that reduces the difference in volume level between the loudest and quietest parts of a soundtrack. Gunshots, explosions, cars, etc. are close to the same volume level, so you aren't deafened by sound effects while trying to listen to dialog. It is also nice if you don't want to disturb neighbors or other people in your house while watching a movie. Many home theater receivers and newer players have this feature. The only downside to DRC is that you lose dynamic range. Another thing you can do is calibrate your sound system, although that requires a sound level meter. Sounds fine in the theater, but don't expect to understand conversations at home. Keep in mind that DVD/Blu-ray/HD DVD/etc. soundtracks are normally remixed for home viewing. What you hear on disc isn't the exact same thing you hear at the cinema. Even on HD audio tracks. You also must consider the difference in equipment and room acoustics. One of the myths of uncompressed and lossless audio is that they are "identical to the studio master". This statement is not 100% accurate. Even soundtracks on HD media are usually mixed differently from their theatrical counterparts. Lossless is lossless because what comes out of the encoder sounds exactly the same as what goes in to it. It should sound identical to the media format's master, but not always to the theatrical master. Some movies in the past, however, have used the theatrical tracks. I believe the Jurassic Park DTS Laserdisc used the original mix, where as the later DVD's DTS track did not.
marimba Posted March 25, 2008 Posted March 25, 2008 The PS3 actually has a setting to enhance dialog buried in the system settings. Give that a try. Otherwise, bump up the volume of your center channel just a bit.
eugimon Posted March 25, 2008 Posted March 25, 2008 The PS3 actually has a setting to enhance dialog buried in the system settings. Give that a try. Otherwise, bump up the volume of your center channel just a bit. that's the DRC that VT 1010 was talking about. Most setups have this feature, not just the PS3.
Roy Focker Posted March 26, 2008 Posted March 26, 2008 Now that Blu-Ray is the winner how fast do you think they will totally phase out DVDs? I know most people are satisfied with their DVD players but there has been some ridiclously low dvd sales at the big electronic stores. DVDs in these sales aren't just the old or crappy titles. Seems like they are really trying to get the product out of the stores.
Gaijin Posted March 26, 2008 Posted March 26, 2008 Now that Blu-Ray is the winner how fast do you think they will totally phase out DVDs? I know most people are satisfied with their DVD players but there has been some ridiclously low dvd sales at the big electronic stores. DVDs in these sales aren't just the old or crappy titles. Seems like they are really trying to get the product out of the stores. It'll be a few years before everyone "trades up" to say the least. It won't be an abandoning either, more of an evolution in that BD players will slowly begin to replace DVD players in stores.
JsARCLIGHT Posted March 26, 2008 Author Posted March 26, 2008 I think once the huge forced "digital migration" hits in 2009 you will see the market begin a sizable shift to HD and Blu Ray. Retailers are doing their best to phase out SD televisions from the market and given the usual lifespan of consumer electronics the vast majority of people are probably just waiting for their old sets to die before finally making a new HD purchase. IMHO a year after the digital migration you should see prices start to dip to levels the common consumer will palate. In the end that is the driving force behind media for the masses: price. Average people will not care that Blu Ray is 1080p HD with lossless sound... they will care that it is $30 when they can buy "the same thing" on DVD for $15. I know so many people who claim they "cannot tell a difference" between Blu Ray and regular DVD, and from what I have seen these people are the majority. These are the same people who were "happy with their VCR's" ten years ago when VHS was king and thought this "newfangled DVD thing" that occupied tiny endcaps and special displays (also priced at $30 a pop) was not going to last. If the studios have a plan it's most likely the same plan that worked for DVD. It's just a matter of time... and if and when the day comes when Blu Ray dominates the movie section you will probably not even notice it happened because it will have been so subtle and slow to mature. I remember the day I "woke up" and noticed they didn't sell VHS tapes any more.
VT 1010 Posted March 26, 2008 Posted March 26, 2008 This seems to be a serious issue for a lot of people over at the AVS Forum: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1008620 ***WARNING***25MAR08 Anyone using a Yamaha or Onkyo/Integra receiver or pre/pro should use extreme caution when bitstreaming DTS MA. Users are reporting a loud "POP" that is described as a loud firework or gunshot when using one of the above listed receivers AND bitstreaming DTS MA. This can damage your equipment!!! The theory is certain receivers have a faulty DTS decoder chip and when coupled with certain DTS MA tracks, will cause this issue. Ronny Katz, the Sr. Manager of Professional Audio at DTS, has already responded to this thread (see post #599) and has stated the issue is not in the DTS track or stream, and to seek assistance from your specific AVR manufacturer. Mr. Katz will not comment any further on the issue. It is unknown at this time if all or just some models are affected. Certain members have been in contact with Yamaha and Onkyo, though nothing official yet, it does look promising. It is unknown at this time if the receivers can be fixed via a firmware or may need a more involved matter like shipping your unit in for a hardware change. In the mean time, I highly recommend anyone using any of these receivers to NOT listen to any bitstreamed DTS MA material. Here's a list of reported titles causing this issue: **note** There are certainly other titles that have not been discovered yet. -1408 (BD import) -Golden Compass (review copy) -The Fly (BD) -Chronos (BD) time-38:52 -Fantastic Four (BD) time-4:22 -Hannibal Rising (HD DVD) -Close Encounters of the Third Kind (BD) -Eagles Fairwell Concert (HD DVD) time-23:40 -Master and Commander (BD import) time-17:24 -Flight of the Phoenix (BD) time-51:00 -Flyboys (BD) Be aware that just because you played any of these titles, does not mean that you don't have a problem as it appears not all titles affect every receiver. "The Fly" seems to be the definitive test that no one with stated equipment can pass. (At the beginning of the movie when Jeff Goldblum goes to the magazines office, the main editor greets him and then walks out of his office door leaving Jeff Goldblum and Gina Davis in the office. Right when the door closes the audio goes ballastic.) **see link below for a video clip of the "POP"** Test at your own risk!!! A big thanks to all forum members that discovered, reported, tested, theorized and most likely solved this issue!!! Now I'm glad I got the new TV instead of the receiver.
eugimon Posted March 26, 2008 Posted March 26, 2008 ... IMHO a year after the digital migration you should see prices start to dip to levels the common consumer will palate. In the end that is the driving force behind media for the masses: price. Average people will not care that Blu Ray is 1080p HD with lossless sound... they will care that it is $30 when they can buy "the same thing" on DVD for $15. I know so many people who claim they "cannot tell a difference" between Blu Ray and regular DVD, and from what I have seen these people are the majority. These are the same people who were "happy with their VCR's" ten years ago when VHS was king and thought this "newfangled DVD thing" that occupied tiny endcaps and special displays (also priced at $30 a pop) was not going to last. ... I actually believe that most people can't tell the difference unless they're actively looking for it. Most people do image/pattern recognition based on the outline of shapes and not based on the interior details/light/color. Some people do just because and other people do because they were trained to look at that stuff (artists, designers, etc). You see this a lot with aspiring artists, they tend to draw the outline of objects and then "fill in" the details. I'm guess this is what goes on for the majority of viewers, they see the outlines of shapes and people and they recognize what they are... they're not looking for the other stuff so they simply don't notice it.
JsARCLIGHT Posted March 26, 2008 Author Posted March 26, 2008 Well then, I guess it's a good thing that my PS3 can't even decode DTSMA let alone stream it. ... seriously though Sony, anytime now with the DTSMA decoding... it's no like a ton of movies use it or anything.
Uxi Posted March 27, 2008 Posted March 27, 2008 It will come eventually. Penton-man, an insider on Blu-ray.com confirmed it. The rest is all about timing. FTR, it's just over 15% of Blu-ray Discs that have DTS-HDMA.
JsARCLIGHT Posted March 27, 2008 Author Posted March 27, 2008 It will come eventually. Penton-man, an insider on Blu-ray.com confirmed it. The rest is all about timing. FTR, it's just over 15% of Blu-ray Discs that have DTS-HDMA. (I was joking about the "vast numbers" of DTSMA discs... note the smiley) But I can see that 15% number being close to correct. Just a look on my shelf shows about 10% of the BD's I own have DTSMA. It's still upsetting though that the PS3 lacks these audio abilities this far into it's development cycle. Sure they'll patch the thing with tons of goofy and sometimes nonsensical features... but they seem to be dragging their feet on a few things. Then again they still haven't released that much ballyhooed "home" thing either.
bandit29 Posted March 27, 2008 Posted March 27, 2008 Sorta on topic.. an insult to gun owners and satellite installers everywhere. Amazingly the husband, Ronald Long, was trying to use a .22-caliber pistol to shoot a hole through the wall in the couple's home to enable them to run a wire through to the television. His first shot was apparently unsuccessful in penetrating the wall and his second shot somehow hit his wife in the chest, 34-year-old Patsy Long. She was pronounced dead on Saturday night. dumb ass
CoryHolmes Posted March 27, 2008 Posted March 27, 2008 Sorta on topic.. an insult to gun owners and satellite installers everywhere. dumb ass It's just... I mean... How... That just boggles the mind. It really, really does.
mikeszekely Posted March 27, 2008 Posted March 27, 2008 Sorta on topic.. an insult to gun owners and satellite installers everywhere. dumb ass Now some politicians are going to use that as another argument for gun control. Man, why does some retard always have to go and ruin stuff for the rest of us?
CoryHolmes Posted March 27, 2008 Posted March 27, 2008 Now some politicians are going to use that as another argument for gun control. Man, why does some retard always have to go and ruin stuff for the rest of us? It's called Real Life. Sadly, the laws need to be written with the lowest common denominator in mind. It's just disheartening that the LCD is that low.
azrael Posted March 27, 2008 Posted March 27, 2008 Sorta on topic.. an insult to gun owners and satellite installers everywhere. dumb ass "Whoa honey, HD is great. It really comes out at you." Okay, I'll shut-up and get back to the topic...
David Hingtgen Posted April 1, 2008 Posted April 1, 2008 Trade one losing format for another: BetaMax to HD-DVD converter: http://www.thinkgeek.com/stuff/41/betamaxhd.html?cpg=70H
eugimon Posted April 2, 2008 Posted April 2, 2008 and a big I TOLD YOU SO to all those people who said blu-ray prices would come down now that the format war is over.
Dangard Ace Posted April 3, 2008 Posted April 3, 2008 and a big I TOLD YOU SO to all those people who said blu-ray prices would come down now that the format war is over. That article's two weeks old and it links to articles 1 month old or older. AV websites have already noted that and similar articles and tore it up. November/December prices compared to a few months after? Holiday season sales versus non-holiday season prices? It's no longer the holiday and prices are back where they were without the sales discount. Not surprising at all. I expect to see current Bluray SA players to drop in price once the 2.0 players are more widely available (I'm guessing summer/fall) and to have further reductions once it's Winter 2008 and especially in 2009 when you guys(USA) are forced to go digital. You may see your $200 Bluray player then. Quick search on google on "HD DVD" and "Ben Patterson" show that he was a HD DVD supporter. Not surprised that he's playing the negative slant against Bluray. He got burnt and is taking his shots where he can. It's over. HD DVD lost. If you want a good player get a PS3. Its price isn't going up, it's BD-Live and consistently one of the better Bluray players out there plus all the other bells and whistles that comes with it. If you're anti-Sony then you'll have to wait a few more months for the prices to drop on the other CE players.
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