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maxmercy

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Everything posted by maxmercy

  1. maxmercy
    Done. JSS
  2. maxmercy
    Will add them to queue. Should Pulse be included? JSS
  3. maxmercy
    Films coming up to be measured: Star Wars Saga BluRay, maybe comparos w/ DVDs LOTR Extended Editions BluRay Flight of the Phoenix How to Train Your Dragon Prometheus Speed Racer SuckerPunch Alien vs Predator The Dark Knight Rises Any other requests? Matrix Trilogy? After this, I am just gonna do new releases. I believe that the databass has a good base of data for comparison of new films. JSS
  4. maxmercy
    Bosso, Can you tell me more about your DVD? I got mine from Redbox, and my BD from Netflix. Both appear to be Rental copies without many special features. Here's the data: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter DVD Level - 1 Star (259.43dBHz) Extension - 4 Stars (15Hz) The BluRay ALVH was also double checked, and it does extend to 14hz on Avg graph, so it was changed as well. Dynamics - 4 Stars (26.6dB) Execution - 4 Stars A bit more level in this mix, otherwise quite the same. Overall - 3.25 Stars, same as the BluRay. Here's a comparo (attached): Looks like a 3-4dB level difference overall. Very similar otherwise. JSS
  5. maxmercy
    Max, It is because of how Level is calculated. The Level for a film is calculated on this thread by adding both the peak and average areas under the graph. This gives weight to the average level while giving a little more importance to peak levels, and singular but powerful effects. So, if Thor with dialnorm is 4dB low in Peak, and 4dB low in average, when added, they add up to 8dB total difference. Running the data on ALVH DVD.....will post soon. There is a difference. JSS
  6. maxmercy
    I'll be picking up ALVH today on DVD from Redbox to see the difference.... JSS
  7. maxmercy
    FilmMixer, Thanks for chiming in. I base most of what I know about Dialnorm off of this article: http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volume_7_2/feature-article-dialog-normalization-6-2000.html So my knowledge is obviously limited going by the date of he article... I account for Dialnorm in all my charts, so every film is on a level playing field. I was just wondering if some folks have gotten a less than impressive presentation due to Dialnorm attenuation that people were not aware of, as I first did when I compared the Revenge of the Fallen regular vs big screen editions on BluRay. A -4dB attenuation overall is pretty significant when measured in dBHz over 4 octaves... My main question is why the obvious differences between mixes? It seems odd that one format would get a different mix over another....I remember you saying that most films have the theatrical mix on the disc. Is there a trend developing otherwise? I guess I should have said trailers are measured with A-weighting and left off the SPL meter part, but the concept is the same, it is a filtered measurement to measure the frequencies we are most sensitive to in lieu of others.... I have noted on several films that they 'left 7-10dB on the table'. Maybe the remix was for broadcast TV? JSS
  8. maxmercy
    Close. Dialnorm is something that authors use. It is a parameter set with a knob that comes set by Dolby at -27. When an author sets Dialnorm, they are basically saying that "in this soundtrack, dialogue is 27dB below the loudest sound possible (0dBFS)". The Dialnorm knob goes from -1 to -31dB. Authors who want to maximize dynamic range will use the -31 value, giving them 31dB to play with above dialogue SPL. When Dialnorm is set to -27dB (like most Dolby Digital content used to be on DVD), the author is saying that dialogue is mixed 27dB softer than the maximum allowable sound (0dBFS). To keep dialogue level consistent from show to show, Dolby will TURN DOWN the entire soundtrack by 4dB. Of course there is a problem. If authors do not measure their material, they are at a loss as to where to set it, and since it came from Dolby set at -27, many authors would simply leave it there. The other thing that is counterintuitive is that as you 'turn the knob up' on Dialnorm, it turns the soundtrack down.....which could have led to some confusion early on. With Thor, the difference in level between the 2 tracks is around 10dBHz. Playing the track back at +4dB, there is still a level difference, which means that the tracks are not equal to begin with. The DVD track has a different signature, ESP in the upper bass. My guess is this means that the DVD track underwent remixing for the home, in which dynamic range was altered. After the remix, dialogue level was 'altered' and was not as soft compared to the loudest effects. The mixers did the right thing, and set the Dialnorm to -27dB. That means whether you play the BluRay or DVD, dialogue is at the same level, but in the DVD, effects are softer by about 4dB, for playback 'in the home'. But you look at the graphs and say 'bullshit, when you turn up the DVD by 4dB, the low bass is almost identical'. That is because Dialnorm is set by an A-weighted SPL measurement. A-weighting does not look at low bass, it ignores it. You can see instantly in the graphs that the Thor BluRay has a lot more upper bass content compared to the DVD, hence the difference in measurement with A-weighting, and the subsequent Dialnorm adjustment. It looks like the mixers did the right thing. I just wish that there would be an option to get either the theatrical or the home mix..... As an aside, ever wonder why trailers are so bass-oriented? Back in the day, a trailer was made for a movie called "Empire Strikes Back", the loudest trailer in history, IIRC. It was after this that trailers were limited in loudness, but that loudness is measured by - you guessed it - A weighted SPL meters. Since A weighting ignores bass, you get a very bass-laden trailer if the authors want it loud, to get your attention. JSS
  9. maxmercy
    OK, here's the data. Thor BluRay - Level 269.5dBHz (5 Star), Dynamics 27.8dB Thor DVD with Dialnorm - Level 259.2dBHz (1 Star), Dynamics 27.5dB Thor DVD run at +4dBRef to account for Dialnorm - Level 267.18 (4 Star), Dynamics 27.5dB They BluRay and DVD are3 closer to eachother when dialnorm is level-matched. But the BD has a different signature, most notably the stuff around 140Hz that simply does not exist on the DVD. I check to make sure if any Dialnorm is applied in any film prior to recording data, as it shows up on my receiver's status display when the film starts. As you can see, Dialnorm can make a BIG difference. Black Hawk Down's BluRay defaults to Dolby Digital, with a -7dB dialnorm, neutering the track. The uncompressed PCM has no attenuation, and that is what I graphed... Here's what I think: The BluRay has the theatrical mix. The DVD has the 'nearfield' or 'home' mix, with Dialnorm attenuation added on top if it. I wish we could just get the theatrical mix and be done with it... JSS
  10. maxmercy
    Thor DVD vs BluRay is a big difference. Right off the bat, everything is turned down 4dB due to Dialnorm. They are simply different mixes. Will post data later. JSS
  11. maxmercy
    Bosso, I really think you are onto something. The only thing I can't figure out is why? Why the level differences? I checked during playback, and no DRC was on (that I could see)......I double checked levels with known material. At first I was suspecting 'rental' copy differences, but it may be something else.....I just can't figure why these folks would be doing something like this, throwing out 2 separate mixes for no reason, unless the theatrical mix somehow finds its way into one or the other, BD or DVD..... The more this kind of stuff goes on, the more you see that mistakes (and sometimes careless ones at that) are often made by these 'professionals', whether due to pressure from above (directors, execs, bosses, etc) or otherwise. JSS I will get the DVD for ALVH next week to see what is going on. PS - Now I see why I thought the ROTF screencaps were a little less than lively.....grrrr.... At least it is not as bad as music, where levels are even more all over the place....
  12. maxmercy
    Green Lantern: Level - 4 Stars (110.48dB composite) Extension - 4 Stars (12Hz) Dynamics - 4 Stars (26.07dB) Execution - 3 Stars - Very repetitive bass throughout. Although the lantern constructs have nice slam and heft, they are the exact same sound. It gets old. Quick. Overall - 3.75 Stars Recommendation: A reluctant Rent. Fans of the comic book may like it. But this one is probably better left on the shelf. JSS
  13. maxmercy
    As you can see, TIH and WotW are more similar than different, hence their overall rankings of 4.75 and 5 Stars, respectively. JSS
  14. maxmercy
    http://www.avsforum.com/photopost/data/2386425/ALVHTitleBlock-1.JPG http://www.avsforum.com/photopost/data/2386425/ALVHPH.JPG http://www.avsforum.com/photopost/data/2386425/ALVHCh-3.JPG http://www.avsforum.com/photopost/data/2386425/ALVHCh10a.JPG http://www.avsforum.com/photopost/data/2386425/ALVHCh10b.JPG http://www.avsforum.com/photopost/data/2386425/ALVHCh10c.JPG http://www.avsforum.com/photopost/data/2386425/ALVHCh22a.JPG http://www.avsforum.com/photopost/data/2386425/ALVHCh22b.JPG Abraham Lincoln:Vampire Hunter: Level - 3 Stars (109.88dB composite) Extension - 5 Stars (1Hz) Dynamics - 5 Stars (28.92dB) Execution - 5 Stars (by poll) Overall Rating - 4.5 Stars Recommendation: Buy (by poll) JSS
  15. maxmercy
    Edit 4-8-14: Updated measurements and PvA below. Wrath of the Titans: Level - 3 Stars (109.89dBHz) Extension - 5 Stars (1Hz) Dynamics - 4 Stars (26.9dB) Execution - 3 Stars - They left almost 10dB on the table, and dynamics took a hit, first 3 star movie in that regard. Either this is a 'home version' mix, or just too much of the same bass. I liked the film, and Ares hammer is very well done, but I did notice it was missing something. While ULF was there, ULF is not the whole story. This Star Rating is debatable. Overall - 3.75 Stars Recommendation: Rent. This film is good, but I don't know how many times I can see it enough to own it. JSS
  16. maxmercy
    Problem with Internet connection, wouldn't upload attachments, so multiple posts. JSS
  17. maxmercy
    Post Deleted due to Upload Problems. JSS
  18. maxmercy
    Post Deleted due to Upload errors. JSS
  19. maxmercy
    War of the Worlds: Level - 5 Stars (113.7dB composite) Extension - 5 Stars (1 Hz) Dynamics - 4 Stars (27.28dB) Execution - 5 Stars - This film is the ultimate bass film, with something for every subwoofer system. Overall - 4.75 Stars Recommendation: Buy. So many scenes have demo-level material.....you could make a whole thread with just this movie's scene caps. JSS
  20. maxmercy
    Should get this, WotW and WotT today! I'll put M&C in the queue (DVD). I wonder if someone could mux the DVD audio into the HiDef BD video? Same with Episode II..... JSS
  21. maxmercy
    Here are the Star Ratings so far (see first post): If you see all films ranked above 4 Stars, they all deserve it. I will keep the ranking system the way it is. JSS
  22. maxmercy
    X-Men:First Class: Level - 3 Stars (109.41dB composite) Extension - 5 Stars (1Hz) Dynamics - 4 Stars (25.06dB) Execution - 5 Stars - Save for a sonic boom that was way too boomy, this film is packed with more ULF goodness than nearly any here. Overall - 4.25 Stars Recommendation - Buy. This film is terrific. The fact that it is a ULF-happy film is just bonus. JSS
  23. maxmercy
    X-Men Origins:Wolverine: Level - 2 Stars (107.03dB) Extension - 5 Stars (1 Hz) Dynamics - 4 Stars (25.41dB) Execution - 4 Stars - Although I had a great experience in the theater with this one, it seemed 'turned down' for the near-field mix....too bad. Overall - 3.75 Stars Recommendation - Rent. This film has some 'rushed' effects, and many cheesy scenes. The introduction of other characters including Gambit is its only real plus. JSS
  24. maxmercy
    Black Hawk Down: Level - 3 Stars (108.68dB composite) Extension - 5 Stars (3Hz) Dynamics - 4 Stars (27.48dB) Execution - 5 Stars - Full bandwidth sound nearly throughout...and the Irene scene is legendary in ULF circles.... Overall - 4.25 Stars. Recommendation - Buy. This is a first class film in every regard, and very engaging. The Irene scene is just icing on the cake for the ULF capable, and nearly every scene with a BlackHawk has some 5-7Hz content in it. JSS
  25. maxmercy
    I will add Superman Returns to my queue...and I am looking forward to The Man of Steel. Happy Thanksgiving! I am going to go to bed now, long night on call. JSS
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