Sanjay wrote:
ajy1 wrote:
I know that US distributors have multi-channel sound on their film prints, ex. DD, DTS, SDDS, and Dolby analog tracks all on the same print.
Actually that is incorrect. Only Dolby Digital (with or without EX) and Dolby SR (analog) are on the same print. As for DTS and SDDS, they both require seperate prints, although they both also have backup analog tracks on the print too. In the case of DTS, the print is accompanied by a DTS cd, while the print itself only has the encoding to control and sync the DTS cd with. In the absence of the DTS cd the audio reverts to the backup analog track. As for SDDS, well no Indian movie audio has yet been encoded in SDDS and nor are there any theaters equipped with SDDS in India.
The problem with Indian films and their exhibition being so inconsistent at different theaters are several. The first problem being when a DTS cd is not included with the DTS print and thus all you get is mono analog sound. The second problem is with the poor quality of the prints, wherein the Dolby Digital reader loses the digital track and thus the audio reverts to the backup Dolby SR (analog) track. This by the way is a very very common problem with the poor quality Indian prints. In fact on so many occasions I have myself noticed the audio switching back and forth between Digital and Analog during the viewing of a single movie. It is so easy to notice the switching due to the huge difference in sound between the digital and analog tracks. The Dolby SR track in Indian movie is so poorly mixed that the audio sounds horrible compared to the Digital track. Dolby SR is nowhere as bad as Indian movie audio mixes make it sound like and this same poorly mixed track is also carried onto some Indian DVDs that have both Dolby Digital and Dolby Pro Logic tracks. If you want to hear how good Dolby SR/Dolby Pro Logic can be, then simply watch one of your old hollywood laser discs, might I suggest Terminator 2, and I swear your reaction will be, 'was Dolby Pro Logic really that good'. It is only when you compare Dolby Pro Logic directly with Dolby Digital that you will notice the big difference. By the way, there is no problem in the case of a movie with Dolby Digital EX being played in a theater only equipped for Dolby Digital, since Dolby Digital EX is backwards compatible with Dolby Digital decoders and thus the audio should be as good as it would be in the case of a movie with just Dolby Digital minus the EX.
Bottom line: We Indians will always find a way to f--k up any and everything we do. If not due to our cheap ways, then due to simple laziness and the lack of desire and will to do anything right.
Looks like DON print is similar to SALAAM NAMASTE. In case of SALAAM NAMASTE, theatre personnel let me take a peak at the film reel box (didn-t allow me this time) and this is what I saw:
Quote:
viewtopic.php?t=7999&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=15Theatre manager (technical) told me and showed me that the audio selection is automatic and the theatre is equipped with DD, DD-EX, SRD, DTS, Back-up (But no SDDS in this # 12 theatre). All films are fed the same way and through all the readers.
Then he showed me the film print boxes which indicate audio format. Film leads had clearly and unmistakenly marked Dolby Stereo, SRD, DTS (but no DTS disc was supplied; it's never sent so far in case of Hindi films). No DD or DD-EX.
This is consistent with what I observed from this film print screening. Dolby SRD that is front channel only. Left, Right and Centre. LRC directional separation was clear.
Now the question is, why did they not put DD or DD-EX code on it?? So, if there was no DTS track, they'd have included DD track instead. Does it imply that the print was basically a DTS print (but no CD supplied) and had backup audio for non DTS situations ??
Sanjay wrote:
rana wrote:
So, if there was no DTS track, they'd have included DD track instead. Does it imply that the print was basically a DTS print (but no CD supplied) and had backup audio for non DTS situations ??
That is absolutely correct. The print was a DTS print and that is why there was no Dolby Digital track on it.
Commando303 wrote:
I will say that the audio of Don, throughout, was rather "front-driven," frequently feeling quieter and less submersive that it should have. I think, though, that this might have been the fault of the theater, and not of the audio team of the film.
Caught DON for the 3rd time as I got the opportunity, to watch it in another city (Silver City Brampton) where they had labelled it as "DIGITAL", to check one more time that may be it will have surround, so much expected from this kind of big budget action film.
And sure it was surround. There wasn't aggressive surround but in some instances there was a lots of surround speaker activity. I felt the surround most when Priyanka - Vijay duel, Priyanka assuming him to be Don and hence trying revenge. (Also, in some action scenes where surround was expected, it got front speakers only ??, perhaps damaged track and audio reverting to default ??).
But, still not settled why one Silver City (Brampton) projection was in surround and in another Silver City (Ottawa/ Gloucester) it was front speakers only ?? Silver City (Ottawa/ Gloucester) where Don was in Front Speakers only but Jaaneman and Umrao Jaan both were in aggressive surround.
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BTW, with surround and proper audio level, DON is sure more enjoyable.
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