Sorry folks, search function is not working at the moment so apologies if this has been asked already...

I picked up the UK DVD at the weekend, initial impressions were HUUUGE disappointment as the 5.1 mix is awful, totally overloaded with bass and you can hardly hear the sax or vocals.

Luckily I discovered the 2.0 stereo is just the way I remember it, or I would have taken it back.

However reading on amazon.ca everyone praises the 5.1 mix on that disc, so my question is - is it the same as the newly released UK version? If it is then those people need to clean their ears out!

Saxjedi said:

Don't know about the 5.1 mix, only thing I have to say is avoid the UK version (it's still sped up, it's 2005 and it seems making a proper PAL DVD is still a mystery... Or, of course, too "expensive"...) and either get the Canadian release or wait for a proper PAL release...

Neversin.

There are two versions of the DVD available in the UK. One is very cheap and usually available in Music Zone. It doesn't have the 'digitally remastered' banner along the top has no BBFC certificate and is in 4:3 pan and scan but does have a 5.1 and a dts soundtrack.

Wander down the high street to HMV or Virgin and you'll pay a lot more for a copy (about £20, saw it in Virgin today for £21.99). This one is in anamorphic widescreen, DD5.1 (no dts), has a 'digitally remastered' banner and a BBFC '15' certificate. It looks like it's of much higher quality.

However, both are PAL and 4% faster than they should be, so I didn't get either. I opted instead for the Canadian release, which is excellent and was only about £12 including postage when I pre-ordered it from Amazon.ca

Yeah it was the 'digitally remastered' version I got. But the 5.1 mix is atrocious. The reviews on amazon.ca said the Canadian one was by some distribution company (can't remember the name but started with 'A') which I'm sure I also spotted on the opening text of the UK one.

So is the 5.1 Canadian mix good?

hi Saxjedi long time no see.

the dvd released by Alliance in Canada seems to be the only one that was officially created by professional standards. The others are all bootleg quality. The others are a waste of money if you want a true dvd quality version.

is this in the shops???
I havent seen it in Scotland.

Hiya muirdo, yeah.. it's been a while!

It is in shops in Scotland, I got it in Virgin in Glasgow. I've just ordered the Canadian version anyway, although I suspect it will be the exact same. Find out soon enough I guess.

the dvd released by Alliance in Canada seems to be the only one that was officially created by professional standards. The others are all bootleg quality. The others are a waste of money if you want a true dvd quality version.

Saxjedi said:

Just to clear up any confusion of people reading this, the newly released UK disc (with 'remastered' on the cover) is *not* bootleg quality, it's very good quality. And yeah, Alliance, that's it. That company name flashes up when the disc loads. But the 5.1 mix is awful. Put it on stereo and enjoy

Saxjedi said:

Is this the version released by Network? How about the picture quality? The Network version, released on july 11th 2005, is on sale in amazon UK and HMV UK. Just wondering is it better than the Brazilian or the Dutch release (both are crappy.)

Yeah the Network version. Picture quality was OK, didn't blow my socks off though... I was watching it on a projector which does tend to expose flaws more. I haven't seen the dutch/brazilian versions.

well do tell us if you find the canadian one to be better. It is of the same standard as any new Dvd like Star Wars or Supersize Me... professional standards in both sound and picture.

Saxjedi said:

freakyfeet said:

While we're on the subject, can anyone help with a technical question....?

I bought the Canadian disc, and I've tried to play it on a multi-region DVD player here in the UK (on a PAL TV). Problem is the picture keeps flashing from black and white to colour, although the sound is fine.

It's probably just a setting that I need to change, but I haven't had the time to play around with it and sort it out, or find the instructions for the DVD/TV. I thought you could just stick it in the machine and, hey presto, it'd all work.

Anyone familiar with this stuff? Got any suggestions? Help would be much appreciated.....

The Canadian version of "Sign O the Times" is the DVD to get. EXCELLENT!

that sounds like the dvd player is translating it into PAL instead of NTSC

deebee said:

deebee said:

Did you buy your DVD player from Tesco?

deebee said:

The TV needs to be NTSC compatible to display the picture. Most are, these days, but older models and portables won't be.

asideorderofham said:

It's fairly new though - Sony Trinitron, widescreen, only about 3 or 4 years old. Really sucks if it's not compatible.....

ufoclub said:

Any way I can get it to translate to NTSC? A setting on the TV/DVD?

Shapeshifter said:

I fashioned it out of an old toaster myself. It seemed wasteful just to throw it away, as I'd only had it since the late eighties. Sure, you have to duck when the discs pop out, but, on the plus side, Woody Allen movies look great on 'bagel' setting...

deebee said:

Sounds like it should work. All I can suggest is that you go through any setup menus on both. All models are different but there's certainly a setting on my DVD player that can be set to 'PAL' or 'auto'.
Other than that, you could try using each of the different inputs on the TV. Hard to tell without looking at it, sorry.

Saxjedi said:

I think it's probably the same mix. I remember people talking about it when the Canadian one came out - saying that it's an example of how it never really works when they try and create a 5.1 mix without having the original tracks.

I tend to think, personally, that most music dvds sound better in stereo anyway.

asideorderofham said:

Ok, will give that a try - thanks.

The Canadian 'Atlantis Alliance' release was the first proper dvd conversion from the original film print - the first available in widescreen.

The same Atlantis dvd is distributed in the UK through 'Network' - but it has been converted from NTSC to Pal.

As far as I understand it, you get a more accurate conversion from the original cinema framerate when converting to NTSC, so the sound is accurate.

When converting to Pal, the sound is a little squeakier as it runs a little faster - but the resolution of Pal is higher than NTSC.

In Europe, for whatever reason, the standard is Pal. A lot of DVD players here are designed to only play Pal DVDs - especially older ones - so before people go off buying the Canadian NTSC version, I'd check to make sure your dvd player is going to be compatible. Also your tv. Also, unless you have a multi-region dvd player, it might not play dvds from the USA/Canada region. So check that too.

deebee, sounds like either your dvd or tv can't handle NTSC. I'd check any manuals or menus you can access to see if there's anything you can do. Also check your cables are pushed in and not damaged (if other dvds work, I guess that is not the problem).

deebee said:

I think that's true - the only person with the original music files split into seperate layers is Prince - Atlantis will have had to 'split' whatever they had from the soundtrack - so it's not a proper conversion to 5:1.

deebee said:

My Player had the same problem (unable 4 NTSC), but I found out how 2 change it.
I read it in the internet on the technical iformation on amazon.de (or com).
A code 2 give in and my Player was able 2 play both, PAL & NTSC.

check it out. (or just read the instruction 4 u're Player :

was wonderin' how they'd fathom a 5.1 stereo mix...
probably took the el cheapo option and inverted the phase of the normal stereo L+R for the surround L+R and boosted on Sub-Bass...

Surround sound?

'dre

the original tracks are encoded in dolby surround on the VHS and laserdisc and the theatrical prints, not stereo.... but seems like they got a hold of some sort of master tapes from the same source that gave them the master film print or video transfer.

metalorange said: