The Dolby Atmos, DTS-X, and Auro-3D Discussion Thread

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One day you'll wake up and this...

 

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I have a few spare channels and thought of doing something like that. It is a real shame AVRs/Processors cannot be configured to just pass thru the full audio, then the setup would be easy to just daisy chain together. I suppose it would be possible on a bluray player with dual outputs. HTPCs are a pain as you need some kind of HDMI splitter. Since, although it can have many audio devices, only the one can be active, the other alternative would be a mixer.

There is of course one potential problem with time sync delays regarding two separate decoders performing the same operations. You would need to be very careful to make sure it stayed in sync.

An interesting configuration for this two processor option would be 8 speakers with one set to heights and the other set to overheads.

I did try the Equaliser, up mixed and that did a fine job. Trams, buses, warehouse and stores, voices, rain and gunfire with helicopters, all bouncing around the ceiling with pans. I'm not sure how much better it would be with the actual Atmos.

I have been thinking that I need to maybe find a core Dts HD or True HD on an existing Dts:X/Atmos and up mix it to see if I can identify the real differences.

 

[andyblackcat]

One day you'll wake up and this...

Cat islands Japan, Greece and few more.

 

[andyblackcat]

I have a few spare channels and thought of doing something like that. It is a real shame AVRs/Processors cannot be configured to just pass thru the full audio, then the setup would be easy to just daisy chain together. I suppose it would be possible on a bluray player with dual outputs. HTPCs are a pain as you need some kind of HDMI splitter. Since, although it can have many audio devices, only the one can be active, the other alternative would be a mixer.

There is of course one potential problem with time sync delays regarding two separate decoders performing the same operations. You would need to be very careful to make sure it stayed in sync.

An interesting configuration for this two processor option would be 8 speakers with one set to heights and the other set to overheads.

I did try the Equaliser, up mixed and that did a fine job. Trams, buses, warehouse and stores, voices, rain and gunfire with helicopters, all bouncing around the ceiling with pans. I'm not sure how much better it would be with the actual Atmos.

I have been thinking that I need to maybe find a core Dts HD or True HD on an existing Dts:X/Atmos and up mix it to see if I can identify the real differences.

That is simply task to just link two AVR's and play both having the centre channel to listen to common centre dialouge and if its all sounding the same if not it would have a delay of few m/s on one of the AVR's that's how I would check that its in sync once okay I can set the configuration for the second AVR to run the remain few channels.

Since I have another two AVR's running the surround zones as amplifiers I need only connect a long HDMI lead to reach the kitchen and quickly re-wire one of the channels centre and wire up simple JBL in the room to see if my Marnatz SR6012 syncs with Onkyo TX SR875 if it doesn't could be the difference of the two AVR's or like how you said it.

 

[andyblackcat]

My cat Magic is Dolby CatMos

 

[snakeeyes]

Yep EQ-2 in 4K/ATMOS release Dec 11.

But I can tell that it won't be as good in terms of ATMOS soundtrack or plot/story.

I’ll order EQ1. Looking forward to it.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I’ll order EQ1. Looking forward to it.

EQ1 will work out your Atmos speakers for sure.

Well, it will work out every speaker and sub. But it makes you feel like you got your "money's worth" from your Atmos speakers because you can distinctly and clearly hear them and not have to fight over all the other speakers and subs.

It makes you say, "That's why I spent the money and effort for Atmos".

I listed the things that came out of the ceiling speakers. I can't think anything else that could be coming from the Atmos speakers from any movie.

Seriously, there is a good reason I rank "The Equalizer 2014" #1 in terms of Atmos Sound Quality. It is THAT AWESOME!

BTW, Blu-Ray review gave EQ1 a perfect 5 Stars for both 1080p Video and Audio Quality:

The Atmos track springs to life from the opening moments. The scene inside the train that McCall rides to work opens up considerably, with a distinct rattle and hum and recreated sense of location with a prominent full-stage saturation and seamless overhead adds; the listener will feel as if they're riding the train. The warehouse store in the following scene also offers upgraded atmospherics. Intercom chatter emanates from overhead, and the sense of scale and area are impressively defined, capturing, it seems, the entirety of the store within the obviously much smaller confines of the home theater. Additional environmental effects are full and refined, but it's in action that the track shines brightest. Music swells with pinpoint accuracy, intense definition and low end support, and superb spacial awareness and balance, making perfectly harmonized use of the entire listening area. The climactic action sequence in the home improvement warehouse offers tremendously balanced and entertaining sound effects, including a sequence when all of the store's lights power up in chunky grids, followed by a hearty, booming explosion that encompasses the entirety of the soundstage with a burning, whooshing oomph. Gunfire is crisp and all of the support elements -- all of the sounds the various tools and traps and contraptions make -- are pleasing and perfectly integrated. Dialogue is clear, well prioritized, and consistently positioned in the front-center channel. Much like the video presentation, this UHD's soundtrack improves on an already strong Blu-ray; fans will be thrilled.

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-Equalizer-4K-Blu-ray/203714/

 

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The Atmos track springs to life from the opening moments. The scene inside the train that McCall rides to work opens up considerably, with a distinct rattle and hum and recreated sense of location with a prominent full-stage saturation and seamless overhead adds; the listener will feel as if they're riding the train. The warehouse store in the following scene also offers upgraded atmospherics. Intercom chatter emanates from overhead, and the sense of scale and area are impressively defined, capturing, it seems, the entirety of the store within the obviously much smaller confines of the home theater.

I could have said the exact same about the neural X up mix of the Dts HDMA, so what does that really say about the Atmos? You can hear the pans from middle back,left to right on the alarm clock and the far right to left of the electric razor. You can tell the exterior interior differences in the tram/train.The echos and voices in the warehouse are spacious and the voices appear from the back, middle and overhead, left and right. The end gun fight with the lights progressively turning off, the extinguisher rain overhead, gun fire all sound fine. It works pretty much the same. I know mine is not atmos.

We know there can be differences in the vocal pan on the country road in PP&Z but then mine is only a Dvd in this case verses a full atmos.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I could have said the exact same about the neural X up mix of the Dts HDMA, so what does that really say about the Atmos? You can hear the pans from middle back,left to right on the alarm clock and the far right to left of the electric razor. You can tell the exterior interior differences in the tram/train.The echos and voices in the warehouse are spacious and the voices appear from the back, middle and overhead, left and right. The end gun fight with the lights progressively turning off, the extinguisher rain overhead, gun fire all sound fine. It works pretty much the same. I know mine is not atmos.

We know there can be differences in the vocal pan on the country road in PP&Z but then mine is only a Dvd in this case verses a full atmos.

DSU and Neural:X can be effective for generalized matrix overhead sound effects. Definitely better than no overhead at all.

But I've never head anything this DISCRETE and LOCALIZED from any DSU/Neural:X.

There is panning from one overhead speaker to the other speaker. Very discrete and localized sound, not generalized sound.

For example, the voices from the intercom can come from ONLY the left side or ONLY right side discretely and locally, and can pan back and forth, not from BOTH sides of the overhead speakers at the same time.

I can compare Equalizer 1 in non-Atmos BD (DTSHD-MA).

 

[Bookmark]

Please if you can, give it shot, I was surprised. First 5 mins would probably do, up to the Pips.

 

[Bookmark]

Hopefully you will hear differences, I am just not convinced this will be wildly different. It could be the Dts has the discrete Atmos folded in to the Dts mix, so the True HD core will lack this. It should have the Dts as an alternate stream, there so perhaps that instead of the Atmos would be the best to compare.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Hopefully you will hear differences, I am just not convinced this will be wildly different. It could be the Dts has the discrete Atmos folded in to the Dts mix, so the True HD core will lack this. It should have the Dts as an alternate stream, there so perhaps that instead of the Atmos would be the best to compare.

Many people want to know if there is a significant difference. So this could be informative.

The Equalizer 2014 BD, DTS-HD MA BD up-mixed with DTS Neural:X versus Dolby Atmos BD.

 

[andyblackcat]

First time in 5 years seen a movie. Well its digital now 4k digital at the new bournemouth odeon to see somethings called "Fantastic Beasts 2" well it was the only one showing in this isense which to me looked like any regular large screen of the 70mm days. Nice that it had masking no taps curtains but nice.

Seats was nice didn't get any pictures as the auditorium was dark at the time no movie playing could have used the flash but would prefer to wait till the movie finished. Yeah seats was a leather of sort hardly any squeaky noise when sitting in it. The back part of the seat reclined with head rest sort of like in car but hardly relaxed as I was always looking around the auditorium. The seat bucket didn't rock like my Irwin cinema seats do. I like the seats the cup holder was bit lower down than my cinema seats. Comfort I like their seats but guess they be far too pricey as they look sort of current model.

Not sure how many surrounds I counted as when the ads started ther was light from the screen that I could just see looking over my shoulder I think 8 or more on back wall and 8 or 9 each sidewall hard to say how many on the ceiling could have been total of 16, 8 each side of the ceiling.

The bass was great it filled the auditorium up. I saw a farther and his two sons seated few seats to my left not sure what they thought of the sound if too loud or scary as it made me jump few times!

I liked the layout when walking in there is a projection screen with synced video projectors projecting the image on the curved wall with speakers above in the ceiling Celestion speakers I I think I counted 9? That played a nature sounds of mellow music and birds tweeting.

The mid to highs wasn't ear shattering for me to break out the earplugs. The bass I mentioned that? I could feel the kick depth and slam and like the trailers expect the "mary priceless leia poppin's" that made cringe as its disney and they killed star wars with one shift stoke. However I liked the new upcoming James Cameron production trailer for Robert Rodriguez "Alita: Battle Angel" (2019) Feb 2019.

There was a Dolby Atmos unfolding trailer before the movie started.
Sound mix wise hardly any directional dialogue panning for the large screen and not even sure there is five screen option with the Atmos. Films with centre dialouge and wide shots of people around a table at "the wizard of ministry" was distracting as I don't know of any human beings that speak around a table with their voices all coming from the centre I got so un-rested with the movie mix. The sound effects was great but without directional dialouge the movie seemed like an average movie.

I like the sound effects a bit after the ones at the opening where it had some deep lows that kicked me in the chest. I kept wondering if the seats had bass shakers in them? Nope no bass tactile shakers pity.

I had to leave the movie just after the coloured girl meets her brother with the charterer "Newt" sounds like Aliens? And "Tina" (Katherine Waterston) thought I requized her as been watching Alien Covenant a lot in last few months she looks hot with a short hair.

(Jude Law) as "Albus Dumbledore" sort of reminded me Charles Dance. (Johnny Depp) as "Grindelwald" I wasn't aware till I looked on imdb when I got home as I hardly recognized him with strange make-up and two diffret coloured eyes.

Someone told me there was a wizard scene in the movie where it shows world war II and the invention of the "atom bomb" so I guess I missed that sounding scene no matter as I had to get home so I missed the last 30 minutes otherwise I would have missed the food grocery delivery as it almost slipped my mind lost in the movie until I checked the time. So the movie running time 134mins.

Picture wise distracting the blacks hardly black at all the masking was more blacker than the blacks on the screen reminded me of my 4k tv seeing the the sort of back-lighting effect. I don't think digital cinema is near the quality of proper black levels if I can see the masking as pure black and the screen looking like it does not a fault of the cinema just the technology.

If I get a new projector I'd make sure the images blacks are black even if the rest of it happens to be shade dark as "the beasts 2" was soft focus mostly with few a few shots that looked normal colour the rest was like watching a dying xenon lamp. Why can't they make these movies with proper colour and brightness and stop with this tinted colours I don't know anywhere in the nature world on this planet that looks like that.

Glad I saw it in 2D as the movie is shuffled around on the sever to be in 3D for one showing while it plays in another screen in 2D then back in the isense in 2D again.

The Auditorium sounded good hardly any echo clear dialouge at the front of the screen where in some past cinemas dialouge at the front mostly sounded like echo by the time it leaves the speakers and reflects back at the ears m/s later. Yeah nice acoustics.

Odd thou the surrounds was angled inwards to face the auditorium going to the back so I would have been hearing the surrounds at slight off-axis that did sort of bother me at £13.50.

The floor was nice and clean but how could I tell when its dark inside? I hardly heard any popcorn crunching underneath my shoes that's how I can I tell. Hard to say if the ceiling was absorbed with treatment even with house lights tuned ON the glare prevented me from clearly seeing.

Guess the isense, Dolby Atmos is pushing close to 10kw that's my guess?

Few rain effects in "the beasts 2" but nothing to get me excited enough to closely analyzing it sounded like it was more up front than all around evenly like how it would be in the Real Nature Sounding World.
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000179/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t19
Still too bad I had to get up and leave to get home

 

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Thanks for that Andy, taking a risk filming in the room, you maverick. Such a wide choice of film options.

Certainly looks nice from outside in the lobby. Inside looked just like every other Odeon of late. So this must a recent upgrade then with this "isense"? Yet another way to upsell the same movie.

You didn't know Johnny was in it? He's in the first as well, briefly. Mountain of ill judged protests, newspaper articles and comments about it. JK approved his casting so we say, tough luck and don't watch if your not happy with it.

The first film is an excellent Atmos demo, so hopefully when this hits shelves it maybe will be too. Reviews however not as good as the first, I believe.

When I go to the cinema, which is rare these days, I go to an early showing, preferably mid week and not on on the school holidays. That way I get the least interruptions and annoyances, with an option to nab the best seats. Unfortunately the trailers have always been the better demo of any atmos than the film.

 

[Bookmark]

Alita: Battle Angel

This was supposed to be penciled in for Christmas, but it's been held over till mid February.

 

[andyblackcat]

This was supposed to be penciled in for Christmas, but it's been held over till mid February.

Valentines day is angle battle day in Atmos.

 

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This is the LG short throw I use.

The colour is good (I matched it as close as I could by eye to the Oled and nearly as bright), blacks not so much. The contrast isn't massive, but from a couple of feet away, over 100" for £600ish is pretty nice. Mine is the older model that still did 3D although I never bought the glasses for it yet. 30K hours, I can live with it, no bulbs. Focus can be a bit tricky, but it more than fine for the films and it has it's own digital tuner, so the F1 looks great for the in car shots. And no one can spoil the picture when moving around for drinks and what not.

 

[andyblackcat]

This is the LG short throw I use.
View attachment 26699
The colour is good (I matched it as close as I could by eye to the Oled and nearly as bright), blacks not so much. The contrast isn't massive, but from a couple of feet away, over 100" for £600ish is pretty nice. Mine is the older model that still did 3D although I never bought the glasses for it yet. 30K hours, I can live with it, no bulbs. Focus can be a bit tricky, but it more than fine for the films and it has it's own digital tuner, so the F1 looks great for the in car shots. And no one can spoil the picture when moving around for drinks and what not.

Maybe not that make/model but yeah it had that angled lens, yes short throw I have read about them to be positioned close to the screen which was the case of the ones I saw yesterday at the isense, lobby.

Are they noisy with the fan I mean can you even hear them even if its 30db that's too loud for home cinema room which is why I put a hole in the wall for projection port so the noisy projectors fan is isolated.

I may think about getting a new projector but I'm undecided on which one before parting £grand or less for a plastic box with some common components for a patent microprocessor chip projector that isn't future firmware proof that is just marketing BS.

I have been looking at viewsonic pX727 4k with reduced price again a small shade lower I think when I saw the price 4 months ago then the price went back up now has gone down again as its "black friday". I went to a projector central site that gave it a good reasonable review.

I doubt 4k will end soon even if there is an 8k or 500k as the menu selection can still access the desired format even 240p.

 

[Bookmark]

The LG has 3 noise levels, you can barely hear the lowest, from a foot or so, but it's too dark. I use the mid setting which is a pretty good compromise and don't hear it if the films are running. It's only a 1080p, but if they did a 4k I might be tempted down the line.

Nice price on the Viewsonic @800, but is it a real 4K or one of those DLPs that do something, but are really aren't? Well, best of luck if the urge is too strong with this one.

 

[andyblackcat]

Need actual video of what you are using with an SPL meter connected to RTA so I can see the frequency of the fan noise as that makes lot of difference into being able to hear it.