Do most DVDs have dialog distortion?

R

Robof83

Audioholic
Is it just my personal collection of dvds that distorts during dialog or is that the norm. It seems as though 90% of my dvd collection exhibits one ore more sequences in which the dialog becomes distorted.

I never noticed it before, but ever since getting my new HT set up I notice it all the time. To be honest, I really don't think it has anything to do with my speakers. It always occurs on the same scenes regardless of volume. I've repeatedly played the same sequences over my infinity system via yamaha receiver, infinity system via sony receiver, infinity system via other yamaha receiver, all the tv speakers in my house, and logitech computer speakers. No matter which system i'm using, the distortion is always present. This leads me to believe that there is something wrong with the DVD.

Anyone else ever notice this?
 
Adam

Adam

Audioholic Jedi
I don't remember really noticing dialogue distortion.

Are there any specific DVDs/scenes that you can think of? I'd be willing to check them out if I have the discs.
 
Lordoftherings

Lordoftherings

Banned
What???

Hmmm... Some DVDs, Ok, but all your DVDs, not Ok.

There is something else wrong with your system (wire connections, receiver(s), TV speakers :)eek:), computer speakers :)eek:), your brains :)eek:), or your room decor :rolleyes:).

Just recheck all your connections, in particular the ones that goes to your center speaker (speaker cable or center channel interconnect). Also, make sure that you don't have the "Dynamic Range Compression" ON.
And that the digital connection is secure and the setting is "Bitstream".

I got over 3,000 DVDs and most of them (98.4645%) don't distort from the dialog coming from my center speaker(s).

So, recheck your brains, !?!?!?, huh, I mean your wires. ;)
 
R

Robof83

Audioholic
Of the top of my head... the last scene in transformers were the secretary of defense guys is holding a meeting. He says something about the president ordering sector 7 to be terminated, also in troy the scene after Achilles cousin dies. Achilles best man is breaking the news to him and Achilles asks "where is he?".

Those are just two I can remember. Like I said, it could be my speakers, however, it seems unlikely that every system/speaker in my house would distort at the exact same moments.
 
Lordoftherings

Lordoftherings

Banned
Of the top of my head... the last scene in transformers were the secretary of defense guys is holding a meeting. He says something about the president ordering sector 7 to be terminated, also in troy the scene after Achilles cousin dies. Achilles best man is breaking the news to him and Achilles asks "where is he?".

Those are just two I can remember. Like I said, it could be my speakers, however, it seems unlikely that every system/speaker in my house would distort at the exact same moments.
Then it would be the particular recording from that DVD. That does happen.
I'm getting what you're saying.
 
Lordoftherings

Lordoftherings

Banned
Where do you store them all? How do you find anything in that collection?:D
That's a pretty good question. I've been seriously contemplating to store them all into a jukebox computer. As it is now, they are all over the place.
Most of them are in a small room, few more are in my bedroom, and the rest are in the livingroom. But all of these three rooms, they are still at different places; drawers (severals) large bookcases (few of them with double layers, so you cannot see the titles behind the first layer), more and more drayers, so many of them that I don't have any more room for my socks, pants and few more clothing items, and absolutely not all the blankets for the beds.
So, much of my clothing is piled on top of each other on chairs, extra sofas, etc., even inside speaker's boxes and on top og them. My place is pack jam from floor to ceiling. The living room is so fill with Blu-Rays, DVDs, CDs, SACDs and DVD-Audios that it becomes a natural room treatment. If I'm looking for a particular title on DVD, just forget it, it's an operation that can take more than half hour, or even more!
People that comes to my place and never saw it before, are freaking out! Literally! And me too, almost every day. Guess where my computer is?
No, no, not in the bathroom! Yes, you guess it, in the kitchen table; so I always eat standing up! Believe me, it's the honest true!
Don't forget too, that I also owns about 3,000 CDs+ on top of all that sh** load of DVDs. It will take me almost 10 years, watching one movie every day non-stop per day! Or 5 years for 2 movies per day (about 4 hours more or less).
There is over 600 Blu-Rays on top of that and 200+ HD DVDs.
What do you think my wife thinks of all that??? Don't ask! She's listening to what I'm saying to you. :eek:

Want to trade homes and wifes? ;)
 
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ZeosPantera

ZeosPantera

Junior Audioholic
Depends on the Movie. I haven't had any constant distortion issues. There have been some badly mixed movies however.
 
R

Robof83

Audioholic
Well I went and rented Troy on DVD at Blockbuster to see if maybe it was just my DVD. Sure enough the Blockbuster DVD distorted on the same exact scene where Brad Pitt says "Where...Where is he?".

I'm bring both my copy of Troy and the blockbuster copy of Troy over to my friends house today to test it out on his system. I'll update this thread tomorrow.
 
Adam

Adam

Audioholic Jedi
Maybe I misread him, but I don't think that Bob was trying to say that particular copies of DVDs might distort. Rather, I believe that he was saying that the audio track on some movies might be distorted on every DVD copy of that movie. The fact that your DVDs were purchased used shouldn't have anything to do with it.

That's a good plan to try them out on your friend's system. It's one more data point.
 
Lordoftherings

Lordoftherings

Banned
Heavy use of ADR (Additional Dialog Remix) is the cause of distortion.

Maybe I misread him, but I don't think that Bob was trying to say that particular copies of DVDs might distort. Rather, I believe that he was saying that the audio track on some movies might be distorted on every DVD copy of that movie. The fact that your DVDs were purchased used shouldn't have anything to do with it.

That's a good plan to try them out on your friend's system. It's one more data point.
You did not misread me Adam. That's exactly what I meant. :)

It is a fact that some movies are mixed with distortion coming from the center channel (all DVD copies of that movie).
It is not a faulty disc, it's the way studios mix the center channel; it is mainly done in dubbing rooms with heavy ADR added (processing), and that is what causes the distortion.
So, it is not the DVD disc itself, it is not your center speaker, it is the studio mix from use of ADR (Additional Dialog Remix).
It is used heavily on most movies.
Also, when you use the original recordings filmed in exterior locations, the sound is usually heavily distorted, so they have to remix it in dubbing stages, using the ADR process, which is not natural to what the original scene was, because of missing elements, like wind, leaves, bugs, etc.

Add to that the heavy compression of DD and DTS soundtracks, and it's the perfect recipe for distortion. It is absolutely normal.

With HD DVD and Blu-Ray, the problem is literally eliminated.

* This now should put to rest your concerns. :)

Cheers,

Bob
 
mtrycrafts

mtrycrafts

Seriously, I have no life.
..

Want to trade homes and wifes? ;)
Not homes but, send me her picture;):D

Seriously, seems like a condition there.:D Yes, good thing I forgot about the Cds. I only have about 110 DVDs/HD/BD. CDs are in 6 disc cassette used to load them in a Denon player. Boy that was simple and saves lots of space.
 
Lordoftherings

Lordoftherings

Banned
Not homes but, send me her picture;):D

Seriously, seems like a condition there.:D Yes, good thing I forgot about the Cds. I only have about 110 DVDs/HD/BD. CDs are in 6 disc cassette used to load them in a Denon player. Boy that was simple and saves lots of space.
Well you could say that I'm much more into software than hardware.
What's the use to have a $200,000 audio/video system if you don't have anything to play on it. :D
 
R

Robof83

Audioholic
Well I took the DVD to my friend's and still heard the distortion. I guess I just buy the wrong DVDs. I have about 65 total and the only ones I know that don't have any distortion at all are the matrix movies, lotr movies, gran torino, and valkyrie.
 
Lordoftherings

Lordoftherings

Banned
Well I took the DVD to my friend's and still heard the distortion. I guess I just buy the wrong DVDs. I have about 65 total and the only ones I know that don't have any distortion at all are the matrix movies, lotr movies, gran torino, and valkyrie.
Did you read post #13?
 
R

Robof83

Audioholic
I did, I was simply testing on my friends system as one more proof that it wasn't my amp/speakers/cables.
 
R

Robof83

Audioholic
I do:D A quick search on google showed me that it was a very common problem.
 
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