Dolby Atmos Transformers 4 Blu-Ray Review

[Steve Pitbull Potenziano]

Ok where to start:
First I built a New home theater room watch my you tube video to see. I had run wire and speaker in the celling for just such a occasion. Not thinking Id be using them anytime soon. So it was a VERY tedious process to hook them up and then unhook them to watch it in 5.1 ect .Not to mention that the movie is WAY to long.

The basics, Transformers 4 is not a great movie BUT its probably the 2nd best in the series. It has some of the BEST low end frequency that I've herd in a movie in quiet some time. No wonder that is was the 1st candidate for the release of Dolby Atmos. Its along kind of drawn out movie that could have wrapped up 45 min earlier than it did. But that's a nit pick. This is about the performance of Dolby Atmos in a 11.2 surround set up . I had watched the movie in FULL Atmos the whole way through 1st. Then I had gone back and re watched key points that I knew were going to really shine in 5.1 with out Atmos ect. I wasn't Expecting to really be BLOWN away by what the claims they had promised with the technology. MAN WAS I WRONG! the first 10 minutes of the movie I had herd things through my system that DID NOT EXPECT! It was a FULL FORCE POUNDING EXPERIANCE! Every part of that sequence was in Maximum over load. Its almost impossible to explain the difference unless you really hear it for yourself. I can only equate it to the first time I had herd a movie in stereo. Then the huge jump to the 1st time I had herd it in 5.1. My Jaw had dropped because I REALLY WASNT expecting to be that over come with sound in my new home theater in my house. I went back to give it a go in 5.1 which still sounds incredible the the Yamaha. Make no mistake it was still a very tight and very full experience. What I've come away with from viewing this is 2 fold. I'm deff. interested in hearing more. Like say Gravity or The Hobbit trilogy. As good as transformers 4 was in sound I wish it was on a better movie. Is this the defining moment of Atmos ? Nope. Is it a start to something that could be very cool? Most definitely. With Aruo 3D looming on the horizon this is definitely a interesting time to be in home theater. Also at this time there is no plan to bring Aruo to the Yamaha AVR line. This may change but I can honestly say I don't plan on rebuilding my whole room just to accommodate that set up. In a interview with the creator of Auro it was stated that " The Atoms speaker set up will not work with the Auro Speaker set up.

So chose wisely if you plan on doing a new build. Here's hoping that you enjoy what ever set up you chose. Because ultimately YOU have to be happy with how it sounds ,and if you are that's all that counts.

Pitbull out.

 

[Steve Pitbull Potenziano]

Ok where to start:
First I built a New home theater room watch my you tube video to see. I had run wire and speaker in the celling for just such a occasion. Not thinking Id be using them anytime soon. So it was a VERY tedious process to hook them up and then unhook them to watch it in 5.1 ect .Not to mention that the movie is WAY to long.

The basics, Transformers 4 is not a great movie BUT its probably the 2nd best in the series. It has some of the BEST low end frequency that I've herd in a movie in quiet some time. No wonder that is was the 1st candidate for the release of Dolby Atmos. Its along kind of drawn out movie that could have wrapped up 45 min earlier than it did. But that's a nit pick. This is about the performance of Dolby Atmos in a 11.2 surround set up . I had watched the movie in FULL Atmos the whole way through 1st. Then I had gone back and re watched key points that I knew were going to really shine in 5.1 with out Atmos ect. I wasn't Expecting to really be BLOWN away by what the claims they had promised with the technology. MAN WAS I WRONG! the first 10 minutes of the movie I had herd things through my system that DID NOT EXPECT! It was a FULL FORCE POUNDING EXPERIANCE! Every part of that sequence was in Maximum over load. Its almost impossible to explain the difference unless you really hear it for yourself. I can only equate it to the first time I had herd a movie in stereo. Then the huge jump to the 1st time I had herd it in 5.1. My Jaw had dropped because I REALLY WASNT expecting to be that over come with sound in my new home theater in my house. I went back to give it a go in 5.1 which still sounds incredible the the Yamaha. Make no mistake it was still a very tight and very full experience. What I've come away with from viewing this is 2 fold. I'm deff. interested in hearing more. Like say Gravity or The Hobbit trilogy. As good as transformers 4 was in sound I wish it was on a better movie. Is this the defining moment of Atmos ? Nope. Is it a start to something that could be very cool? Most definitely. With Aruo 3D looming on the horizon this is definitely a interesting time to be in home theater. Also at this time there is no plan to bring Aruo to the Yamaha AVR line. This may change but I can honestly say I don't plan on rebuilding my whole room just to accommodate that set up. In a interview with the creator of Auro it was stated that " The Atoms speaker set up will not work with the Auro Speaker set up.

So chose wisely if you plan on doing a new build. Here's hoping that you enjoy what ever set up you chose. Because ultimately YOU have to be happy with how it sounds ,and if you are that's all that counts.

Pitbull out.

View attachment 14222

***Its to be noted that you have to go into the surround decode option of the AVR to select Atmos. Its not selected automatically.

 

[andyblackcat]

So how was the down-mix 7.1 lets forget the .1 its the directional channels that mostly count. So how was the 7 channels sounding with some scenes of a few seconds long vs 11 or 4 channels height. Was there any scene in 7 channels that would sound across the left/right front a sound effect or some voice panning?

From what I can recall with STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS captain Kirk, announces the crew of the Enterprise and in his voice is panned over stage channels a bit then in the medical sick bay its heard on OVERHEAD RIGHT then as Dr. Carol Marcus is wondering around in the engineering Kirks voice is panned to OVERHEAD LEFT.

On the bluray currently available its heard over LCR with some half pan steered towards centre.

The same applies with 5.1 over 7.1 some sounds are on the surrounds are layered within side wall surrounds and are exacted/decoded by appropriate decoder to play at the back.

What else can you tell us about the overhead surrounds was music content used in the overheads? Have you undone the wiring for LCRS and back surrounds to just listen to the overheads to see what is being sent to them? That's what I'd be doing to find it out all the mysteries of cybertron.

What of frequency waterfalls of overhead surrounds to see how low they go?

I did waterfall of INTO DARKNESS on the rear surrounds and they go down to 20Hz.

Maybe the use of the subs for atmos professional as I don't see it mentioned in the home atmos? But its not a big deal to use separate outboard active or DSP crossover to crossover at what ever band the use choices or 80Hz? Then route all the lows below to subs for surrounds.

I have few subs for surrounds at the back of the room to give the impression the surrounds go down lower. Wonder if the overhead can do 20Hz or lower? What does the specs say? 5Hz to 20Khz?

 

[Steve Pitbull Potenziano]

I just saw your post I'm on my way to work. When I get home tonight I will answer all of this. I don't think into darkness is Atmos.or did you see it in that in the theater? I can't say the first 10 minutes of the opening scene was pretty intense with a lot overhead channels coming across. I also can say there was easily some sub 20 Hertz tones going on.like I said I will fill in more later thank you.

 

[andyblackcat]

Okay later on when your back and had dinner and relaxed.

 

[Steve Pitbull Potenziano]

Ok so there are plenty of parts that stood out in the film as a WOW moment Deff. the first 10 min. And of course some of the BIG ass battle parts. I can say for sure in the 7 chan mix as well as the 5.1 and the Atmos mix that when the newly man made transformers form as it swirls around is pretty cool. I paid less attention to the voices since the dialog was less than stellar lol. as far as the frequencies to the overs the AVR set those at 80Hrz so there was a very nice blend of sound. The music wasn't sent to much to the Overs It was but not so strikingly that is was a OMG moment. and yes I did go back and reconnect the regular speakers just for that there is a difference ,AND I can say I went back and listened to it again with my 11.2 setup not with the over heads. But my Omni directional surrounds did a GREAT job of almost making the overs a moot point. If you wanna see what my setup entails go to my page look at my You tube and you can see what I use.
I hope this helps any more ifo please ask

Pitbull Out.

 

[andyblackcat]

It kinder of helps. So this film wasn't like GRAVITY with all the dialogue panning across the LCR and surrounds that sort approach is rare in films. So was T4 in anyway of the likes of panned dialogue or was it centred apart from some Transformers voices being panned in first one and third one but not heavy panning very subtle it was more sound effects driven.

 

[andyblackcat]

Watching video. Only a few feet winder then my room and few feet longer 9'W 15'L 7.8'H. I noticed you had Oblivion playing. I decided to play a few minutes from the region free. The pyramid thing panning across left rear across left side to front of the room very fast its still "an effective mix".

 

[Steve Pitbull Potenziano]

what I am going to do is going to go in today and I listen to some key parts of oblivion with Atmos selected on the receiver I did notice today that it's still a selectable surround action even without a movie being there.so I'm going to give it a whirl and see what it sounds likey..eah my room is 14 by 17 by 8 .as you saw as I designed the roomI did it with the idea of trying to make it as sound proof as possible without a ton of the reverberation in the room I think they really succeeded in that idea acoustics are absolutely insane.

 

[afterlife2]

Thanks for your Reveiew sir. How about a pic of your setup Steve?

 

[Steve Pitbull Potenziano]

Look at my you tube which is on my profile here .i did a 14 min. video of it But I will post pics here too.

 

[andyblackcat]

The video has lots of pictures every second.

 

[andyblackcat]

what I am going to do is going to go in today and I listen to some key parts of oblivion with Atmos selected on the receiver I did notice today that it's still a selectable surround action even without a movie being there.so I'm going to give it a whirl and see what it sounds likey..eah my room is 14 by 17 by 8 .as you saw as I designed the roomI did it with the idea of trying to make it as sound proof as possible without a ton of the reverberation in the room I think they really succeeded in that idea acoustics are absolutely insane.

Does the new AVR Yamaha have that new atmos pro-logic up-mix thing on it to enhance 2.0 5.1 I guess it might do something with 7.1 only?

 

[Steve Pitbull Potenziano]

Yes it does have the Up mix since the Atmos update wich is VERY cool.

 

[afterlife2]

Can you post a link I can't find it on youtube. Thanks.

 

[Steve Pitbull Potenziano]

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyHC2G3pKreTwOjaXCwkIwQ

 

[afterlife2]

Truly a Fab setup. So neat and well thought out. You made great use of the space without big bulky speakers. Enjoy it MAN and welcome to the nicest forum of audio!

 

[andyblackcat]

Can you show how the atomos set-up works with a short video and its pink noise or any test disc does it come with a free bluray.

 

[Steve Pitbull Potenziano]

Truly a Fab setup. So neat and well thought out. You made great use of the space without big bulky speakers. Enjoy it MAN and welcome to the nicest forum of audio!

Ty Ill be working here from now on I recon and ty very much It was a ground build up and I wanted to just make it cool without being traditional home theatre

 

[Steve Pitbull Potenziano]

Can you show how the atomos set-up works with a short video and its pink noise or any test disc does it come with a free bluray.

yes I can No Prob .Not sure how it will sound coming through the Phone though even though it films in 4K