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why is sub content on blu-ray surround recordings stronger?


Paducah Home Theater

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So basically if you get a blu-ray concert movie for example and listen to the two channel version, sub content is there, but it is weak.  If you watch the same concert on Netflix, which is supposed to be 5.1, sub content is there but it is weak.  Get the same concert blu-ray but listen to the 5.1 surround version and BLAM!  All kinds of sub content.  Why is this?  Why is the NetFlix version weaker, and why doesn't stuff below 80 hz get picked up and sent to the sub in a strong manner on the two channel version?  

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So basically if you get a blu-ray concert movie for example and listen to the two channel version, sub content is there, but it is weak.

 

Maybe because it is mixed as 2.0 not 2.1? :unsure:

 

Get the same concert blu-ray but listen to the 5.1 surround version and BLAM!  All kinds of sub content.

 

One it is uncompressed high resolution and two it is mixed with using a subwoofer in addition to 5-channel surround(5.1).

 

Not 100% positive of my theory but still an educated guess.

 

Bill

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i don't judge any sound at all unless its on a blu ray. if sound sucks on netflix its cause netflix cost next to nothing. why would they bother giving everyone uncompressed audio? pay 25 for a single blu ray concert it better be on point! my perspective on it. 

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I do agree that it's quite possible that netflix chooses to stream a version with reduced dynamic range, but that does not affect bandwidth.  It's possible that they enable some dynamic range compression (similar to "midnight-mode" on an AVR) because their average customer can't handle the full dynamic range version.  Ask them.

 

As for the 2.0 versus multi-channel mix on Bluray... I guess that they take advantage of the extra 10 dB top end of the LFE channel, whereas they reduce the dynamic range on the 2.0 track.

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I guess my biggest question at this point is why concerts in 2.0 sounds so much different than 5.1. It blows my mind how much it comes alive, even seemingly from the same set of speakers. Just seems like the roar of the crowd, screaming guitar solos, and bass drums ought to at least sound remotely similar but that doesn't seem to be the case. On more than one recording it literally sounds dead and boring in 2.0 mode, switch to 5.1 and good lord it sounds sweet.

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Maybe because you bought Blu rays which are in surround sound so they put all their time and effort into that. If you wanna enjoy 2 channel more perhaps a cd would be the best way to go? Or a flac file or any other digital media? Or old school and buy some records.

Edited by Scrappydue
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I just can't wrap my head around the idea that two channel stereo on the same disc doesn't even seem to have the same frequency response. I can understand extra effects but the 5.1 channel version of multiple concerts is so much more advanced than the stereo version that I just don't get it.

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Try Tim Reynolds and Dave Matthews at radio city. I like the stereo mix much more on that one. But it's one of the few that are. Prolly like that. Most rare gonna be optimized for surround.

 

I agree, the uncompressed lossless stereo mix sounds just as detailed and has as good imaging as the multichannel, even though it is "only" 48kHz/24bit vs the multichannel 96kHz/24bit.

 

Same goes for the uncompressed PCM stereo mix of "David Gilmore Remember That Night, Live at the Royal Albert Hall".  Both mixes sound wonderful. IMO.

 

Bill

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