DPLII vs DD5.1

michaelab

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OK, clearly, if done properly DD5.1 is better than using DPLII on a 3.0 or 2.0 soundtrack but I was shocked by a recent comparison:

I've just finished watching Alias Season 1 (R2) (excellent btw) and it has a 5.1 soundtrack but I was frequently getting up to put my ear to my surround speakers to see if there were actually working! About once in each episode there was maybe one gunshot or something that actually used the rears :(

Conversely, after finishing Alias I started watching Dark Angel Season 1 (R2) (I have a thing about gorgeous female heroines...) which has a 3.0 ProLogic soundtrack and my Marantz SR4200 automatically decodes that using DPLII. Wow! The soundtrack was so much better! I realised I did actually have a pair of speakers behind me! The whole scale, ambience and general surround effects were just way better.

So, to cut a long story short, DPLII on a 3.0 soundtrack can sound a lot better than a cr@ply done DD5.1 soundtrack.

Michael.
 
I agree, I have also found this on occation.
 
Can anyone name any other DVDs that have dedicated PLII soundtracks?
 
DVD's don't generally come with DPL2 soundtracks, although virtually all come with a standard DPL encoded stereo soundtrack.

DPL2 is a significant improvement over DPL. The only place I've come across dedicated DPL2 encoding is in computer games (notably on the Gamecube).
 
Originally posted by Racquel Darrian
Can anyone name any other DVDs that have dedicated PLII soundtracks?
Sorry I wasn't sure what the correct name was for a 3.0 soundtrack. Is it DD3.0? Anyway, the SR4200 decodes 3.0 using DPLII.

Michael.
 
Michael did you try Alias in PLII? Must agree with you on the 5.1 mix, it's rather crap...
 
Wouldn't you rather listen to the sound as the mixer intended ie DD2.0 as DD2.0, rather than have some DSP guess - "oh ok, I'll put this gunshot in the left speaker" sort of thing?
 
Originally posted by puddleduck
Wouldn't you rather listen to the sound as the mixer intended ie DD2.0 as DD2.0, rather than have some DSP guess - "oh ok, I'll put this gunshot in the left speaker" sort of thing?

well in fact (AFAIK) the information is in the soundtrack anyway. the DPLII just sends it to wherte it should be.

I guess if you ahve a gunshot in the left speaker in 3.0 or 2.0 and is not in the same phase as the front stage it is safe to say that it belongs in the rearspeaker.


I'm not sure one can conmpare Alias and Angel in the end the mix is done totally different and it just depends on the source whether DPLII or DD5.1 sound better.
 
Originally posted by miniman
No, I would rather listen to it how I think it sounds best!

Well said!
Hooray for sensible thinking! :smashin:
 
Originally posted by eviljohn2
DVD's don't generally come with DPL2 soundtracks, although virtually all come with a standard DPL encoded stereo soundtrack.

DPL2 is a significant improvement over DPL. The only place I've come across dedicated DPL2 encoding is in computer games (notably on the Gamecube).

I have a GameCube and the soundtracks sound awesome!
Two that spring to mind are Eternal Darkness and Metroid Prime!
 
I came across Zardoz today that has a 3.0 soundtrack.
 
hi all,i think that movies,tv shows that are dplogic sound good with pl2,anything else,dont bother,pat
 
Originally posted by Racquel Darrian
I have a GameCube and the soundtracks sound awesome!
Two that spring to mind are Eternal Darkness and Metroid Prime!

Seconded, almost every DLP2 encoded Gamecube game sounds better than many 5.1 tracks I've heard, the DLP2 sound on Zelda is nothing short of stunning and of course Eternal Darkness.

Nintendo have even been encoding games in DLP2x for a while, 7.1 anyone?!
 
Slightly off topic, but I think some of the films on Sky Movies have PL2 soundtracks. And they sound really good, LOTR being something of a showcase for the format.
 
yep, Gamecube soundtracks are amazing - my amp. doesn't do PLII, but things still sound awesome in standard Pro Logic

Personally I think the GC sound is better than most DD5.1 sonics from my XBox games - or maybe analog is just more suited to the GC's more "jolly" game sounds :)
 
Originally posted by eviljohn2
DVD's don't generally come with DPL2 soundtracks, although virtually all come with a standard DPL encoded stereo soundtrack.
Are you sure? The copy of "The Abyss SE" I watched last night had a PLII soundtrack, or at least that's what my 3803 told me it was receiving. :confused:
 
AFAIK, movie soundtracks are only encoded in DPL. Newer soundtracks, however, may have been mastered with a mind for DPL2 if the engineer knows how it works.

Any "stereo" signal received by your amp (and my Denon 1802) can be decoded as DPL, DPL2c or DPL2m (cinema and music respectively although DPL2x has recently been released to include 7.1 algorithms and better compatability with games).

Essentially, stereo film soundtracks will generally contain DPL information, but DPL2 takes this information and does a much better job with it.
 
I too, have had a similar experience. I was watching the remastered Guns of Navarone which has a DD5.1 track, however I switched over to DPLIIx (on me Tag...) and the enjoyment and involvement was much higher, as well as getting the music out of the surrounds and backs.

I was using DPLIIx Music mode, changed the Centre Width to -2 and set Panorama to On. This expanded the audio while still keeping the dialogue in center. Really enjoyable as compared to the default DD 5.1 processing. The fidelity of The Guns of Navarone isn't exactly top notch thus this "tampering" made the sound more like being at the movies.

DPLII(x) is really great IMHO. :D

Cheers
 
i always find that movies sound best in DD5.1 (unless it is an old film)

tv shows on DVD sound best on DPL2

computer games sound best on DPL2

SKy + movies sound best on DD5.1 (unless you have normal sky then use DPL2)
 

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