HDX movies having Dolby Stereo Audio ?!!?

[MattBryans]

Re: HDX movies having Dolby Stereo Audio ?!!?

It absolutely amazes me that The Matrix Trilogy is still in stereo even after all these years and multiple requests but here we are still dealing with Stereo.

[bfremming]

Re: HDX movies having Dolby Stereo Audio ?!!?

I have had a ticket (#120804-000059) open (closed by Vudu but should be open) since 8/4/12 about when I first saw this issue. There are several movies that are stereo only in HDX but 5.1 in HD. I'm sure there are many more now but I haven't spent the time looking to see which ones they are since my list is so large it would take some time.

674 HDX
2 HD
2 SD

Older thread?

I've much of the same issues. I've been UV registering and discovered the same issues... off the top of my head:

-The American President (As previously mentioned -so I bough the blu-ray).

-Blackhawk Down (As previously mentioned, and unforgivable - so I bought the blu-ray).

-The Patriot (As previously mentioned, and unforgivable - so I bought the blu-ray; I bought the extended edition, so I'll convert that one on my next batch. We'll see how that version is encoded).

-Wedding Planner (I think? - I will double check, but originally encoded with 5.1)

-Before Sunrise and Before Sunset (which is baloney, considering the 3rd in the series, Before Midnight, is not UV, and I first had to buy that one outright, then individually convert Sunset, then Sunrise, each in inverse order to have them chronologically ordered in the library. I double-checked with my DVD - yep DVD has 5.1).

-Boondock Saints (What they heck! Picture of course is great, but what a fail. Additionally, Boondock Saints II is 5.1, which I registered first).

I'll post a complete list here when I get home, but it will mean a lot of individual tickets.

Brent.

[lujan]

Re: HDX movies having Dolby Stereo Audio ?!!?

I have had a ticket (#120804-000059) open (closed by Vudu but should be open) since 8/4/12 about when I first saw this issue. There are several movies that are stereo only in HDX but 5.1 in HD. I'm sure there are many more now but I haven't spent the time looking to see which ones they are since my list is so large it would take some time.

674 HDX
2 HD
2 SD

[dslunceford]

Re: HDX movies having Dolby Stereo Audio ?!!?

I decided to check my titles that I've redeemed and found a large quantity that have HDX available but only 2.0 sound. In my library I have the following (some have already been mentioned)
<SNIP>
For me, that's almost 20% of my library that has worse audio then you find on most DVD's. I certainly hope this is something that VUDU is working on fixing.

I too was surprised that about 20% of my collection was stereo only, and some make no sense (such as Deathly Hallows Part I is DD 5.1 but Part II is Stereo?).

Here's my list:

1. 300
2. Austin Powers
3. The Aviator (DD+ Stereo)
4. Batman Begins
5. Blow
6. Black Hawk Down
7. Cast Away
8. Die Hard
9. Die Hard with a Vengence
10. Elf
11. Full Metal Jacket
12. The Godfather
13. The Godfather Part II
14. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
15. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (DD+ Stereo)
16. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer?s Stone
17. Independence Day
18. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
19. Matchstick Men
20. The Matrix
21. The Matrix Reloaded
22. The Matrix Revolutions
23. Mission: Impossible 3
24. National Lampoon?s Christmas Vacation
25. Pay it Forward
26. Purple Rain
27. Reservoir Dogs
28. The Shawshank Redemption
29. Training Day
30. Troy (Theatrical)
31. X2: X-Men United

[lstanley]

Re: HDX movies having Dolby Stereo Audio ?!!?

I understand with HDX the only guarantee you're getting is 1080p video. But on the Vudu front page HDX is advertised as top picture AND sound.

"VUDU delivers a cinema-like experience at home with HDX, featuring stunning 1080p True Digital video and rich Dolby Digital Plus 7.1 surround sound."

There's no asterix there saying some movies may have lesser sound. It just would be nice if sound was given the same high standards as video. I appreciate the efforts Vudu is taking to improve the modern movies that have a 2.0 track.

[Jake]

Re: HDX movies having Dolby Stereo Audio ?!!?

I see HDX as referring to the level of video quality so I have to disagree.

SD = 480p
HD = 720p
HDX = 1080p

Yep - video resolution doesn't have much to do with audio tracks. While I am in complete agreement that where available movies (even SD) should have the 5.1 soundtrack (and I also try to report movies that don't when I see them), discrete digital sound only started in 1992 (Batman Returns, for the movie trivia buffs ). Before that matrix encoding (eg. Dolby Surround, Dolby Pro Logic) was used for surround in theaters (encoding multiple channels in the stereo analog signal).

So, even when the DVD/BD is 5.1 it doesn't mean you are really getting anything more than the 2.0 matrix encoding has. Some movies before that time have had the audio remastered from multichannel sources, some just converted to 5.1 from the matrix encoding, and many older movies (the majority before the late 70's) were probably just stereo anyway.

Most of the more recent movies that are marked "2.0" are in fact Dolby Pro Logic encoded - so they are not discrete 5.1 (and where possible I hope will eventually be re-encoded, as I said) but they are most definitely surround, and all surround receivers should be able to process them.

[rdodolak]

Re: HDX movies having Dolby Stereo Audio ?!!?

I agree, I don't think a title should be classified as HDX without a minimum 5.1 sound.
It's a shame the number of popular titles that only have 2.0 stereo.

I see HDX as referring to the level of video quality so I have to disagree.

SD = 480p
HD = 720p
HDX = 1080p

[isu4me]

Re: HDX movies having Dolby Stereo Audio ?!!?

I have opened a ticket to with support regarding all the movies I found above (minus Fifth Element since that was already submitted according to previous update)

Re: HDX movies having Dolby Stereo Audio ?!!?

I spent an hour trying to debug why I wasn't getting Dolby Digital on Fifth Element - HDX. I always assumed that all HDX was DD 5.1 at least. Color me surprised that it's not the case.

I filed a bug for this movie this morning. Content has already sent a request for re-encode.

[MaxH]

Re: HDX movies having Dolby Stereo Audio ?!!?

Vudu will upgrade the audio if they can get a new encode of the movie, but you should file a support ticket; they don't always read every post and every thread in these forums, and when they do read them, they probably have to go start a ticket to get the reencode done anyway.

[isu4me]

Re: HDX movies having Dolby Stereo Audio ?!!?

I decided to check my titles that I've redeemed and found a large quantity that have HDX available but only 2.0 sound. In my library I have the following (some have already been mentioned)
- Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the ring
- Batman (1989) - HD has 5.1, HDX and SD are stereo
- Batman Returns
- Batman and Robin
- All 5 superman movies (1-4 and returns) don't even indicate what audio they use
- The American President
- Mortal Kombat
- In the Line of Fire
- Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker
- Fantastic Four
- Fantastic Four 2: Rise of the Silver Surfer - HD has 5.1, HDX and SD are stereo
- T3
- Justice League: New Frontier
- All 3 Matrix Movies
- Die Hard 1 and 3
- Tango and Cash
- Superman/Batman Public Enemies
- X-files: Fight the Future
- Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths
- Batman: Under the Red Hood
- Fifth Element - HD has 5.1, HDX and SD are stereo
- Point Break
- Predator
- Start Trek 6
- Batman Begins
- Dog Day Afternoon
- Mars Attacks
- The Bodyguard - listed as DD+ Stereo

For me, that's almost 20% of my library that has worse audio then you find on most DVD's. I certainly hope this is something that VUDU is working on fixing.

[olarmy96]

Re: HDX movies having Dolby Stereo Audio ?!!?

I spent an hour trying to debug why I wasn't getting Dolby Digital on Fifth Element - HDX. I always assumed that all HDX was DD 5.1 at least. Color me surprised that it's not the case.

[lstanley]

Re: HDX movies having Dolby Stereo Audio ?!!?

I agree, I don't think a title should be classified as HDX without a minimum 5.1 sound.
It's a shame the number of popular titles that only have 2.0 stereo.

[jman33]

Re: HDX movies having Dolby Stereo Audio ?!!?

I've taken advantage of the 50% off conversion deal. Love having HDX quality on all the titles, but the audio is certainly lacking on many, particularly some of the WB titles. I, like many I'm sure, was stunned to find out so many only having a paltry 2.0 track. I know this isn't Vudu's fault, but I think all HDX titles should have at least DD+ 5.1 at the very minimum. Hopefully as Vudu grows and digital copies get more popular, the studios will send new encodes to upgrade the audio quality on some of these titles.

[thevoiceover]

Re: HDX movies having Dolby Stereo Audio ?!!?

Even my DVD of THX 1138 has 5.1, VUDU only has stereo 2 channel, please fix this guys.. I am about to go through all 170+ movies I now own and have a feeling I am going to be disappointed. I do think people need to get this word out, I would not have bought these if I would have even thought this was being kept from us on even many modern titles.