Another Thumbs-Down Rental Review: Mystic River (Warner)

[Lexmark3200]

Never saw this in theaters, and rented it last night with my better half who really wanted to see this....the Hollywood Video chain we rented from only offered copies of this in widescreen, which appeared to be properly framed at 2:35:1; I dont have to get into the plot, because many of you have probably already seen this.....except for the fact that I didnt really know what to make of this film --- it won two Oscars, with Sean Penn getting an award that year for lead and Tim Robbins winning best supporting, and I believe the acting was the only thing that carried this Clint Eastwood directed crime docu-thriller based on a novel of the same name. I dont care for anything Eastwood directs, but thats my opinion.

Unfortunately, Warner has delivered yet another terribly mixed drama on DVD; only two instances of surround usage were noted by me and my better half......but forget all that and forget the fact that I know this was not a reference disc for 5.1 algorithms, but even in its OWN CONTEXT, this DVD had horribly low recorded dialogue....perhaps the worse I have experienced since the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre or the so-called "new" DiviMax version of Dawn of the Dead (in DTS no less)....my receiver needed to be CRANKED way up just to hear the whisper soft replies from Tim Robbins and Sean Penn.....I mean WAY up....the overall sound of this DVD was muted, allowing me and my better half to speak over the film during its entire duration....horribly low power levels.

At the end of the viewing, my better half mentioned to me that we would have been better off just watching this DVD through my TV's speakers because it sounded that weak.....very disheartening.

On a positive note for Warner Bros, I recently finally purchased the T3 DVD so I can enjoy that absolutely BREATHTAKING Dolby 5.1 track any time I want....the T3 Dolby Digital track is surely the best Dolby 5.1 track I have ever heard....besting many DTS mixes, in fact.

[cam]

Never saw this in theaters, and rented it last night with my better half who really wanted to see this....the Hollywood Video chain we rented from only offered copies of this in widescreen, which appeared to be properly framed at 2:35:1; I dont have to get into the plot, because many of you have probably already seen this.....except for the fact that I didnt really know what to make of this film --- it won two Oscars, with Sean Penn getting an award that year for lead and Tim Robbins winning best supporting, and I believe the acting was the only thing that carried this Clint Eastwood directed crime docu-thriller based on a novel of the same name. I dont care for anything Eastwood directs, but thats my opinion.

Unfortunately, Warner has delivered yet another terribly mixed drama on DVD; only two instances of surround usage were noted by me and my better half......but forget all that and forget the fact that I know this was not a reference disc for 5.1 algorithms, but even in its OWN CONTEXT, this DVD had horribly low recorded dialogue....perhaps the worse I have experienced since the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre or the so-called "new" DiviMax version of Dawn of the Dead (in DTS no less)....my receiver needed to be CRANKED way up just to hear the whisper soft replies from Tim Robbins and Sean Penn.....I mean WAY up....the overall sound of this DVD was muted, allowing me and my better half to speak over the film during its entire duration....horribly low power levels.

At the end of the viewing, my better half mentioned to me that we would have been better off just watching this DVD through my TV's speakers because it sounded that weak.....very disheartening.

On a positive note for Warner Bros, I recently finally purchased the T3 DVD so I can enjoy that absolutely BREATHTAKING Dolby 5.1 track any time I want....the T3 Dolby Digital track is surely the best Dolby 5.1 track I have ever heard....besting many DTS mixes, in fact.

You mentioned it was framed at 2.35:1, have you learned your aspect ratios finally.

[Lexmark3200]

You mentioned it was framed at 2.35:1, have you learned your aspect ratios finally.

When did I ever not "know" aspect ratios? Are you referring to when I asked if the larger black bars were creating a "matted" effect? If so, yes I know aspect ratios just fine.

[This Guy]

Maybe if you calibrated your system like we all said you should, you wouldn't have had any trouble at all with this movie like I hadn't. You're giving this movie a thumbs down because you thought the sound was sub-par on your non-calibrated system? The movie was a crime drama, not Terminator so don't expect terminator sound. There wasn't even much action in it, it was mostly dialog. You really aren't qualified to make such a statement.

[Lexmark3200]

Maybe if you calibrated your system like we all said you should, you wouldn't have had any trouble at all with this movie like I hadn't. You're giving this movie a thumbs down because you thought the sound was sub-par on your non-calibrated system? The movie was a crime drama, not Terminator so don't expect terminator sound. There wasn't even much action in it, it was mostly dialog. You really aren't qualified to make such a statement.

Maybe if YOU read my post correctly, I CLEARLY stated that IN ITS OWN CONTEXT and that I REALIZED that this was a drama....learn to read, lesson number one.

Lesson number two: I HAVE FOUND MULTIPLE SITES where other people who reviewed this DVD stated this: I NEEDED TO TURN MY AMPLIFIER BEYOND WHAT I USUALLY NEED TO JUST TO HEAR DIALOGUE.....

I KNOW this was not a Terminator film.....I was commenting on Terminator SEPARATELY.....I believe you are not qualified to even speak as a semi-educated individual who can hardly read English when someone writes it.

EVEN AS A CRIME DRAMA, "That Guy" (love the anonymous-"ness" of it all),this DVD was lackluster at best in the audio department. And I will say once more whether you believe me or not....my system has been calibrated by a team of employees at American Hi-Fi of Lynbrook, New York. Even still, my receiver needed to be cranked up to way beyond normal listening levels to be heard at all....

Let me ask you a question.....what does it really matter-----honestly----just how my system is calibrated exactly when the overall VOLUME OF THIS SOUNDTRACK sounded EXTREMELY EXTEREMELY low to me.....I mean REALLY low....and that is WITH slightly boosted dB levels from the guys at American Hi Fi; lets say all speakers were at ZERO dBs....all across the board.....wouldnt that STILL MEAN that this soundtrack would be extremely low at volume settings? I still wouldnt get what I thought should have been much louder recorded dialogue.....there were times when I couldnt even MAKE OUT what Penn was saying....and you say Im not qualified to comment?

What world 'you from?

[cam]

Hey Lex, I have had similar movies where I thought the dialogue or center channel information was low. Example: Matrix Revolution, the first half hour was basically all talking and it did not sound to me that it was loud enough so I turned my master volume up louder then my reference levels. But then when all the fighting and machine gun scenes were on my ears would bleed. Yes all my speakers are spl matched so I have to just chalk it up as normal even though my ears interperated the dialogue to being few db's low on the soundtrack.

[Lexmark3200]

Hey Lex, I have had similar movies where I thought the dialogue or center channel information was low. Example: Matrix Revolution, the first half hour was basically all talking and it did not sound to me that it was loud enough so I turned my master volume up louder then my reference levels. But then when all the fighting and machine gun scenes were on my ears would bleed. Yes all my speakers are spl matched so I have to just chalk it up as normal even though my ears interperated the dialogue to being few db's low on the soundtrack.

Hey Again Cam,

Yeah, I sure know what you mean man.....I have so many discs in my collection that have horribly low recorded dialogues and then the action overtakes the system because the master volume needs to be turned up so god damned high....as a matter of fact, I have found this with almost ALL my discs....dialogue is always much softer than any other aspect of the soundtrack....and my center channel IS a couple of dBs higher-set than the other speakers, so it just cant be that. I think its just a Dolby Digital thing....

Hey, speaking of this, let me ask you: do you know anything about a Dialogue Enhancer feature on DVD players? I am running a Panasonic DVD-RA60, and the manual says there is a Dialogue Enhancer feature, which is supposed to boost center channel volume, but when I engage it, nothing happens.....reading the manual, it clearly says this: IF THE DIALOGUE ENHANCER HAS NO EFFECT, THIS FEATURE DOES NOT WORK WHEN THE UNIT IS OUTPUTTING BITSTREAM SIGNALS.

The player is indeed set up to output BISTREAM for Dolby Digital and DTS signals, but WHY shouldnt the dialogue enhancer work for these types of soundtracks? What WOULD it work for then, only PCM signals? Why would this be? I was hoping I could compensate for low dialogue with the dialogue enhancer but the book is telling me I cant do it.

[cam]

Hey Again Cam,

Yeah, I sure know what you mean man.....I have so many discs in my collection that have horribly low recorded dialogues and then the action overtakes the system because the master volume needs to be turned up so god damned high....as a matter of fact, I have found this with almost ALL my discs....dialogue is always much softer than any other aspect of the soundtrack....and my center channel IS a couple of dBs higher-set than the other speakers, so it just cant be that. I think its just a Dolby Digital thing....

Hey, speaking of this, let me ask you: do you know anything about a Dialogue Enhancer feature on DVD players? I am running a Panasonic DVD-RA60, and the manual says there is a Dialogue Enhancer feature, which is supposed to boost center channel volume, but when I engage it, nothing happens.....reading the manual, it clearly says this: IF THE DIALOGUE ENHANCER HAS NO EFFECT, THIS FEATURE DOES NOT WORK WHEN THE UNIT IS OUTPUTTING BITSTREAM SIGNALS.

The player is indeed set up to output BISTREAM for Dolby Digital and DTS signals, but WHY shouldnt the dialogue enhancer work for these types of soundtracks? What WOULD it work for then, only PCM signals? Why would this be? I was hoping I could compensate for low dialogue with the dialogue enhancer but the book is telling me I cant do it.

I could be wrong but I believe that the dialogue enhancer will only work with the analog out from your dvd player. If you were using your tv for your speakers you can engage the dialogue enhancer and it will work. What I have done to help with low dialogue volume was to keep my center channel 1 db higher then the mains and surrounds, but you mentioned you alresdy have it a few db's higher. Another possible solution that may work is put your dynamic compression on. This works only with DD. My receiver I can put it on low, mid or high. My understanding is that it will tame down the loud sounds and boost the soft sounds. I don't like it on mid or high because you lose all of the dynamics of the sound track. Low for me maybe an option but I know that if I watch it on low compression I am altering the soundtrack so for me my happy medium is just to set the center channel 1 db higher and just live with it.

[This Guy]

haha quite an entertaining post. I guess I'm not edjucated even though I actually wrote sentences, not 5 sentences in 5 paragraphs, it makes you look like a very intelligent person. Your dialogue issue it pretty obvious as well, your center channel simply isn't loud enough. SINCE you had to turn the volume level up so much, maybe you should check over your settings and get the speaker levels correct using a $35 SPL meter. I guess the spl meter is too complicated for you so you had to get a bunch of employees from American HI FI to do it for you, and they obviously ****ed it up. I had no problem with this movie. Sure on some movies you gotta turn it up a little bit more than normal, but once you turn it up you can hear then dialog fine. And what world am I from? hahaha later DUDE.

[Lexmark3200]

haha quite an entertaining post. I guess I'm not edjucated even though I actually wrote sentences, not 5 sentences in 5 paragraphs, it makes you look like a very intelligent person. Your dialogue issue it pretty obvious as well, your center channel simply isn't loud enough. SINCE you had to turn the volume level up so much, maybe you should check over your settings and get the speaker levels correct using a $35 SPL meter. I guess the spl meter is too complicated for you so you had to get a bunch of employees from American HI FI to do it for you, and they obviously ****ed it up. I had no problem with this movie. Sure on some movies you gotta turn it up a little bit more than normal, but once you turn it up you can hear then dialog fine. And what world am I from? hahaha later DUDE.

That was a Taxi Driver reference, if you didnt catch it (the what world you from, that is)....anyway, do you even understand what I am asking? I UNDERSTAND what you are saying, I really, honestly do, regarding turning up the volume higher than normal on some soundtracks.....of course I understand that. And once I adjusted the receiver volume, the dialogue WAS able to be heard....what I was saying was Sean Penn's rhetoric along with Robbins', was EXTREMELY hushed and muted in delivery....the dialogue was RECORDED almost whisper-quiet at times, and if you didnt hear this, you need to get them there ears checked, bud....other website reviews said the EXACT same thing about the recording level of this DVD. I am not making this up.

The SPL isnt at all complicated for me, and the store didnt **** this up-----of course thats what you would say in order to create any kind of come-back based on what I said, which was that I DID have my system calibrated.....what else would you say? Would you actually agree with me? No, would never happen, so you need to be childish and create another come back by saying these guys ****ed my system up.....pretty logical. They didnt **** the system up; I had a couple of other techs from other shops come by and double check the operation.

Dude, my levels ARE set right----how much more can I turn up my center channel when they are already two decibels higher than the rest?? YOU KEEP SAYING THAT I NEED TO CHECK THOSE LEVELS BLAH BLAH BLAH BUT YOU WONT ANSWER MY QUESTION.....HOW MUCH MORE DO I NEED TO TURN UP MY CENTER CHANNEL'S dBs IF THEY ARE ALREADY TURNED UP ABOVE THE OTHER CHANNELS IN ORDER TO HEAR A BETTER CENTER STAGE? Can you at least answer me that? The levels are higher in the center channel than the rest, so what more can give me better center response?

[This Guy]

OK look, I'm tired of this fighting. When I'm talking about turning your center channel up, I'm saying get a meter so that you know it is the same volume as your other speakers at the listening position. Your center is probably a few dB less in sensitivity than your other speakers. You won't know exactly how much to turn it up without the meter because the meter is much more accurate than anybodys ears are. I'm trying to tell you all these problems could go away if you got the meter. When I said those guys ****ed it up, I'm saying they really may not no what they're doing, because it doesn't sound like they used an SPL meter to set the volume levels correct, they used their ears. For example, on my system (before I added an external amp for it) I had the center channels volume at +2 dB while my other fronts were at 0. I got the SPL meter I had to change the centers volume to +8 while my two other fronts were at +1 and +2 and I found movies to be much more pleasurable and I didn't have to turn it way up like I did before, and I never had to tinker with the settings again. I'm just saying, just buy the meter and it'll do wonders. Hell you could even buy it, see if the way you had it was correct, and return it for a full refund. THAT's what I, and many other members on this website is trying to tell you. We cool?