Films/DVD Asylum

Posted by jeromelang (A) on July 20, 2004 at 10:46:26

I listen to DVD movies exclusively in stereo mode at home, even though I have a fully surround capable Sony TA-E9000ES/TA-N9000ES. Trouble is space and shape of the living room, prohibiting me from placing surround speakers at the optimum position. I find that a lot of DVD titles doesn't include the stereo tracks so I am forced to listen to the down-mixed 5.1ch track through my 2 speakers. Whenever available on a DVD, the stereo track always sound more coherent and open with less phasey off-axis effects and bloated bass, compared to the 5.1ch mix. On a Super Bit DVD I can understand that recording space becomes tight, but there are many other lesser bit-rate encoded discs that could easily have accomodate a stereo track. Why won't they just stop leaving it out?