Films/DVD Asylum

"Vanity Fair"

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rico

(A)

I saw this today and while I enjoiyed it I had trouble understanding a lot of the dialog. My own home theater using four Magenepan 1.6 speakers and NAD amplification has crystal clear dialog intelligibility so maybe I am biased but the problem with this film is either the theater I saw it in or what sounds like dialog mixed too low, especially when music was playing (or both).
I would be interested in hearing from others in this regard.

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Gosford Park and bad sound - clarkjohnsen 07:06:14 09/04/04 (5)
This film had almost undecipherable dialog, made even more difficult by the thick British accents. I've heard the DVD is little better.
So, there's bad sound from the mix, there's bad sound from the theatre system, and -- most importantly -- bad sound from digital.
That's why I try to select a screening with Sony SDDS, far the best of the lot. DTS really sucks!
clark
- Many films are nearly intelligible anymore - mvwine 08:49:36 09/07/04 (0)
  Maybe it's my aging ears, but the wife and I have watched a few english language movies with the english subtitles on. Saves us from repeating parts that we didn't catch.
  
  In Vino Veritas
- Re: Yes, yes & yes *! nt - patrickU 00:59:13 09/06/04 (0)
  * In Clark�s fashion of speaking.....
- Re: Agree and disagree - rico 10:30:12 09/04/04 (2)
  I have the DVD of Gosford Park and have had to use the close captioning in order to follow it. The mix, the accents, and Altman's overlapping dialog all contribute to an unlistenable experience.
  I have posted last year that SONY's SDDS sound, especially the eight track version, is superior to its competitors but I hardly think that DTS "sucks", either in theaters or on DVD. I always pick the DTS sound track on DVD over Dolby if it is available and my processor superimposes a matrix 6.1 mix from 5.1 material. I also use the DTS Neo 6 matrix to derive a six channel mix on stereo music (lps, LDs, tapes). I never liked "fake" multi-channel until I heard the DTS Neo 6 codec.
  I do wish SONY had marketed a home version of their theater SDDS sound.
  - DTS on DVDs is way different, and lots better. nt - clarkjohnsen 08:59:03 09/07/04 (0)
    x
  - Re: Agree and disagree - PdL 11:13:25 09/04/04 (0)
    Funny - I really like Gosford Park and I have seen it at least 3 times. First in the theater, and at least 2x at home, viewing my DVD copy. I do not recall any problems catching the dialog. (I hope I didn't miss a lot of the movie :-)
    I recently watched the DVD's of the BBC production "The Office" and I had a very tough time with both the dialog levels and the British slang. I did find using the subtitles once in a while to be helpful. BTW, The Office is very funny, especially the first season......
Re: "Vanity Fair" - PdL 21:32:21 09/02/04 (0)
Interesting comments. One of the probs I have begun to notice in the past year or so, when attending the local cineplex(es,) is that many movies have parts that are just too damn loud for me. I rarely see the action genre movies (Bruce Willis, Will Smith, Vin Diesel etc) that are intended to have very loud passages.... but lately just your average drama, mystery, documentary etc. often have parts that make me cringe (due to the volume.) I think this is a combo of my hearing getting more sensitive as I get older, inadequate audio equipment in the theaters and the volume levels of these movies slowly increasing over time.
I do have many of the same issues as others have posted regarding seeing movies in a theater vs. watching them at home. However, I still find myself getting to one or two new releases a month in the theater.
To me there's lots of reasons for us not to go to theatres. - grantv 17:19:38 09/02/04 (0)
-Often bad sound
-If not bad, too loud for the movie or system
-Can't hit the pause button :)
-No luxuries of home (puttin my feet up on the coffee table, laying back on the couch, etc)
-Other people kicking the back of your chair or rocking in the infamous connected chair rows
-Line ups (hate line ups)
-Public bathrooms
-Expensive snacks
-If the movie sucks you paid too much money to watch something and still have to put up with all the above.
It's fun once in a while, but 99 of a 100 times I'd prefer watching at home. I've been married for five years just past and we've been to either 2 or 3 movies in that time. We've rented probably a hundred.
Re: All the time - Buckeye 16:48:41 09/02/04 (0)
Rico,
One of the reasons I don't go to theaters much anymore is the problem you mentioned...bad sound.
I don't know if it's some of those "blockbusters" with the screaming soundtracks that are screwing up the theater speakers, or if the sound mix is bad, or if there are other problems (like the film being run a thousand times by the time I see it)...but I agree, and have the same problem. I am getting older and so is my hearing, but most dvds sound fine to me on films watched and listened to at home.
A lot of what I go to see in a theater are older films (mostly noir and French films from the 40's and 50's) in small theaters...and I can hear every word (I can't understand the French, but I can hear it).
All the best,
Gary

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