LaserDisc Sounds Better?
Dear Gary: My name is Miro, and I’m from Sydney Australia. I have a question regarding DVD sound. Do you guys still think LaserDisc sounds better? I know I sure do. I’ve been to 5 dealers, and I still think my VHS sounds better (in Dolby ProLogic). Sure, there are more sounds going on in DVD, but the illusion of being in the movie is just not there. Plus, I don’t think I could really watch one DVD movie after another.The sound is just too bright and sharp. Not realistic at all. I can watch one VHS movie after another and think I’m in the movie every time. I was going to upgrade to DVD, but I’m thinking of going to LaserDisc instead. Are the new movies still going to be coming out on LaserDisc now and in the future?
Miro.Klokocki
mailto:Miro.Klokocki@aus.xerox.com
Movie Sound Editor Perry Sun Comments:
If I could say openly... I think you’re making a big mistake in upgrading to LaserDisc over DVD. It’s quite apparent that you haven’t yet experienced Dolby® Digital or DTS® Digital Surround™ 5.1-channel audio in a “proper” home theatre system. Your experiences of 5.1 sound might have been in a consumer electronics store, with loud, blaring demonstrations. Five-point-one-channel audio, as well as matrix surround, are available with both DVDs and LaserDiscs. However, the number of new titles being released on LaserDisc is dwindling rapidly, while DVD is growing by leaps and bounds. Stores that have been traditionally selling and/or renting LaserDiscs are dramatically revising their inventory to accommodate DVDs, or switching over entirely. For these reasons, you are likely to find yourself utterly disappointed within a year if you opt for the LaserDisc format. I do agree that with certain soundtracks, the matrix surround soundstage can be more active and thereby more satisfying than that of 5.1. However, matrixed audio generally will not deliver the spatial resolution and clarity of a discrete soundtrack.
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