Laserdisc Dynamics vs Blu Ray


I've done a lot of research lately on the merits of Laserdisc. A number of people have suggested that a Dolby PCM Surround track sounds much better then DVD and even in some respects better then Blu Ray.

I understand the DVD vs Laserdisc comparison because of the resolution and lack of compression found on Laserdisc in Dolby PCM and even DTS. What I've found interesting is that Laserdisc used Theatrical Audio Cuts while DVD and Blu Ray use watered down Studio mixes for the home. The theory being that many users will use cheaper speakers and television's as their primary audio sources. A Theatrical Audio cut offers dynamics most systems couldn't endure, therefore the mix down.

Can anybody share experiences? Has anybody compared a Lossless Blu Ray presentation vs an older Laserdisc Dolby Surround cut on a decent setup?
lush

Showing 3 responses by kwe78

Taking into account that audio "sounds" different to different people and having grown through the Laserdisk era and into the DVD era (and yes I still own a laserdisk player) I can categorically state that that the audio on DVDs and Bluerays sounds better......to me. Saying that the audio on a DVD sounds a "bit" better is like saying that a knife is just a bit more deadly than an atomic bomb. No comparison.

I used to get this from the Betamax crowd from time to time. Betamax audio reproduction is the "highhest form of analog recording and playback. Now though I don't still own my Betamax, at the time this argument was going around I tested it. And though it sounded reasonable it in no way could hold water next to a good reel to reel system and certainly not to recorded vinyl.

So, sound quality is certainly in the ears of the beholder but I don't think audiophiles are going to rush out and buy laserdisk players and scrap their blueray players anytime soon....
Lush, sorry for the lag in response, been busy tubin. The short answer is no. I have not made that particular comparison, Apocalypse Now was always one of my favorite LDs. Your point about 5.1 vs. PCM 2.0 remixed into 4 channel is a good one however. Truly difficult to make an apples to apples comparison there. As 7.1 is the order of the day and HD quality video is vying for space with audio on a single double layer disk audio compression will always be a concern.

I doubt we could ever reach a consensus on the comparison mainly because LDs have fallen so far out of the mainstream. I would say this however. Any format that requires me to get up and put in the second disk to finish watching a movie hearkens me back to the first time I heard an 8 track tape switch tracks ( in Dark side of the Moon, it was an abomination). Though the sound may be better (if we could come to an agreement on that point which I'm not sure we have) I just can't get past the interruption. I feel the same way about the new 45rpm vinyl editions. I own a few and they sound fantastic but it's too interuptive to have to change the side every few songs. I try to look at movie enjoyment in it's entirety. In home theater the sum of the parts has to equal a worthwhile experience. If one of these parts is disproportionately lacking in quality such as to detract from the enjoyment of the film I don't deem it worth MY time and money to build a system around it. Others might disagree.

The music/audio portion of my DVD Blueray based home theater system has never once made me yearn for the long lost Laser disk days of yore. I'm an audio snob, I freely admit this. The quality of current audio simply does not draw adverse attention to itself in my system. Quite the contrary, I find it quite satisfying. That is the litmus test for me. It's why I still love vinyl and finally got into tubes. There are some things that refuse to die, laser disks just do not seem to be on the list...