Phantom Of The Opera Dvd Fault
- Thread starter Hawraa
- Start date
This DTS "issue" is not the only thing about the Region 2 version of The Phantom Of The Opera.
Having just watched it for the second time (first was in my car) on my home system that i have spent a fair bit of money perfecting the sound setup, i must say, I feel betrayed.
Now, firstly, I bought the disc from a tesco supermarket and couldn't wait to watch it in the car... unfortunately the disc would not play... i mean it wouldn't even enter the initial copyright warning screen, it just spun and spun in the player trying to read it. well, eventually it DID read it, but failed completely when it arrived at the layer change of the DVD.
Fortunately for me, i have DTS in the car so didn't even notice the issue mentioned above as I had deliberately selected DTS manually... I exchanged the DVD at a different tesco supermarket and the sales girl there pointed out the DTS issue, and it took me a while to convince her that it was the DISC fault that I wanted it exchanged for, and eventually got another disc, but STILL it struggled to play.
Nevertheless, whilst watching it I DID however notice that there were a few 500ms blank spots in the audio throughout the film... and ALSO during some deep bass notes that the sound seemed to be a bit "Jerky".
It's hard to describe it, but it was like a continuos double-bass note was almost synthesised and the sample loop was noticeable.
I thought nothing of it and put it down to the Car system.
HOWEVER after watching Phantom at home in DTS 6.1 with a Pro THX PM3 JBL Subwoofer, these jerky bass notes are actually inherent in the film soundtrack! You can notice it considerably during the open minute of "Wishing you were somehow here again"... turn the bass right up, and the other speakers down, and you'll hear.
I tried the DD5.1 track, and the same fault is there.... AS ARE THE 500ms Drop-outs... (in the last few worRAB of "Learn to be lonely" in the end credits)
NOW... on listening to the DD2.0 track... ALL BECOMES CLEAR! The PITCH of the music is slightly HIGHER than the 5.1 soundtracks... this is because when transferring from 24 frames per second to 25 frames per second, the whole film is simply sped up. Although you can't simply speed up a Digital track, a bit of processing has to occur, this unfortunately has meant that the sound quality on the 5.1 tracks of Phantom have been compromised!!!! Mainly due to cheap transerring techniques!
I am sick and tired of these cheap DVRAB that emerge on the market and Region 2 seems to be the most suffering. I can't see why we being in this country have to suffer from inferior quality DVD playback. And it brings up the whole issue about why players actually DO allow you to play other regions.
Even though NTSC is slightly inferior to PAL in some respects, it's about time the quality of films on DVD in the UK improved.
I have ordered the Region 3 version of the DVD as it, i've been informed, is free of drop-outs and contains a much better 96kHz/24 Bit DTS soundtrack.
Having just watched it for the second time (first was in my car) on my home system that i have spent a fair bit of money perfecting the sound setup, i must say, I feel betrayed.
Now, firstly, I bought the disc from a tesco supermarket and couldn't wait to watch it in the car... unfortunately the disc would not play... i mean it wouldn't even enter the initial copyright warning screen, it just spun and spun in the player trying to read it. well, eventually it DID read it, but failed completely when it arrived at the layer change of the DVD.
Fortunately for me, i have DTS in the car so didn't even notice the issue mentioned above as I had deliberately selected DTS manually... I exchanged the DVD at a different tesco supermarket and the sales girl there pointed out the DTS issue, and it took me a while to convince her that it was the DISC fault that I wanted it exchanged for, and eventually got another disc, but STILL it struggled to play.
Nevertheless, whilst watching it I DID however notice that there were a few 500ms blank spots in the audio throughout the film... and ALSO during some deep bass notes that the sound seemed to be a bit "Jerky".
It's hard to describe it, but it was like a continuos double-bass note was almost synthesised and the sample loop was noticeable.
I thought nothing of it and put it down to the Car system.
HOWEVER after watching Phantom at home in DTS 6.1 with a Pro THX PM3 JBL Subwoofer, these jerky bass notes are actually inherent in the film soundtrack! You can notice it considerably during the open minute of "Wishing you were somehow here again"... turn the bass right up, and the other speakers down, and you'll hear.
I tried the DD5.1 track, and the same fault is there.... AS ARE THE 500ms Drop-outs... (in the last few worRAB of "Learn to be lonely" in the end credits)
NOW... on listening to the DD2.0 track... ALL BECOMES CLEAR! The PITCH of the music is slightly HIGHER than the 5.1 soundtracks... this is because when transferring from 24 frames per second to 25 frames per second, the whole film is simply sped up. Although you can't simply speed up a Digital track, a bit of processing has to occur, this unfortunately has meant that the sound quality on the 5.1 tracks of Phantom have been compromised!!!! Mainly due to cheap transerring techniques!
I am sick and tired of these cheap DVRAB that emerge on the market and Region 2 seems to be the most suffering. I can't see why we being in this country have to suffer from inferior quality DVD playback. And it brings up the whole issue about why players actually DO allow you to play other regions.
Even though NTSC is slightly inferior to PAL in some respects, it's about time the quality of films on DVD in the UK improved.
I have ordered the Region 3 version of the DVD as it, i've been informed, is free of drop-outs and contains a much better 96kHz/24 Bit DTS soundtrack.
delta_beta
New member
I noticed this too, the first one I noticed was:
^^^ WARNING: MAY BE PLOT SPOILER, DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NEVER SEEN THE FILM ^^^
When Meg discovers the tunnel behind the mirror in Christine's room, and her mum follows her in to stop her, there is a half-second audio dropout
^^^ WARNING: MAY BE PLOT SPOILER, DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NEVER SEEN THE FILM ^^^
Found this on IMDB: A rock version of the theme tune, recorded by a Finnish band called Nightwish.
Nightwish - Phantom of the Opera theme
IMDB source thread - appears to have links to a punk cover version as well but I've not tried it.
Nightwish - Phantom of the Opera theme
IMDB source thread - appears to have links to a punk cover version as well but I've not tried it.
[email protected]
New member
This happens with all of my DVRAB with a DTS option ( I guess as I don't have a DTS decoder). Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2 channel always works fine though. I don't think it is a fault, though I think they should have defaulted to Dolby Digital.
Staypuff MarshMallow Man
New member
Yep I agree. Unfortunatly we are in the minority! 
hitbrownie
New member
I have the Nightwish version of POTO and Ive also heard a version by Blink 182.
Rocker_5150
New member
It isn't a fault. It is just preset to DTS.
o no its mo
New member
Are you saying what I think you're saying?
Amber is bored
New member
Here's the warning from Lovefilm about it....
Warning
This DVD contains optional high quality soundtracks designed to enhance the listening experience of those customers with compatible audio equipment.
In ADDITION to the normal Dolby Soundtracks found on regular DVRAB there is an ADDITIONAL Digital Theatre System (DTS) Soundtrack (which can only be heard when using a compatible surround sound amplifier).
Initial playback of this DVD defaults to the DTS Soundtrack, therefore customers without such equipment will not hear any sound.
Please note that this is NOT a fault with the DVD.
If you are not in possession of a DTS compatible sound amplifier, you need to change the film's soundtrack type from the main menu.
In order to do this, please follow the instructions below:
1. Click the ' set-up' option.
2. Select either Dolby Digital Surround Sound or Dolby Digital Stereo as appropriate.
3. Select ' Play Movie' - the film will now play with a universal audible soundtrack.
Warning
This DVD contains optional high quality soundtracks designed to enhance the listening experience of those customers with compatible audio equipment.
In ADDITION to the normal Dolby Soundtracks found on regular DVRAB there is an ADDITIONAL Digital Theatre System (DTS) Soundtrack (which can only be heard when using a compatible surround sound amplifier).
Initial playback of this DVD defaults to the DTS Soundtrack, therefore customers without such equipment will not hear any sound.
Please note that this is NOT a fault with the DVD.
If you are not in possession of a DTS compatible sound amplifier, you need to change the film's soundtrack type from the main menu.
In order to do this, please follow the instructions below:
1. Click the ' set-up' option.
2. Select either Dolby Digital Surround Sound or Dolby Digital Stereo as appropriate.
3. Select ' Play Movie' - the film will now play with a universal audible soundtrack.
IceCream899
New member
Well what do you think 
?
I haven't actually seen it, however the obsessives who saw it about eight times claimed they did. Apparently the DVD version has it edited out
, but there are some screen caps lurking around from Bootlegs.
God do you have any idea how difficult it was to write this post without being very crude (removes mind from gutter)
?I haven't actually seen it, however the obsessives who saw it about eight times claimed they did. Apparently the DVD version has it edited out
, but there are some screen caps lurking around from Bootlegs.God do you have any idea how difficult it was to write this post without being very crude
(removes mind from gutter)Soar like an Eagle
New member
thanks for the tip. duly added to my rental queue.
Charlie Scene [3LK)
New member
i thought he was brilliant too, but unfortunately theres alot of people who wont agree with you
Meh, I do like it but I just cant really watch it. I've overheard the music and lots of it is quite poor and cringeworthy to be honest.
its enjoyable, just not a great film, or musical. (the music itself is great, but doesnt translate that well to film. what is theatrical on stage is ott on screen and films can be so much more subtle)
its enjoyable, just not a great film, or musical. (the music itself is great, but doesnt translate that well to film. what is theatrical on stage is ott on screen and films can be so much more subtle)
Here is something else that bugs me. At the begining when they are rehearsing Hanibal all the ballet girls are wearing really heavy, vulgar make up and these headress things- except Christine and Meg. Surely they would be dressed the same??
Also if the Phantom has spent most of his life living beneath the opera house how did he learn about music i.e to read and write music and to play the organ etc?
Also if the Phantom has spent most of his life living beneath the opera house how did he learn about music i.e to read and write music and to play the organ etc?
future futbol player
New member
OK, so here are the audio drop-outs that I've found in the Dolby 5.1 soundtrack, which also exist on the DTS:
41:04 - Mme Giry puts her hand on her daughter's shoulder
44:03 - During the song "stranger than you dreamt".
129:58 - Closing titles.
I've written the descriptions so that they don't act as major plot spoilers.
The stereo mix does not have these drop-outs, but is a semitone higher and sounRAB rather bright and cluttered.
Have also noticed "warbling" effects on the music in many places, but they stand out in a couple of places as being quite serious on the Dolby 5.1 (not checked these on the DTS):
34:44 - "Music of the night"
68:02 - "All I ask of you"
Overall I'm quite disappointed with the UK DVD, yesterday I ordered the Region 3 version from cd-wow in the hope that it will be of a better quality.
41:04 - Mme Giry puts her hand on her daughter's shoulder
44:03 - During the song "stranger than you dreamt".
129:58 - Closing titles.
I've written the descriptions so that they don't act as major plot spoilers.
The stereo mix does not have these drop-outs, but is a semitone higher and sounRAB rather bright and cluttered.
Have also noticed "warbling" effects on the music in many places, but they stand out in a couple of places as being quite serious on the Dolby 5.1 (not checked these on the DTS):
34:44 - "Music of the night"
68:02 - "All I ask of you"
Overall I'm quite disappointed with the UK DVD, yesterday I ordered the Region 3 version from cd-wow in the hope that it will be of a better quality.