Possible Issue?: Mono Track Issues on Criterion Releases

News on Criterion and Janus Films.
Post Reply
Message
Author
User avatar
PfR73
Joined: Sun Mar 27, 2005 6:07 pm

Possible Issue?: Mono Track Issues on Criterion Releases

#1 Post by PfR73 » Tue Feb 23, 2016 12:51 am

Feel free to move this post if there is a more appropriate thread in which to put it. It seemed like it shouldn't go in the Known Problems thread until it is acknowledged by Criterion?

I recently noticed that a few Criterion Blu-Rays that are supposed to feature Uncompressed Monaural audio tracks do not have the advertised tracks, they have lossy Dolby Digital tracks instead of the LPCM tracks they should have.

The back of the Tati Shorts disc from the Complete Jacques Tati box set states "New 2k digital restorations of all seven shorts, with uncompressed monaural soundtracks"
But both my Playstation3 & computer show the shorts only have Dolby Digital tracks. This is confirmed by the blu-ray.com review, which states "The first six shorts arrive with French Dolby Digital 1.0 tracks, while Forza Bastia arrives with French Dolby Digital 2.0. track."

This is also a problem with Easy Rider from the America Lost & Found box set. The disc should feature a 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track, a 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio track, and an "uncompressed monaural soundtrack." Since the mono track is the film's original sound mix, it is the most important to be presented in a lossless format. The 5.1 & 2.0 DTS-HDMA tracks are both described as "optional."
However, the mono track is not uncompressed (LPCM). It is only a Dolby Digital track. The 5.1 & 2.0 tracks are both correctly DTS-HDMA as described, but, again, both my Playstation3 & computer show the mono track (audio track 3) is lossy Dolby Digital rather than uncompressed LPCM. Again, this is confirmed by the blu-ray.com review, which states "There are three audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, and English Dolby Digital 1.0."

Criterion recently announced a standalone Blu-Ray release of Easy Rider separate from the box set. Criterion's website is also listing this release as containing an "uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray," but as it currently stands, if the disc is exactly the same as the one in the box set, this will not be accurate.

I've sent an email to Jon Mulvaney about this. I hope he will respond, or that, if necessary, others will send emails about this issue. It may seem like a minor issue to some, but I think it is important. Since the Tati shorts were all restored in 2K, they really deserve to be presented with the full quality of uncompressed audio in addition to the HD picture; and since they were given their own disc (rather than being tossed as extra features on the other discs), disc capacity seems like it should not be an issue. Similarly, as I said with Easy Rider, the mono track is the film's original sound mix, it is the most important of the 3 mixes on the disc to be presented in a lossless format.

User avatar
MichaelB
Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2006 6:20 pm
Location: Worthing
Contact:

Re: Possible Issue?: Mono Track Issues on Criterion Releases

#2 Post by MichaelB » Tue Feb 23, 2016 1:24 pm

Are the 2.0 tracks actually stereo, or dual mono?

User avatar
PfR73
Joined: Sun Mar 27, 2005 6:07 pm

Re: Possible Issue?: Mono Track Issues on Criterion Releases

#3 Post by PfR73 » Wed Feb 24, 2016 12:32 am

As I understand it, they are true stereo. My system will not fold the 2.0 tracks into the center speaker, in comparison to what it does with 2.0 tracks I tested that have been identified by review sites as dual mono, such as the MOC Sansho The Baliff Blu-Ray I have.

User avatar
diamonds
Joined: Sun Apr 24, 2016 2:35 pm

Re: Possible Issue?: Mono Track Issues on Criterion Releases

#4 Post by diamonds » Sun Apr 24, 2016 3:19 pm

Has there been any response from Mulvaney or Criterion related to this? I've been eyeing the Tati set for a while, but if this is a production issue I'll probably continue to hold off on purchasing it.

User avatar
PfR73
Joined: Sun Mar 27, 2005 6:07 pm

Re: Possible Issue?: Mono Track Issues on Criterion Releases

#5 Post by PfR73 » Wed May 04, 2016 6:54 pm

I have never received a response. The big question is whether the previously lossy Dolby Digital mono track on Easy Rider has been made truly lossless on the standalone release, since the specs are still claiming it is uncompressed mono. A user on blu-ray.com is claiming the standalone release has uncompressed audio, but they've not offered any concrete proof to ensure they're not just making an assumption it is because the specs say so, even after another user & I both requested confirmation.

Post Reply