2021-10-19, 02:31 PM
(This post was last modified: 2021-10-19, 02:38 PM by borisanddoris.
Edit Reason: clarity
)
The way I see it is that in most cases, LaserDiscs are going to get us closer to the original theatrical mix (whether 70mm mag, optical Dolby, or AC3/DTS) than any other format. Next would be a handful of DVDs that either match their LaserDisc counterpart or were made early on in the life of the format. Very rarely are BD/UHDs going to have anything totally original unless specifically stated. Superman's 70mm mix comes to mind as something that is a surprise to see on the format. Columbia/Sony also seems to be providing original mixes (Labyrinth is up for debate).
Doing some research and comparing rips of the old tracks may help point us to more answer, like Ghostbusters. I had always felt the 1999 DVD's 5.1 track felt more accurate and when I examined the wave forms vs. the BD, I found those mono surrounds...which is certainly a tell tale sign that its more original than things that came after.
I know that New Line was known for doing near field remixes, going back to Seven on LD, so tread lightly with anything from them. I also found that some early Warner Bros. DVDs had their AC3 tracks slightly modified for better folding down into 2 channel sound vs. their LaserDisc counterparts. I'd love to put some of those under a microscope to verify that feeling. Twister comes to mind.
What would be nice is if we could get some official words from folks working at the studios to confirm their sources for the audio mixes. I mean, more often than not, they are open about which picture elements they use...why can't audio be the same?
EDIT: We should also be careful when comparing home video tracks to the cinema because not all cinemas are aligned the same, have the same gear, etc. It's certainly a good base to start with, especially in terms of content like music cues, sound effects, etc. Also, I'd argue most cinemas today sound like garbage compared to the 90s-early 2000s before digital cinema came in and ruined just about everything.
Doing some research and comparing rips of the old tracks may help point us to more answer, like Ghostbusters. I had always felt the 1999 DVD's 5.1 track felt more accurate and when I examined the wave forms vs. the BD, I found those mono surrounds...which is certainly a tell tale sign that its more original than things that came after.
I know that New Line was known for doing near field remixes, going back to Seven on LD, so tread lightly with anything from them. I also found that some early Warner Bros. DVDs had their AC3 tracks slightly modified for better folding down into 2 channel sound vs. their LaserDisc counterparts. I'd love to put some of those under a microscope to verify that feeling. Twister comes to mind.
What would be nice is if we could get some official words from folks working at the studios to confirm their sources for the audio mixes. I mean, more often than not, they are open about which picture elements they use...why can't audio be the same?
EDIT: We should also be careful when comparing home video tracks to the cinema because not all cinemas are aligned the same, have the same gear, etc. It's certainly a good base to start with, especially in terms of content like music cues, sound effects, etc. Also, I'd argue most cinemas today sound like garbage compared to the 90s-early 2000s before digital cinema came in and ruined just about everything.