Shots from 6:00!! Hit The Deck!!. . .Oh, That’s Just the DVD
Jul 15 '00
As an eighteen year old lad, I’ve never experienced war of any sort- albeit for those with sis. I’ve never faced the enemy head-on, I’ve never had bullets whizzing by my head, and I’ve never watched as friends got shot down by my side.
However, thanks to DTS, it certainly seems like I have.
For those uninitiated to theater audio, DTS is “Digital Theater Sound”, which is just another way to encode and process the digital surround sound in theaters. DTS is a rare one- Dolby Digital 5.1 is far and away the most common format- but is by no means a weaker cousin. It’s just the sparsely used cousin. Of the 25+ DVDs in my fledgling collection, Saving Private Ryan is the only one I have that’s encoded with DTS. SPR is also the most dynamic DVD I’ve ever seen.
Before you rush out and buy the DVD, understand something - not only is DTS encoding rare, but DTS processing in a home theater receiver is just as infrequent. I was fortunate enough to opt for a Sony receiver that had on-board Dolby Digital and DTS processing. I didn’t know anything about DTS at the time, but I figured it might be useful. Seeing as how I have only one DVD uses DTS, the usefulness of it could be argued, but I’m glad I went for it nonetheless. Had I not purchased a receiver with built-in DTS processing, there were a few, pricier options. I could’ve gotten a DVD player with built- in digital sound processors, but usually they’re expensive. In addition, I had the option of an external DTS decoder, but that’s just another component- and another price tag. I recommend getting a thorough receiver that contains Dolby Digital, DTS, and additional 5.1 inputs for any future decoders.
I realize that it may seem like I’m off track here. “This is a Saving Private Ryan category- what’s this “DT whoozat hogwash?” I assure you, this has pertinence to SPR. I just had to establish some framework.
Now, I’m not going to review SPR. That’s been done; many times over, in fact. Instead, I want to draw attention to the first thing I noticed upon the purchase of the DVD. The sound. Take this review as praise for the DVD, as praise for DTS, as praise for SPR, as praise for Gatorade, as praise for all or none. Just take it as praise.
The DVD for Saving Private Ryan is absolutely breathtaking. It is, without a doubt, the most dynamic DVD of my collection- a collection that boasts, among others, perennial favorite “The Matrix”. Even on my basic Philips 21” TV, and even without the S- video connections, the visuals are incredible. Video cassettes have nothing on the clarity and color separation of a DVD, and Saving Private Ryan is gleaming evidence of such. In the first scene, when blood gets spattered on the camera lens, the different shades of red visible on the screen are incredible. Yes, I’m praising the clarity of blood. That’s just how amazing it is.
The true gem is the sound, though. It truly makes you feel like you are in the fray. I have a basic 5.1 set-up- center channel, pair of fronts, pair of satellites, and a sub- and SPR pushes each speaker to its limits. The first half hour (DVD chapters 1 through 4) and final forty- five minutes (chapter 16 and on) are some of the most intense, goriest scenes I’ve ever watched in a movie. They are also some of the most aurally pleasuring. Bullets whiz across the front sound stage in every direction, and you hear men being hit far to your left while others go down somewhere off to your right. Down the center, Tom Hanks and Tom Sizemore’s orders come blaring out, amongst yet more shots, through your center channel. Suddenly, your kidney shuts off because the subwoofer by your side just rocked your house with that grenade explosion. As you hack at your side, trying to resuscitate the kidney, your heart suddenly stops beating and your eyes widen as a barrage of shots come at you from your rear speakers. The kidney then loses importance as your survival instincts kick in and you dive beneath the couch, covering your head with pillows. It’s at this point mom comes in and asks if you’re on drugs. No, you assure her- but you glance at the DVD player and see that only 15 minutes has elapsed since you started the movie. Seeing as how it’s a 3 hours+ movie, you have a lot of duck-and-covering in your immediate future.
This is scarcely an exaggeration; the audio truly is that captivating. I have scars from live-saving dives across my room. I’ve even worn a helmet to some SPR sessions. Dates find it odd, let me tell you.
Would SPR be so dynamic without DTS (see, I told you it was all relevant)? I don’t know. Without Dolby Digital, the next step down is Dolby Surround. This is comparable, don’t get me wrong, but it lacks one distinction that makes SPR so breathtaking- rear channel separation. With Dolby Surround there is just one rear channel, so left/rear and right/rear sound the same. It may not seem like much, but I’ve heard the difference- it’s noticeable. With everything going on the background- waves, wind, bullets, explosions, yelling- it’s too much to mesh into one channel. The separation of DTS is what makes those subtleties shine. A wave will come sweeping in behind you on the left, and a bullet will fly from rear/ right to front/ left, scaring the bejeezus out of you.
So there you have it. If you have DTS in your home theater, SPR is a necessity. If you just getting into home theater, look for a DTS receiver- and SPR. If you lack DTS in your current home theater. . . I’m sorry, man. I feel for you. Granted, it isn’t necessary for 95% of the movies out there. However, the true value of it is found when you have 5 guys over to watch SPR with DTS blazing. I just sit in the back, watching them twist and contort their heads, not even watching the movie, trying to figure out where each sound is coming from. Some will even flinch or half- duck. Heh heh. To watch the guys do that- it was worth the extra money spent on DTS and the Saving Private Ryan DVD. Every penny of it.
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
Sneil_IV
|
|
Member: Neil Janowitz
Location: Rochester, NY
Reviews written: 93
Trusted by: 192 members
About Me:
Holy halibut, weekly humor columns at www.neiljanowitz.com . Join the mailing list, son.
|
|
|
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.