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Mono Laserdiscs Playing 5.1
https://forum.lddb.com/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=7671		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  jgdragov [ 28 Feb 2018, 03:39 ]
Post subject:  Mono Laserdiscs Playing 5.1
Hey.

I've been wondering about this for a while so I figured I'd ask some "experts". I've had my CLD-59 for a few years and it's been a great player. I send the image and sound via composite through my inexpensive analog/HDMI converter to my receiver(an ONKYO HT-R391).

I have noticed on several laserdiscs(Evil Dead 2, Giant Monster Gamera, Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid, etc.) where the disc is list as mono or dual stereo I am getting sound, and quite good sound at that, coming from my all my speakers including the rear ones. Obviously I am not complaining but, how is this happening :?:

Are the discs labeled incorrectlly? Does the HDMI converter have something to do with it?

Just looking to satisfy my curiosity.
Author:  signofzeta [ 28 Feb 2018, 04:20 ]
Post subject:  Re: Mono Laserdiscs Playing 5.1
I’ve never had a receiver that couldn’t do this.
Author:  rein-o [ 28 Feb 2018, 04:23 ]
Post subject:  Re: Mono Laserdiscs Playing 5.1
No expert here.
I have a 2 channel setup, when I play a mono disc I get sound out of both speakers.
When I had an AV amp and a 5.0 setup I could select 5 channel stereo as an option and would get the same sound out of all speakers.
But I also had the option to select stereo and then just get the sound from the 2 front speakers.
My past setup didn't have HDMI.

So if you ask I guess that it has something to do with the HDMI and receiver you are using.
You need to find out how to change the settings somehow if you care.
Author:  hippiedalek [ 28 Feb 2018, 10:20 ]
Post subject:  Re: Mono Laserdiscs Playing 5.1
My Onkyo amp (TX-NR626) has an option called "All Stereo" that will take any sound signal and pump it out from all speakers. This setting doesn't do any re-mixing or anything, it just pumps it out of all speakers; so a mono soundtrack would output the same mono track to all speakers and a stereo out output stereo left/right to the front and back (not sure what it does for the centre speaker, maybe makes a mono mix out of the stereo?)

I rarely use this mode on my amp but it can sometimes be nice to fill the room. If your Onkyo is anything like mine you should be able to change the Listening Mode to get the original audio using "Direct" or "Stereo".
Author:  jgdragov [ 28 Feb 2018, 11:56 ]
Post subject:  Re: Mono Laserdiscs Playing 5.1
Thanks for the responses. I always thought it might have something to do with the receiver setting, which is have at 5.1. The confusing part is that it doesn't do it to all my mono LDs. That's why I thought there might be something else to it(disc, converter, etc.).

While we are on the subject, and again these are not complaints, how come all my laserdiscs sound louder/fuller at lower settings than my TV,DVDs,Blu Rays? I usually have the volume at about 38-40 when watching the aforementioned media. But when I throw in the laserdisc, it is booming and much louder. I usually turn it down to about 26-28. I'm guessing this might be converter related since the LD player is the only component going through it.

Either that or it'a as all us laserdisc enthusiasts always say, nothing sounds better than a laserdisc.
Author:  audioboyz1973 [ 28 Feb 2018, 13:50 ]
Post subject:  Re: Mono Laserdiscs Playing 5.1
Quite possibly what you're hearing is a lack of dynamic range compression compared to many DVD/BD sound mixes. Or it could just be the convertor you're using altering the levels as you mentioned or perhaps the native output level of the LD player is just higher to start with.
Author:  signofzeta [ 28 Feb 2018, 16:21 ]
Post subject:  Re: Mono Laserdiscs Playing 5.1
No, the opposite, he’s hearing the lack of range on LDs. DTS has an insane amount of range so the quiet stuff on BR is really quiet and the loud extremely loud. LDs can’t display as much range but just as importantly neither did any film soundtracks until the 90s at least. The soundtrack to something like Casablanca or Annie Hall is so compressed it sounds “old timey” to today’s ears. A movie like Transformers 4 however is so spastically dynamic in its range it’s like listening to Limp Bizkit with the flu.
Author:  audioboyz1973 [ 28 Feb 2018, 17:19 ]
Post subject:  Re: Mono Laserdiscs Playing 5.1
Okay so the dynamic range thing might possibly be less relevant to movies old enough to have a mono soundtrack maybe, but otherwise I have to disagree, especially in the 90's but probably sooner too.

Part of the often cited 'advantage' of Laserdisc is soundtracks that feature the original theatrical mix rather than dumbed down home mixes, part of this 'dumbing down' involves dynamic range compression. Personally my experience is many LD soundtracks are more dynamic than DVD's or BD's I've compared them to.
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