The Death Of DVDS For Me

[vinay]

Rikhav, thanks for the writing.

The technical details which you are writing is not material for me as my knowledge on these things is low, all i know is that with the high definition movies, the pq & sq is any day better then the original DVDs which i have been watching.

I am glad that i am out of the DVD world.

Vinay.

Vinay says that he would no longer be interested in buying original dvds because the sq and pq of hd-rips is much better then the original dvd he buys.
Yeah i agree rips are very cost effective as you practically get it for free
But apart from that I dont agree fully with Vinay
Vinay, you are comparing a normal dvd video disc with a rip of hd-dvd or blu-ray. So maybe it can be better then a normal dvd video disc but i doubt it can be better then hd-dvd or blu-ray from which it was ripped. Simply because ripping a movie in whatever format leads to a smaller file size then the source which in turns means loss of video and audio quality
Also you always purchase dvds offically released in india and its a known fact that the region 1 dvds are far better then the made for india dvds due do difference in quality of the master.
So I would request Vinay to watch a hd-dvd or blu-ray on his setup and then compare it with the hd-rip and then post his views about the difference in sq and pq
Maybe he can borrrow a blu-player for someone for this purpose

 

[vinay]

Rikhav, please be assured that there is no catch, several of them are offering un-limited, in all respects.

Vinay.

Its there for all unlimited packages. I mean the limit. it would be more then the 256 kbps but still there is a limit.
Check with their helpline

 

[vinay]

Nice thinking, but try to think broader.

Vinay.

Just to poke my nose here

why would the hifivision prominent members would want to rip on movies. Are we ( I am a small time guy anyway) that bad that we can not affford them, when we spend a fortune on expensive gear to listen and watch them. There is something to pay for what we use. LIke buying an original CD of the guy whom you like to listen. 500 bucks for a cd with a couple of good numbers is worth for life.

My thoughts so don't feel bad.

 

[vinay]

Very true, we get them un-censored too.

Vinay.

An original DVD/BLURAY takes a minimum of 2-3 weeks to reach India (forget that if u are not living in a METRO) while a rip is available within hours of the US release and most of the time I have seen that the DVDs we get are the Thai/Malaysian ones with crappy subtitles..the US DVDs are either unavailable or the price is almost 30% more than the Malaysian ones (so say abt Rs.500/600).If u are oredering via ebay/amazon also u have to wait for 2-3 weeks thats y ppl like us go for the rips (cant get UNTOUCHED bluray as its abt 25GB +)..so the best alternative is HQ rips encoded by ppl who know their stuff....

 

[vinay]

Hemant, it is nice to know that for you also DVD is now no big deal in comparison to HD.

I think one of the reasons i am getting much better sound quailty is because earlier it was set on prologic and now you have set my av receiver at V. Aux, DTS. Any other suggestions to improve the sound quality?

Vinay.

I've got 42 Inch 1080 P LCD
I find HD ip far better than orignal DVD
Anyway I personally felt that DVD's available in India were inferior than in US.....

 

[venkatcr]

Normally one would advice us to go for speakers[at least front and center] from the same brand/series in order to have timbre matching. Even you have advised our forum members on the same.

Yes, this is the recommended methodology for most HT applications.

I see that now you are using Aperion centre with wharfedale. Can you comment on its performance? Are you be able to distinguish the sound intensity/signature from the centre speaker? or it does matches with wharfedales?

How I landed with a combination of Wharfedales and Aperion Audio is a mixture of coincidences and bad luck.

I had visited Aperio Audio's factory in Portland about 2 years ago as I was very enamoured with their technology. The reviews were also good, so much so that even Stereophile gave their speakers a nod. And the prices were simply too good. So when I visited their factory, I listened to their speakers being driven by a Parasound multichannel amp, and immediately picked up two of their 532 LR bookshelves and a 533 VAC centre speakers. I came back to India with the intention of picking up two of their matching floor standing speakers to complete my 5.1. Though Aperion Audio were ready to take my order, they wanted a shipping company to pick up the speakers and bring them to me. I tired for nearly 3 months and could never find a shipping company to do this for me.

So I ended up auditioning speakers in India and picked up the 9.5s and 9 DFS. I also did pick up a 9 CM and tried it for a few days. I liked the Aperion Audio centre to be better as I could hear the dialogues slightly better. This difference, mind you, is very small, and possibly in my mind. I also felt that the Aperios Audio was able to throw the sound in a large 200 degree angle allowing people to sit abreast in three and fours.

When I picked it up, I paid 300 US for the 533 VAC. This has been replaced by the 5C VAC which sells for 350 US (The Best Center Channel Speakers of Your Life - Aperion Audio). Aperion Audio makes some great speakers. I only wish they were available in India.

Cheers

 

[hemantwaghe]

Hemant, it is nice to know that for you also DVD is now no big deal in comparison to HD.

I think one of the reasons i am getting much better sound quailty is because earlier it was set on prologic and now you have set my av receiver at V. Aux, DTS. Any other suggestions to improve the sound quality?

Vinay.

Vinay I beleive Myself n Parag set it as "Auto" ( parag pls conirm)
so when WD Output is DTS it will decode DTS and when it is Dolby dihital it will be Dolby digital,,,

Fist the person who set up earlier on Po LOgic mode should be cursed!!!hyeah:hyeah: No jokes , as I understand it was set uo by a so called "professional" who used Pro Logic which "died " when Dolby Digital was intrduced in 1995 - so he set up in format of 15 year old!

Now coming to the point, you ned torecalibrate the speaker set up -in my opinion....and need to locate a person who has "geniune knowledge" along with DTS N Dolby Digital disks and some additional gadgets likesound pressure meter.

Forum members is there any expert here in Mumbai?? I felt that working on Vinay's system ,where not only the system but room is also treated will gie invaluable expertise ....which can be utilised for our systems improvement..

I can arrange some test disks in Dolby Diital & DTS but those are demo disks....

 

[vinay]

Hemant, the denon av receiver and DVD player were bought from profix, they are the main importers, they have a showroom in Mumbai, which has great interiors, but then when it comes to knowledge on their own product it is often low, the evidence being when they set it on prologic, moreover imagine the dealer who sold me the system, also recommended to set on prologic. These people they always want to charge high money, want to leave quickly even if it means the work being un-completed, and whatever they complete is often not in the right direction.

In view to this it is great that we are members at hifivision, and we get to know each other, people like you and spirivious know much more then these so called professionals, you'll both spent more then 5 hours at my place to set the things, and only left after you'll were fully satisfied, that too for free, that reminds me on earlier occasions even Reju, had spent quite some time at my place explaining assorted things about WDTV and related.

Vinay.

Vinay I beleive Myself n Parag set it as "Auto" ( parag pls conirm)
so when WD Output is DTS it will decode DTS and when it is Dolby dihital it will be Dolby digital,,,

Fist the person who set up earlier on Po LOgic mode should be cursed!!!hyeah:hyeah: No jokes , as I understand it was set uo by a so called "professional" who used Pro Logic which "died " when Dolby Digital was intrduced in 1995 - so he set up in format of 15 year old!

 

[prakasse]

when it comes to knowledge on their own product it is often low, the evidence being when they set it on prologic, moreover imagine the dealer who sold me the system, also recommended to set on prologic. These people they always want to charge high money, want to leave quickly even if it means the work being un-completed, and whatever they complete is often not in the right direction.

I feel you should now watch your favorite movies again since the settings has changed from prologic to DD or DTS. There is tremendous difference in audio quality between prologic and DD/DTS.

Thanks,
Prakash.

 

[reju]

Vinay, I guess the Prologic setting was for the new WDTV source, right?

The DVD source was always automatic, right? Or do you mean to say your DVDs were always playing through Prologic setting all these months?

Since your aux/ secondary source was never setup until you started using WDTV, how can you say it was not set right?

I guess ProFX guys had only setup with the DVD source.

 

[hemantwaghe]

Reju
When I checked vinays setup unfortunatly DVD was set as Prologic

Damn the %^(&*P setup guy

This shows these buggers knowledge ,and their attitude towards customers....be it a high value customer like Vinay

In this hi end stuff unfortuanatly there are few sellers with good knowledge ...you need to do your own research

While buying 5130 -I asked vijay sales guy does it has A2DP- He was not knowing what is A2DP and his boss bluntly told me A2DP is expensive feature and you have to buy cell costing more than 8K
This phone has A2DP and it was showing on all websites!!

In fact we can have thread devoted to such "knowledegable salesperson" stories!!

 

[prakasse]

Reju
When I checked vinays setup unfortunatly DVD was set as Prologic

Damn the %^(&*P setup guy

But when you are investing so much, we should also learn about the product. this will make you enjoy better. It would hardly take a day[at most] to read the manual and understand things. Since our eco-system[like poor distributors, poor sales ppl] is not reliable we should pitch in ourselves.

Thanks,
Prakash.

 

[vinay]

Prakash,

I have already watched 8 movies from the time this setting was changed, the sound quality difference is shockingly good with the added benefit of high definition movies.

I hope these un-qualified professionals will under go classes to learn a for apple and b for ball.

Vinay.

I feel you should now watch your favorite movies again since the settings has changed from prologic to DD or DTS. There is tremendous difference in audio quality between prologic and DD/DTS.

Thanks,
Prakash.

 

[vinay]

Reju,

Prologic was set on av receiver from day one by two professionals, in other words all this time the movies sound quality was on prologic, so you can see what i have missed all this while, it is like i had a house on the upper floor, but was staying on the lower floors.

The settings which hemant and spiriivous did, the sound quality has improved dramatically, it is because of these guys i am able to hear a better world of sound quality.

Vinay.

Vinay, I guess the Prologic setting was for the new WDTV source, right?

The DVD source was always automatic, right? Or do you mean to say your DVDs were always playing through Prologic setting all these months?

Since your aux/ secondary source was never setup until you started using WDTV, how can you say it was not set right?

I guess ProFX guys had only setup with the DVD source.

 

[spirovious]

are professionals really professionals in India.

 

[reju]

Reju,

Prologic was set on av receiver from day one by two professionals, in other words all this time the movies sound quality was on prologic, so you can see what i have missed all this while, it is like i had a house on the upper floor, but was staying on the lower floors.

The settings which hemant and spiriivous did, the sound quality has improved dramatically, it is because of these guys i am able to hear a better world of sound quality.

Vinay.

It's a pity. Very sad indeed. Anyway, as they say... it's never too late!

But I hope you have learned your lesson as well. You need to put little effort and do some homework and R&D of your own.

Like Prakash rightly said, we ourselves need to supplement this lousy "eco-system".

 

[vinay]

Reju, Hemant, Spirivious, Prakash

It is a fact that most of the dealers knowledge is very poor, in-fact the so called professionals also often lack the expertise, and not to forget their ethics are thin too.

As far as we should do our own research, in my case what happens is that my knowledge to understand these gadgets is quite low, like in case of most people, therefore we take the help of sellers/professionals, but then often we realize that we are taken for some sort of muddy ride, it is just that at this site we get to see so many people with good knowledge on the av equipments.

Since a year or so i have increased my efforts to understand the av subject, no wonder i am regular at this site.

Thanks.

Vinay.

 

[venkatcr]

Prologic was set on av receiver from day one by two professionals, in other words all this time the movies sound quality was on prologic, so you can see what i have missed all this while, it is like i had a house on the upper floor, but was staying on the lower floors.

Vinay, just for a lark, re-connect your DVD Player, try a good DVD and see how it sounds now.

Cheers

 

[prakasse]

Vinay, just for a lark, re-connect your DVD Player, try a good DVD and see how it sounds now.

Cheers

Exactly!! Venkat you stole my words

Kindly play a original dvd[may be in DTS mode] in your old dvd player.

Then play your HD rips.

the 20% sound difference that you saw earlier might vanish... Kindly do this experiment and let us know.

Thanks,
Prakash.

 

[reju]

Exactly!! Venkat you stole my words

Kindly play a original dvd[may be in DTS mode] in your old dvd player.

Then play your HD rips.

the 20% sound difference that you saw earlier might vanish... Kindly do this experiment and let us know.

Thanks,
Prakash.

As I had pointed out little earlier in this thread, DTS soundtrack on HD MKV media is 1.5mbps, much higher than the usual 755kbps DTS found on DVDs. So DTS in HD rips should sound better any day.