# Sticky  Dolby Atmos Has Come to AVSForum Blu-ray Reviews



## Ralph Potts

AVS Forum Official Blu-ray reviewer Ralph Potts has made the jump to a Dolby Atmos ready set up in his reference review system. Join in the conversation as he offers his impressions of Dolby Atmos in the home environment, discusses his revised Blu-ray review template and offers thoughts on several previously reviewed titles that incorporate Dolby Atmos soundtracks.


I have been an audio enthusiast for the better part of thirty years and an audio/video enthusiast since the late 1990’s. I have been fortunate enough to find an outlet for my interest in this great hobby and over the last decade have reviewed both hardware and software which has provided exposure to many products. In that vein I have seen the advances in technology that have allowed home entertainment to rival the theatrical experience. While this has been the case both on the audio and video fronts the focus of this discussion will be on the audio side. 

My audio system has kept pace growing from stereo to the various incarnations of multi-channel that began with Dolby Pro Logic and then on to DVD’s lossy digital surround through to the lossless codecs that we all enjoy today. Dolby Labs has been a leader in audio innovation since the 1960s and has been at the forefront of the formats that have taken theater sound both in the home and commercial environments to the next level. I remember listening to my first 5.1 channel Dolby Digital soundtrack on DVD, Star Trek First Contact. The feeling of immersion as sounds both discrete and ambient in nature moved around the soundstage was remarkable.

As interest in the new format grew the number of titles as well as the quality of the surround mixes increased. Dolby responded by coming up with Dolby Pro Logic II which created the ability to matrix two channel sources to multi-channel. This was taken to the next level by Dolby Pro Logic IIx and later Pro Logic IIz which allowed two channel sources to be output over 7 and 9 speakers respectively. This added a new dimension to home theater which when coupled with the introduction of Blu-ray and lossless Dolby TrueHD high definition surround sound in both 5.1 and 7.1 channel flavors, gave enthusiasts a whole new gear with which to drive their home theater machines.

So, what’s next? I mean could it really get any better than a well mixed 7.1 channel lossless soundtrack played back over a system capable of pure reference quality bliss? I wasn’t so sure until August 2014 when I attended a press event at Dolby Labs in NY City where Dolby held a demonstration of their latest innovation for home theater sound. Dolby Atmos. Atmos has been around since 2012 in commercial theater use but was now prepared to launch in the home theater market through Dolby and their respective partners in the audio industry. 

Rather than go into any in-depth description of how Dolby Atmos works I will provide some data from their website which provides a good overview. Here is what Dolby says:


* Up to now, cinema sound designers have had to mix independent sounds together into channels for soundtrack creation. If a scene required, say, a helicopter taking off, that sound had to be assigned to an individual channel and mixed together with other sounds.
While that helicopter could move across channels, it couldn't go above you. You wouldn't hear it as you would in real life.

Dolby Atmos is the first audio format based on audio objects rather than channels. In Dolby Atmos, any sound—the helicopter, a blaring car horn, a yelling child—can exist as an independent audio object, free of channel restrictions. It can be placed and moved anywhere, including anywhere overhead.

Filmmakers can now focus on telling the story. They can place sounds where they would occur naturally in a scene, rather than compromising the artistic intent by having to place them into channels. Sounds move in three-dimensional space—flowing above and around you in step with the visuals to bring a new sense of height and reality. Dolby Atmos puts you in the middle of the action—in ways you have never before experienced. And it adapts to any playback environment—in the cinema, at home, or on the go.*

_****For more information, including details about how to set up Atmos in the home, visit Dolby’s Website: Dolby Atmos Home Page_


After sitting through the demonstration at Dolby I was impressed with what I heard specifically from the system that incorporated ceiling mounted speakers which were set up as part of a 5.1.4 channel configuration. Listening to the Dolby Atmos Demonstration Blu-ray Disc which contains a host of Dolby Atmos trailers and content specifically designed to highlight the use of Atmos’ object based sounds I found the increase in immersion to be distinctive without being distracting. The ability to place objects as well as ambience overhead created a noticeably involving soundscape especially when combined with the remaining speakers as sounds shifting in, around and above had a cohesiveness I hadn’t heard from home theater before.


I was convinced that I needed to upgrade my theater and based upon my particular layout (currently set up as a 9 channel system) and preferences I decided on a 7.1.4 configuration utilizing Top Front and Top Rear in-ceiling speakers. My current AVP, the very capable Marantz AV8801 didn’t support Atmos so my plan was to wait for the release of its replacement, the Marantz AV8802, which is due to be available in February 2015. In the meantime I was presented with the opportunity to obtain the Marantz AV7702 which is an Atmos ready pre/pro that is rich in features and performs quite well at its price point. I decided to go with the AV7702 for now and will look to obtain the AV8802 this spring.


I use Canton Ergo series speakers and went with Canton in-ceiling 965DT’s for ceiling speakers. I positioned the 965DT’s with no real issues and was all set once the AV7702 arrived. Once the system was up and running I ran through some of the content on the aforementioned Dolby Atmos Demonstration Disc. I was immediately taken back to what had impressed me about Atmos during the Dolby press event. The “Amaze” and “Leaf” trailers sounded marvelous. The added dimension produced by the emanation of elements occupying the acoustic space above in addition to the placement of objects passing in and around the surround field created a three dimensional effect that made the listening experience more involving both visually and aurally.


I then reached for the Dolby Atmos encoded Blu-ray titles that I had on hand and went about putting them through the paces to see how the effect would hold up. I realized that much of what I was going to hear would depend on the sound design but either way I had high expectations. The Expendables 3, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Transformers: Age of Extinction all offered rewarding sound that was elevated by the Atmos platform. I had read some complaints from forum members regarding the Transformers mix not making ample use of object placement from above. While it doesn’t consistently use discretely placed objects that emanate from above there is plenty of atmospheric detail and panning sweeps that utilize the upper sound field. I found the mix to be excellent.


After spending time listening I began thinking about how I wanted to handle the inclusion of Atmos encoded titles in my review template. My ratings as they stand can be used across all platforms and will continue to be done this way. However Atmos and any other immersive object based audio codec like it, does have properties that should be considered in addition to those we see as standard. With that in mind I came up with five rating parameters:


*Level of immersion* (The dome effect)
* Soundstage integration* (panning front to back/side to side/blend of entire system)
 *Audio object placement* (integrity of the correlation to visuals onscreen)
*Effectiveness * (Are you totally involved in the action/events/level of realism – too much or too little activity?)
*Entertainment Factor* (Overall how much fun did you have?)


These will be scored on the same rating scale that I use for the current system and result in a technical rating that will be included with each Atmos review. Going forward these may get tweaked or changed but for now provide a foundational basis. This will not be factored into the total audio/video rating that appears at the top of each review but will be used as a guide/reference to determine how effective the overall Atmos experience was. It would be impractical to factor this into the overall audio rating considering not everyone has a system capable of reproducing all of the elements present in an Atmos soundtrack. 


Every Atmos ready AVR/Prepro comes equipped with Dolby’s Surround Upmixer which replaces the Pro Logic chipsets. The Upmixer can be used to take two channel sources and above, and spread them out over the Atmos platform (I strongly suggest reading the Dolby Atmos White Papers which can be found at the link provided earlier to learn more about the Dolby Surround Upmixer). I have found that using the “DSU” can make subtle or noticeable improvements when fed Stereo or multi-channel tracks in either lossy or lossless Dolby/DTS flavors. I have added an additional non-rated parameter to my audio rating which will appear in every review. It will be called *DSU Rating* and will be scored on the same rating scale as the others. This will be strictly provided as a point of reference for those that utilize the DSU and are curious to know how well it works in conjunction with a non-Atmos encoded title.


As an example I have rated Transformers: Age of Extinction in Atmos and have included those ratings using the new template below. I will include brief comments regarding my impressions of the Atmos sound which will be in addition to my thoughts on the audio track. I have included the audio rating of Edge of Tomorrow, a non-Atmos encoded Blu-ray, and included the new DSU Rating.



*Transformers – Age of Extinction:*


*Audio: 100*
*(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)*

*
Dynamics:








Low frequency effects:








Surround Sound presentation:








Clarity/Detail:








Dialogue Reproduction:








Low frequency extension * (non-rated element):







*


*3D Presentation: 90*
*(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)*


*
Depth (Onscreen):








Dimension (Beyond the screen):








Realism:








Clarity/Detail:








Color Reproduction:







*

* Dolby Atmos Rating: 94*
*(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)*


*
Level of immersion:








Soundstage integration:








Audio object placement:








Effectiveness:








Entertainment factor:







*



*Edge of Tomorrow:*

*Audio: 100*
*(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)*


*
Dynamics:








Low frequency effects:








Surround Sound presentation:








Clarity/Detail:








Dialogue Reproduction:








Low frequency extension * (non-rated element):








DSU Rating * (non-rated element):







*


As an enthusiast I am pleased to report that Dolby Atmos makes for an excellent addition to home theater. My hope is that we will begin to see increased studio support for both new releases as well as catalog titles on Blu-ray. Our other reviewer Lee Weber is also planning an upgrade to an Atmos ready system and he and I will follow the same format. 

I look forward to covering any and all immersive sound based offerings and welcome hearing from my fellow enthusiasts who are currently set up for or are considering making the move to Dolby Atmos. 




*References:*


















*Ralph Potts
AVS Forum Blu-ray Reviews*


*Reference Review System:*
*
JVC DLA-RS4910 3D Ready 1080p High Definition Front Projector
(Calibrated with Calman 5 & C6 Meter from Spectracal)
Stewart Filmscreen - Studiotek 130 G3 100” 16x9 Screen
Carada Masquerade Horizontal Masking System
Marantz AV7702 11.2 Channel Audio/Video Processor 
Sherbourn Technologies - 7/200 Seven Channel Amplifier
B&K Reference 200.7 Series 2 Seven Channel Amplifier
Oppo BDP-103D Universal Disc/3D capable Blu-ray Player (With Darbee video processing)
Panasonic DMP-BDT310 3D capable Blu-ray Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Toshiba HD-XA2 HD DVD Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Sony Playstation 3 Blu-ray disc Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
System Controller: Apple iPad/iRule Pro HD Universal Remote Control
Canton "Ergo" and In-Ceiling series speakers
Axiom Audio QS8 Quadpolar speakers
SVS PB-13 Ultra (Rosenut finish)
SVS PC12-NSD
Panamax M5400-PM Power Conditioner/Surge Protector
Wireworld, Better Cables (Silver Serpent) - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
Cool Components - CP-CP102 cooling package
*


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## Orbitron

Congrats Ralph! Look forward to to the new discussion now that you're immersed. Aside from new Atmos titles and I'm sure DTS:X when that becomes available, perhaps some digging into the Potts Vault and some comment on older titles like U-571 and Pearl Harbor using DSU.


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## Kimeran

I'm excited to read an objective review of atoms from you. I am still not sold on it.


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## Nabs17

Congrats Ralph....glad you made the jump. Looking forward to your review of Gravity with its Atmos track.


Do you have any pictures of your set-up since you installed the new speakers? Also, is your Atmos experience the same in your second row of seats?


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## mariob33

Looking forward to the Atmos reviews...I base many of my purchase decisions on your scoring system.


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## thxman

Congrats on the upgrade. Now we need more studios to put out more content.


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## sage11x

So wait... two of your atmos speakers are on the front wall ala traditional ProLogic IIz? Isn't that specifically what atmos was getting away from?

I'm so confused with all of this. I'm sticking with my 5.2 and 7.2 systems.


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## Ralph Potts

Nabs17 said:


> Congrats Ralph....glad you made the jump. Looking forward to your review of Gravity with its Atmos track.
> 
> 
> Do you have any pictures of your set-up since you installed the new speakers? Also, is your Atmos experience the same in your second row of seats?


Greetings,

I haven't taken any new pics but plan to. My MLP is in the second row so the question becomes is the experience the same in the first row? 

The answer is pretty much. I have a four surrounds (two rear channel in-walls and two mounted on the side walls). The top middle in-ceiling speakers have dual high frequency drivers in a bipole configuration that face front and rear. This allows them to feed overhead sounds in both directions covering both listening rows. The coverage across the room sitting in either row is good but the sweet spot is the MLP in the back row. 


Regards,


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## JWhip

Congrats Ralph as well. I am sure your system sounds sensational with Atmos. I have had the pleasure of listening to Mark's system with Atmos and have been VERY impressed. In fact, in its current configuration, I can't imagine Mark's room sounding any better. Personally, I am waiting until DTS X and for an AVR or pre/pro that handles HDCP 2.2 and all the 4K flavors before jumping in to the objects based systems, as I do not want to have to redo my room again after installing more speakers and Atmos. Hopefully you won't have to either. I look forward to hearing your impressions on how well the upmixer does on some already great non Atmos mixed films.


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## Ralph Potts

sage11x said:


> So wait... two of your atmos speakers are on the front wall ala traditional ProLogic IIz? Isn't that specifically what atmos was getting away from?
> 
> I'm so confused with all of this. I'm sticking with my 5.2 and 7.2 systems.


Greetings,

I don't have them mounted on the front wall. They are mounted on the side walls, near the ceiling, in line with the L/R mains, and angled toward the MLP. The combination works quite well.

After experimenting with placement I found that there is certainly some flexibility. In talking with others I suspect that each room/system that can't be set up by design, there are options but you have to seek them out.

Regards,


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## coolcat4843

Ralph, did you get the Auro 3D upgrade for your new Marantz pre/pro?
From reviews that I've read, its upmixer does a better job than the DSU.
It would be interesting to get your impressions of it.

Also, I plan on upgrading to the Marantz SR7009 receiver and Pioneer Elite Dolby Atmos enabled speaker system.
I rent, so I can't drill holes in the walls, or ceiling, to mount speakers.


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## Djoel

Darn that was good read. Very exciting, enough to make me feel like a kid!

Fun times are comin'....

Thanks

Djoel


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## Ralph Potts

coolcat4843 said:


> Ralph, did you get the Auro 3D upgrade for your new Marantz pre/pro?
> From reviews that I've read, its upmixer does a better job than the DSU.
> It would be interesting to get your impressions of it.
> 
> Also, I plan on upgrading to the Marantz SR7009 receiver and Pioneer Elite Dolby Atmos enabled speaker system.
> I rent, so I can't drill holes in the walls, or ceiling, to mount speakers.


Greetings,

I have not and probably won't since my plan is to move the Marantz AV8802. Once I am set up with that I will look into Auro. For some reason should I opt to stay with the AV7702 I will go with the upgrade.


Regards,


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## ThePrisoner

Congrats Ralph! Looking forward to your reviews of the upcoming Atmos releases.


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## Cal68

Hi Ralph

Congratulations on the upgrade to Atmos and also for telling us how you plan to rate both Atmos and non-Atmos titles in the future. Your reviews of Atmos, Auro and DTS X movies will definitely influence my decision as to whether I should upgrade my Integra pre-pro anytime soon. I'm looking forward to reading more of your great movie reviews.

Cal68


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## bargervais

Congratulations on the upgrade to Atmos i always read your reviews thanks for taking the time


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## imagic

Awesome!!!


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## 7channelfreak

Oh very nice. I'll enjoy hearing about Atmos content specifically. I can see how most either using or contemplating getting the blurays would be appreciative for your efforts.


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## wilbur_the_goose

Well written.

But just to be a contrarian here - Is a poor film (poor acting/directing/screenplay) with a great soundtrack worth anything?


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## DenverMDM

Ralph,

Thanks for your thoughts on Atmos. Can you further describe your methodology on the ceiling speaker placement in the middle? Was this by "feel" or was there some scientific/Dolby white paper influence? Also, did you try other positions such as rear height placement? Coming from the excellent 8801 and using DTS Neo X would you state that the immersion is better? Thanks in advance!

Maurice


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## mo949

Ralph Potts said:


> I have found that using the “DSU” can make subtle or noticeable improvements when fed Stereo or multi-channel tracks in either lossy or lossless Dolby/DTS flavors. I have added an additional non-rated parameter to my audio rating which will appear in every review. It will be called *DSU Rating* and will be scored on the same rating scale as the others. This will be strictly provided as a point of reference for those that utilize the DSU and are curious to know how well it works in conjunction with a non-Atmos encoded title.


Great writeup Ralph. You mentioned that some complained about the Transformer's atmos mix. I think I also remember that some specifically were arguing that their opinion was that the track played via DSU was superior overall to the Atmos track played natively. If that turns out to be true on more than an exceptional basis, that will present some interesting issues and divergence of opinion going forward - I wouldn't want to be a sound designer on the opposite end of any of those opinions either


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## TitusTroy

nice upgrade Ralph!...good to finally have a place that will be reviewing Atmos encoded Blu-ray's on a regular basis...I wonder how many Atmos/DTS: X titles will be released in 2015


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## Brian Fineberg

Welcome to the club!


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## blastermaster

Grats, Ralph! I have the same surrounds as you and I've actually purchased monopoles in anticipation of Atmos. I'd love to know how they compare to similarly specced monopoles. If it turns out they are just fine, I may not need to rearrange my theater as much as I initially thought. At any rate, I'm looking forward to the reviews even more now with Atmos thrown into the mix. Cheers!


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## btran33

Hi Ralph:
A little off topic! However, do you mind discuss your opinion between the Marantz AV8801 vs AV7702 in term of music and multichannel? I'm thinking of upgrading to Atmos and want to know if I should wait for the AV8802 or the AV7702 should be fine. I'm mostly using the AV8801 for movie, but do listen to music now and then.
Thank you!


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## darthray

Thanks Ralph for the objective review of Atmos.


You and Lee have so much experience in the audio review of movie make your view of the Atmos more relevant to rest of us.
Thanks for your input and you guys and thank you for all your great work


Ray


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## gonzalc3

Congratulations Ralph!
It seems that you used a speaker layout which is a mix betweem the one recomended for atmos and the one for auro 3D.
Why you didn't go with 4 inceiling speakers as atmos specified?


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## Toe

Very cool Ralph! Congrats!  Hope to upgrade to Atmos at some point in the next few years. Curious to hear your thoughts and enjoy!


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## Reddig

Very cool man! Nice to see you upgraded to Atmos and I'm looking forward to your reviews of BDs with it! I sure love Atmos in theaters and will upgrade in a few years.


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## BrolicBeast

I hold these reviews in very high regard and they post a critical role in my selection of blu rays to purchase. As I am building an Atmos theater right now, I'm very pleased to hear that these reviews will encompass Atmos facets. These are exciting times for enthusiasts.


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## Ralph Potts

btran33 said:


> Hi Ralph:
> A little off topic! However, do you mind discuss your opinion between the Marantz AV8801 vs AV7702 in term of music and multichannel? I'm thinking of upgrading to Atmos and want to know if I should wait for the AV8802 or the AV7702 should be fine. I'm mostly using the AV8801 for movie, but do listen to music now and then.
> Thank you!


Greetings,

I was asked this question via PM by other members. Here is what I have told them:

_In terms of movie performance I see no real difference. I don't find the AV7702 to be as transparent with music, specifically two channel. With multi-channel high resolution music like SACD/DVD Audio I find it to be better than expected and for all intent and purposes on par with the 8801. Two channel isn't bad, but it colors it a bit and sounds edgier than the 8801.

As far as build quality goes there is no question that the 8801 is heftier with a more solidly built chassis. 

I wouldn't go so far to say that the 7702 is better than the 8801 especially if you're not interested in the updated features. I will say that for what it costs it offers lots of bang for the buck and is well worth considering for movie enthusiasts._

Keep in mind that I have only spent about ten days with the AV7702. After spreading its wings for a few more hours it may warm some with music but my guess would be it is what it is (and truth be told it's not a bad thing ).


Regards,


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## Ralph Potts

gonzalc3 said:


> Congratulations Ralph!
> It seems that you used a speaker layout which is a mix betweem the one recomended for atmos and the one for auro 3D.
> Why you didn't go with 4 inceiling speakers as atmos specified?


Greetings,

Chris, the layout of my room/four surrounds has always reproduced overhead effects extremely well. In giving this some thought I felt that placing in-ceiling speakers in the Top Rear position (which would effectively have six speakers contributing to the acoustic plane behind the MLP) might be unnecessary. Additionally I felt that I wanted to keep my options open, not only for the current DTS Neo:X but Auro as well as whatever would be coming from DTS (which we now know to be DTS:X) for immersive sound. 

The Top Middle placement coupled with the Front Height placement works very nicely with Atmos while still leaving some flexibility should I find it necessary. At Top Middle the in-ceiling speakers do a great job covering both rows of seating while I still get the aforementioned cohesiveness from the rear soundstage blended with the overhead placement.

When all 11.2 channels are firing the system sounds terrific.


Regards,


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## Ralph Potts

DenverMDM said:


> Ralph,
> 
> Thanks for your thoughts on Atmos. Can you further describe your methodology on the ceiling speaker placement in the middle? Was this by "feel" or was there some scientific/Dolby white paper influence? Also, did you try other positions such as rear height placement? Coming from the excellent 8801 and using DTS Neo X would you state that the immersion is better? Thanks in advance!
> 
> Maurice


Greetings,

Maurice, see the post above for insights into why I went with this set up. As for going from DTS Neo:X to the Dolby Surround Upmixer for non-Atmos encoded sound I would say that it depends on the track. The differences can be hard to detect on some but noticeably obvious on others. I will have to reserve a definitive opinion for a later time after I have had the opportunity to audition titles that I am familiar with.


Regards,


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## sgibson

Ralph Potts said:


> Greetings,
> 
> I was asked this question via PM by other members. Here is what I have told them:
> 
> _In terms of movie performance I see no real difference. I don't find the AV7702 to be as transparent with music, specifically two channel. With multi-channel high resolution music like SACD/DVD Audio I find it to be better than expected and for all intent and purposes on par with the 8801. Two channel isn't bad, but it colors it a bit and sounds edgier than the 8801._
> 
> _As far as build quality goes there is no question that the 8801 is heftier with a more solidly built chassis. _
> 
> _I wouldn't go so far to say that the 7702 is better than the 8801 especially if you're not interested in the updated features. I will say that for what it costs it offers lots of bang for the buck and is well worth considering for movie enthusiasts._
> 
> Keep in mind that I have only spent about ten days with the AV7702. After spreading its wings for a few more hours it may warm some with music but my guess would be it is what it is (and truth be told it's not a bad thing ).
> 
> 
> Regards,


 


Hello Ralph,
Hope I'm not straying off course here at Blu-Ray Disc Reviews. Just agreeing with 2ch analog Music playback of some of todays AVRs.
Denon X4100 is execellent for Atmos, DTS7.1 Movies, but in my opinion, as for 2-channel music it isn't quite there. Still have a lot of Vinyl, so after reading others tips and a glowing review, added Emotiva 7 ch. amp(Great price!) and now let my vinyl (through Parasound Zphono)and flac (Teac Dac) 2-channel play Pure Audio through Emotiva to my front L/R Klipsch towers...much better 2 ch. (Stereo) music now. The Emotiva handles 5.0.2 of my surrounds and the Denon 4100 handles 2-subs & front high L/R channels.
Regards,
sgibson


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## btran33

Ralph Potts said:


> Greetings,
> 
> I was asked this question via PM by other members. Here is what I have told them:
> 
> _In terms of movie performance I see no real difference. I don't find the AV7702 to be as transparent with music, specifically two channel. With multi-channel high resolution music like SACD/DVD Audio I find it to be better than expected and for all intent and purposes on par with the 8801. Two channel isn't bad, but it colors it a bit and sounds edgier than the 8801.
> 
> As far as build quality goes there is no question that the 8801 is heftier with a more solidly built chassis.
> 
> I wouldn't go so far to say that the 7702 is better than the 8801 especially if you're not interested in the updated features. I will say that for what it costs it offers lots of bang for the buck and is well worth considering for movie enthusiasts._
> 
> Keep in mind that I have only spent about ten days with the AV7702. After spreading its wings for a few more hours it may warm some with music but my guess would be it is what it is (and truth be told it's not a bad thing ).
> 
> 
> Regards,


Ralph:
Thanks for answering my question. 
Sincerely,
BT


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## audiofan1

Ralph Potts said:


> Greetings,
> 
> I was asked this question via PM by other members. Here is what I have told them:
> 
> _In terms of movie performance I see no real difference. I don't find the AV7702 to be as transparent with music, specifically two channel. With multi-channel high resolution music like SACD/DVD Audio I find it to be better than expected and for all intent and purposes on par with the 8801. Two channel isn't bad, but it colors it a bit and sounds edgier than the 8801.
> 
> As far as build quality goes there is no question that the 8801 is heftier with a more solidly built chassis.
> 
> I wouldn't go so far to say that the 7702 is better than the 8801 especially if you're not interested in the updated features. I will say that for what it costs it offers lots of bang for the buck and is well worth considering for movie enthusiasts._
> 
> Keep in mind that I have only spent about ten days with the AV7702. After spreading its wings for a few more hours it may warm some with music but my guess would be it is what it is (and truth be told it's not a bad thing ).
> 
> 
> 
> Regards,



Congrats Ralph

And thanks for sharing your honest comments on this, as I've been waiting to hear about its 2/ch performance 

Do keep us updated on your exploration of the 7702 !


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## NorthSky

Ralph, I wish you (and all of us) many Blu-ray Dolby Atmos encoded movies and music concerts and documentaries in 2015. 
May they roll them like flying pancakes. ...By the tons loads. ...With real maple syrup from Quebec, Canada.  ...Meaning quality substance over superficial sound gimmicks. 

* One question: If you review a Blu-ray title encoded with DTS-HD MA 7.1 (non-Dolby Atmos), are you going to engage DSU to review its audio, and score?


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## DVD MAN

*Dolby Atmos*

Congratulations Ralph on you upgrade. I look forward to your reviews. I have also upgraded to Dolby Atmos. I decided to go with the Denon X4100W receiver. I am using the pre outs on the receiver and a Rotel 1098 200 WPC. I am also considering to upgrade later this year to the Marantz 8802 or a 2ch preamp like the like the Ayre K-5xeMP with HT bypass. 
I Ihave watched Expendables 3, Transformers Age of Extinction, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. They all sounded fantastic. The sound moves all around you in three-dimensional space so I felt like I was inside the action. Sounds came from all directions, including overhead. It’s a very immersive experience with astonishing clarity, richness, detail, and depth which is what I expected from the Atmos upgrade. I encourage everyone to try to get a demo in the correct environment.
What really shocked me in a good way was the Dolby Up mix of 5.1 -7.1 titles. I watched Star Wars Trilogy originally in the Astro Plaza NY when the movie was originally released and I remember watching the 70MM-and listening to 6-Track Audio of these films and being blown away. I have had these films on several formats and different sound systems and I have never felt that original audio experience that I remember in the Astro Plaza. When I use the Dolby Up Mixer with the DTS 6.1 track it brings back that experience. Just mytake. 

My System consist of a 7.2.2 Atmos set up.

Front LR Speakers-Vandersteen 2CE SignatureMII
Front Center-Vandersteen VCC5
Surrounds, Rear and Ceiling-Vandersteen VSM1 
Subwoffers 2-Vandersteen V2W
Electronics:
Rotel-1095 5CH 200 WPC Power Amplifier forLCR & Ceiling
Denon X4100W Atmos Receiver 125 WPC for Back and Surrounds.( I am using the 5.1 Pre Outs for the other Channels) 
Oppo-105 Blu Pay Player
Pioneer-BDP 09FD Blu Ray Player
Tivo XL4
Apple TV
Projector-JVC RS-45
Stewart 4-way Masking Screen Studio Tek 1301.3 Gain 
Have a great New Year!!
Here are some pics of my HT.
Thank You

Nelson Albino
Sent from my iPad


----------



## darthray

Ralph Potts said:


> Greetings,
> 
> I was asked this question via PM by other members. Here is what I have told them:
> 
> _In terms of movie performance I see no real difference. I don't find the AV7702 to be as transparent with music, specifically two channel. With multi-channel high resolution music like SACD/DVD Audio I find it to be better than expected and for all intent and purposes on par with the 8801. Two channel isn't bad, but it colors it a bit and sounds edgier than the 8801._
> 
> _As far as build quality goes there is no question that the 8801 is heftier with a more solidly built chassis. _
> 
> _I wouldn't go so far to say that the 7702 is better than the 8801 especially if you're not interested in the updated features. I will say that for what it costs it offers lots of bang for the buck and is well worth considering for movie enthusiasts._
> 
> Keep in mind that I have only spent about ten days with the AV7702. After spreading its wings for a few more hours it may warm some with music but my guess would be it is what it is (and truth be told it's not a bad thing ).
> 
> 
> Regards,



Thanks Ralph for the very good info about the AV7702, I presently got a AV8801 and do mostly movie
So I might go this way for an up-grade since I would also need to purchase the following to have all my speaker match and nothing really worth wise to replace my projector since I do only 2D at this time (JVC DLA-X30);
https://www.outlawaudio.com/products/7500.html to match my 7700
http://www.outlawaudio.com/products/7700.html
http://www.outlawaudio.com/products/av7702.html
4 or 6 of these with proper brackets, if I go 6 then I need another 7700
http://www.aperionaudio.com/speakers/speakers-by-series/verus/verus-grand-bookshelf-speaker
And all proper XLR cable connections.


Just start to be an expensive ordeal
If you have more word of wisdom, I would welcome them 


Ray


----------



## Spiritvs

That's why you are my favorite reviewer.

Looking forward for more Atmos material.


----------



## Waboman

I'm thinking of undertaking the same hifi journey you're on. I currently have the 8801. Thinking of getting the 7702 and then ultimately the 8802 when it ships with HDCP 2.2 (May?). What are your thoughts on the 8801 vs the 7702? Have you used DSU?

Thanks, Ralph.


----------



## Ralph Potts

Waboman said:


> I'm thinking of undertaking the same hifi journey you're on. I currently have the 8801. Thinking of getting the 7702 and then ultimately the 8802 when it ships with HDCP 2.2 (May?). What are your thoughts on the 8801 vs the 7702? Have you used DSU?
> 
> Thanks, Ralph.


Greetings,

Hi Waboman, I responded to this question earlier in the thread. You can see it HERE

As for DSU, yes I have used it and make reference to it in the article.


Regards,


----------



## Waboman

Ralph Potts said:


> Greetings,
> 
> Hi Waboman, I responded to this question earlier in the thread. You can see it HERE
> 
> As for DSU, yes I have used it and make reference to it in the article.
> 
> 
> Regards,


D'oh! That's what I get for only having one cup of coffee this morning. Thanks!


----------



## Ralph Potts

Waboman said:


> D'oh! That's what I get for only having one cup of coffee this morning. Thanks!


Greetings,

No problem.. 


Regards,


----------



## jllaudio

Orbitron said:


> Congrats Ralph! Look forward to to the new discussion now that you're immersed. Aside from new Atmos titles and I'm sure DTS:X when that becomes available, perhaps some digging into the Potts Vault and some comment on older titles like U-571 and Pearl Harbor using DSU.


I don't have ATMOS but I did buy Expendables 3 that unfortunately doesn't have a DD 5.1 option. When I play the Blue Ray through my system OPPO 105 player connected to my audio system, the dialog disappears for several minutes intermittently. When I select Stereo on my Receiver vs. True HD no problem. 

I guess I'm going to have to stick to non ATMOS disks in the future.


----------



## Cal68

jllaudio said:


> I don't have ATMOS but I did buy Expendables 3 that unfortunately doesn't have a DD 5.1 option. When I play the Blue Ray through my system OPPO 105 player connected to my audio system, the dialog disappears for several minutes intermittently. When I select Stereo on my Receiver vs. True HD no problem.
> 
> I guess I'm going to have to stick to non ATMOS disks in the future.



I don't have any problems playing Expendables 3 through my Oppo 105D (connected to an Integra 80.2 pre-pro). I seriously doubt that the "D" in my Oppo makes any difference to the audio signal, so perhaps you may want to exchange your disc for another one before giving up on Atmos encoded discs forever! Just a thought.


Cal68


----------



## ozar

jllaudio said:


> I don't have ATMOS but I did buy Expendables 3 that unfortunately doesn't have a DD 5.1 option. When I play the Blue Ray through my system OPPO 105 player connected to my audio system, the dialog disappears for several minutes intermittently. When I select Stereo on my Receiver vs. True HD no problem.


This is the first report I've seen of Oppo 103/105 (regular or Darbee) users having issues playing current ATMOS tracks. Are you running the latest firmware on your 105?


----------



## jllaudio

ozar said:


> This is the first report I've seen of Oppo 103/105 (regular or Darbee) users having issues playing current ATMOS tracks. Are you running the latest firmware on your 105?


I asked this as a question over at the Blue Ray review forum of "Expendable 3" and I believe there are others that are having the same problem. I believe the solution there was to set up for LPCM vs. Bitstream for Expendables 3 on the OPPO, I don't know about others. 

I did a firmware update check and OPPO said I had the latest version "BDP10X-77-0827". I have the OPPO network connected and get automatic updates.


----------



## meeze23

will this automatically be integrated into blurays?


----------



## Selden Ball

meeze23 said:


> will this automatically be integrated into blurays?


If you mean Atmos encoding, no. 

It's entirely up to the studio that produced the movie. Most movies which had Atmos in the theater don't have it on Blu-ray, while some movies which didn't have Atmos in the theater do have it on Blu-ray.


----------



## Jacob305

I read that the new hungers game 3 has a dolby atmos logo for it.. i was wondering what logo that was as well as the other dolby atmos related titles. I own transformers 4, but that didnt have any dolby atmos logo. I think lionsgate does that more. I was wondering if the logo is the same for expendables 3 and john wick?

Jacob


----------



## olinda cat

Brother Ralph,
I am wondering how critical speaker placement is for the new ATMOS format.I am waiting for the new DTS format to launch before upgrading my system but would like to figure out speaker placement ASAP.
Thanks for all you do...appreciate your time!
JB


----------



## Ralph Potts

olinda cat said:


> Brother Ralph,
> I am wondering how critical speaker placement is for the new ATMOS format.I am waiting for the new DTS format to launch before upgrading my system but would like to figure out speaker placement ASAP.
> Thanks for all you do...appreciate your time!
> JB


Greetings,

JB, what type of configuration are you thinking about? In-ceiling speakers, height speakers or a combination? Will it be based upon a 5.1 or 7.1 layout to start with?


Regards,


----------



## jgwatt

*Sound problems with 2 Blu Rays*

Hi All.
Just received John Wick & expendables 3, on Blu Ray, from Amazon both of which have the Dolby TrueHD Atmos Mix soundtracks.
Both of these have brief sound gaps {2 -4 seconds} all through the movie. I have NEVER experienced ANY problems with sound be it Dolby TrueHD or DTS HD MA etc until now.

The trailers leading up to the film are fine but as soon as the film starts so does these brief sound gaps start, and literally are constant throughout the films.

Unfortunately the film does not offer any alternate sound, say just TrueHD so I wonder what to do


----------



## Selden Ball

jgwatt said:


> Hi All.
> Just received John Wick & expendables 3, on Blu Ray, from Amazon both of which have the Dolby TrueHD Atmos Mix soundtracks.
> Both of these have brief sound gaps {2 -4 seconds} all through the movie. I have NEVER experienced ANY problems with sound be it Dolby TrueHD or DTS HD MA etc until now.
> 
> The trailers leading up to the film are fine but as soon as the film starts so does these brief sound gaps start, and literally are constant throughout the films.
> 
> Unfortunately the film does not offer any alternate sound, say just TrueHD so I wonder what to do



You need to consider getting a high-performance current-model Blu-ray player.

Audio dropouts like you describe are common, especially with older players, when they attempt to bitstream the audio from movies which make extensive use of "Seamless Branching". Several studios use an absurd amount of that feature in an attempt to prevent people from copying their discs. Atmos titles are among those affected.

A workaround is to disable bitstreaming (thus forgoing Atmos) so the audio is decoded in the player.


----------



## NorthSky

Like Selden just said above;

1. Set the HDMI Audio Out of your Blu-ray player's audio setup menu to *LPCM*
2. Or if you have a Dolby Atmos SSP or AV receiver, buy another/newer Blu-ray player; like an Oppo 103/105 for example. 

* I bet you have an Oppo BDP-83 Blu-ray player? ...If yes, then you'll need to replace it for Dolby Atmos audio, because you can only get it when set to "Bitstream" in your BR player.
If you don't have a Dolby Atmos audio decoder, then just select option number one above.


----------



## jgwatt

NorthSky said:


> Like Selden just said above;
> 
> 1. Set the HDMI Audio Out of your Blu-ray player's audio setup menu to *LPCM*
> 2. Or if you have a Dolby Atmos SSP or AV receiver, buy another/newer Blu-ray player; like an Oppo 103/105 for example.
> 
> * I bet you have an Oppo BDP-83 Blu-ray player? ...If yes, then you'll need to replace it for Dolby Atmos audio, because you can only get it when set to "Bitstream" in your BR player.
> If you don't have a Dolby Atmos audio decoder, then just select option number one above.


Thank you for your help. I actually have the Cambridge Audio 751BD so I am not sure what model oppo that could be similar to. 

I just wish they would make changes that are backwards compatible or at least give options on the Blu Ray film disc.


----------



## gongura

Folks, newbie to Atmos and looking for help. Would like to buy Atmos DVD's and want to make sure I am getting the right DVD's. So far I gathered the following to have Atmos (to name a few)

American Sniper
Unbroken
Gravity
Expendables
John Wick

I bought Gravity earlier (before I got my Denon X4100W) and that was a 3D/Blu ray pack. Does this have Atmos or do I need to get a different version. If so what should I look for on the cover (does it have Atmos logo?). Same for the other DVD's. Can I get these off best buy/amazon or do I need to make sure I have to look for specific Atmos enabled discs. 

Appreciate the help


----------



## Ralph Potts

gongura said:


> Folks, newbie to Atmos and looking for help. Would like to buy Atmos DVD's and want to make sure I am getting the right DVD's. So far I gathered the following to have Atmos (to name a few)
> 
> American Sniper
> Unbroken
> Gravity
> Expendables
> John Wick
> 
> I bought Gravity earlier (before I got my Denon X4100W) and that was a 3D/Blu ray pack. Does this have Atmos or do I need to get a different version. If so what should I look for on the cover (does it have Atmos logo?). Same for the other DVD's. Can I get these off best buy/amazon or do I need to make sure I have to look for specific Atmos enabled discs.
> 
> Appreciate the help


Greetings,

Welcome to the world of immersive audio for the home gongura. 


The version of Gravity that you currently have doesn't include the Dolby Atmos mix. You will the more recent release, the Special Edition, which I reviewed: Gravity: Diamond Luxe Special Edition Blu-ray Review

Enjoy Atmos!


Regards,


----------



## eazyz

*Reference Atmos Blu-Ray*

I am currently getting my HT setup to play Atmos and just wondering what the best debut Blu-Ray would be to go with? My guess is Gravity but thought maybe there was something else users have found to be equally impressive in showing off it's soundtrack??


----------



## punksterz626

eazyz said:


> I am currently getting my HT setup to play Atmos and just wondering what the best debut Blu-Ray would be to go with? My guess is Gravity but thought maybe there was something else users have found to be equally impressive in showing off it's soundtrack??


I would first listen to all the atmos demo via vudu and for movies i would do gravity.


----------



## Zhorik

eazyz said:


> I am currently getting my HT setup to play Atmos and just wondering what the best debut Blu-Ray would be to go with? My guess is Gravity but thought maybe there was something else users have found to be equally impressive in showing off it's soundtrack??


Jupiter Ascending as well, for the sound mix (although the score overtakes the effects in some scenes).


----------



## punksterz626

Insurgent- WOW! Must watch for the atmos soundtrack. My favorite so far.


----------



## Dandion

Is the Age of instinction in Atmos when we watch with Netflix?


----------



## LexInVA

Dandion said:


> Is the Age of instinction in Atmos when we watch with Netflix?


No. It is only on the Blu-Ray. Netflix is 5.1 Dolby Digital Plus.


----------



## marky301067

The Age of Adaline is my favourite so far, I loved the movie and the Atmos soundtrack


----------



## Ralph Potts

marky301067 said:


> The Age of Adaline is my favourite so far, I loved the movie and the Atmos soundtrack



Greetings,

Awesome. Thanks for offering your thoughts marky301067.. 


Regards,


----------



## strikingmoose

I just discovered godzilla blu ray had dolby atmos. I watched it this weekend and was absolutely amazed at the immersion from the atmos. When the first monster gets released from the reactor and the metal cables are snapping and zipping over your head with the height speakers and the building is collapsing OOOH BOY eargasm


----------



## Ralph Potts

strikingmoose said:


> I just discovered godzilla blu ray had dolby atmos. I watched it this weekend and was absolutely amazed at the immersion from the atmos. When the first monster gets released from the reactor and the metal cables are snapping and zipping over your head with the height speakers and the building is collapsing OOOH BOY eargasm


Greetings,

Godzilla didn't have an Atmos track in North America. Perhaps you were listening to it using the Dolby Surround Upmixer?


Regards,


----------



## strikingmoose

Ralph Potts said:


> Greetings,
> 
> Godzilla didn't have an Atmos track in North America. Perhaps you were listening to it using the Dolby Surround Upmixer?
> 
> 
> Regards,


Oh I suppose you are right now that I look it up. Only the theater version had atmos, it got dropped for the blu ray and just shipped with dts 7.1. 

I suppose it was just DSU... in that case, I am even more impressed now with dolby upmixer than I was before.


----------



## zgemboandislic

I would love to see your review of Roger Waters The Wall (2014) that was released last week. I have it, but unfortunately I don't have a Dolby Atmos system yet but I'd love to know how The Wall concert sounds on it.

The movie/concert was simply amazing (I've seen it live in Athens, one of the venues of this BluRay), and this BluRay really manages to transfer the atmosphere of the concert in full.


----------



## funhouse69

zgemboandislic said:


> I would love to see your review of Roger Waters The Wall (2014) that was released last week. I have it, but unfortunately I don't have a Dolby Atmos system yet but I'd love to know how The Wall concert sounds on it.
> 
> The movie/concert was simply amazing (I've seen it live in Athens, one of the venues of this BluRay), and this BluRay really manages to transfer the atmosphere of the concert in full.


I just got Roger Waters - The Wall a few hours ago and couldn't wait to play it. i haven't gotten through the whole thing yet (had to go to work) but in the first 10 minutes I am thrilled. Add in that I saw the show live at Fenway Park a few years ago and this is just like reliving it. The sound effects that they are known for are exactly like you would expect them to be. So glad I pre-ordered this!


----------



## zgemboandislic

funhouse69 said:


> I just got Roger Waters - The Wall a few hours ago and couldn't wait to play it. i haven't gotten through the whole thing yet (had to go to work) but in the first 10 minutes I am thrilled. Add in that I saw the show live at Fenway Park a few years ago and this is just like reliving it. The sound effects that they are known for are exactly like you would expect them to be. So glad I pre-ordered this!


It's amazing isn't it? Have you got Dolby Atmos by any chance?


----------



## funhouse69

zgemboandislic said:


> It's amazing isn't it? Have you got Dolby Atmos by any chance?


Yes I do which is one of the main reasons I got it. I am very, very impressed with it. I would say it is probably one of / if not the best Atmos Experience in an actual movie to date. Its right up there with some of the demos!


----------



## zgemboandislic

funhouse69 said:


> Yes I do which is one of the main reasons I got it. I am very, very impressed with it. I would say it is probably one of / if not the best Atmos Experience in an actual movie to date. Its right up there with some of the demos!


Time for a new home theatre then! 

I was thinking of getting an Onkyo TX-NR3030 receiver, but for some reason it doesn't support DTS-X which is worrying, I need something future proof :/

Any suggestions, other brands?


----------



## funhouse69

zgemboandislic said:


> Time for a new home theatre then!
> 
> I was thinking of getting an Onkyo TX-NR3030 receiver, but for some reason it doesn't support DTS-X which is worrying, I need something future proof :/
> 
> Any suggestions, other brands?


Not to hijack this thread but as my signature says I went with a Denon 7200 and I love it. I don't think that anything is truly future proof as they want to sell you new devices every so many years. Since I upgraded to my AVR I haven't followed the new ones or trends but can say that after using Sony's, Yamaha's and even some older Denon's I am thrilled with this one and highly recommend it but as with anything this is completely subjective and my opinion. Do a search and you will find plenty of resources on here to help you make up your mind.


----------



## Selden Ball

zgemboandislic said:


> Time for a new home theatre then!
> 
> I was thinking of getting an Onkyo TX-NR3030 receiver, but for some reason it doesn't support DTS-X which is worrying, I need something future proof :/
> 
> Any suggestions, other brands?


Most 2015 models from most of the major manufacturers (Denon/Marantz, Onkyo/Integra, Pioneer, Yamaha) will be supporting DTS:X, but ONLY after they get updated firmware. That won't happen until sometime after the first of the year. They're all still trying to get it to work.


----------



## Rocky3RD

I am in the process of hooking up a Onkyo 5.1.2-Channel Dolby Atmos Ready Network Home Theaterto my 120"screen and Optoma projector. I was wondering if any of these titles are available in Atmos:
Games of Thrones
Avengers
Thor
CaptAmerica
Pacific Rim
Godzilla
The Vikings
300
...or any other similar titles. Not a big fan of sci-fi or romantic comedy either


----------



## Nabs17

Rocky3RD said:


> I am in the process of hooking up a Onkyo 5.1.2-Channel Dolby Atmos Ready Network Home Theaterto my 120"screen and Optoma projector. I was wondering if any of these titles are available in Atmos:
> Games of Thrones
> Avengers
> Thor
> CaptAmerica
> Pacific Rim
> Godzilla
> The Vikings
> 300
> ...or any other similar titles. Not a big fan of sci-fi or romantic comedy either


None of those titles are in Atmos that I'm aware of. However, they have recently re-released Game of Thrones (Season 1 and 2) with an Atmos soundtrack.


----------



## Nabs17

Here's season 2. Season 1 comes in the same packaging:


http://www.amazon.com/Game-Thrones-...&refinements=p_n_format_browse-bin:2650305011


----------



## Travis Prange

I have this site bookmarked to check periodically on the latest discs with Atmos.

http://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=248132

I ended up going with the Onkyo TX 838 as I wanted the ability to have pre-outs and use 5.1.2 or 7.1 seamlessly. Annoyed that it doesn't support DTS-X, however I'm sure that will be the goal with HT 2.0 (and 4K 3D) in a few years tops. So I can wait, especially to save $600+ on the AVR.


----------



## sunriser

I can't wait to try the Atmos system


----------



## Rocky3RD

Where are the Dolby Atmos Bluray reviews??


----------



## Ralph Potts

Rocky3RD said:


> Where are the Dolby Atmos Bluray reviews??


Greetings,

The reviews that contain Dolby Atmos mixes aren't earmarked as such. If there is a particular title containing an Atmos mix that you're interested in you can search the Blu-ray Review database stickied at the top of the forum to find it. We wouldn't differentiate the releases containing an Atmos mix anymore than we would differentiate those containing DTS-HD Master Audio, Dolby TrueHD etc. 

Doing a search in this forum under Dolby Atmos might be of help as well.


Regards,


----------



## zigzag666

*Help clarify exactly what Atmos is adding*

Can someone please answer this question for me:

Do discs encoded with Atmos a) simply add height channel information, b) remaster all channels including the 5.1/7.1 tracks, c) add DSP effects, d) all three

I ask this because I have been experimenting with exactly what "added" content is in the height channels by turning off all other speakers. There isn't a whole lot going on except for sporadic effects here and there in most of the movies I have tested (about 12 so far).

There are some sections (Unbroken - beginning part with aircraft scenes is a great example) where there is considerable effects, but for the most part these extra channels don't have much going on.

However, these Atmos movies do sound immersive when played with my 5.1.4 setup. Is this due to DSP processing that Atmos provides? Maybe it's my brain expecting to be surrounded in 3D sound?

Originally I was thinking that atmos added height speaker information only (no matter 2 or 4 speakers), but now I'm wondering if there isn't other processing or decoding happening that is not present in TrueHD or DTS-MA.

Hope someone can clarify exactly what Atmos does in specific terms.

J


----------



## Selden Ball

zigzag666 said:


> Can someone please answer this question for me:
> 
> Do discs encoded with Atmos a) simply add height channel information, b) remaster all channels including the 5.1/7.1 tracks, c) add DSP effects, d) all three


 None of the above.

The Atmos (and DTS:X) encoding software allows the people mixing the sound to specify the xyz coordinates of a sound. How good a job they do is up to them and the movie studio's and director's instructions. The various mixing studios are still learning how best to use it. They seem to use it quite well for sounds that are in the plane of the viewpoint, providing much more accurate placement of sounds there. However, many of the movies released so far don't have many sounds placed high up in the soundfield. Some use overhead placement only for ambient sounds, while a few place action overhead, too. Even then they often aren't consistent within the same movie. For example, see the opening scenes of _San Andreas_ for a lost opportunity of placing helicopter sounds overhead. 

Some people have compared progress in using 3D immersive sound to the adoption of the more "traditional" type of 5.1 and 7.1 surround sound. Many directors still don't know how to use that very well. Some seem to even prefer to have an almost monaural soundtrack. One can hope that 3D sound mixing techniques will improve as everyone becomes more comfortable with the new tools.


----------



## Travis Prange

My question on UHD is the titles being released in Atmos (such as Ender's Game), will it include the BD of Ender's Game encoded in Atmos as well?? If so, I might need to take a 2nd look at starting my UHD collection even if I don't have the PJ for it yet.

Curious if anyone knows?


----------



## Travis Prange

Double posted, sorry


----------



## cholmes1

Ralph Potts said:


> Greetings,
> 
> The reviews that contain Dolby Atmos mixes aren't earmarked as such. If there is a particular title containing an Atmos mix that you're interested in you can search the Blu-ray Review database stickied at the top of the forum to find it. *We wouldn't differentiate the releases containing an Atmos mix anymore than we would differentiate those containing DTS-HD Master Audio, Dolby TrueHD etc. *
> 
> Doing a search in this forum under Dolby Atmos might be of help as well.
> 
> 
> Regards,


I would like to see this changed if possible. In your statement you are comparing apples (DTS-HD MA, Dolby TrueHD) to oranges (ATMOS). I think there would be *great* interest by having titles with height channels (ATMOS, DTS-X, etc.) separated or linked specifically in this thread or a new dedicated thread if needed. The platform is being utilized more and more and simply searching through existing reviews does not really provide the focus that many of us with height channels are looking for...

Your reviews are great and given the few reviewers that have the ATMOS gear, I think it is something worth considering.

Best,
C.H.


----------



## kokishin

cholmes1 said:


> I would like to see this changed if possible. In your statement you are comparing apples (DTS-HD MA, Dolby TrueHD) to oranges (ATMOS). I think there would be *great* interest by having titles with height channels (ATMOS, DTS-X, etc.) separated or linked specifically in this thread or a new dedicated thread if needed. The platform is being utilized more and more and simply searching through existing reviews does not really provide the focus that many of us with height channels are looking for...
> 
> Your reviews are great and given the few reviewers that have the ATMOS gear, I think it is something worth considering.
> 
> Best,
> C.H.


I agree. 

As a work around, I check Atmos BD's here http://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=248132 then check to see if Ralph has reviewed the title.

For DTS:X BD's I check here http://www.dts.com/consumers/entertainment-audio/new-releases.aspx?q=Movies&at=f9ef969a86034909afd65bbb21e3b5cc#recentReleases


----------



## Woobieizer

kokishin said:


> I agree.
> 
> As a work around, I check Atmos BD's here http://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=248132 then check to see if Ralph has reviewed the title.
> 
> For DTS:X BD's I check here http://www.dts.com/consumers/entert...ef969a86034909afd65bbb21e3b5cc#recentReleases


Another way is to look up the 'Tag'. As I add movies Ralph Potts reviews I add a tag based on his critique.

http://www.avsforum.com/forum/tags/


----------



## Woobieizer

Quote:
Originally Posted by *Ralph Potts*  
_Greetings,

The reviews that contain Dolby Atmos mixes aren't earmarked as such. If there is a particular title containing an Atmos mix that you're interested in you can search the Blu-ray Review database stickied at the top of the forum to find it. *We wouldn't differentiate the releases containing an Atmos mix anymore than we would differentiate those containing DTS-HD Master Audio, Dolby TrueHD etc. *

Doing a search in this forum under Dolby Atmos might be of help as well.


Regards,_





cholmes1 said:


> I would like to see this changed if possible. In your statement you are comparing apples (DTS-HD MA, Dolby TrueHD) to oranges (ATMOS). I think there would be *great* interest by having titles with height channels (ATMOS, DTS-X, etc.) separated or linked specifically in this thread or a new dedicated thread if needed. The platform is being utilized more and more and simply searching through existing reviews does not really provide the focus that many of us with height channels are looking for...
> 
> Your reviews are great and given the few reviewers that have the ATMOS gear, I think it is something worth considering.
> 
> Best,
> C.H.


Since reading a post similar to this, and since I have volunteered to help Ralph and Lee with the tabled version database, every movie added since ~ 9/15/2015 has been tagged with an audio format. 

I can only add two tags per thread, help yourself to this bounty and add as you see fit. 

Warm Regards
Bill


----------



## kokishin

Woobieizer said:


> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Ralph Potts*
> _Greetings,
> 
> The reviews that contain Dolby Atmos mixes aren't earmarked as such. If there is a particular title containing an Atmos mix that you're interested in you can search the Blu-ray Review database stickied at the top of the forum to find it. *We wouldn't differentiate the releases containing an Atmos mix anymore than we would differentiate those containing DTS-HD Master Audio, Dolby TrueHD etc. *
> 
> Doing a search in this forum under Dolby Atmos might be of help as well.
> 
> 
> Regards,_
> 
> 
> Since reading a post similar to this, and since I have volunteered to help Ralph and Lee with the tabled version database, every movie added since ~ 9/15/2015 has been tagged with an audio format.
> 
> I can only add two tags per thread, help yourself to this bounty and add as you see fit.
> 
> Warm Regards
> Bill


Not to diminish your hard work, I did a tag search of the "Official AVS Forum Blu-ray Disc Reviews" forum using "Dolby Atmos" , "dolby atmos ~ 100", and "Atmos" but it doesn't seem bullet proof. Too many items listed in the "Official AVS Forum Blu-ray Disc Reviews" forum that are not specifically reviews featuring an Atmos audio track. Examples: "The Martian Blu-ray Review", " Blu-ray Reviews that are on deck", "Disney's WOW: World of Wonder (Blu-ray) Official AVSForum Review", "Truth Blu-ray Review", etc.


----------



## Woobieizer

kokishin said:


> Not to diminish your hard work, I did a tag search of the "Official AVS Forum Blu-ray Disc Reviews" forum using "Dolby Atmos" , "dolby atmos ~ 100", and "Atmos" but it doesn't seem bullet proof. Too many items listed in the "Official AVS Forum Blu-ray Disc Reviews" forum that are not specifically reviews featuring an Atmos audio track. Examples: "The Martian Blu-ray Review", " Blu-ray Reviews that are on deck", "Disney's WOW: World of Wonder (Blu-ray) Official AVSForum Review", "Truth Blu-ray Review", etc.


Appreciate the feedback.. You're right, it is not bullet proof, yet you won't bleed to death taking a couple hits on using "dolby atmos ~"

Everything I tagged Atmos related will follow that format:

dolby atmos ~ 

where ~ = Ralph's rating.. 

So in essence you would not a have a one stop shopping experience, yet you would be able to fish through the tags quickly enough to see which ones have been captures since 6/17/2015

Tags I've used are:
dolby atmos ~
dolby truehd 7.1 
dts-hd 7.1 
dts-hd 5.1
dts-hd

Hope this helps..
Bill


----------



## Woobieizer

Here's the hitch. 

I can only add two tags per thread, thus I decided to use Ralph's rating as a unique identifier so a user could pick best in class, so to speak.

However, the caveat is that all the reviews I've seen so far are also uniquely tagged as:
dolby truehd 7.1

So, using that as the tag search item, one would land on a page of all the Atmos Review tagged thus far. 

Hope that helps more!
Bill

Oh.. btw.. surprise Ralph..


----------



## Ralph Potts

Woobieizer said:


> Here's the hitch.
> 
> I can only add two tags per thread, thus I decided to use Ralph's rating as a unique identifier so a user could pick best in class, so to speak.
> 
> However, the caveat is that all the reviews I've seen so far are also uniquely tagged as:
> dolby truehd 7.1
> 
> So, using that as the tag search item, one would land on a page of all the Atmos Review tagged thus far.
> 
> Hope that helps more!
> Bill
> 
> Oh.. btw.. surprise Ralph..


Greetings,

No surprise at all Bill. You're assistance and expertise is much appreciated not just by me but by all who frequent the review forum. The ultimate goal is is to make navigation easier and I see this as a large benefit toward that.

Thanks as always! 


Regards,


----------



## Ralph Potts

cholmes1 said:


> I would like to see this changed if possible. In your statement you are comparing apples (DTS-HD MA, Dolby TrueHD) to oranges (ATMOS). I think there would be *great* interest by having titles with height channels (ATMOS, DTS-X, etc.) separated or linked specifically in this thread or a new dedicated thread if needed. The platform is being utilized more and more and simply searching through existing reviews does not really provide the focus that many of us with height channels are looking for...
> 
> Your reviews are great and given the few reviewers that have the ATMOS gear, I think it is something worth considering.
> 
> Best,
> C.H.





kokishin said:


> I agree.
> 
> As a work around, I check Atmos BD's here http://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=248132 then check to see if Ralph has reviewed the title.
> 
> For DTS:X BD's I check here http://www.dts.com/consumers/entertainment-audio/new-releases.aspx?q=Movies&at=f9ef969a86034909afd65bbb21e3b5cc#recentReleases





Woobieizer said:


> Appreciate the feedback.. You're right, it is not bullet proof, yet you won't bleed to death taking a couple hits on using "dolby atmos ~"
> 
> Everything I tagged Atmos related will follow that format:
> 
> dolby atmos ~
> 
> where ~ = Ralph's rating..
> 
> So in essence you would not a have a one stop shopping experience, yet you would be able to fish through the tags quickly enough to see which ones have been captures since 6/17/2015
> 
> Tags I've used are:
> dolby atmos ~
> dolby truehd 7.1
> dts-hd 7.1
> dts-hd 5.1
> dts-hd
> 
> Hope this helps..
> Bill


Greetings,

I think you have a point. Seeing as we do have a distinct category for 3D Blu-ray and will for UHD Blu-ray reviews, perhaps this is a good time. 

Bill, If I gave you the list of current Atmos reviews and DTS:X reviews (I have two coming up), would you be willing to create that category? Let me know either way. Thanks!


Regards,


----------



## Woobieizer

Ralph Potts said:


> Greetings,
> 
> I think you have a point. Seeing as we do have a distinct category for 3D Blu-ray and will for UHD Blu-ray reviews, perhaps this is a good time.
> 
> Bill, If I gave you the list of current Atmos reviews and DTS:X reviews (I have two coming up), would you be willing to create that category? Let me know either way. Thanks!
> 
> 
> Regards,


Ralph, I'd be happy to work on the listings. 
Bill


----------



## cholmes1

Many thanks to Ralph and Bill for your efforts!


----------



## Woobieizer

cholmes1 said:


> Many thanks to Ralph and Bill for your efforts!



Ralph, kokishin:
We've made somebody very generously thankful!!


----------



## kokishin

Woobieizer said:


> Ralph, kokishin:
> We've made somebody very generously thankful!!


Hmmm... need to show your comment to my first wife. On second thought, ... never mind. Thanks though.

The thread starter post  Official AVS Forum Blu-ray Disc Reviewshas not been updated by @Ralph Potts yet. TBH, I'm a recent subscriber to this forum so not knowing the process, I'll presume after your database update gets QA'd, Ralph will update his thread starter post.


----------



## Woobieizer

kokishin said:


> Hmmm... need to show your comment to my first wife. On second thought, ... never mind. Thanks though.
> 
> The thread starter post  Official AVS Forum Blu-ray Disc Reviewshas not been updated by @*Ralph Potts* yet. TBH, I'm a recent subscriber to this forum so not knowing the process, I'll presume after your database update gets QA'd, Ralph will update his thread starter post.



I know your jesting about showing this to you ex.. but just NIKE this over to her. 

We give Ralph and Lee all the benefits that a doubt entails, plus a bunch of these.


----------



## rhed

Why does it seems that bluray titles with ATMOS has stopped?


----------



## Kain

rhed said:


> Why does it seems that bluray titles with ATMOS has stopped?


As far as I know, they are saving it for the Ultra HD Blu-ray versions of the movies.


----------



## gbaby

Kain said:


> As far as I know, they are saving it for the Ultra HD Blu-ray versions of the movies.


To me, this makes ATMOS even more of a niche product. I don't know about ultra blu-ray, but I have many friends with Samsung and other brands 4K televisions and my old Sony KDL 46XBR8 and my old Sony KDL-XBR-55HX929 look better than the new 4K. And, as good a ATMOS is suppose the be, I get the same or better atmosphere from my SP3 processor than I heard from a Integra ATMOS processor. In fact, I think "atmosphere" is built into the sound track, but you need superior electronics to hear it. It makes me wonder how much some of this stuff is hype. Maybe Dolby invented ATMOS to get around DTS having more of the blu-ray business with DTS-HD. Who knows? As consumers, all of us need to exercise more discernment to keep us from wasting so much money.  Please excuse me for this tirade.


----------



## Selden Ball

gbaby said:


> To me, this makes ATMOS even more of a niche product. I don't know about ultra blu-ray, but I have many friends with Samsung and other brands 4K televisions and my old Sony KDL 46XBR8 and my old Sony KDL-XBR-55HX929 look better than the new 4K. And, as good a ATMOS is suppose the be, I get the same or better atmosphere from my SP3 processor than I heard from a Integra ATMOS processor. In fact, I think "atmosphere" is built into the sound track, but you need superior electronics to hear it. It makes me wonder how much some of this stuff is hype. Maybe Dolby invented ATMOS to get around DTS having more of the blu-ray business with DTS-HD. Who knows? As consumers, all of us need to exercise more discernment to keep us from wasting so much money.  Please excuse me for this tirade.


Those who've heard well-mixed Atmos soundtracks like them a lot. Even if it winds up being available mostly on 4K discs, 4K players can down-scale 4K video for watching on 1080p displays. The discs themselves aren't much more expensive than standard BDs. Right now, it's the cost and complexity of the two available 4K players which are barriers for a lot of people. Hopefully those drawbacks will be greatly reduced in the fall when more competing players become available.


----------



## hemo cave

whats the best atmos movie to show off the new setup  

thank you


----------



## Ralph Potts

hemo cave said:


> whats the best atmos movie to show off the new setup
> 
> thank you


Greetings,

There are several. Mad Max Fury Road, Everest, San Andreas, and In the Heart of the Sea, would be my top picks. Congrats on the new set up! 


Regards,


----------



## doublewing11

One of the most realistic and best sounding Atmos tracks I've heard to date is from the Norwegian film "The Wave".

Definite winner and needs a review!


----------



## murphy2112

^^ I just watched that last night. And it's a good movie too!

EDIT: The helicopter scene had the most ceiling and surround content...


----------



## ameic

I Ralph, sorry to bump an old thread but I couldn't figure out where to post this. I've recently setup my ATMOS setup and found help a little hard to come by but I've eventually got everything setup as it should however one thing still puzzles me. As I understand it some titles where shot nativity in ATMOS, but some have been converted. Is there a list or a way of finding out which haven't been remastered? From what i've read some of the non object originated sound tracks still sound great.. but they are generally brighter and accentuated, i assume this to be similar to the 3D titles that were converted from 2D to 3D. Interested in your thoughts on this also.

I hope you have been 

Cheers!


----------



## richlife

Ralph Potts said:


> Greetings,
> 
> There are several. Mad Max Fury Road, Everest, San Andreas, and In the Heart of the Sea, would be my top picks. Congrats on the new set up!
> 
> Regards,


Umm... I just spent 3 months and lots of $$$ getting my new Atmos capable HT ready for prime time. With that, I'm now especially looking for content which eventually led me to this thread. 

But now the thread appears lost. What happened? Should I look somewhere else? There was such promise here... 

I got excited by this response by Ralph about best Atmos encoded movies -- especially since I just got _In the Heart of the Sea_ and found that soundtrack was amazing! But then the thread stops. Did I miss something?


----------



## Murbella7

Now you have your Atmos HT running, time to revisit time of your favourite 5.1 and 7.1 Blu-rays. I have been going through my library again, just to hear the differences. just watched the first 4 in the Bourne series and at least a dozen others in my library and am awed by the sound I am getting.


Playing with the Audyssey settings (A-DSX, Wides on), to ensure non-Atmos DD & DTS tracks use (mostly) the wide speakers rather than overheads has resulted in some extraordinary sounding movies. Some do work better with the o/heads than wides, but it is fun playing with the switches to see which suits best. I wish I could remember to write down the settings for each as I certainly can't remember them in my head.


Here are a few samples....


Oblivion is astounding, it was great before the Atmos system was installed but now.. Wow!. As are the early Transformer movies. Edge of Tomorrow and as I said above, the Bourne series. Star Trek Into Darkness 3D, Avatar 3D, the Captain America series, all are absolutely fab. Same with Tron Legacy, (luv the Daft Punk sound trak), Tarzan, Noah, Dark City, Master and Commander, Pacific Rim and more, all are the non-Atmos versions.


One of the best sound tracks I have ever heard on a Blu-ray is Canopy. I just wish I could find the native Atmos version. This is an extraordinary movie with almost no dialogue, just atmospherics, yet it has one of the most amazing and engrossing soundtracks I have heard.


I also have lots of native Atmos titles too (19 blu-rays to date plus a bunch of demos on file). Terminator Genisys 3D is amazing, it makes watching the movie worthwhile. Same with Batman vs Superman (which should be viewed as part of a trilogy and not as a stand-alone noisy mess, it all makes sense then and will more so when the 3rd movie is released). Star Trek Beyond 3D is great, (but all the new Chris Pine ST's are).


My biggest disappointment was with Gravity Diamond Lux Edition. I chased this edition all around the world for months and was finally underwhelmed by it. I love the 3D vision and agree the sound track is good, but neither the movie nor the sound lives up to the hype we were bombarded with. And don't get me started on the technical rubbish in it that has been lauded as 'true and realistic'.


Native Atmos titles... San Andreas 3D, ho-hum, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, not too bad, Mad Max:Fury Road 3D, great, Man From UNCLE, meh, Jupiter Ascending 3D, absolutely bloody amazing, both sights and sounds. Hunger Games MJ part 1 - pretty good but a bit understated, Everest, also not too bad, good in some parts, mediocre in others, Insurgent, should/could have been heaps better, American Sniper, OK for the bits it was used properly. Finally 13 Hours, exhilarating, a dammed good movie as well.

That's my lot, until the next round of JB HiFi 20% Off.


----------



## Murbella7

ameic said:


> I Ralph, sorry to bump an old thread but I couldn't figure out where to post this. I've recently setup my ATMOS setup and found help a little hard to come by but I've eventually got everything setup as it should however one thing still puzzles me. As I understand it some titles where shot nativity in ATMOS, but some have been converted. Is there a list or a way of finding out which haven't been remastered? From what i've read some of the non object originated sound tracks still sound great.. but they are generally brighter and accentuated, i assume this to be similar to the 3D titles that were converted from 2D to 3D. Interested in your thoughts on this also.
> 
> I hope you have been
> 
> Cheers!




Movies are not 'shot natively' in Atmos. They are mixed into a 3D object-oriented global surround field, after the movie is shot. It is quite easy to 'convert' (remix is a better term) a 5.1 or 7.1 sound track into a 7.4.1 (or other configuration) Atmos mix, providing all the original tracks are available and have not been mixed down (and the originals trashed).


----------



## Murbella7

Selden Ball said:


> Those who've heard well-mixed Atmos soundtracks like them a lot. Even if it winds up being available mostly on 4K discs, 4K players can down-scale 4K video for watching on 1080p displays. The discs themselves aren't much more expensive than standard BDs. Right now, it's the cost and complexity of the two available 4K players which are barriers for a lot of people. Hopefully those drawbacks will be greatly reduced in the fall when more competing players become available.



I have 19 Atmos BD's so far, so titles are being shipped now. Check out my other post here about they sound. A good Atmos setup sounds vastly different to the more usual 5.1 or 7.1 (or even 9/11.2) setups. I have been there and enjoyed those systems, being as good as was available.


As with most things, the setup will always determine how good the listening experience is. With all speakers from the same manufacturer (imperative, they should all sound the same), 4 speakers in the ceiling (TFL, TFR, TBL, TBR), 4 around the walls (SFL, SFR, SRL, SRR at ear height, the now preferred placing), 2 Back L&R, as well as the normal 3 across the front and of course the sub(s), the effect can be astonishing and in my case is.


----------



## Murbella7

Selden Ball said:


> Those who've heard well-mixed Atmos soundtracks like them a lot. Even if it winds up being available mostly on 4K discs, 4K players can down-scale 4K video for watching on 1080p displays. The discs themselves aren't much more expensive than standard BDs. Right now, it's the cost and complexity of the two available 4K players which are barriers for a lot of people. Hopefully those drawbacks will be greatly reduced in the fall when more competing players become available.




As we should all know by now, this is of course not the case. I am able to purchase (and have) many BD titles without having to resort to UHD titles. Not as many as I would like, but at least it has not been made exclusive to UHD.


What is a shame is that the BD's shipped with the UHD's are not Atmos mixed.


----------



## aviaction

Murbella7 said:


> As we should all know by now, this is of course not the case. I am able to purchase (and have) many BD titles without having to resort to UHD titles. Not as many as I would like, but at least it has not been made exclusive to UHD.
> 
> 
> What is a shame is that the BD's shipped with the UHD's are not Atmos mixed.


Wanted to get Ice Age 5. 4K UHD release in UK is Atmos, BluRay is only DTS Master. I will be ****** annoyed having spent time and money this year getting atmos up and running if the new releases on Blu Ray are not Atmos and 4K are. Heck can't even get Atmos Fifth Element in UK without it being Region A. I have no desire (or funds) at this stage of going 4k


----------



## Selden Ball

aviaction said:


> Wanted to get Ice Age 5. 4K UHD release in UK is Atmos, BluRay is only DTS Master. I will be ****** annoyed having spent time and money this year getting atmos up and running if the new releases on Blu Ray are not Atmos and 4K are. Heck can't even get Atmos Fifth Element in UK without it being Region A. I have no desire (or funds) at this stage of going 4k


All of the currently available 4K players will downscale to 1080p, so you can watch 4k UHD discs on a 1080p display. There might be some limitations in how HDR/WCG colors get downscaled, though.


----------



## Murbella7

*Atmos Soundtracks*

I currently have 20 titles with Atmos mixed soundtracks. Not all are good, some are great. Here is a summation (remembering that the reviews are subjective, made with my weirdly balanced ears, but reviewed in one of the most awesome sounding home cinema rooms I have ever heard (mine, of course).

Gravity - Diamond Lux Edition - Good to fair. The 3D non-Atmos version of this movie is enormous fun and I am glad I bought this one first. I scoured the world for the D-Lux version and eventually managed to buy it. I should have saved my time and money and stuck with the 3D copy. Some parts of the Atmos mix work well, others don't. This is one movie that didn't live up to the hype and disappointed me a lot. I had the most trouble with the technical guffs that have been lauded as 'true to life', what rubbish. A fun movie and great escapism, but one for the techno-ignorant not (a bit overly maybe) techno-savvy.

13 Hours - Amazing, sounds move around the room with truly amazing clarity, seamless motion and smoothness.

American Sniper - Fair to good. A great movie but Atmos effects are minimal.

Batman vs Superman 3D - Varies between great and good. I have watched both the 2D and 3D versions. The 3D is huge fun. The soundtrack is very full and sometimes can get a bit muddy because of the amount of stuff happening. This is a good follow-up to Man of Steel, which did not deserve the crap thrown at it. People should have been aware at the time (savvy folk would have) and remember now MoS and BvS are part of a trilogy and part 1, taken together with part 2, works really well. It achieved what it was designed to do, lead you into part 2, which in turn leads you into part 3. I wish MoS was in Atmos.

Insurgent - Good YA/kids movie with reasonable Atmos effects but not much to rave about.

Everest - Similar to Gravity, better in 3D because you tend to ignore/forgive the script/acting/editing. Some atmospherics are great, screaming wind whipping around the room, etc.

Hunger Games 3: MJ-1 - Atmos mix-good but not great, but there is not much for them to play with anyway. I am a big fan of these movies (at 72 I am still a big kid at heart) maybe because I am a huge fan of JenLaw.

In the Heart of the Sea 3D - Movie fair, Atmos mix fair. I need to revisit this movie before I condemn it.

Jason Bourne - Atmos mix-good, movie-good (not great). The Paul Greengrass jumpy camera style gets very annoying very quickly. It was bad enough in Bourne 4 Legacy but in JB 5 it's simply grating. The sound mix was not anything to get ecstatic about either. Of course you get the best Atmos effects during the car chases.

Jupiter Ascending 3D - Wow!! - Great fun movie, especially in 3D. Absolutely fab Atmos soundtrack.

Mad Max Fury Road 3D - Great fun movie, Atmos mix, not a lot for it to do so fair to good.

The Man From U.N.C.L.E. - Ho-hum. Should revisit this movie too. Movie was fun, sounds must have been unremarkable.

Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation - Cruise is always good even if the franchise is getting a little tired. Simon Pegg should either stick to acting or get some more screenplay writing experience before committing to block-busters.

Pan 3D - Only fair on all counts. The film felt a little self-indulgent. An OTT Hugh Jackman was fun but the movie itself was underwhelming in sight and sound.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes - Movie was great, sound, who cared? As an Atmos mix it didn't do a whole lot for me.

San Andreas 3D - Good fun in 3D but that's about all I can say. The soundtrack is of course noisy and full but there were not enough point-source sounds to make it more effective. I really liked seeing Carla Gugino again, Dwayne - same old.. Was disappointed that Kylie Minogue only got scraps to play with.

Star Trek Beyond 3D - I am a HUGE ST fan, always have been and the Chris Pine set is by far my most favourite series and he's the best captain. This has a good Atmos mix although being so heavily biased to ST and this crew, I will need to go back to it another 5-6 times before I can properly appreciate it and give a less subjective review.

Teenage Ninja Turtles 3D - I often buy 3D movies because I like 3D and just as often get stuck with mediocre rubbish, like this one. It's hard to appreciate much when you know the thing you're watching sucks. Enough said.

Terminator Genisys 3D - This was a pleasant surprise. I really enjoyed the movie and the Atmos soundtrack is wonderful. Full of point-source bits to make your head spin looking for them as well as some great stuff whizzing overhead and around the sides, as well as nice atmospherics. I have liked most of the Terminator movies and this one is as good as the first couple.


Transformers:Age of Extinction 3D - Like Terminator, I think they got it right with the last film in the franchise. The script works well, the acting is OK (remember this is a Transformers movie) and the sounds work well. Not on the top of my list but not at the bottom either.

So there is my limp take on movie reviews. I have had loads of awesome surprises when re-watching other films in my library with my Atmos HT. I mentioned a few in an earlier post and may get around to expanding on that later. At present I am having too much fun revisiting films, even those I didn't think I would bother with again and being surprised at how different they sound and feel, well some of them.


----------



## Gates

Murbella7 said:


> I currently have 20 titles with Atmos mixed soundtracks. Not all are good, some are great. Here is a summation (remembering that the reviews are subjective, made with my weirdly balanced ears, but reviewed in one of the most awesome sounding home cinema rooms I have ever heard (mine, of course).
> 
> Gravity - Diamond Lux Edition - Good to fair. The 3D non-Atmos version of this movie is enormous fun and I am glad I bought this one first. I scoured the world for the D-Lux version and eventually managed to buy it. I should have saved my time and money and stuck with the 3D copy. Some parts of the Atmos mix work well, others don't. This is one movie that didn't live up to the hype and disappointed me a lot. I had the most trouble with the technical guffs that have been lauded as 'true to life', what rubbish. A fun movie and great escapism, but one for the techno-ignorant not (a bit overly maybe) techno-savvy.
> 
> 13 Hours - Amazing, sounds move around the room with truly amazing clarity, seamless motion and smoothness.
> 
> American Sniper - Fair to good. A great movie but Atmos effects are minimal.
> 
> Batman vs Superman 3D - Varies between great and good. I have watched both the 2D and 3D versions. The 3D is huge fun. The soundtrack is very full and sometimes can get a bit muddy because of the amount of stuff happening. This is a good follow-up to Man of Steel, which did not deserve the crap thrown at it. People should have been aware at the time (savvy folk would have) and remember now MoS and BvS are part of a trilogy and part 1, taken together with part 2, works really well. It achieved what it was designed to do, lead you into part 2, which in turn leads you into part 3. I wish MoS was in Atmos.
> 
> Insurgent - Good YA/kids movie with reasonable Atmos effects but not much to rave about.
> 
> Everest - Similar to Gravity, better in 3D because you tend to ignore/forgive the script/acting/editing. Some atmospherics are great, screaming wind whipping around the room, etc.
> 
> Hunger Games 3: MJ-1 - Atmos mix-good but not great, but there is not much for them to play with anyway. I am a big fan of these movies (at 72 I am still a big kid at heart) maybe because I am a huge fan of JenLaw.
> 
> In the Heart of the Sea 3D - Movie fair, Atmos mix fair. I need to revisit this movie before I condemn it.
> 
> Jason Bourne - Atmos mix-good, movie-good (not great). The Paul Greengrass jumpy camera style gets very annoying very quickly. It was bad enough in Bourne 4 Legacy but in JB 5 it's simply grating. The sound mix was not anything to get ecstatic about either. Of course you get the best Atmos effects during the car chases.
> 
> Jupiter Ascending 3D - Wow!! - Great fun movie, especially in 3D. Absolutely fab Atmos soundtrack.
> 
> Mad Max Fury Road 3D - Great fun movie, Atmos mix, not a lot for it to do so fair to good.
> 
> The Man From U.N.C.L.E. - Ho-hum. Should revisit this movie too. Movie was fun, sounds must have been unremarkable.
> 
> Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation - Cruise is always good even if the franchise is getting a little tired. Simon Pegg should either stick to acting or get some more screenplay writing experience before committing to block-busters.
> 
> Pan 3D - Only fair on all counts. The film felt a little self-indulgent. An OTT Hugh Jackman was fun but the movie itself was underwhelming in sight and sound.
> 
> Rise of the Planet of the Apes - Movie was great, sound, who cared? As an Atmos mix it didn't do a whole lot for me.
> 
> San Andreas 3D - Good fun in 3D but that's about all I can say. The soundtrack is of course noisy and full but there were not enough point-source sounds to make it more effective. I really liked seeing Carla Gugino again, Dwayne - same old.. Was disappointed that Kylie Minogue only got scraps to play with.
> 
> Star Trek Beyond 3D - I am a HUGE ST fan, always have been and the Chris Pine set is by far my most favourite series and he's the best captain. This has a good Atmos mix although being so heavily biased to ST and this crew, I will need to go back to it another 5-6 times before I can properly appreciate it and give a less subjective review.
> 
> Teenage Ninja Turtles 3D - I often buy 3D movies because I like 3D and just as often get stuck with mediocre rubbish, like this one. It's hard to appreciate much when you know the thing you're watching sucks. Enough said.
> 
> Terminator Genisys 3D - This was a pleasant surprise. I really enjoyed the movie and the Atmos soundtrack is wonderful. Full of point-source bits to make your head spin looking for them as well as some great stuff whizzing overhead and around the sides, as well as nice atmospherics. I have liked most of the Terminator movies and this one is as good as the first couple.
> 
> 
> Transformers:Age of Extinction 3D - Like Terminator, I think they got it right with the last film in the franchise. The script works well, the acting is OK (remember this is a Transformers movie) and the sounds work well. Not on the top of my list but not at the bottom either.
> 
> So there is my limp take on movie reviews. I have had loads of awesome surprises when re-watching other films in my library with my Atmos HT. I mentioned a few in an earlier post and may get around to expanding on that later. At present I am having too much fun revisiting films, even those I didn't think I would bother with again and being surprised at how different they sound and feel, well some of them.




Gravity - Diamond Lux Edition - Good to fair ? It's one of the best mixes out there.
Mad Max Fury Road 3D - Great fun movie, Atmos mix, not a lot for it to do so fair to good ? See above. It is a reference mix. Scored 100 on this site and I agree.
In the Heart of the Sea 3D - Movie fair, Atmos mix fair. I need to revisit this movie before I condemn it ? Another great mix that scored 100 here.
Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation - You didn't give your impressions but it's another great mix


----------



## aviaction

Selden Ball said:


> All of the currently available 4K players will downscale to 1080p, so you can watch 4k UHD discs on a 1080p display. There might be some limitations in how HDR/WCG colors get downscaled, though.


But I don't want to change my Yammi Blu ray yet and 4k players choice is limited and very expensive (the new xbox will play 4k but can't output atmos)

I just think manufacturers are taking us for a ride doing atmos on 4k and not on Blu Ray as a marketing scam.


----------



## SMHarman

aviaction said:


> But I don't want to change my Yammi Blu ray yet and 4k players choice is limited and very expensive (the new xbox will play 4k but can't output atmos)
> 
> I just think manufacturers are taking us for a ride doing atmos on 4k and not on Blu Ray as a marketing scam.


I just think it is lack of spinning disc 💿 machine demand.


----------



## Selden Ball

aviaction said:


> But I don't want to change my Yammi Blu ray yet and 4k players choice is limited and very expensive (the new xbox will play 4k but can't output atmos)


I understand that updated XB1S firmware capable of bitstreaming is in testing mode now.


> I just think manufacturers are taking us for a ride doing atmos on 4k and not on Blu Ray as a marketing scam.


More expensive products have more desirable features. That sales technique is used for most products.


----------



## Adamg (Ret-Navy)

Just an FYI. I did a search and did not see this posted. The Box set Season 1 through 6 of "GAME OF THRONES" are all produced with a full ATMOS Sound Track. The Sound is beyond amazing and this aspect alone is worth the purchase price. Bonus the set is Region Free. On sale now at Amazon.com link below.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01936Q064/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s03?ie=UTF8&psc=1


----------



## Murbella7

Apart from the usual subjective/objective view caveats of any critique, I have a lopsided hearing issue that is only partly compensated for by the brains incredible ability to give some '3D positioning cues' when in fact I can't hear much from my right ear. I often also think that some reviews are coloured by the listener being boggled by a few effects when the remainder of the mix is maybe good but a little underwhelming.

Without creating another 'he said/she said', or a 'my SPL meter is better than yours' discussion on the merits of the various mixes, let's just say, 'to each his own', and simply enjoy them all.

The big disappointment with Atmos soundtracks on Blu-ray (in Australia) for me is that so few of them are released here (in Australia). Most BD's still only come in the 5.1 or 7.1 variety, even though the Atmos BD titles are available elsewhere.

Thank God for Amazon and multi-region players, although there are still too many titles that we in Oz are _*not allowed*_ to buy from them due to local distributor throttles on certain imports. I need a good reliable source is the USA to get them for me and post them in plain brown wrappers.


----------



## Murbella7

Ralph Potts said:


> Greetings,
> 
> The reviews that contain Dolby Atmos mixes aren't earmarked as such. If there is a particular title containing an Atmos mix that you're interested in you can search the Blu-ray Review database stickied at the top of the forum to find it. We wouldn't differentiate the releases containing an Atmos mix anymore than we would differentiate those containing DTS-HD Master Audio, Dolby TrueHD etc.
> 
> Doing a search in this forum under Dolby Atmos might be of help as well.
> 
> 
> Regards,


.... which is sort-of sad because that is how my titles are cataloged and stored/displayed in my HT. I expect a seperate thread/list will eventuate when the number Atmos titles swells. My Movie Collector database makes it easy to find individual titles by title or genre, etc. but not necessarily where they are on the shelf. There is a 'where stored' field in the database but I haven't started using that one yet. Having specific groups separated on the shelf is a quick-n-easy way of finding an Atmos title without a lot of searching and bending, especially when you have a big library.


----------



## Murbella7

Travis Prange said:


> My question on UHD is the titles being released in Atmos (such as Ender's Game), will it include the BD of Ender's Game encoded in Atmos as well?? If so, I might need to take a 2nd look at starting my UHD collection even if I don't have the PJ for it yet.
> 
> Curious if anyone knows?


Apart from a rare few BD titles that have been released with ATmos soundtracks, most UHD sets (Batman Vs Superman) include a BD but the Atmos mix is only on the UHD disc. The BD only has either the 5.1 or 7.1 mix. Which is not only annoying but makes it more frustrating having to wait for my new Oppos 203.


----------



## Murbella7

cholmes1 said:


> I would like to see this changed if possible. In your statement you are comparing apples (DTS-HD MA, Dolby TrueHD) to oranges (ATMOS). I think there would be *great* interest by having titles with height channels (ATMOS, DTS-X, etc.) separated or linked specifically in this thread or a new dedicated thread if needed. The platform is being utilized more and more and simply searching through existing reviews does not really provide the focus that many of us with height channels are looking for...
> 
> Your reviews are great and given the few reviewers that have the ATMOS gear, I think it is something worth considering.
> 
> Best,
> C.H.


Here, here (or is that hear, hear), I agree, I support it, I want it, get it done, etc.


----------



## baltar

Watched my first DTS:X movie last night: Jason Bourne. I was in awe by the sound (and the movie by the way)!!


Verzonden vanaf mijn iPhone met Tapatalk


----------



## Murbella7

Gates said:


> Gravity - Diamond Lux Edition - Good to fair ? It's one of the best mixes out there.
> Mad Max Fury Road 3D - Great fun movie, Atmos mix, not a lot for it to do so fair to good ? See above. It is a reference mix. Scored 100 on this site and I agree.
> In the Heart of the Sea 3D - Movie fair, Atmos mix fair. I need to revisit this movie before I condemn it ? Another great mix that scored 100 here.
> Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation - You didn't give your impressions but it's another great mix



I run a Denon X7200WA, with the DTS-X upgrade. My room is fully Osborne speakers (check them out at http://www.osbornloudspeakers.com.au/), with Epitome fronts L&R, C3 centre, 4xE2 for surrounds (at ear height), 4xR2's (larger boxed version of E2) for the ceiling, 2xR2's for the centre-back and a JBL 18" sub. The sound moves seamlessly around the room, across all speakers. As a consequence, with the Denon doing an amazing job of outputting the native Atmos tracks, it also does an astonishing job of up-mixing 5.1 and 7.1 soundtracks into an 'Atmos mix'. The other joy of the Denon is that I can choose to use either the wides or the tops in the upmix AND swap between them at whim, just to see which is best.

Because of this, I have been steadily going through my library of movies and not only enjoying seeing them again, but revelling in the fantastic 'new' sound they now have. The remixed Star Trek movies are currently being played and have been given a new lease of life.

So even without a native Atmos soundtracks on them, I am still getting enormous enjoyment and fun in my HT revisiting old (and not so old) BD's and hearing the soundtracks in glorious 360 degree surround.


----------



## paulfromtulsa

Got a quick question. When I play movies that don't have dolby atmos I still get sound out of my atmos ceiling speakers. Why is that? Also does it with DTS tracks. My reciever outputs it to dtsX. Any idea what's up?


----------



## Selden Ball

paulfromtulsa said:


> Got a quick question. When I play movies that don't have dolby atmos I still get sound out of my atmos ceiling speakers. Why is that? Also does it with DTS tracks. My reciever outputs it to dtsX. Any idea what's up?


You doubtless have one of the upmixers enabled: either Dolby Surround or DTS Neural:X.


----------



## paulfromtulsa

Selden Ball said:


> You doubtless have one of the upmixers enabled: either Dolby Surround or DTS Neural:X.


Yes that sounds right cause when I hit the display button it says output is dolby surround or dts Neural-X. So what sound is coming out of my atmos speakers? Is it the same sound that is coming out of my rear channels?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G928A using Tapatalk


----------



## Selden Ball

paulfromtulsa said:


> Yes that sounds right cause when I hit the display button it says output is dolby surround or dts Neural-X. So what sound is coming out of my atmos speakers? Is it the same sound that is coming out of my rear channels?
> 
> Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G928A using Tapatalk


No, its not that simple.

Dolby and DTS use different proprietary algorithms for deciding which sounds should be moved or copied to speakers which aren't included in the incoming soundtrack. Dolby is known to use phase, amplitude and frequency band information, for example.


----------



## paulfromtulsa

Selden Ball said:


> No, its not that simple.
> 
> Dolby and DTS use different proprietary algorithms for deciding which sounds should be moved or copied to speakers which aren't included in the incoming soundtrack. Dolby is known to use phase, amplitude and frequency band information, for example.


So if I'm playing a disc that is not dolby atmos or dtsX (Dolby Surround or dts neural X is what my avr outputs the soundtrack to). And I have sound coming out of my 4 ceiling speakers what sound do you think is coming from the speakers since the disc is not encoded for height speakers? Just curious thanks and sorry for the newbie questions


----------



## Selden Ball

paulfromtulsa said:


> So if I'm playing a disc that is not dolby atmos or dtsX (Dolby Surround or dts neural X is what my avr outputs the soundtrack to). And I have sound coming out of my 4 ceiling speakers what sound do you think is coming from the speakers since the disc is not encoded for height speakers? Just curious thanks and sorry for the newbie questions


Quite often Dolby Surround is able to recognize and move those types of sounds which often come from overhead to the overhead speakers. I dunno how, but the result can be very convincing. Other times, it's not quite so effective.


----------



## Samurai G0SU

baltar said:


> Watched my first DTS:X movie last night: Jason Bourne. I was in awe by the sound (and the movie by the way)!!
> 
> 
> Verzonden vanaf mijn iPhone met Tapatalk


Finally watched it last night and i agree. The sound was quite amazing. Helicopters - machine noises - fire - rioting. Even the dialog wasn't too low for me. I usually get soundtracks that have all the sfx/music at a good level but then the dialog is super low.


----------



## muzz

I personally thought Gravity was a Borefest, so I would never dream of dropping $70 on the Lux version...that'd be like buying The Fifth Element again...one of that is MORE than enough! 😆😆


----------



## jhaigh

As much as IMAX likes to position itself as the best at everything, ATMOS has my vote for best sound. Sometimes it's about quality over quantity.


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## PTG89

aviaction said:


> But I don't want to change my Yammi Blu ray yet and 4k players choice is limited and very expensive (the new xbox will play 4k but can't output atmos)
> 
> I just think manufacturers are taking us for a ride doing atmos on 4k and not on Blu Ray as a marketing scam.


I agree!!! The capability for ATMOS is there on bluray for both 3-D and Dolby ATMOS yet companies are intentionally packaging the ATMOS audio on 4k only. I think this is shady and will only backfire in the long run.

-


----------



## MarkZ

OK. I have what's probably a really dumb question that's been answered many times but I can't seem to find it. I upgraded my HT with the installation of four Dolby Atmos speakers in the ceiling and an Oppo udp-203. I rented Blu-Ray versions of Mad Max Max Fury Road, Everest, and Martian because they were recommended here. Much to my surprise I don't think any of them had highly noticable 7.1.4 sound tracks. Looking through the settings in the main menu all the audio selections just had to do with subtitles and looking back on the covers except for Mad Max they said Dolby 5.1. But even listening to Mad Max it seemed really subtle to me given the raves. There's one scene shortly into the first big chase where a car comes from behind overhead and I expected to have an Atmos thrill but didn't really notice it. I downloaded the two cues (Amaze & Leaf) from the Dolby website and played them via flash drive on the Oppo and that listening experience was much MUCH more of what I was expecting. Then I went through the test tone portion to check and all my speakers were working. 

So my question is are there different Blu-Ray versions of these movies some with Dolby Atmos and some without? And how do you tell? It will say Dolby Atmos somewhere on the back. Sorry for seeming so dense. Thanks!


----------



## bigapp

Not sure about those titles but yes in small print on the back it should say Dolby Atmos. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Rengozu

MarkZ said:


> OK. I have what's probably a really dumb question that's been answered many times but I can't seem to find it. I upgraded my HT with the installation of four Dolby Atmos speakers in the ceiling and an Oppo udp-203. I rented Blu-Ray versions of Mad Max Max Fury Road, Everest, and Martian because they were recommended here. Much to my surprise I don't think any of them had highly noticable 7.1.4 sound tracks. Looking through the settings in the main menu all the audio selections just had to do with subtitles and looking back on the covers except for Mad Max they said Dolby 5.1. But even listening to Mad Max it seemed really subtle to me given the raves. There's one scene shortly into the first big chase where a car comes from behind overhead and I expected to have an Atmos thrill but didn't really notice it. I downloaded the two cues (Amaze & Leaf) from the Dolby website and played them via flash drive on the Oppo and that listening experience was much MUCH more of what I was expecting. Then I went through the test tone portion to check and all my speakers were working.
> 
> So my question is are there different Blu-Ray versions of these movies some with Dolby Atmos and some without? And how do you tell? It will say Dolby Atmos somewhere on the back. Sorry for seeming so dense. Thanks!


A lot of times the rental versions (redbox, netflix) will be stripped down without all the same features of the retail disc release. It sucks. 

On the retail boxes you'll always see a Dolby Atmos or DTS:X logo on the back somewhere if it features one of those soundtracks.


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## ckronengold

*Atmos/DTSX Rentals List Sticky?*

I think it would be tremendously useful if we could create a Sticky with a running list of titles that we can confirm are Atmos/DTSX on the rental versions. 

Something simple like: Title, Netflix (Y/N), Redbox (Y/N)

From personal experience I know that these titles have Atmos/DTS from Netflix. 

13 Hours, MI Rogue Nation, Jack Reacher Never Go Back, Pixels, Ex Machina, Everest, 10 Cloverfield, American Sniper, Mad Max Fury Rd, Kong Skull Island, Man from UNCLE, Live by Night, Jason Bourne, London has Fallen, San Andreas, Suicide Squad, Secret Life of Pets, Sing, Sully, Terminator Genesis, Transformers Age of Extinction, Unbroken, Fantastic Beasts, Fate of the Furious.



Rengozu said:


> A lot of times the rental versions (redbox, netflix) will be stripped down without all the same features of the retail disc release. It sucks.
> 
> On the retail boxes you'll always see a Dolby Atmos or DTS:X logo on the back somewhere if it features one of those soundtracks.


----------



## ZerMatt

ckronengold said:


> I think it would be tremendously useful if we could create a Sticky with a running list of titles that we can confirm are Atmos/DTSX on the rental versions.


I've been looking for something like this - great suggestion!



> From personal experience I know that these titles have Atmos/DTS from Netflix.
> 
> 13 Hours, MI Rogue Nation, Jack Reacher Never Go Back, Pixels, Ex Machina, Everest, 10 Cloverfield, American Sniper, Mad Max Fury Rd, Kong Skull Island, Man from UNCLE, Live by Night, Jason Bourne, London has Fallen, San Andreas, Suicide Squad, Secret Life of Pets, Sing, Sully, Terminator Genesis, Transformers Age of Extinction, Unbroken, Fantastic Beasts, Fate of the Furious.


And a HUGE thank you for this list! I have made several attempts at locating Atmos content on Netflix to no avail. Now if there was only a combined list of Atmos + HDR for both services, that would be very cool too.


----------



## freezinghot

MarkZ said:


> OK. I have what's probably a really dumb question that's been answered many times but I can't seem to find it. I upgraded my HT with the installation of four Dolby Atmos speakers in the ceiling and an Oppo udp-203. I rented Blu-Ray versions of Mad Max Max Fury Road, Everest, and Martian because they were recommended here. Much to my surprise I don't think any of them had highly noticable 7.1.4 sound tracks. Looking through the settings in the main menu all the audio selections just had to do with subtitles and looking back on the covers except for Mad Max they said Dolby 5.1. But even listening to Mad Max it seemed really subtle to me given the raves. There's one scene shortly into the first big chase where a car comes from behind overhead and I expected to have an Atmos thrill but didn't really notice it. I downloaded the two cues (Amaze & Leaf) from the Dolby website and played them via flash drive on the Oppo and that listening experience was much MUCH more of what I was expecting. Then I went through the test tone portion to check and all my speakers were working.
> 
> So my question is are there different Blu-Ray versions of these movies some with Dolby Atmos and some without? And how do you tell? It will say Dolby Atmos somewhere on the back. Sorry for seeming so dense. Thanks!


Yes, I think some movies are overhyped sound wise, I have heard mad max in an audio shop and was not impressed, hired wonder women the other day and was one of the best I have heard on my system. Was underwhelmed with everest, gravity etc...


----------



## gtmorgan23

I currently own Fifth Element and Transformers both with the Dolby Atmos mix.

I have been doing alot of research to decide on my next blu-ray Atmos disc for testing/reference/enjoyment reasons.

I have decided on Mad Max: Fury Road as it received 100 score on here and other sites online give it a rave atmos review.

Please feel free to let me know if there is another movie I should be using instead? Sorry about Gravity but that movie was horrible so I wont be using that one.


----------



## pevco

*Best 4K Atmos sound movie for ceiling sound demo?*

What would be the Best4K Title for Atmos sound movie for ceiling sound demo?


----------



## Ralph Potts

pevco said:


> What would be the Best4K Title for Atmos sound movie for ceiling sound demo?


Greetings,

Blade Runner 2049 immediately comes to mind. Batman v. Superman Dawn of Justice, Deadpool, Mad Max: Fury Road, and Pacific Rim are top notch as well.


Regards,


----------



## Chewyfang

I set up my home theater for 7.2.4 atmos. I bought a bunch of the big name 4k UHDs, and i have almost all the blurays that have atmos and dts:x soundtracks. i also have about 20 UHD on Vudu. Most of the movies people recommended are pretty good, but i also found it odd that the ones that impressed me the most werent talked about that much. The one that blew me away was Live Die Repeat. it seemed to be the most active movie for the ceiling speakers and then sound moving across all of the speakers. 



The funniest thing is i spent a lot of time listening for sound to come from above when really its just sound everywhere like the bubble that you have to appreciate. the fact that you dont particularly notice the sound coming from a ceiling speaker is kinda the point i guess.


So what we need now is some recommendations for non atmos/dts:x blurays that sound as good if not better upmixed than native 3d soundtracks. I read some comments that there were some movies that were better upmixed i was skeptical but then I watched Battle Los Angeles.in DTS:X Nero and all the height information was booming and flying around me where it should have been i was amazed how it pulled these sounds out and put them up there and all around. i would say its as good as any native soundtrack i have heard. 



I almost regret dropping hundreds on 4kUHD discs for atmos upgrades now that i experienced up mix being so good so close.


also side note i have several that are both disc and UHD on vudu. i tried some side by side comparison, the ceiling and surround location info does seem to be the same, there was like a 3% difference in bass response on the uncompressed disc soundtracks, so i could tell a little difference but not convinced it would be noticed unless doing direct comparison i had to play the scene like 5 times to tell. so as far as compressed lossy format i agree with others that said just turn it up a few more notches and its going to sound the same.


----------



## Erod

Ralph Potts said:


> Greetings,
> 
> Blade Runner 2049 immediately comes to mind. Batman v. Superman Dawn of Justice, Deadpool, Mad Max: Fury Road, and Pacific Rim are top notch as well.
> 
> 
> Regards,


I would add....Star Trek Into Darkness, Jumanji, and now Aquaman. Star Trek did some cool things with it.


----------



## tpatana

Ralph Potts said:


> Greetings,
> 
> Blade Runner 2049 immediately comes to mind. Batman v. Superman Dawn of Justice, Deadpool, Mad Max: Fury Road, and Pacific Rim are top notch as well.
> 
> 
> Regards,


I came here to look for same question, just installed 7.1.4 setup and want to try how it sounds. Need to check some of those.

However, want to mention that Fury Road LFE is not pleasant if you have sub-sonic like ButtKicker. The really low frequencies is way overdone on that movie, first time in history I had to bring LFE down by about 10dB until the movie was watchable. Almost any scene there's this rumble at LFE that just goes on through the whole movie pretty much.


----------



## taxman48

Ralph Potts said:


> Greetings,
> 
> I have not and probably won't since my plan is to move the Marantz AV8802. Once I am set up with that I will look into Auro. For some reason should I opt to stay with the AV7702 I will go with the upgrade.



Ralph: If you need more room, you could move the Marantz AV8802 to my basement.. Thanks for all the hard work..


Matt


Denon 3600 Audio Component Product of the Year:


https://www.cepro.com/events/ces/mark-of-excellence-awards-ces-2020/


----------



## Steve544

*Has Atmos Come to be what was Expected*

Something I have learned the hard way. I was thrilled when Atmos first came on to the scene. It appeared to me to be a real boon to home theater owners and not just a simple and fake upgrade like cable lifters are or $4,000 HDMI cables promising far superior performance. 
So, I went out and have amassed well over 100 films that are UHD 4K with Atmos sound tracks. Because the audio quality has always been the most important thing to me, to supplement all these new 4K films, I went and bought another amp and 4 more speakers for the Atmos set up. 

Many films in 4K with Atmos really benefit from the Atmos sound mixing...the new film Ford vs Ferrari comes to mind as it has an incredible sound track. There are many others of course, but an equal number, if not superior number, of films with Atmos tracks have not had their audio remixed for Atmos. Their audio was only transcoded for the Atmos codec but with no remixing the audio fails miserably and is no better than the original lossless audio found on the initial blu rays. 
This has been a sad disappointment to me but a real lesson as well. 
From now on, any films I am interested in buying that are , for the most part, dialogue driven, I will buy only the blu ray format discs and not the 4K. A film that is primarily an action film, will be bought in 4K with the hope that the Atmos track (if there even is one) will be mixed for Atmos. If it is not mixed for Atmos, the Atmos soundtrack will be of little benefit. 

Yesterday, I purchased 1917, Knives Out, Bombshell, Uncut Gems and The Good Liar. Of those five films, only 1917 was in 4K. Haven't watched it yet but I am sure it is good. The others are all blu rays which easily should suffice as they are dialogue driven.

Now, I know some folk on here will say that I am missing out on the upgrade in picture quality that 4K will contain...maybe, just a little, but if the audio hasn't been remixed, why would I expect the video to have been remastered? 

Another sad case for 4K films being released is that several films which have extended versions do not have these extended versions on the 4K disc and only on the blu ray. A film like 'The Patriot' whose extended version was really very significant or 'Dr Sleep' have the extended versions only on the blu ray.
What will happen when the long awaited 'The Abyss' is finally released in both blu ray and 4K? Will the 4K only have the theatrical release which was terrible but fantastically improved with the extended version?

Finally, what we see and hear is often dependent upon our home systems. Often the failing is in our systems and not the discs themselves.


----------



## tigerhonaker

Steve544 said:


> Something I have learned the hard way. I was thrilled when Atmos first came on to the scene. It appeared to me to be a real boon to home theater owners and not just a simple and fake upgrade like cable lifters are or $4,000 HDMI cables promising far superior performance.
> So, I went out and have amassed well over 100 films that are UHD 4K with Atmos sound tracks. Because the audio quality has always been the most important thing to me, to supplement all these new 4K films, I went and bought another amp and 4 more speakers for the Atmos set up.
> 
> Many films in 4K with Atmos really benefit from the Atmos sound mixing...the new film Ford vs Ferrari comes to mind as it has an incredible sound track. There are many others of course, but an equal number, if not superior number, of films with Atmos tracks have not had their audio remixed for Atmos. Their audio was only transcoded for the Atmos codec but with no remixing the audio fails miserably and is no better than the original lossless audio found on the initial blu rays.
> This has been a sad disappointment to me but a real lesson as well.
> From now on, any films I am interested in buying that are , for the most part, dialogue driven, I will buy only the blu ray format discs and not the 4K. A film that is primarily an action film, will be bought in 4K with the hope that the Atmos track (if there even is one) will be mixed for Atmos. If it is not mixed for Atmos, the Atmos soundtrack will be of little benefit.
> 
> Yesterday, I purchased 1917, Knives Out, Bombshell, Uncut Gems and The Good Liar. Of those five films, only 1917 was in 4K. Haven't watched it yet but I am sure it is good. The others are all blu rays which easily should suffice as they are dialogue driven.
> 
> Now, I know some folk on here will say that I am missing out on the upgrade in picture quality that 4K will contain...maybe, just a little, but if the audio hasn't been remixed, why would I expect the video to have been remastered?
> 
> Another sad case for 4K films being released is that several films which have extended versions do not have these extended versions on the 4K disc and only on the blu ray. A film like 'The Patriot' whose extended version was really very significant or 'Dr Sleep' have the extended versions only on the blu ray.
> What will happen when the long awaited 'The Abyss' is finally released in both blu ray and 4K? Will the 4K only have the theatrical release which was terrible but fantastically improved with the extended version?
> 
> Finally, what we see and hear is often dependent upon our home systems. Often the failing is in our systems and not the discs themselves.


Steve544,

I read you loud and clear and I agree with you.
Just because a title says 4K HDR W/Atmos doesn't mean it's going to be Profound for either, Audio or Video.

Below is a Magazine I subscribe to and luckily one of the issues had pages and pages of where they Rated them for ATMOS !!!

I used it as one of the resources for ordering my Atmos Disc recently.

If you don't have it just order the Single-Issue .............

*Below are some examples.*










I think you might find it of interest ................

Terry


----------



## Steve544

tigerhonaker said:


> Steve544,
> 
> I read you loud and clear and I agree with you.
> Just because a title says 4K HDR W/Atmos doesn't mean it's going to be Profound for either, Audio or Video.
> 
> Below is a Magazine I subscribe to and luckily one of the issues had pages and pages of where they Rated them for ATMOS !!!
> 
> I used it as one of the resources for ordering my Atmos Disc recently.
> 
> If you don't have it just order the Single-Issue .............
> 
> *Below are some examples.*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I think you might find it of interest ................
> 
> Terry


Thanks Terry...been looking at the magazine's website and it's reviews are very informative. 
Steve


----------



## tigerhonaker

Steve544 said:


> Thanks Terry...been looking at the magazine's website and it's reviews are very informative.
> Steve


Steve,

From that article and what they had to say in the Reviews for Atmos I ordered the following.



Terry


----------



## Steve544

tigerhonaker said:


> Steve,
> 
> From that article and what they had to say in the Reviews for Atmos I ordered the following.
> 
> 
> 
> Terry


I have all those except Godzilla and Glass. I thought the audio for Ford vs Ferrari was fantastic, one of the very best.


----------



## tigerhonaker

Steve544 said:


> I have all those except Godzilla and Glass. I thought the audio for Ford vs Ferrari was fantastic, one of the very best.


Steve,

I also have the ones below,











Terry


----------



## Newuser2018

Experts, help please.
I just tried playing Blade 4K disc (attached) , expected Dolby Atmos but my Receiver says DTHD.
But looks like overall sound effects are amazing. Don't we see Atmos indication in Receiver?
FYI, of course i have proper atmos set up & i see Atmos wording for all other discs such as John wick, etc.


----------



## djoberg

Newuser2018 said:


> Experts, help please.
> I just tried playing Blade 4K disc (attached) , expected Dolby Atmos but my Receiver says DTHD.
> But looks like overall sound effects are amazing. Don't we see Atmos indication in Receiver?
> FYI, of course i have proper atmos set up & i see Atmos wording for all other discs such as John wick, etc.


That "may" be the Default Audio mix. I would check "Settings" to see if it is and if so, you will have the option to change it to Dolby Atmos.


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## Ralph Potts

Newuser2018 said:


> Experts, help please.
> I just tried playing Blade 4K disc (attached) , expected Dolby Atmos but my Receiver says DTHD.
> But looks like overall sound effects are amazing. Don't we see Atmos indication in Receiver?
> FYI, of course i have proper atmos set up & i see Atmos wording for all other discs such as John wick, etc.





djoberg said:


> That "may" be the Default Audio mix. I would check "Settings" to see if it is and if so, you will have the option to change it to Dolby Atmos.



Greetings,

I just checked and the default listening track is Dolby Atmos. Not certain why your AVR is reporting only the core Dolby TrueHD track..


Regards,


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## Newuser2018

Ralph Potts said:


> Greetings,
> 
> I just checked and the default listening track is Dolby Atmos. Not certain why your AVR is reporting only the core Dolby TrueHD track..
> 
> 
> Regards,


Hello,
Thanks a lot for confirming this.
In the mean time, I tried pressing STRAIGHT button in my Receiver & now it says 'ATMOS/DTHD'. Looks like settings got changed somehow. 
But yes, now as i watch this 4K disc with Atmos, wow..so amazing...i am loving the Sound track 
Certainly looking forward to enjoy more 4K with Atmos


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## Ralph Potts

Newuser2018 said:


> Hello,
> Thanks a lot for confirming this.
> In the mean time, I tried pressing STRAIGHT button in my Receiver & now it says 'ATMOS/DTHD'. Looks like settings got changed somehow.
> But yes, now as i watch this 4K disc with Atmos, wow..so amazing...i am loving the Sound track
> Certainly looking forward to enjoy more 4K with Atmos



Greetings,

Awesome. Glad you're on "track" and enjoying it. 


Regards,


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## Newuser2018

Ralph Potts said:


> Greetings,
> 
> Awesome. Glad you're on "track" and enjoying it.
> 
> 
> Regards,


I thoroughly enjoyed eve with my low budget speakers 
Tempted to watch again in weekend just for sound track.


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## Mashie Saldana

Ralph, do you have any plans to upgrade to a 9.1.6 setup so you can report the use of the speakers outside of the regular 7.1.4 positions?


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## Ralph Potts

Mashie Saldana said:


> Ralph, do you have any plans to upgrade to a 9.1.6 setup so you can report the use of the speakers outside of the regular 7.1.4 positions?



Greetings,

Unfortunately not at this time. Sorry!

Regards,


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