Will lightbox get dd5.1

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rugrat

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#166052 1-Mar-2015 02:09

Just wondering if there are any plans for 5.1

The PS3 does Dolby digital, but the sound only comes out left and right speakers on programs I've watched, no speech out centre speaker etc.

PS3 is connected by HDMI to TV and TV is connected to amplifer by optical.

The skybox I have is connected same way, skybox to HDMI on TV and then optical from TV to amp, get sound out all speakers from sky.

Just find dd5.1 adds to a program in the action scenes.

Kickass

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#1251808 5-Mar-2015 16:54

Anyone from Lightbox able to update this?

Regs

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Snowflake

#1251975 5-Mar-2015 23:10

if they have plans, and haven't announced them yet, they are probably not likely to comment.

if they don't have plans, they are probably not likely to comment.

therefore, the answer is probably "no comment" :P

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timbosan

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#1252030 6-Mar-2015 07:54

Not wanting to jump on the "Netflix is better" bandwagon, but this is yet another reason I don't see local services being able to compete with Netflix. Sound is 50% of the experience (I forget which directory said that. Ridley Scott???) and when I watch The Blacklist via Netflix in 1080p and with full 5.1, it is an amazing experience (and the music and effects on The Blacklist are fantastic in 5.1!)

I wonder if content distribution contracts cover both video AND audio? It would be nice to get an answer to this from Lightbox (and surely that's not breaking any NDA rules or anything)?

geekiegeek

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#1252046 6-Mar-2015 08:15

timbosan: Not wanting to jump on the "Netflix is better" bandwagon, but this is yet another reason I don't see local services being able to compete with Netflix. Sound is 50% of the experience (I forget which directory said that. Ridley Scott???) and when I watch The Blacklist via Netflix in 1080p and with full 5.1, it is an amazing experience (and the music and effects on The Blacklist are fantastic in 5.1!)

I wonder if content distribution contracts cover both video AND audio? It would be nice to get an answer to this from Lightbox (and surely that's not breaking any NDA rules or anything)?

Agree, any service that doesn't have both 5.1 and HD is subpar in my book.

jonathan18

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#1252072 6-Mar-2015 08:59

So NO Lightbox content is in 5.1? For real? I had just assumed that a VOD service released in 2014/15 would be both HD and in 5.1.

While I can understand there may be a (il)logic to Sky not making Neon HD, for what reason would Lightbox NOT have audio in 5.1? Bandwidth would surely not be much more; I can't imagine the programmes cost more either. I'm sure that 5.1 from Netflix works even via Airplay from the iPad (as there was a period when DD stopped working after an Apple TV upgrade so we used Airplay to get around this), so surely there's no technical reason.

I'm another one that the sound is a critical component of the 'watching' experience. Now I know this of Lightbox I'll certainly not be looking at it seriously as an alternative to Netflix.

(Edit: grammar)

timbosan

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#1252083 6-Mar-2015 09:11

(sorry, OT) - it was George Lucas, 2004. http://www.mixonline.com/news/profiles/george-lucas/365460

(And since I just posted about hating posts with just links in them!): I quote from the above, I added the formatting:

"That's where you really make or break a movie — I feel that sound is half the experience. Filmmakers should focus on making sure the soundtracks are really the best they can possibly be because in terms of an investment, sound is where you get the most bang for your buck. Starting in film school, Walter and I were very focused on sound and very interested in its power. So that's really where the centerpoint of Zoetrope came from. The first real investment at Zoetrope was in mixing equipment"

So 11 years ago George was extolling the virtues of sound, and 11 years latter we still cannot get it right?

(Edit - fixed up pasting problems)

ilovemusic

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#1264272 20-Mar-2015 18:38

is lightbox in hd ???
looked at few recent shows like grimm, call saul, and they look very sd.

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NonprayingMantis

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#1264311 20-Mar-2015 20:42

ilovemusic: is lightbox in hd ???
looked at few recent shows like grimm, call saul, and they look very sd.

Don't know about dd5.1, (my amp flips to DTS when playing via my ps4)
But it's definitely in HD, assuming your connection can handle it.

rugrat

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#1264402 21-Mar-2015 04:20

My amp flips to DD, if it's working then when someones talking it should come out centre speaker.

On my PS3 even though amp is showing DD, sound is only coming out left and right speakers, nothing out other speakers.

I change the TV to output PCM and then the amp does prologic and sound comes out all speakers, but it would be better if it was real DD.

Netflix applic on my tv when I run it lights up the DD lights on my amp to, but then has coming soon message, once it's here I'll run the same test and see if get better joy.

Edit: Picture looks HD to me on lightbox, very happy with quality of picture.

jonathan18

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#1264405 21-Mar-2015 07:14

rugrat: My amp flips to DD, if it's working then when someones talking it should come out centre speaker.

On my PS3 even though amp is showing DD, sound is only coming out left and right speakers, nothing out other speakers.

I change the TV to output PCM and then the amp does prologic and sound comes out all speakers, but it would be better if it was real DD.

Netflix applic on my tv when I run it lights up the DD lights on my amp to, but then has coming soon message, once it's here I'll run the same test and see if get better joy.

Edit: Picture looks HD to me on lightbox, very happy with quality of picture.

I'm thinking that there are probably still only two channels of audio, hence when decoded as DD (correctly or not) the amp treats them as two discrete channels and sends each of them to the left and right speakers (ie, the other 3.1 channels are missing any data), as opposed to attempting to decode two channels as matrix-encoded audio such as Pro Logic etc.

This is the same issue one can face with the audio on Freeview channels broadcasting in DD where the audio is only two channels - personally I hate this (as I just don't cope with off-centre dialogue), so elect to down-mix on the TiVo (and will switch back to the DD soundtrack when it's in 5.1 - but seriously I can't think when I last watched a TV movie since getting Netflix). Seems to be horses for courses, as many on here have expressed the opposite view!

(My recollection of using Lightbox on trial when it first came out - streamed to the ATV via Airplay - is that the audio was decoding Pro Logic, so not the greatest sound but didn't face the 'no centre channel' problem.)