I’ve been collecting physical media for over a year and I totally agree with your assessment. The Blu-ray Discs just bring everyone to the table. And they’re fun to collect
I don’t think you can equate network compression directly to audio compression. The network data carries video and audio information, and it isn’t just the audio that takes a hit when the data rate is reduced. I’m not an expert, but I’m guessing that both video and audio at the receiving end is reduced in quality depending on the codec being used and the compression choices made when the original content was encoded. In other words, there are many, many factors. But for a theoretical argument, it is safe to say that there are definitely losses between a 3-5Mbps stream and a 768Kbps stream of data.
Theoretically they could stream in a higher bitrate. Sony is working on something like that. And basically all game platforms are working on something similar, as in the future all games will be streamed in realtime.
Great video! I love how you broke down the differences between the bit rate when streaming and when using a physical disc. Puts it into perspective how big the difference can truly be.
Except it doesn't. The difference doesn't come from the bitrate, but it mainly comes from the crappy conversion. A properly converted streaming version of a movie can have Atmos just as good as 4K Blu-ray. People quite literally aren't capable of hearing a difference for all but perhaps a very tiny sliver amount of content and it doesn't matter how good your hearing is. The thing about most modern audiophiles is that they aren't interested in the best sound quality... they're mainly interested in the highest bandwith.
I never been one to buy DVD's once I watch the movie I rarely ever watch it again unless it re-air . I recently put together a 9.2.4 Klipsch/Denon home theater and I've been randomly watching movies that are Dolby atoms from Netflix, Prime Amazon and Disney. I guess for a novice to me it sounds amazing. But now that your saying that the sound quality would be even better from a blue-Ray I might have to invest in a blue ray player just to see if I can tell the difference. Your always costing me money lol
Hahaha! Well, you do have a valid point, since you don’t usually watch something twice. I tend to make it an annual event to watch Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter or the Marvel movies, so having physical copies helps. But yes...it does cost money. 😄
Thats what happen to me 10 yrs ago and i didn't have 13.2.4,i had 5.1 and i noticed immediately, i don't watch bootleg on the internet or buy them i rather own them and yes you can watch it one time but i bet in a year or two you won't remember every detail of every scene of a movie you already watched. I mean look at tenet you have to watch it at least 2 times to get more of whats going on love that movie and it was worth the wait, chow
You have a unique way of making tech videos interesting, engaging and fun. The attention to detail on video chapters and concise non bloated contents are simply awesome. Keep producing more quality videos, thanks!!!
That's not how audio compression works. It doesn't necessarily affect dynamic range. Lossy audio can absolutely have the same dynamic range as lossless audio. What you lose is detail, not dynamic range.
You are correct. Consider an MP3 lossy audio recording. An MP3 recorded at a bit-rate of 384kb/sec comes closest to preserving and reproducing the original source material (typically a music CD) whereas an MP3 of the same source material recorded at a bit-rate of 128kb/sec or less has noticeable noise and distortion. However, the dynamic range of the two recordings (the difference between the loudest and softest sounds) is the same for both recordings.
When you have two audio sources with different bit depths, their dynamic ranges can be different. TrueHD with Atmos is generally 24-bit while Dolby Digital Plus with Atmos via streaming is 16-bit. A 24-bit audio track has a higher dynamic range compared to a 16-bit track because it can capture more volume levels. Specifically, 24-bit audio has about 144 dB of dynamic range, while 16-bit has about 96 dB.
For my fellow home theatre addicts below, like myself... May I share with you that 4K Blue Rays DEFINITELY have a difference to steaming. Picture and especially sound is more precise, clearer and just much more enjoyable, otherwise why own a home theatre system?... this is why we buy this stuff, to get a better experience when watching a gooood movie! Then, there's the convenience of popping in a selection of movies when guests come over, aww yah! :0) Go physical media, it's worth it. And to top it all off, Mr. Ealan Osborne recommends it! Now you have no choice to believe me. Keep smiling my friends!
you can have the best of both worlds if you get the physical disk and then rip your own 4k or Bluray rips (MakeMKV etc?) to your Plex Server so when want the convenience you have it but when you want the best you have that too)
Nice video! I always get to hear from people I know how great the streaming services are when I say I want the physical copy of a movie because of the quality difference. The response is always "you have Atmos and HDR with Netflix also, no difference" then the whole compression explanation/discussion starts. Streaming is great but in the end bigger bandwidth wins. Compression has become better but it won't be better than the not compressed counterpart.
Sorry to correct. DVDs don't have lossless audio. They use the lossy Dolby or DTS audio tracks. Blu-rays, however, may use lossless Dolby or DTS audio tracks.
The same goes for the image, 4k streams at around 16mbps or less, while blu Ray discs have around 80mbps. I just tested Disney plus, Amazon video and netflix. Especially bad with films like ready player one.
There is no inherent difference in the headroom between lossy and lossless encoding, as both are capable of 105dB per-channel peaks and 115dB for the LFE channel. The lossy versions essentially combine data for frequencies that are harder to discern from one another, which is typically in the extreme highs and some bass. This is NOT the same as audio compression as you're describing it, which would limit the dynamic range. The data compression of the lossy codecs does not compress the dynamic range of the audio.
If one codec is using 16-bit and the other is using 24-bit, the dynamic range will indeed be different. The 16-bit codec has a dynamic range of about 96 dB, while the 24-bit codec has a dynamic range of about 144 dB.
I use to be big on iTunes movies then made the switch to Dolby true HD atmos blu rays noticed a small increase in sound quality at first then after watching all movies at that sound quality for months I went back to test iTunes atmos and I couldn’t stand it , audio sounded so thin after I was use to true HD atmos / dts x
Yessss...it’s hard to describe. You just have to hear it for yourself...but thin is definitely a good way to help someone else understand the difference to a certain extent. 😀👍
Had surround since 91. Comparing 91 too 21. I know that 4K blu ray is the best. But when streaming in Dolby digital pluss with atmos. I still laughs when i stream in todays quality. It's MIND-BLOWING. 👍 😂😎👍😁
Quite sure that the services remove content, NOT because of running out of space. It's because they have contracts that expire. Whenever, they get permission to put content A on their service, it has an expiration date at which point it is no longer allowed to be there. Therefore, content keeps being removed as contracts expire (and aren't renewed) and being added as new contracts are drawn up.
Very good comparison of streaming vs physical media I can't really tell the Difference but I do prefer physical Media because I like to won certain movies and tv shows that I like to watch over and over again
If you are watching on 55 inch TV set, you may not find much difference but when you watch on bigger sets or on a projection big screen then it's a hell of a difference for sure...
Off topic- my apologies. My 6 yr old daughter just read your book Hector’s Song and it was perfect for her reading level. I had her read it and then we would listen to your page and her face would just light up with smiles and happiness. Then we read the next page and then again listen. You absolutely must write another book! Mr. Osborne that book was awesome. Thank you. Please write another book!
WHAAAAAAT?! This is the first comment I’ve received about my book! It’s just been gathering digital dust for years now, so this just made my weekend! I do have more ideas for books, of course, but haven’t really focused on that since this channel blew up after last year’s holiday season. But this is making me smile from ear to ear. I will definitely get back to children’s books at some point! Hopefully sooner than later! 😁🙌 Thank you again!
@@housemd512 Yep! For the kiddos! It has audio in Apple Books, or just a digital read on Amazon. It’s called Hector’s Song. books.apple.com/us/book/hectors-song/id1139801490
I really love your channel and your way of explaining technical stuff. 10/10! Can I ask you a question? Hell I’ll just do it. What do you think of the Jamo S 8 series for home theatre system? I am coming from the LG SN11RN which has too many bugs atm sadly. I want some real speakers without spending all I have. Thank you and keep it up!
you are absolutely on the money with your research of testing because yes much difference with physical 4k dvd thats why i still purchase them i have a dolby atmos system and streaming cannot compare not yet anyways! loved the video you the man
But I think... Dolby is only commercial to increase streaming service member... As a newb when I see dolby atmos logo, I feel interested about what its sound be like. I hope I'll impressed with atmos sound be like, but I think its only make sound more imersed
There's always the third option of streaming 4K full HDR movies with 18 Mbit Atmos TrueHD sound from a Plex/Emby/Kodi server. You can get the full blu-ray bandwidth experience without having a pile of physical disks all over the house providing you know how to source the content. ;)
@@pedroaugustopinheiro technically it is considered "piracy" in the eyes of the law but millions of people do it as they want to make a backup copy of their disc. If your disc gets chewed up by the dog then you are out all the money you spent to purchase and own a copy of that film.
I've found movies distributed by Disney have no difference at all. On average I have to raise the volume 5 dB with Dolby Atmos streaming, including Star Wars movies. I have the Star Wars movies on disc, and find I have to raise the volume the same amount. Sometimes there's also a difference in subwoofer level with disc vs streaming (so adjusting subwoofer trim is one thing I toggle on my phone). I think it's also unfair to compare the bandwidth of DD+ vs TrueHD as a baseline of quality. Compression can efficiently save space without degrading perceived quality: but mastering for distribution can have different standards. Acceptable compression also true for 4K discs: which do still have a new video codec that can compress a 10-12bit 4K pro-res video file to something that can fit a 3-4 layer BD. I myself have recently heard quite a difference in dynamics when watching Maverick on BD vs the digital copy: but I think a lot could be difference in mastering standards. If you were trying to match them, raising the levels and subwoofer for streaming probably would get you very close....if you were so inclined as to always going through a sound level procedure every time you switch to Atmos (as on my receiver, normal 5.1 upmixed to 3D doesn't need that 5dB boost).
To be fair it won’t make much difference at all for most people listening on a soundbar with virtual Dolby Atmos, you’d have to have a full home theater setup with discrete components, a receiver and in-ceiling speakers to notice any difference between lossless and lossy.
I prefer physical media for the same reasons. There are so many pros and cons to each. Physical space to store blurays and dvds is one, then there's cost, because 4K blurays are expensive. I have over 2000 movies, half are dvds, and to upgrade those is a big expense. Streaming is convenient, however, you are at the mercy of the reliability of your cable company and after a hurricane, you generally get power way before you get your internet back. The biggest problem for me is that cable companies are imposing data caps and streaming a lot of 4K content sucks up data. I now get warnings and surcharges. Cable cutters? Doesn't matter, Comcast will find a way to yet their money from you.
Just watched matrix and John wick with Dolby Atmos (dthd), even though every article says they're perfect movies for atmos, i wasn't impressed at all. Even though it's lossy (dd+), Altered Carbon sounded much better. I could actually hear every detail of object based sounds, meanwhile in those movies it all sounded like a regular surround. I'm looking for atmos movies where i can actually hear object based sounds, aka real atmos. Disclaimer: I just bought a klipsch Atmos system, so i need to break them in but even with that in mind, a.carbon Atmos was much better.
The audio for HBO Max same-day theatrical premiers has been monumentally horrible in my experience. It sounds like my front stage is stuffed with cotton. I have to increase the volume on the center channel by 6 to 8 db to match the dialogue level with other streaming content that I normally watch.
Conclusion,streaming 100% 4k Dolby Atmos movies is impossible whereas Kaleidescape(different infrastructure ) is the only platform delivers pure or better 4k Dolby Atmos movies.
Physical disc unlimited streaming limited and under someone control streaming a person do not have any preference such as sound or picture settings some physical DVD players have settings for sounds plus audio people have taste in sound quality.
you explained so clearly and efficiently. this is why I subbed here... Few suggestions for video ideas, is it true that Netflix only offers DD+ Atmos 5.1.4, which means surround back speakers don't work. Also given the choice what would you prefer 5.1.4 or 7.1.2
the point of atmos is that it can adapt dynamically to your speaker configuration without having to be specifically coded for it, I kinda doubt they would code for 4 heights vs surround backs if they were going to optimize, but it should work with either layout, and worse case, you can probably up mix it on your receiver. As to which layout, i'd say 7.1.2 if you have 1 row of seating is going to give you better immersion more of the time and better use of the speakers as height effects are the least active of your speakers for most movies. If you have 2 rows of seats you almsot need 7.1.4 for good coverage of everyone, but 5 heights would be better to maintain the atmos effect better, but still not totaly sure it would be worth losing a back surround to do it. You'd almost need to go bipole surrounds if you were going to
@@Antimonkat Thanks for your input, My AVR is Denon 3600H currently running 5.2.2 now I have the option to add a back surround or height channel. 4 height channel gives you more movement across the top channel and Netflix Atmos doesn't utilize back surround that's what I've heard currently I cannot check coz I don't have an Apple TV 4K yet and my amazon firestick 4K can't play Netflix Atmos. My setup is on my channel, check out my Polk subwoofer review.
@@ElitistReviews I have some netflix atmos rips, and yeah it shows as a 6 channel 768 kbps atmos stream, but the actual objects should be abel to go into any channel your receiver has active, it just doesn't have a rear channel bed layer. honestly, You might be better going rear surrounds and trying the neural x or atmos upmixer on the receiver. It's not like you are locked in to anything through, try both see what you like better, speakers can easily be moved and re-assigned.
so technically when playing a Dolby atmos content on Netflix I'm getting a DD+ even though it's a Dolby atmos signal because the metadata and bandwidth are being compressed ? Is that correct?
I'd like to know what level of AV equipment you are going to need to really notice though - like is mid range soundbar going to make a difference? what about a flagship like a q990b or similar or do you need a discrete system with a high end receiver to really notice the difference?Also you talked about the sound quality but not so much the spatial quality between the 2.
So is this the reason that the Dolby Atmos logo doesn't show up on my soundbar when I'm streaming? The Atmos logo always shows up on my sound bar when I pop in a disk.
That depends. Are you steaming from a device like an Apple TV that’s Atmos compatible? Or are you streaming straight from your smart TV apps? If so, your TV needs to be Atmos compatible too. Everything along the signal chain needs to be Atmos compatible to show Atmos. So since your soundbar and Blu-ray player are, that’s why you see the Atmos logo. Otherwise, might wanna double check if everything else is compatible.
@@ealanosborne thanks for replying. oh dam, you're right. My Sony x85j is only Dolby vision. I assumed that it came with Atmos as well. Since I get Dolby Atmos from my 4K Blu-ray player do you think it's worth exchanging my TV for one that has Dolby Atmos just to get the streaming to be Atmos as well? I pretty much have every movie on 4K disc anyways. What do you think?
I 100% agree with you. I always buy Movies I want to get the best Quality sound and video for my home Cinema set-up (such as for Dune, wow sounds sooo good in 4K with ATMOS). I do 'back-up' all my Physical media so I can easily play them again without having to fish the physical media when I want to watch them again. Have you ever done a video about 3D... I am getting increasingly annoyed by movies that come out in 3D (shown only in some countries) but then they never release Blu-ray versions of them, such as Mission Impossible - Fallout, parts of which were actually properly filmed in 3D but never screened here in NZ in 3D (Paramount grrrrr). I am glad I found a version of Dune in 3D, so now I have the 4K and 3D version... Oh and I have a great 4K and 3D projector, as they sadly don't make 3D TV's anymore
Yeah, I’ve been thinking about mentioning 3D since I just recently got a hold of my brother-in-law’s curved 3D LG TV from 2016. I only own Guardians of the Galaxy in 3D (haha!), but it looked great! They still do release certain titles in 3D, but I agree it’s not enough!
I would love to upgrade my 55" 3D TV, but alas, they aren't made any more. I have a good 3D collection, but I hate to expand it when I can't upgrade the TV.
2 years later, and yes it still sucks. Just upgraded my TV and Atmos setup and threw on Top Gun Maverick. Compared the Dark Star scene on 4K UHD Blu-ray and Amazon Prime. The sound on Amazon Prime is so lifeless and flat. It's probably fine if you don't know what you're missing. Like driving around in a Toyota Camry, it's comfortable. But then you put on the disc, and all of a sudden everything comes alive. The sound envelopes you with music so rich you'd swear the orchestra was in your living room. Someone has just handed you the keys to a Bentley. You can never go back now.
You were talking about dynamic range compression. While yes. I do notice streaming has less dynamic range, but it isnt necessarily the result of data compression. This being said... streaming dolby atmos sucks...
I watch top gun in atmos on My Apple TV library through an Xbox one x... sounded as good as a bluray audio... STEAM audio chip built into Xbox is a killer feature tbh... try that out if you get a chance sir.
an audio chip and DSP is only goign to help you so much, it still won't restore the missing data that got stripped. I'm sure it sounded great, but it wouldn't be that different vs another playback device,
Also with discs, you don'thave to worry about the movie/tv show being altered or even dropped by the streaming service. You can also lend them to friends/family. I think the studios are going shoot themselves in the foot by continuing to raise streaming prices and sneakily removing more and more content. BUY THE DISC!
I actually don't have physical speakers in my home for Atmos, but instead use the Realiser A16 (look it up, it's incredible and really does what it claims. You put mics in your ears and record actual speakers to play over headphones) and because I'm wearing headphones, the differences between streaming quality and physical quality is even *more apparent* than what you would hear with speakers. Every time I watch something streaming that has Atmos, usually it can sound "pretty good" (although sometimes not), but then when I go to the physical version there's just this fuller sound that the streaming just cannot match.
I reached out to Smyth since I wanted to test out the realiser, but they didn’t respond after our initial email. 🤷♂️ I hope to experience it someday. 🤘
@@ealanosborne Sadly, that's completely normal. They only have one person (James) who does the public relations and sales, and he's kind of flaky when it comes to responding in a timely manner. Sometimes your email just gets buried under a bunch of others and he never ends up seeing it. This is a very common experience. You really do just have to be persistent and email him multiple times or just call the company directly. It's well worth the effort. Also, the A16 comes with two factory default PRIRs, but to really hear what the machine can do you need to have a personalized one, whether it's your own speaker setup in your home, or in an actual studio. Other people's PRIRs can "work" for you as well, but accuracy really depends on how close your physiologies match. I'm friends with someone who took a hobby and turned it into a business, and he made a bunch of PRIRs in the studio using an assortment of various high end speakers. A person can either shop for the PRIRs he sells, or actually book a studio session with him so that they can get their own done. Pretty much everyone swears by him and how good what he's selling sounds over what they were able to do on their own, or compared to the defaults. Of course, if you really want the best experience, getting one done in the studio is the way to go unless you don't care that much about overall sound and just want to hear how the machine works. Anyway, look up 3dsoundshop if you are interested and contact John. He's super friendly and knowledgeable about the machine and actually has a kind of pseudo partnership with the Smyths, so he might be able to expedite getting you an A16. Just last week I ended up getting my second unit shipped to me.
True. Physical media is better than streaming AT THE MOMENT. But there was a time before any Internet delivered content included video or audio - even animated GIFs were considered to hog the bandwidth - because we only had dial up. Eventually broadband delivered the bandwidth to allow youtube, now we have bandwidth to watch movies on demand. Once the delivery mechanisms allow it, the bandwidth will exist that surpasses what physical media can offer. A 4k title fills the disk, so that format is already running out of headroom. One day all media will be streamed, even the highest definition multi channel meta-data-embedded content will come down a cable. Just not. quite. yet.
It’s already starting on the audio side of things with Apple and Spotify and Amazon offering lossless and hi-res lossless music in the upcoming months. So yeah...just a matter of time. Although I still do like the idea of owning a physical copy of some movies, so I know for sure that I can watch them whenever I want. 😀🙌
Streaming is nice but I don't have an unlimited data plan on my home internet (Xfinity). So 4k Blu rays all day! You can't beat the quality! Streaming just isn't there. Of course if you don't care about quality like you only watch stuff on your phones then fine. But I spent my money on a good tv and speaker setup. So physical media all the way
Eh, kind of. That would be better than streaming, yes. This is true. But if you rip a bit-perfect 4K Blu-ray disc onto a media player (like a Zappiti, for example), that would basically be like watching a disc, since all the data is still there. 🤘
Is the cost is a convenient part? I mean I can rent a movie on itunes in 4k, Atmos for 5$. Now video clubs are dead unfortunately and i can't rent the physical version anymore....
Well someone commented that there’s a RedBox just a few minutes down the street from him. So just a minor inconvenience to getting better picture quality and sound. But then what you want might not be available, etc, so yeah, it’s a very tricky situation to be in. I just hope it doesn’t get to a point where people actually own a disc, but decide to turn on the streaming version instead just because they don’t want to get up from the couch and pop in the disc. 😄 Now THAT I don’t stand for. That’s just being too lazy, IMO.
I discovered the difference years ago when I played music in mp3 and the same music on SACD though my Denon DSP and heard more information in the surround channel’s with the higher bit rate music.
Video has definitely improved, but audio is still the same. I’m still waiting on a streaming version of DTS coming to Disney+ eventually. Who knows when, though…
TLDR When doing back to back blind tests, it's more noticeable than one would think. Long Read: I spent the better part of quarantine finally creating a plex account and ripping all of my and my friend's blu-rays and 4k blu-rays as well as accumulating more and more and once i ripped them i would sell the discs. When i was adjusting my own home theater setup i ended up using the opening scene of The Dark Knight and that is only blu-ray 1080p and not 4k (however i do have 4k examples as well). Netflix had same movie in "HD" and 5.1. The clarity in the video was painfully obvious when Joker was holding his mask before being picked up and the audio was very apparent when they blow the window out and cocked the weapon they used to send the line from the building to the bank. The irony is that the blu-ray rip is AC3 5.1 @ 640kbps which should be similar to what Netflix was providing me and my wife is not super picky about any of this stuff and was my "blind test" person and she immediately noticed the difference in both. When the window blew out using the blu-ray rip it actually startled her and when we watched it on Netflix she asked "why did that not seem the same?" I would say it's hard to go back once you hear (and see even though this is an audio channel) disc media over streaming media. I know that Sony is supposed to release a super high quality type streaming service (like tidal for movies) but it's going to be exclusive to Sony TV's or something. I think as broadband becomes more affordable and compression algorithms keep getting better the quality will increase but until then, create your own plex library and enjoy full bit rate. Random: I own all the John Wick's on 4k UHD and John Wick 2 is actually my highest bit-rate video rip @ 83.2 Mbps!
Yes! The Dark Knight opening is a great demo/test scene as well. 🙌 And yeah, it’s only a matter of time before streaming bitrates will equal physical media, but definitely at a cost. That’s interesting about Sony’s push for a “Tidal for movies” kind of deal. Hope it’s not just for Sony TVs, tho. That’d be a silly business move on their part...
@@ealanosborne do a search for "Bravia Core," i don't know what youtube allows for links. I have a background in consumer metrics, targeting, etc. My guess is that this Bravia Core service is exclusive to Sony TV's only so they can control the environment and make sure they are delivering the content as they intend and it's apparently FREE to customers who get a TV that supports it. My hunch is that they are using it to beta test a different service at a later date. All of these studios are regaining their own media to sell to customers instead of licensing it out they all figure, "why rent it to XXX service when we can rent it to our own customers and oh wait make money on them too! (sell their data)" Paramount+ is the most recent example. It's going to be a wild ride, i remember back when i started in this industry nobody knew what to do with their own content. It was all web based and you had to go to Fox to get Fox content, etc. Then when Netflix appeared and were willing to pay these studios to effectively rent their media to only re-rent to customers the big studios were like "fine, we can't figure out how to monetize this anyway. have at it." Now everyone wants their own stuff back and trying to be their own Netflix, it's getting annoying that content is EVERYWHERE. I predict some consolidation in the future.
@@jim60631 Ugh! Exactly. Everyone was so fed up with cable tv and their prices and having so many channels that you don’t even end up watching. “I want a la carte entertainment!” everyone shouted. Well, they got their wish, but now with all studios starting their own streaming services, a la carte is ending up to be just as expensive as cable tv if you subscribe to them all! 🤦♂️ Ridiculous.
@@ealanosborne Its Bravia Core, and yes for now it's only for Sony TV's. The cross tv equivalent is Kailadiscape, but no one can afford that overpriced mess. The other issue with streaming si your experience may not be consistent from watch to watch, variations in your home network, internet congestion, even service congestion via the streaming service, all can vary your bitrate substantially and dynamically, so you never know if you are getting a degraded experience, or the best it offers at any given time. Bit rate isn't the only factor either. Since these are re-encodes, first off it will never look as good as the original encode, the more times you compress things, the worse it gets, and I doubt they care enough to work off the mezzanine studio masters, but too, you can have 2 files, encoded with the same bit rate from the same source, look substantially differnt depending on how much time and CPU power they bothered to shove at the problem, if they just do a quick single pass re-encode, it wont look as good or use the bits as effeciently as a multi-pass slower encoding process to really optimize the file.
What are your thoughts on having either 2 or 4 atmos ceiling speakers? I would do 4 but the room is smaller 12 x 14 so I was looking at doing 2. I just didn’t know if I would be disappointed with that. Running 5.2 set up now. Klipsch speakers and Marantz separates.
You're conflating dynamic compression and data reduction. Compression and expansion won't get you far to reduce the bandwidth. It's what they used on tapes. Dolby Digital breaks the sound into frequency bands, adapts to the current average level, and saves a difference with as much accuracy as the bitrate allows. The DR of the codec is around 18 bits. At any given instant you of course have less. But you also don't hear a mosquito during an explosion. You can usually adjust compression in the receiver. The dynamics in AC-3 are usually untouched, people complain about it sometimes, and it is compressed on playback following embedded metadata. I doubt that Vudu could have adjusted the levels without invalidating the Atmos data. People now use leaf blowers and lawnmowers every day. Too hard to swing a broom or rake, and have to perform a genocide against grass.
1. Just because audio is streamed does not mean it it's been lossy compressed. Apple, Tidal and Amazon, and others offer lossless music compression. Steaming video services also can send lossless audio if there is bandwidth available. 2. Audio dynamic range compression is very different from lossy vs. lossless audio data compression. Lossy data compressions can result in loss of dynamic range but they still aren't the same thing. 3. Streaming services get rid of movies because of license agreements, not because of server space.
Technically speaking the result of less quality in audio output whether it is lossy or lossless compressed comes from the average bandwidth constraints that exist in current Internet Tech Eco Systems. Until you can provide, on average, to all consumers, the same bandwidth through a service provider for a streaming service to traverse that is unequivocally the exact same bandwidth you get from your UHD 4K or Blu-ray player directly into your A/V receiver via 4K HDMI cables, the sound quality will be of lesser quality to the listener (who can discern the difference) from a Streaming service.
i do collect vinyls and blu ray discs but gotta admit sometimes the convinience of streaming music or video wherever you are is amazing. people just need to be tought that there is a difference which is not easy with companies constantly lying
Very true. Transparency is unfortunately hard to come by with most consumer electronics or media companies since they have to market their product as the best regardless. But I do understand the convenience factor, especially while on-the-go. I don’t exactly miss the days of the 6-disc CD changer in my friend’s car. 🤣
Physical media will die. Uhd blurays cost a fortune and are not very well available (at least in here). Want watch a movie? Pay 40 € and wait 5 days. Movie companies kill uhd disks with pricing.
Streamed the original recently on Amazon (?) and was surprised that it wasn't nearly as good as I remembered. It was always held up as the pinnacle of action soundtracks.
It's really got nothing to do with space, as far as stuff getting removed from streaming libraries, it all comes down to licensing costs and exclusivity deals. They got the server space, no doubt. otherwise, fair video explaining the differences.
@@ealanosborne You think Kaleidescape is expensive? That's nothing. If you want to have fun sometime look up the Bel Air Cinema, an ultra-premium movie download service company out of Spain. You can think of it essentially as Kaleidescape...for BILLIONAIRES.
Well, only if you’re streaming a video game live from an internet source. If it’s downloaded onto your hard drive, then it should (hopefully) have the same but rate as physical discs.
I would agree. The disc is much better. Me and my friend have also done this test a few weeks ago. He has a full klipsch Dolby Atmos system. We tried avengers endgame when thorn comes in to wakanda to fight. First we did google play app. Then we did Vudu app and last we did Blu ray not 4k UHD just the 4k. The google play was garbage. The Vudu was awesome like what you said and the disc was just better. But Vudu is my new stream of choice to watch movies now after that test.
Haha! I often use that scene as well from Endgame! 😄 “Bring me THANOS!” as the thunder rumbles. Awesome. And yeah, after doing these tests, I am impressed with what VUDU has been able to reproduce. Wasn’t expecting such results. But physical discs all day, baby! 😄🙌
I can relate to youre stress on yard work But I live in a condo were its every day next to my windows They reach 90 decibels Have complain and they care even less, sometime 10 days in a row All kind of equipment, water washers, air blowers, motorcycle All open pipe, barely muffled So consider yourself lucky
Does eARC level the playing field at all? Do I get close to physical media bandwidth if my HDMI and receiver both support eARC (for example on Disney+)?
eARC only levels the playing field if you’re playing from uncompressed 4K UHD discs or maybe a full-bandwidth download of a disc connected to your TV which then goes through eARC. Otherwise, Disney+ (for example) streaming over eARC from a smart TV app is still from a compressed source since it’s traveling over the internet. Make sense? It just depends on the source material. 👍
I believe so. I’ve been reading some forums, and it should upmix up to 7.1.4 configurations just fine. The only question is those with front wides or mid-heights that might not get the full upmix support they wanted.
@@ealanosborne I am upgrading my 7.1 system thanks to your knowledgeable advice. However, considering the poor ATMOS content in all streaming sources, which are by far the most used sources, shouldn't it make sense for the processor manufacturers to strongly focus on this subject?
100 Mbps and that’s the max I can get in my town. It was great when I lived in the L.A. area where the slowest was 300 Mbps. Miss those days. 😄 It’s important to me, though, not only for streaming entertainment, but downloading and uploading content for my RU-vid videos.
XBOX One S. Microsoft seems to be at the forefront of implementing the latest in audio advancements, compared to Sony (and PS4 or PS5). So I’m confident I was getting a good foundation to compare the two sources.
@@ealanosborne Hadn't considered a gaming console as I'm not into that. I'm a big advocate of the Nvidia Shield as it doesn't throttle anything as far as I can tell, unlike the Apple TV 4K which I loved until I went Atmos and now I hate.
I agree 100% My gf usually calls me "old" when I buy the physical disc lol I explain there is better quality in disc rather than digital. I paid a lot for my Atmos theater set up and I intend to use it to the fullest.
@Michel Jeandillou the problem is the majority of people this days do not watch movies at home on a theatre room , the majority watch on their phones , tablets , laptops , all this devices do not take 4k discs. That's the reason 4k blu ray is dying.
New to home theater, Dolby codecs, eArc et al. Don't hear any real "Atmos" objects in my Sonos Arc "5.1.2" - LOL, system while streaming from Netflix Ultra HD, Apple TV+ or HBO Max, but am quite pleased overall with the Arc surround system experience. Watched a DD codec DVD "1 Giant Leap"; the disc is 15-ish years old; the film has a ton of music performances in it. The blue-ray player is 10 years old. Set up the player for "bitstream" output with surround "downmix" (not super clear on what this means, it just sounds the best upon cursory play-around with the output settings on this blue-ray player). First disk I have listened to in my Sonos. I was blown away...at how much better disk audio sounds than streaming audio (generally, I did not compare the disk version of the film to a streaming version). Think I'm going to cancel my Netflix Ultra HD as I don't have a 4K display; can't qualify Atmos audio at all, and 5.1 should cover it. Thanks, Ealan!
My SVS PB1000 Pro was POUNDING my back during John Wick! TechnoDad just did a videos about Mission Impossible: Fallout 4K (on sale for 12 bucks on Amazon). FLAC!!!! INXS - Kick 30th Anniversary with Atmos on BluRay sounds great!!! Don’t call me Shirley
