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Watered-down Blurays from the Rental places

Botch

Botch

MetaBotch Doggy Dogg Mellencamp
Superstar
Just read this in Home Theater. Apparently the bluray disks from Netflix and Redbox do not have the 7.1 DTS HD-Master Audio tracks that the bluray you purchase does, even though its printed on the disk. They instead contain just the Dolby Digital 5.1.
The letter editor Rob Sabin didn't directly confirm that that's true, but promised that they'd be looking into it. He suggested two possible reasons: economic (less royalties, hardware discs with less capacity), or compatibility (which doesn't make a lot of sense as then for-purchase disks would have the same issue).
 
I've rented discs and don't recall a ingle time that the lights on the Pre/Pro didn't indicate an HD audio format. Not saying it doesn't happen, just that it hasn't happened to me.
 
Yeah, I've paid pretty close attention to audio from the redbox BD movies, and they've generally all been DTS-MA or TrueHD - e.g. full lossless multichannel. Just finished Prometheus tonight and it was lossless 7.1, forget which type, but it certainly wasn't DD5.1. Maybe some of them have DD5.1 tracks that are on by default, meaning you have to explicitly change the audio mode before playing? Dunno.

I don't do netflix disc rentals anymore, can't comment on that.
 
Thanks guys, maybe the letter writer just had some bad luck or doesn't know what he's talking about.
 
I know they omit the special features on rental BD but I haven't noticed any of what you mentioned, Botch.
 
Really? Why? Just curious. I've been pretty pleased with my redbox experience. Sure the selection is small, but for me anyway, it's just down the block and for good PQ/SQ compared to streaming, it's well worth the $1.60 or so for a BD rental.
 
I used to HATE RedBox... Standing it the heat ... behind people that didn't know how to use the machine ... who almost always were chainsmokers with unruley children and couldn't decide on what movie to watch.

The I relaized I was doing it wrong. I installed the RedBox app on my phone. Now I can browse or search for any title and the app will point me to the closest box with that title "in stock" and allow me to reserve it. Pretty easy.
 
PaulyT said:
Really? Why? Just curious. I've been pretty pleased with my redbox experience. Sure the selection is small, but for me anyway, it's just down the block and for good PQ/SQ compared to streaming, it's well worth the $1.60 or so for a BD rental.
Click to expand...

Okay........you had to ask!

I have not rented a movie since VHS and some DVD's back in the Blockbuster days.... We had nothing but trouble with DVD's and Blockbuster would always give us a hard time on a refund and/or replacement.

So to say I hate Redbox, is really a reflection back on the past. I have never tried Redbox due to the bad experience decades ago with renting DVD's.

If there is a title that we really want to see, we buy it. We often look through the discount racks and purchase many titles between $5 - $10.

Streaming..............never done that either.......... :happy-smileygiantred:
 
heeman said:
PaulyT said:
Really? Why? Just curious. I've been pretty pleased with my redbox experience. Sure the selection is small, but for me anyway, it's just down the block and for good PQ/SQ compared to streaming, it's well worth the $1.60 or so for a BD rental.
Click to expand...

Okay........you had to ask!

I have not rented a movie since VHS and some DVD's back in the Blockbuster days.... We had nothing but trouble with DVD's and Blockbuster would always give us a hard time on a refund and/or replacement.

So to say I hate Redbox, is really a reflection back on the past. I have never tried Redbox due to the bad experience decades ago with renting DVD's.

If there is a title that we really want to see, we buy it. We often look through the discount racks and purchase many titles between $5 - $10.

Streaming..............never done that either.......... :happy-smileygiantred:
Click to expand...

You are basing your opinions on an entirely different media, with entirely different retailers in an entirely different time.

I think you might want to reassess.
 
You are probably right!!!

However, our stack of unwatched BR's and DVD's is fairly large and I will not even mention what is on the DVR.

How many hours of unwatched media?????

It scares me to think that my age is making me more stubborn! :scared-eek:
 
I love Redbox way way better than blockbuster. My Redbox app sends me an email of newest releases. I then go to to the corner store and 9/10 times the Bluray is there. I rent if I'm unsure of a movie and most of the time I'm glad I rented instead of buying. It's very easy and a lot of times when I do have to wait other people in line will give me free rental codes without me even asking. I don't have to speak with pimply faced idiot clerks hawking overpriced candy to me I just pick my movie, swipe my card movie comes out and I'm gone.
 
I used to use Redbox occassionally but my experience mirrors T7's. Once he told me about the app, my use increased fairly significantly. It's so nice to hand my phone to Jan or Matthew have them reserve a movie on our way there (which is also on the way home) and have either of them jump out of the car, swipe the card, and grab the movie. They're not out of the car a minute usually. The biggest gripe I have about Redbox is their card readers w/ the metal tabs at each end making it difficult to swipe. WTF?

Also, the BDs I've rented have had lossless audio on them, FWIW.

John
 
I've had Netflix for years. Now I have a 2 disc rental & streaming. Everyday, me or my son stream something from Netflix (using Revue or xbox) & get 5.1 DD. The disc option I have is set to BR & resolution set to Best & every BR I've checked...the audio has been the lossless formats. If that author works for Home Theater.....he/she needs to be demoted/fired...who edits that info ?
 
I understand that Redbox either is coming to Canada, or has already landed in a few places.

In any case the last of the chain bricks and mortar rental stores pulled-up stakes months ago, so I took out a Zip.ca free 30 day trial plan and have since kept it. Same as what you have south of the 49th: pay $30 per month and get unlimited rentals by mail - three at a time (with a fourth in rotation). Since their main warehouse is here in Ottawa most discs arrive next day. I've rented close to 60 titles so far (almost 20 per month on average), and have about 80 more lined up. Basically I searched through their entire catalogue and added everything I wanted (classics, criterion, concerts, etc. - Blu-ray and DVD) to my ZipList. Once I've gone through that list I'll probably drop the membership because Zip.ca also has the equivalent of Redbox (stocked with DVD and BD) which I use for new releases (thus not holding up my ZipList) - and there's one minutes from my place at my local grocery store. It's $2 and with all the 2-for-1 coupons and "have one on us" deals it works out to $1 per rental on average.

I was hesitant to join, but both options have worked out just great so far.

And back to the origional post, I have noticed no difference between audio on Zip rentals and store bought.
 
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