Mi Casa: Hellboy II to be Universal's first 7.1 DTS-MA release ?!?

[TheLion]

Good old Mi Casa Multimedia does the nearfield mixing and mastering of this soundtrack in 7.1

http://www.micasamm.com/newsite/

This is a very strong (although not quite conclusive) indication that we can expect this to be the first Universal BD-release with a 7.1 DTS-MA track.

Talking about Mi Casa - the interesting question will be if Warner adapts 7.1 tracks at least for their "Newline-releases" in the future (Mi Casa already did a 7.1 mix for the upcoming Frequency BD release) or if they just continue "to do what they do" - serving us following the golden lowest common denominator principle...

This decision will above all have implications for upcoming LotR releases.

[Shane Martin]

Talking about Mi Casa - the interesting question will be if Warner adapts 7.1 tracks at least for their "Newline-releases" in the future (Mi Casa already did a 7.1 mix for the upcoming Frequency BD release) or if they just continue "to do what they do" - serving us following the golden lowest common denominator principle...

Allegedly Sex and the City will be Dolby true HD 5.1 so I highly doubt we'll see any future DTS MA mixes on New Line discs.

[wormraper]

Originally Posted by Shane Martin

Allegedly Sex and the City will be Dolby true HD 5.1 so I highly doubt we'll see any future DTS MA mixes on New Line discs.

Hellboy II is universal not New Line.

[mdc3000]

^He knows that, he's commenting on the remark about future New Line discs, not Hellboy II. Can't wait for HBII on blu-ray, loved that movie.

[GizmoDVD]

Originally Posted by Shane Martin

Allegedly Sex and the City will be Dolby true HD 5.1 so I highly doubt we'll see any future DTS MA mixes on New Line discs.

Not true.

Many Newline catalog titles will still include DTS MA if they were working on them/finished them before Warner. Nightmare on Elm Street will probably have one. There was a list floating around last year with about a dozen Newline catalog titles with DTS MA...so far all have come out. Blow was not on that list (hence a TrueHD track).

[TheLion]

Originally Posted by Shane Martin

Allegedly Sex and the City will be Dolby true HD 5.1 so I highly doubt we'll see any future DTS MA mixes on New Line discs.

You are right about Warner's DTS-MA ambitions but that has nothing to do with Mi Casa's mixes.

The point is: New Line has been Mi Casa's primary client for 7.1 re-mixes. When Warner took over direct control over New Line's assets they obviously were not amused. HB II maybe an indication that Universal is using Mi Casa's services on select titles. The Warner/New Line situation is too soon call.

Why do I care? I enjoyed almost any Mi Casa 7.1 remix up until now - they generally do a very fine job IMHO. Before the "Warner fiasco" we could have expected almost any New Line release to come with such an remixed audio track - certainly including LotR. Now Warner may bless us with 16bit TrueHD 5.1 tracks instead - if we are lucky

Here is hope that Universal sees the light.

[MSmith83]

It seems that Mi Casa has had a working relationship with Guillermo del Toro, so I wonder if that's why Universal is utilizing their services for this particular title.

[TheLion]

Originally Posted by MSmith83

It seems that Mi Casa has had a working relationship with Guillermo del Toro, so I wonder if that's why Universal is utilizing their services for this particular title.

"working relationship" ? - are you just referring to the Pan's Labyrinth HDM release?

[MSmith83]

Originally Posted by TheLion

"working relationship" ? - are you just referring to the Pan's Labyrinth HDM release?

No, I'm referring to the picture of him in Mi Casa's photo album for the work done on Blade II.

[MSmith83]

Originally Posted by GizmoDVD

Not true.

He may be right about Sex and the City, although your comment may not be reflecting that. While the press notes have stated that it will have a DTS-HD MA track, the recently released back cover indicates otherwise.

[GizmoDVD]

Originally Posted by MSmith83

He may be right about Sex and the City, although your comment may not be reflecting that. While the press notes have stated that it will have a DTS-HD MA track, the recently released back cover indicates otherwise.

Sorry, thought we were talking about Newline in general. I expect to see DTS MA on some catalog titles for a while.

[MSmith83]

I hope so. I'm a big fan of some of Mi Casa's work, and it shouldn't be too cumbersome for Warner to include both their usual offering and a Mi Casa mix into one title. It's not a wasteful situation, like when some releases presumably have two lossless tracks of the same mix.

[Imeldhil]

bout the warner-new line deal with DTS HD MA vs TrueHD.... Warner exec said late last year when they were starting to work on the LoTR movies that they would include DTS HD MA 7.1 audio. This was aWarner exec not a New Line guy. So I'll probably be so. I have no doubts in my mind that they will screw that one. Maybe it won't be 7.1 but 6.1 (since the DTS ES track is that way an upgrade like the one paramount did with top gun could be possible too).

As for the rest.... I read some days ago that Sex in the City was going to be with DTS HD track but then read TrueHD so I dunno what to belive untill I see the disc itself.

As for Hellboy, it'd be great to see it in 7.1. I actually think some movies from Uni will bring 7.1 without a question (like JP saga or BTTF saga). So why not this one with an agresive mix, filled with action scenes?

[Dan Hitchman]

Why the hell is WB so anti-sound? They are all over the map with lossy DD on some titles and only 16 bit TrueHD on others with zero 7.1 remixes. Most studios have moved to lossless on all titles with many in 24 bit.

They were also late to the game about switching from 384 to 448 kilobits/sec DD.

WB is just plain weird.

[FoxyMulder]

Originally Posted by Dan Hitchman

Why the hell is WB so anti-sound? They are all over the map with lossy DD on some titles and only 16 bit TrueHD on others with zero 7.1 remixes. Most studios have moved to lossless on all titles with many in 24 bit.

They were also late to the game about switching from 384 to 448 kilobits/sec DD.

WB is just plain weird.

They want people to double dip.

[lgans316]

7.1ch sounds nice on paper but after the underwhelming mix on Rambo, Lionsgate is back with another reportedly underwhelming 7.1 mix (??) with Forbidden Kingdom.

http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/34405...n-kingdom-the/

Video artefacts : blocking & posterization/banding

Audio: Subwoofers don't get quite the workout I was expecting both the low and high ends are well represented.

Awaiting confirmation from the gurus in the audio tier thread.

[shadowrage]

I can't believe Forbidden Kingdom has blocking. But that's part of why you don't use digital video for fast motion, I thought it would just blur. I saw this one is theaters and if one thing stuck out to me it was how unimpressive the whole production was. Sound on that shouldn't be anything special. The other thing I noticed was that the kid's face was so freaking gross. They shot it with some sort of super Hi-res camera and the detail on everything was incredible /eww. On a side note the villainess was kind of hot.

Hellboy 2 will be instant audio demo material. It deserves and demands an 8ch track. Good pick Uni. Del Toro's sound team and set designers and make-up artists, puppeteers, costumers, are all super kick ass.

[Franin]

Originally Posted by lgans316

7.1ch sounds nice on paper but after the underwhelming mix on Rambo, Lionsgate is back with another reportedly underwhelming 7.1 mix (??) with Forbidden Kingdom.

http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/34405...n-kingdom-the/

Video artefacts : blocking & posterization/banding

Audio: Subwoofers don't get quite the workout I was expecting both the low and high ends are well represented.

Awaiting confirmation from the gurus in the audio tier thread.

just my luck.

[Shane Martin]

7.1ch sounds nice on paper but after the underwhelming mix on Rambo, Lionsgate is back with another reportedly underwhelming 7.1 mix (??) with Forbidden Kingdom.

http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/34405...n-kingdom-the/

Video artefacts : blocking & posterization/banding

Audio: Subwoofers don't get quite the workout I was expecting both the low and high ends are well represented.

Awaiting confirmation from the gurus in the audio tier thread.

Unless the reviewer's profile has not been updated..
The reviewer doesn't even have a 7.1 system. The player he is using can only decode DTS core.

This review can't be taken seriously. Sorry. I'm not shooting the messenger here. It's would be just the same if I pointed out how good a PQ review was and the guy was only using a 480P 32" LCD.

[TheLion]

Probably not the most credible source out there but this news site (http://www.blu-news.com/) is hinting that I am on the right track -> 7.1 DTS-HD MA with the upcoming HBII Blu-Ray release.

[shadowrage]

It does have 7.1MA?!! If two movies released on home video this year demanded 7.1 24bit tracks it's HB2 and TDK(Warner ).

If you guys thought Incredible Hulk and Iron Man sounded good this will literally knock your socks off.

http://www.highdefdiscnews.com/?p=7112

Damn to get the LE or not? I'm not going to use that stuff and there's no space left for trinkets. But Del Toro's Journal?

[lgans316]

Thanks shadow the posting the review link but the present asking price of HB2 is quite steep for my pocket.

[thehun]

Originally Posted by Dan Hitchman

Why the hell is WB so anti-sound? They are all over the map with lossy DD on some titles and only 16 bit TrueHD on others with zero 7.1 remixes. Most studios have moved to lossless on all titles with many in 24 bit.

They were also late to the game about switching from 384 to 448 kilobits/sec DD.

WB is just plain weird.

They not anti-sound, they just anti-DTS, but their spotty lossless record is certainly an eyebrow raiser.

[GizmoDVD]

Originally Posted by shadowrage

It does have 7.1MA?!! If two movies released on home video this year demanded 7.1 24bit tracks it's HB2 and TDK(Warner ).

I got my copy yesterday and I beleive it said 7.1 DTS MA. I only glanced at it though...nice lenticul cover though.

[shamus]

Originally Posted by GizmoDVD

I got my copy yesterday and I beleive it said 7.1 DTS MA. I only glanced at it though...nice lenticul cover though.

IGN is giving it a 10/10 for audio and video. Do you agree?

http://dvd.ign.com/articles/926/926089p1.html

[FilmMixer]

Originally Posted by MSmith83

It seems that Mi Casa has had a working relationship with Guillermo del Toro, so I wonder if that's why Universal is utilizing their services for this particular title.

That is exactly the reason they got the work... it was by his personal request. I know this for a fact.

[GizmoDVD]

Originally Posted by shamus

IGN is giving it a 10/10 for audio and video. Do you agree?

http://dvd.ign.com/articles/926/926089p1.html

I plan on watching it this weekend so I'll let you know. There are reviews up at other sites as well giving it near perfect marks.

[FilmMixer]

Originally Posted by lgans316

7.1ch sounds nice on paper but after the underwhelming mix on Rambo, Lionsgate is back with another reportedly underwhelming 7.1 mix (??) with Forbidden Kingdom.

Mi Casa does a great job promoting their services... they have a business model, and a business to run, that requires as much, and as you can see by their client list, the studios haven't embraced their ideas whole heartedly.

However, the titles that they prep for home video are only as good as the mix that we create before they get them... they like to pat them selves on the back about how they save us poor film guys from ourselves, but I think we're doing ok on our own...

As a matter of fact, in the Audio Tier Thread, not one of the reference titles went through Mi Casa...

If you only think it's going to be good because it's 7.1, or because it went through Mi Casa, you might find your self disappointed in some situations...

I know the sound designers and mixers that did "Hellboy 2..."

It's a great piece of work. Mi Casa or not.

[shamus]

Originally Posted by GizmoDVD

I plan on watching it this weekend so I'll let you know. There are reviews up at other sites as well giving it near perfect marks.

Thanks Gizmo.

[thehun]

Originally Posted by FilmMixer

Mi Casa does a great job promoting their services... they have a business model, and a business to run, that requires as much, and as you can see by their client list, the studios haven't embraced their ideas whole heartedly.

However, the titles that they prep for home video are only as good as the mix that we create before they get them... they like to pat them selves on the back about how they save us poor film guys from ourselves, but I think we're doing ok on our own...

As a matter of fact, in the Audio Tier Thread, not one of the reference titles went through Mi Casa...

If you only think it's going to be good because it's 7.1, or because it went through Mi Casa, you might find your self disappointed in some situations...

I know the sound designers and mixers that did "Hellboy 2..."

It's a great piece of work. Mi Casa or not.

Just out of curiosity which are on the list [any tier] that are Mi Casa? If you don't wanna post it here you can PM me, I won't repeat it anywhere if you don't want me to.