The Official List of Blu-ray Rental Discs With Lossy Audio (FACTS ONLY, PLEASE)

Thanks for starting this. The link is not working for me, but maybe I am doing something wrong?

Mark

Wouldn't it be easier and more concise to simply list the studios participating in this sham practice, and what release date it started?

It worked at home, so it was my work computer that did not allow me to see it.

Mark

Thanks for this list. Anyone mind if I clean it up?

Awesome list thanks!!!

Am I correct in assuming that the premise is that while these BluRay discs are only available with lossy audio in rental form, they are available with lossless audio for purchase?

Cal68

Expendables 2, supposedly has a soundtrack that is made for 11.x, although they are not 11 discreet channels, yeah, I know, it's some gimmickry but since I just got a AVR that has the NeoX 11.2 and upgraded to 11 speakers and 2 subs I was looking forward to hearing this set up with the over the top action scenes.  The Netflix BR was DD 5.1, the only other audio choice was Spanish DD 5.1 :( 

 

I don't usually purchase movies only rent, but had I known this I probably would have bought it just to hear how they utilized the height and wide channels without discreet channels.

 

On many action/sci fi  BR DTS-MA, the additonal speakers do add some really nice enveloping soundfields over my prior 7.1 set up.

Not so fast.

The basic retail edition of "Red" also only has lossy audio, just like the rental. You have to step up to the deluxe (or whatever it's called) to get lossless.

Maybe for the USA versions: my UK standard edition has DTS-HD MA 24 bit 5.1, although I don't know if they compromised on anything else to offer that soundtrack.

UK version is momentum, not the same company

Bummer! I have Expendables-2 from Netflix at home and was planning to watch it on Friday. Having seen parts of it on a really small screen on a plane, I was hoping to enjoy all the action sequences in lossless audio. Now I may be disappointed.

Is there a reason why the studios do this? It can't be whole lot more expensive to include lossless audio on the rental disc as well, so there must be some other reason. Are they hoping that we'll purchase the disc rather than renting it?

Cal68

I just read the other thread on this topic on this forum and got the answer to my question. I still say bummer!

Cal68

http://www.avsforum.com/t/1430959/netflix-bds-without-dts-hd-master-audio-dd-5-1-instead

Maybe a glimmer of hope for all us renters out there!

I just got Arbitrage from NF tonight, it's a Lionsgate flick, and it DID actually have the DTS-HD 5.1 ST on it.

Maybe it was only on there due to Arbitrage being a somewhat "weak" release, but it was still a pretty good flick. Hopefully we've seen the end of us renters getting the shaft!

That would certainly be welcome news if lionsgate reverses its absurd position on downsampling audio. I just got the netflix email stating i'll be getting "Dredd" tomorrow, which is a lionsgate release with dts 7.1. we'll see what their position remains on blockbuster releases.

Speaking of The Bourne Legacy disc, I just picked up a rental from a physical BB store. It's a distinct "rental" disc with generic printing (and "rental" clearly printed at the bottom). Fortunately, it has the lossless soundtrack intact. The funny part is that the extras content is unavailable even though the menu structure still lists the extras content (as if it the original menu from the retail disc). You just get a nasty message to buy the retail disc to see it, when you click on it. I guess this way is good from the standpoint that it still allows you to preview the presence of the extras content that you could see if you buy it (as a teaser) w/o actually showing you the content. Otoh, you still end up with that thought in your head, "You douches!"