Anybody from the sound mixing industry watched the BD yet? ...especially who if familiar with the cinema mix? I was alerted by a friend who is, but didn't see it in theaaters, who pointed out a number of problems with the BD mix. I thought he was just being anal, but since I have a screening event with guests tomorrow night, I checked it out. I think my friend is right.
First, the mix is really hot! That's not necessarily a deal-breaker, but consider the actions sequences. The average level in the action sequences is so high that there is no dynamic range/room left for impactful events such as crashes or bangs, etc. That's not a big deal, but just means that it could have been mixed such that it is more impactful. The overall hot level of the mix creates another problem I'll get to below.
Secondly, I found the dialogue bloated in the lower mid-range throughout. At worst it makes dialogue even a bit hard to understand, and at best it is a distraction (seeming un-natural). It takes some analysis to understand why it seemed this way on my system in my room (Audyssey Pro calibrated in large room). My theory is that not only is the mix hot, but the EQ is jacked up a bit from the mid-range down for the BD release. Here is the path of my analysis. I use Dynamic EQ. As you must all know, DEQ is based on a level calibration at THX reference which is the reference for cinema mixes as well. Presuming your system calibration is reasonably accurate and the BD mix is reasonably near 0dB, Dynamic EQ can apply its effect as designed. If a mix (or non-film source) is significantly hotter than reference, then DEQ will be applying its curve too heavily for the volume level you have chosen. Of course, this would not be true if you listened with your volume control at 0dB (reference). I don't listen at 0dB, so DEQ is compounding the mid-range and down.
If this was only below 80Hz, I'd have no problem with this. But since it invades the dialogue, it is quite troublesome. The obvious alternative is to turn off Dynamic EQ. That is what I did, and it "solved" the problem. Without DEQ, Skyfall sounds like most other movies with DEQ on in my room. That is why I have the theory that they have monkyed with the EQ for the BD release.
So, I guess this is a heads-up...just in case you experience the same impression in your room.
BTW, the new Audyssey feature of DEQ offset is designed to be used with hot sources. I use -10dB of DEQ offset for music sources which run hotter than music mixes. Since the level of the Skyfall mix is so non-standard, it makes finding something (a "fix") that works rather subjective. I thought that a DEQ offset of -10dB might work, but DEQ turned off sounds more like other modern mixes to me...with DEQ on. My $.02 worth.
