Atmos/DTS:X Demo Worthy Films

16979 Views 32 Replies 23 Participants Last post by RG3, 4 mo ago

Swolzee

Discussion Starter · Jul 14, 2021 (Edited)

I'm trying to compile a list of some good height/ceiling channel mixed titles. Up-mixes are fine too it doesn't have to be exclusively Atmos or DTS:X.

Here's the catch. I'm looking for films (this is for demo purposes so just scenes work as well) with subtle effects like ambiance, directional sounds, panning, things that reveal nuanced detail and clarity not just explosion's and bombastic action.

There's a movie series that I never see mentioned when people talk about demo worthy audio that fits this type that I'm looking for as well as the action filled realm and has to be the most overlooked audio demo out there. The 4k Harry Potter collection. These films have the best panning and directional effects I have yet to hear in my theater.
For directional effects this is my #1 film/s. I would need to make notes to really decide which one specific film of this series best represents this if I had to narrow it down but they're all great.

Clearly I wouldn't be asking for opinions if I thought I had heard everything worth being represented, but all the same out of what I have heard I will list my top 3 which will also help serve as a reference. I look forward to hearing everyone's thoughts.

#1 - Harry Potter 4k collection
#2 - The Invisible Man
#3 - A Quiet Place

Reactions: 2

1 - 20 of 33 Posts

rekbones

· #2 · Jul 14, 2021

Both Blade Runner (ATMOS release) and Blade Runner 2049 have very good Height effects throughout the whole movie.

Reactions: 3

Jeremy Anderson

· #3 · Jul 14, 2021

Doctor Sleep has incredible ambient sound throughout, as well as a few standout scenes with Atmos panning (particularly when Rose The Hat tries to invade Abra's mind).

For some nice subtle overhead, the scene in Fantastic Beasts where messages are being sent through tubes in the ceiling is outstanding.

The House With A Clock In Its Walls is beginning to end a great movie for ambient sound and panning (with some bombast when needed).

Reactions: 4

sdurani

· #4 · Jul 14, 2021

IT, parts 1 and 2.

Reactions: 2

Gundamexia

· #5 · Jul 14, 2021

Gravity I believe is the best example of how 3D audio should be done!

Reactions: 5

engineer0928

· #6 · Jul 14, 2021

I don't have Atmos, just a pretty standard 5.1. I watched Soul (Pixar) last December and remember being blown away by some of the effects. It's also a pretty musical movie that I thought sounded good all around.

Reactions: 1

Mattopotamus

· #7 · Jul 14, 2021

Ready Player One (first car race)
Tenet (opening scene)

Reactions: 1

tokerblue

· #8 · Jul 14, 2021

Mad Max: Fury Road
Transformers: Age of Extinction
Guardians of the Galaxy 2

Swolzee

Discussion Starter · #9 · Jul 14, 2021

Mattopotamus said:
Ready Player One (first car race)
Tenet (opening scene)

I need to give Ready Player One another watch just for the demo qualities. As an enjoyer of the book I didn't however like the movie but I have seen this title pop up in these kind of discussions time and again.

Tenet's opening is my go-to demo track.
#thebestnolanopeningsceneever

Neither of which are subtle or nuanced lol.

JD NC

· #10 · Jul 14, 2021

Avengers Endgame, Cap vs. Thanos

Swolzee

Discussion Starter · #11 · Jul 15, 2021

JD NC said:
Avengers Endgame, Cap vs. Thanos

This is a very interesting one.

Every time I watch a Disney movie the audio mix just seems lackluster. I always have to turn it up but the mix itself tends to be rather uniform in nature. Nothing really seems to stand out almost like I'm watching on a TV listening through its speakers.

Is this an actual thing, can anyone confirm deny or clarify this?

Reactions: 2

Jedi_Mike

· #12 · Jul 15, 2021 (Edited)

Baby Driver. Not only does it have great Atmos effects, many of them subtle, but also the soundtrack is a key component of the story itself. One of my favorite scenes is where Baby puts his headphones on and you can hear the music move to his in-perspective ears, while Kevin Spacey is speaking on center screen (muffled, of course. Baby has headphones on). As you watch the movie, note how often the Foley effects in the movie (like car doors closing) are in time with the music.

Reactions: 1

Jedi_Mike

· #13 · Jul 15, 2021

Swolzee said:
This is a very interesting one.

Every time I watch a Disney movie the audio mix just seems lackluster. I always have to turn it up but the mix itself tends to be rather uniform in nature. Nothing really seems to stand out almost like I'm watching on a TV listening through its speakers.

Is this an actual thing, can anyone confirm deny or clarify this?

Do you mean, watching the films streamed on Disney+ ? Or also UHD Blu-ray's for franchises that are owned by Disney? I find the Disney+ streamed movies to be a bit compressed, lacking in punch, especially Star Wars, but I do still hear directional effects.

Swolzee

Discussion Starter · #14 · Jul 15, 2021

Jedi_Mike said:
Do you mean, watching the films streamed on Disney+ ? Or also UHD Blu-ray's for franchises that are owned by Disney? I find the Disney+ streamed movies to be a bit compressed, lacking in punch, especially Star Wars, but I do still hear directional effects.

Everything I'm referring to has been watched on physical 4k blu-ray using a UB820.
The only thing I watch on streaming are things that haven't yet been released on physical like The Mandalorian and The Witcher, things like that.

I do want to watch Baby Driver. I like Guy Ritchie films, and Mad Men is my favorite TV series of all time so of course I love Jon Hamm. It's been on my to-watch list I'll have to bump it to the top.

Tinysota

· #15 · Jul 15, 2021 (Edited)

Check out the DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track of Disney’s Planes (2013) for some never-ending panning action- this is an extremely underrated home theater movie IMO. There are some more subtle effects here in the form of pinpoint dialogue placement

Enovare

· #16 · Jul 15, 2021

Gravity the Diamond Luxe Adition. The standard for demo-worthy ATMOS and 7.1.4

Reactions: 1

Expidia

· #17 · Jul 15, 2021

Swolzee said:
This is a very interesting one.

Every time I watch a Disney movie the audio mix just seems lackluster. I always have to turn it up but the mix itself tends to be rather uniform in nature. Nothing really seems to stand out almost like I'm watching on a TV listening through its speakers.

Is this an actual thing, can anyone confirm deny or clarify this?

My vote goes for Ready Player One and as another poster has said especially the opening race!

On the Disney volume, I don't use their streaming service but HBOmax volume is very low compared to other streaming services. Even on 60 db's I have to turn it up to like 70 and then I forget to turn it down again and switch over to Netflix and I get blasted by Netflix's higher volume. HBOMax has definite volume issues. Hopefully, they will correct this soon with a future update.

JD NC

· #18 · Jul 15, 2021

Swolzee said:
This is a very interesting one.

Every time I watch a Disney movie the audio mix just seems lackluster. I always have to turn it up but the mix itself tends to be rather uniform in nature. Nothing really seems to stand out almost like I'm watching on a TV listening through its speakers.

Is this an actual thing, can anyone confirm deny or clarify this?

Disney+ is definitely flatter, and you need to turn it up louder, but it still comes through on the stream, good enough that I was convinced to upgrade my Blu ray copy to UHD. Which was well worth it - the UHD version is significantly better.

Reactions: 1

JD NC

· #19 · Jul 15, 2021

Expidia said:
My vote goes for Ready Player One and as another poster has said especially the opening race!

On the Disney volume, I don't use their streaming service but HBOmax volume is very low compared to other streaming services. Even on 60 db's I have to turn it up to like 70 and then I forget to turn it down again and switch over to Netflix and I get blasted by Netflix's higher volume. HBOMax has definite volume issues. Hopefully, they will correct this soon with a future update.

Ready player one has some great effects in the race scene and the final battle, but it's definitely not subtle

I've heard Annabelle Creation has some creepy overhead effects of the doll skittering around in the attic, but I haven't seen it so I can't confirm.

Expidia

· #20 · Jul 15, 2021 (Edited)

JD NC said:
Ready player one has some great effects in the race scene and the final battle, but it's definitely not subtle I've heard Annabelle Creation has some creepy overhead effects of the doll skittering around in the attic, but I haven't seen it so I can't confirm.

To be honest, after spending like $12k building my living room home theater set up I've noticed the Dolby Surround setting on the streaming services sound just as good as when the movie "is not" an Atmos streamed movie separation around the room wise. True they can't give you the obect based up high sounds, but a plane or jet flying from back to front is still very impressive in just Dolby surround. Shows how sub par the streaming service's Atmos selections are to date.

But the OP is asking for reference type movies and has not specified DVD or streaming. Listening to Atmos tracks on a DVD is night and day to the streaming Atmos product the streaming services are currently putting out.

This is why I've collected 30 or so 4k UHD Atmos reference type DVD's, so far.
Check out the Atmos DVD players on Amazon. It's shocking how much they are now charging for an Atmos DVD player for which DVD's are sure to be a dying medium. I think I recently read Best Buy stores no longer have a display of Atmos DVD's near the front of their stores like they used too?

Hopefully, this will change as streaming will be the product of choice for watching Atmos movies eventually.
I remember waiting 2-3 years for Netflix to finally start streaming movies in Dolby audio.

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