There are no mastering differences between the AC-3 mono track on the Sony blu-ray and the PCM mono track on the Criterion blu-ray.
The 5.1 remix isn't bad by any means, but there is some incomplete separation of the dialogue from the music/effects, so the dialogue leaks a bit beyond the center channel and thus has a bit of a garbled quality. The mono mix is excellent, however, and offers clearer and more focused-sounding dialogue. Only a few of the action scenes sound like they were given much attention for the 5.1, anyway, and the dialogue-driven scenes (i.e. most of the film) sound better on the mono. You can sync the Criterion audio to the Sony blu-ray with a -13013ms delay.
The 5.1 remix isn't bad by any means, but there is some incomplete separation of the dialogue from the music/effects, so the dialogue leaks a bit beyond the center channel and thus has a bit of a garbled quality. The mono mix is excellent, however, and offers clearer and more focused-sounding dialogue. Only a few of the action scenes sound like they were given much attention for the 5.1, anyway, and the dialogue-driven scenes (i.e. most of the film) sound better on the mono. You can sync the Criterion audio to the Sony blu-ray with a -13013ms delay.
Will you be comparing the UHD mono? I hear its been remastered by Sony.
ReplyDeleteWill you be updating the Analog LD I sent you?
ReplyDeleteI wonder whether a VHS might be worth trying given the Citizen Kane discovery?
I've added it now - sorry for the wait.
DeleteBased on what can be heard from some captured samples of the 1999 and 1983 VHS tapes that have been shared on YouTube, I don't think their masterings differ from their LD counterparts.