DVD Demystified

174
Myth: “The Audio Level from DVD Players
Is Too Low”
People complain that the audio level from DVD players is too low. In truth,
the audio level is too high on everything else. Movie soundtracks are
extremely dynamic, ranging from near silence to intense explosions. In
order to support an increased dynamic range and hit peaks (near the 2V
RMS limit) without distortion, the average sound volume must be lower.
This is why the line level from DVD players is lower than from almost all
other sources. The volume level among DVDs varies, but it is more consistent
than on CDs and laserdiscs. If the change in volume when switching
between DVD and other audio sources is annoying, you may be able to
adjust the output signal level on the player or the input signal level on the
receiver.
Myth: “Downmixed Audio Is No Good
Because the LFE Channel Is Omitted”
The LFE channel is omitted for a good reason when Dolby Digital 5.1-channel
soundtracks are mixed down to two channels in the player. The LFE
channel is intended only for extra bass boost, since the other 5 channels
carry full-range bass. Audio systems without Dolby Digital capabilities generally
do not have speakers that can properly reproduce very low frequencies,
so the designers of Dolby Digital chose to have the decoders throw out
the LFE track to avoid muddying the sound on average home systems. Anyone
who truly cares about the LFE channel should invest in a receiver with
Dolby Digital, bass management, and a separate subwoofer output.
Myth: “DVD Lets You Watch Movies as
They Were Meant to Be Seen”
Chapter 4
This refers to DVD’s 1.78 anamorphic widescreen feature, which is close to
the most common movie aspect ratio (1.85). However, many movies have a
wider shape than widescreen TVs. Thus, even though they look much better
on a widescreen TV, they still have to be formatted to fit the less oblong
shape, usually with black bars at the top and bottom. See “Aspect Ratios” in
Chapter 3 for more information.