Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater Dolby Digital+ on Netflix streaming aweful quality

It was exciting when we first got 5.1 from some of the movies and TV shows that we stream on Netflix, through the PS3. It was even more exciting that it is Dolby Digital plus. But, as it turns out, we are not getting a high bit-rate Dolby Digital plus, like on some early Blu-Ray titles. There have been articles mentioning that the only reason that the 5.1 is in Dolby Digital plus is because it is more efficient encoding that regular Dolby Digital. I'm betting that the audio bit-rate for 5.1 is even lower than what we are used to on DVD. Furthermore, I think that they are stuffing 5.1 into the same bit-rate as the stereo that we had. What results is audio that is overly compressed dynamically that sometimes almost sounds like you have a short in your cable every few minutes. I switch back to stereo and things improve slightly. At this point, the Dolby Digital Plus on Netflix is nothing more that marketing B.S. I always just choose the stereo option instead, since the 5.1 is that bad.

Yep. DD+ is just a more efficient coding that allows for 7.1 discrete channels in the same space that held 5.1 before. Following that, you're right they can squeeze 5.1 into not much more room than 2.0.

Even on BDs, DD+ is mostly used as a back-up for the lossless codecs, or additional languages. It allows those "extra" tracks to not take up as much room as they would in the old coding. But the goal in using it in this fashion is to keep the quality the same. Only when there is no lossless track do you see the higher bitrate mode of DD+ being used.

This is why I'm holding off of Net Flix streaming.

Visual artifacts and $hitty sound.

Hopefully they will iron out the bugs soon.

Streaming seems to be the future for subscription services. Physical media is slowly being "phased out".

(although most of the obscure stuff I'm into has not yet been made available for streaming)

I am shopping for a "downstairs" TV - and of course, I have done my homework as most of us do....SO, I already know more about the targeted tv's than the sales guys at BB and HH Gregg. I was in HH and the sales guy was trying to sell me on the internet features of the various models for just the reason you are stating. He contended - not about movies - that soon you would subscribe to your favorite channels over broadband - not just movies. I don't know how true that is but I am reasonably certain that by the time that is the case, if it is the case, that today's technology will either be obsolete or on the way out.

The sound is the only issue that I am unhappy with on the Netflix streaming. The video quality is quite good, as long as you avoid the 8pm to 10pm peak times. During those times the quality is quite bad, because everyone and their brother is streaming at that time.

I realize that the content has to "buffer" a bit before playback?

And the video resolution is not BluRay spec yet either, is it?

Also, how about the "bonus features" that are found on most dvds?"?

My girlfriend and I are going through all of Terry Gilliam's films currently via NF and the director commentary is an essential "bonus" in our domicile.

NetFlix streaming seems to be best just for instant viewing of television shows currently. Not for the true film buff.

I guess I got some waiting to do...

You'll find that more and more rental versions of films, even on disc, will not have the same features as the version purchased in stores.

I've noticed that! But NetFlix does have the good, obscure and esoteric stuff (usually foreign) from the better dvd companies like Criterion, Anchor Bay, Something Weird, Mondo Video, etc. They always have tons of extras (and great film transfers).

Now if you like mainstream crap like Transformers or those horrid Disney "products" you do usually have to suffer through lot's of trailers (of the "straight-to-video" variety) before the movie even starts. And forget about any decent "extras".

I wish Criterion did all the great American films. They do amazing work.

No need to suffer through the trailers, just rip the movie to a new disc with out all the annoying previews

All I get when I stream is stereo, didn't know DD+ was out there yet. I use streaming for old/hard to get movies (Akira Kurosawa, etc.) I want instantly, mostly use netflix to get blu rays sent to my house that I wouldnt want to buy. What movies have DD+, I use XBOX360 to stream, must I change a setting on that I am unaware of?