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AMERICAN OUTLAWS Source: www.dvdfile.com Reviewed by: Wayne Rowe How Does The Disc Sound? Ah, the true star of our show, the audio. Presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 as well as (quite rare for Warner, so kudos to Morgan Creek) a DTS mix. Both of these tracks rock.The soundstage is marvelously wide with superb imaging between the front and back. The surrounds are fully engaged during every action sequence and even in some of the more intimate scenes. There is also some fantastic surrounduse with the oft-moving trains and other ambient effects. Music is powerfully reproduced across all five channels, and low end is rock solid, but truly shines with the score. Dialogue is really the only detraction as sometimes it can reverberate, ever so slightly, but its distinction from the rest of the very smooth audible ingredients can be fairly diverting of one's attention. Now, for the DD/DTS assessment. The DTS mix was recorded at 754 kbps and the Dolby at 448 kbps. One of the most active scenes is right in the beginning during the Civil War battle. Bullets whizzing by and ricocheting, horses galloping furiously, cannons firing and the like make for a great basis of comparison. The DTS track has its obvious advantages: greater sidewall imaging, tighter bass response and more distinct subtleties. However, this particular DTS track takes it a few steps more. I also compared the middle of chapter three where "Find My Baby" by Moby begins to play. In this scene the music is much more solid and spread out than in the Dolby Digital track. The low end is also even better defined. The surrounds in both scenes one and three seem more active as they give the greater appearance that more is happening all around you. The Dolby Digital track is great, but the DTS mix is superb. If it weren't for that rascally dialogue this would be close to reference quality.
The audio on the "American Outlaws" DVD is equally impressive, as we are treated to two quality audio tracks. Both the Dolby Digital 5.1 track and the DTS 5.1 track offer superior sound. We get clean dialogue with no hissing or distortion. The surround sound effects on these tracks are awesome, displaying explosions, horses, and rushing water in every speaker. The amount of bass response is great as well, adding depth to the explosions. ... both tracks sound fantastic.
Two different soundtrack mixes appear on the American Outlaws DVD. The first is in Dolby Digital 5.1... Imaging is wonderful, creating a soundfield that is active, alive and full of depth...the mix sounds great. The DTS 5.1 soundtrack, meanwhile, sounds downright fantastic! ...Panning and directional effects are every bit as aggressive, if not more so, than the Dolby mix. Bass extension is slightly improved, giving a real rumble to the cannon booms and gunshots. In general, it just sounds richer and more three-dimensional, with a fuller sound to the music and a better sense of spatiality and depth.
The DVD soundtrack is a shoot-em-up, spatially liberal audio production that is seemingly perfect for those who favor very aggressive dimensional engagement. Additionally, the general usage of dimension is remarkable, in and of itself, serving to consistently envelop the listener into a soundstage that can seem effectively expansive at times. Fidelity overall is superb, and the use of dynamic range is exemplary with the gunfire and cannon explosions. There's also, as expected, generous helpings of low-end content throughout, with rumbles extending well below 25 Hz in all channels. The .1 LFE also plays an important role in the overall experience of the low-end. The Trevor Rabin music score has been nicely recorded, with a rich, spatially expansive presence. The dialogue sounds slightly veiled, but otherwise delivers with fairly compelling spatial integration. This soundtrack presentation should also benefit from the use of back surround decoding, which helps to enhance the sense of spaciousness, as well as some directivity. Like other soundtrack comparisons, the DTS® Digital Surround version delivers with more prominence in the low-end, as well as a seemingly heightened spatial listening experience through a slightly more coherent soundstage. This is an excellent soundtrack that should certainly delight and impress those with a knack for all-out surround sound. (Perry Sun) This Disc Contains The Following WSR Superb Qualities:
To the best of my knowledge this is the first Warner title to feature a DTS track since they launched a wave more than a year ago... The track is very active and though it's not reference quality, I found it to be one of the better soundtracks that I've heard in a while. The first scene takes place during the Civil War and the surrounds are constantly in use with bullets whizzing by and explosions in the background. Dialogue is free of any distortion and the Dolby Digital sounds just as good as the DTS track here. There is also a Dolby Surround mix if you decide you can't handle the full force of the 5.1 soundtracks! Awesome sound!
American Outlaws is presented in anamorphic widescreen 1.85:1 aspect ratio...but what will really thrust you into the adventure is the DTS 5.1 Surround audio. During action scenes, gunshots are fired from every which way, fully utilizing the rear surround speakers, and the soundtrack really rocks! Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround and Dolby Digital Stereo are also options.
First and foremost, the disc is presented in Dolby DTS 5.1 and the audio is pristine!
Audio is presented in both Dolby Digital 5.1 (English and French) as well as DTS, plus Dolby 2.0 in English.
Much like the video portions of the disc, the audio is well above average. Both the DTS and Dolby 5.1 audio tracks
should give your surround sound player a hefty and through workout. Gunfire zips all around, horses stampede out of
nowhere, and things explode with the force of a dozen sticks of napalm. Between the DTS and 5.1 tracks I'd have to
recommend the 5.1 track -- for some reason I just thought it had a bit more richness to it. Once again Warner has
done an excellent job on both tracks and should be commended.
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