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I just watched the new Casablanca SE DVD, and the sound is in DD 1.0.
Granted, the film was produced in 1942 and was filmed in mono, but so
was Disney's Snow White (produced 5 years earlier). However, the
Platinum release of Snow White is DD 5.1 and sounds simply AMAZING.

Since it is obviously possible to transcode a mono soundtrack to DD
5.1 (after all, Disney did it!), was Warner Bros. simply cutting
costs, or is there an inherent reason as to why the film was left mono
for this DVD? At least with the Platinum Snow White release, you have
the option of listening to the film in mono if you prefer to listen to
that film the way it was originally screened in 1937.

In Casablanca, I personally would want have wanted the back speakers
active when the airplane flies overhead or with general background
crowd noise in Rick's club during much of the dialog to give it a
realistic feeling of actually being in the night club.

Besides this relatively minor gripe, I thought that the film transfer
was amazingly beautiful and a thorough pleasure to watch.

BTW, Roger Ebert's commentary track was very enjoyable. He gave a lot
of anecdotal information behind the making of the film that I didn't
know before. ****1/2 out of *****.

-Junior

On 12 Aug 2003 08:00:26 -0700, (unclejr) wrote:

>I just watched the new Casablanca SE DVD, and the sound is in DD 1.0.
>Granted, the film was produced in 1942 and was filmed in mono, but so
>was Disney's Snow White (produced 5 years earlier). However, the
>Platinum release of Snow White is DD 5.1 and sounds simply AMAZING.
>
>Since it is obviously possible to transcode a mono soundtrack to DD
>5.1 (after all, Disney did it!), was Warner Bros. simply cutting
>costs, or is there an inherent reason as to why the film was left mono
>for this DVD? At least with the Platinum Snow White release, you have
>the option of listening to the film in mono if you prefer to listen to
>that film the way it was originally screened in 1937.
>
>In Casablanca, I personally would want have wanted the back speakers
>active when the airplane flies overhead or with general background
>crowd noise in Rick's club during much of the dialog to give it a
>realistic feeling of actually being in the night club.
>
>Besides this relatively minor gripe, I thought that the film transfer
>was amazingly beautiful and a thorough pleasure to watch.
>
>BTW, Roger Ebert's commentary track was very enjoyable. He gave a lot
>of anecdotal information behind the making of the film that I didn't
>know before. ****1/2 out of *****.
>
>-Junior

I find it interesting that people who complain bitterly about films
not being released in the original aspect ratio are perfectly happy
with tarted up "fake" soundtracks. Maybe they should put the colorized
version on the disc, too. Casablanca was recorded and released in
monoraul sound. That's how it should be experienced.

John Harkness

On Tue, 12 Aug 2003 11:42:59 -0400, John Harkness <>
wrote:

>On 12 Aug 2003 08:00:26 -0700, (unclejr) wrote:
>
>>I just watched the new Casablanca SE DVD, and the sound is in DD 1.0.
>>Granted, the film was produced in 1942 and was filmed in mono, but so
>>was Disney's Snow White (produced 5 years earlier). However, the
>>Platinum release of Snow White is DD 5.1 and sounds simply AMAZING.
>>
>>Since it is obviously possible to transcode a mono soundtrack to DD
>>5.1 (after all, Disney did it!), was Warner Bros. simply cutting
>>costs, or is there an inherent reason as to why the film was left mono
>>for this DVD? At least with the Platinum Snow White release, you have
>>the option of listening to the film in mono if you prefer to listen to
>>that film the way it was originally screened in 1937.
>>
>>In Casablanca, I personally would want have wanted the back speakers
>>active when the airplane flies overhead or with general background
>>crowd noise in Rick's club during much of the dialog to give it a
>>realistic feeling of actually being in the night club.
>>
>>Besides this relatively minor gripe, I thought that the film transfer
>>was amazingly beautiful and a thorough pleasure to watch.
>>
>>BTW, Roger Ebert's commentary track was very enjoyable. He gave a lot
>>of anecdotal information behind the making of the film that I didn't
>>know before. ****1/2 out of *****.
>>
>>-Junior
>
>I find it interesting that people who complain bitterly about films
>not being released in the original aspect ratio are perfectly happy
>with tarted up "fake" soundtracks. Maybe they should put the colorized
>version on the disc, too. Casablanca was recorded and released in
>monoraul sound. That's how it should be experienced.

And Snow White is a musical, Casablanca is not. I berlieve Snow White
was recorded using the multiple-stem system, where different elements
were recorded on different optical tracks. That would lend itself to
stereo or surround sound mastering.

. Steve .
>
>John Harkness

>
> I find it interesting that people who complain bitterly about films
> not being released in the original aspect ratio are perfectly happy
> with tarted up "fake" soundtracks. Maybe they should put the colorized
> version on the disc, too. Casablanca was recorded and released in
> monoraul sound. That's how it should be experienced.
>
> John Harkness

Exactly...

Not that I don't mind 5.1 remixes on old films but put the original
track there as well. And if it's one or the other, original sound format
should be it.

Unlike JAWS, who's totally transformed 5.1 soundtrack with different
sound effects was the only choice available, the DVD is incomplete to me
without an original soundtrack choice.


Mike

John Harkness <> wrote...
> I find it interesting that people who complain bitterly about films
> not being released in the original aspect ratio are perfectly happy
> with tarted up "fake" soundtracks. Maybe they should put the colorized
> version on the disc, too. Casablanca was recorded and released in
> monoraul sound. That's how it should be experienced.

I would hardly call my comments about the sound of the new Casablanca
DVD as "complain(ing) bitterly." However, YMMV, I suppose.

-Junior

unclejr <> wrote in message
news: om...
> I just watched the new Casablanca SE DVD, and the sound is in DD 1.0.
> Granted, the film was produced in 1942 and was filmed in mono, but so
> was Disney's Snow White (produced 5 years earlier). However, the
> Platinum release of Snow White is DD 5.1 and sounds simply AMAZING.
>
> Since it is obviously possible to transcode a mono soundtrack to DD
> 5.1 (after all, Disney did it!), was Warner Bros. simply cutting
> costs, or is there an inherent reason as to why the film was left mono
> for this DVD? At least with the Platinum Snow White release, you have
> the option of listening to the film in mono if you prefer to listen to
> that film the way it was originally screened in 1937.
>
> In Casablanca, I personally would want have wanted the back speakers
> active when the airplane flies overhead or with general background
> crowd noise in Rick's club during much of the dialog to give it a
> realistic feeling of actually being in the night club.
>
> Besides this relatively minor gripe, I thought that the film transfer
> was amazingly beautiful and a thorough pleasure to watch.
>
> BTW, Roger Ebert's commentary track was very enjoyable. He gave a lot
> of anecdotal information behind the making of the film that I didn't
> know before. ****1/2 out of *****.
>
> -Junior

How much better is the transfer compared to the first WB dvd issue?

On 12 Aug 2003 15:58:03 -0700, (unclejr) wrote:

>John Harkness <> wrote...
>> I find it interesting that people who complain bitterly about films
>> not being released in the original aspect ratio are perfectly happy
>> with tarted up "fake" soundtracks. Maybe they should put the colorized
>> version on the disc, too. Casablanca was recorded and released in
>> monoraul sound. That's how it should be experienced.
>
>I would hardly call my comments about the sound of the new Casablanca
>DVD as "complain(ing) bitterly." However, YMMV, I suppose.
>
>-Junior

You're personalizing, and you should get some reading skills. I didn't
describe your comments on Casablanca's sound as "complaining
bitterly"/

"Michael Rogers" <> wrote
> The DVD player can only supply the color signal to either the component
> connection or the composite connection. Not both at the same time.

Um, what DVD player do you have?
My Sony can supply color to all 3 signals a the same time (component,
S-Video, composite)

>
> So, if I have the color signal supllied to component, the composite
> signal will be black and white.
>

?