As we know, the upcoming Jurassic Park DVD will be released in several version, one of them being that it is bundled with the score CD. Now I've never heard anything of an expanded release, and I don't think there will be one, but I'd just want to be 100% sure that this is exactly the same disc as the one I already own, so I can simply go on and order the single, plain Jurassic Park DVD without anything else.

I've pre-ordered both (JP and LW) by themselves.

But I did order the Toy Story Toy Box (3-disc set).

Clay G.

Only one more track would certainly be worth it if it's the T-Rex Car Chase music. Extremely limited? Hm.

Again: Are you certain?

The collector's CDs are the same as the original releases, only the artwork is copied from the incredibly cheesy new DVD.

Thanks to all. And don't forget: Reportedly (reportedly - it may be wrong, I only read it in a review) the DTS disc sounds EXACTLY THE SAME as the DD version, but has fewer extras. Maybe the reviewer was only deaf, I guess I'll wait for more advance reviews.

Any self respecting fan of the music will already have the CDs, so with the DVDs you may as well just get the (widescreen) Dolby Digital Collectors Editions, or the DTS versions with fewer supplemental treats. I'd love the film in anamorphic, but with the DD and DTS DVDs sounding near identical I doubt either will be a patch on the full 1509kbps DTS Laserdisc I have, which is a shame... Not that the LDs look bad, far from it, its just that I cant understand the dumbing down of sound and extras on DVD.

The fact is, DTS can sound better, and it can also sound no different the Dolby Digital and I know this from past experience in DTS Laserdisc collection and subsequently DVDs.

DTS DVDs dont impress me though, you can shout Pvt Ryan and Haunting at me until you're blue in the face, but since they were struck from enitrely different 6-track masters then the DD versions its unfair to do so... DTS just dont cut it on DVD with its half bitrates and allowance to let companies other then DTS to handle the codec on discs. Bah!

Dan (UK)

PS: Let me explain some things. Jurassic Park was always a DTS only release, so its likely only one 6 track master was created. A Dolby Digital version never came to light until the debut of a DD 5.1 LD a year or so after the DTS Laserdisc appeared and there was little difference in tracks then, so the news of the DVDs being little different in sonic performance does not surprise me.

Now, you can either go for the DD with the more extras, or still feel a little bit more at home knowing you've got more bits pumping out in the audio with the DTS, that said, both JP DTS discs are at the bloody half bitrate which I am not a fan of.

I doubt either DVD will mach the DTS Laserdiscs as I have said (the DD DVD apparently does not even meet the impact of the DD LD for that matter) so the choice is really yours as regardless, the DVDs will still produce stellar soundtracks.

Also, the reviews state the differences are there with the DVDs, but they're just not as obvious as one would hope hence there being little merit in buying the DTS. Whatever the case the DTS is still pumping out a higher bittrate, which may sway some people.

They dont create new 6 track masters for Laserdisc and DVD home releases. What is requried is re-adjustment of audio levels so that everything plays more soundly in the home and you dont blow your speakers. That said, it is knowledge that many LDs (especially DTS ones) were not re-jigged for home release which may explain the additionaly clarity in presentation of laserdisc 5.1 audio. Some stunning examples would be The Phantom Menace DD EX, Casper DTS, Jurassic Park DTS and Saving Pvt Ryan DD laserdisc releases...

DTS LDs and the first wave of DTS DVDs all clocked in at the proper 1509kbps rate, as did soem latter DTS DVDs (Galaxy Quest and Twister for example), however you could still compare Apollo 13 or Dragonheart from that first wave of DTS DVDs to their DTS LD counterparts and still notice the LDs were superior and you could put this down to the analogue of LD vs digital of DVD debate... I would!

Now Dolby can be pushed to round about 458kbps or there abouts, its 400 something or maybe even the low 500s, I forget so when you compare that to the FULL 1509kbps rates of DTS then there's good reasoning as to why you'll be hearing superior clarity in the audio presentation. With the 798kbps DTS rate, introduced with Pvt Ryan DVD the gap between the Dolby and original DTS is lowered and you cant help but think that something is going to be missing in the reduction, and imho I think there is.

But getting back to the point, yes most DD/DTS releases will come from the same 6 track master.

Dan (UK)

NP: Oh Brother Where Art Thou (3.5/4)