[Released] The Manchurian Candidate (1962) Criterion BD Mono & Commentary Synced to Kino UHD

[axeyou]

Moshrom/Blah-ray has previously concluded that the Criterion BD's mono sounded the best: https://blah-ray.blogspot.com/2016/09/th...-1962.html

I've examined Kino UHD's 2.0. It's a split-L/R-stereo (best label in the world huh). After inverting the R-channel and downmixing to 1.0, the result looks busy as hell instead of a flat-line:



Inputs:

• Criterion mono: PCM, 1.0 mono, 1152 kbps, 48 kHz, 24-bit
  
• Criterion commentary: AC-3, 1.0 mono, 192 kbps, 48 kHz
  

Outputs:

• Criterion mono: FLAC, 1.0 mono, 608 kbps, 48 kHz, 24-bit
  
• Criterion commentary: FLAC, 1.0 mono, 233 kbps, 48 kHz, 16-bit
  

Notes on the sync:

• Kino UHD is presented in 24 fps, while Criterion BD is 23.976 fps as usual. I've sped up both tracks from Criterion with SoX.
  
• Kino UHD and the Criterion BD are frame-accurate. The only difference is Criterion having an extra 715 frames at the beginning. At 24 fps, this translates to a delay of -29792ms.
  
• Kino UHD opens with a silent OG United Artist logo. Criterion BD opens with a new UA-MGM logo, then the MGM lion. I've trimmed the sound in both parts, and on both the film's audio and the commentary.
  
• Fortunately on the commentary, Frankenheimer doesn't start talking until the film starts. So nothing is lost by trimming the extra 29792ms. Additionally, he finishes just as the film ends.
  

PM me for a link. Enjoy!

[axeyou]

I had completely forgotten that Kino includes the same commentary already on their disc. Spectrograms below. I roughly sampled the two by flipping between them, and thought Frankenheimer's voice had a liitle more low-end on Kino, but Criterion's high frequencies sounded much clearer. When Frankenheimer isn't speaking, e.g. around 01:30:10, you can hear the hiss on Criterion's track but not on Kino's. As a result, Kino sounds more muffled in these segments. I think I prefer Criterion's presentation.

Kino:


Criterion (synced and +1db to roughly match level):