Page 1 of 5.1 / DTS

Could somebody tell me the differance if any between 5.1/DTS and SUPERBIT or is it a trade name that Columbia use. But if that is the case, how come you can buy gladiator (2000) 5.1/DTS and you can also buy gladiator (2000) SUPERBIT 5.1/DTS. If it is not the case, do other studios have an equivalent to SUPERBIT. Hope this does not sound to confusing.

Superbit is encoded using up much more space and thus giving a better picture and better sound, supposedly. I doubt it mkaes any difference to the standard DVD bod, hardcore dudes may argue differently. With this in mind, there is no room for any special features because of the space the high bit rate has taken up.

Whilst It`s true that the image may benefit from the additional disc-space allocated to it, the audio uses the exact same FIXED rates as conventional discs (448kbps DD & 754kbps DTS). So, assuming they use the same masters as the original releases, there`s no audio gain on Superbit versions of old discs... In fact, the best audio possible for DVD movies (1509kbps DTS) is only available on NON Superbit titles! (like Galaxy Quest, Twister and numerous Japanese discs)...

I`d also like to pick up on a common mistake that mail order websites make. They often label things as 5.1/DTS, meaning that it has both Dolby and DTS tracks. Well, DTS also has 5.1 channels (or 6.1 if it`s ES), while Dolby can be anything from mono to 5.1. Annoys me that one.

There is some gain on certain Superbit titles, in that the earlier releases of many of the discs didn`t have DTS. Personally I think Superbit is nothing more than a marketing gimmick. All releases should/could be Superbit, if they just put the film on one disc and the extras on another.

The DTS track on R3 Battle Royal uses the higher bitrate though, and that is awesome!