I think Ghostbusters is an incredibily fun film, and I was stoked when it released on Blu-ray. But to put that affection in context of another home-entertainment thrill, I started watching Ghostbusters while updating our D-BOX Motion Code receiver, and when I noticed that Ghostbusters D-BOX code was downloading, I immediately stopped the Blu-ray film and waited a full hour for every Motion Code update to finish downloading and installing.
Yes, I love D-BOX that much. I put off watching an anticipated film just so I could experience it with D-BOX Motion Code.
Believe me, the wait was painful. Ecto-1 rolling through the streets while I rocked with it in the D-BOX? Watching Ray and Egon bust ghosts while my seat swayed with the proton pack movements? I wanted to be all over it. And largely I was, once the Ghostbusters D-BOX code download completed. But whether it was my self-induced hype or some other feeling, the Ghostbusters D-BOX code didn’t quite live up to expectations.
The first experience with D-BOX Motion Code in Ghostbusters comes in the initial library scene, when the camera swings through the aisles of stacked books and the chair also swings accordingly. There are several scenes with Ecto-1, too, where the D-BOX chair movements correspond to rapid turns around a downtown corner. A few blasts from the proton packs also elicit some D-BOX feedback, but really, only the initial scene and one other really stand out for their D-BOX support.
In previous D-BOX reviews, I have actually praised D-BOX for not going The Energy RC-Micro home theater system delivered the sound for this review.overboard with its motion. In Ghostbusters, though, I must admit that I would’ve liked a bit more support. After all, Ghostbusters itself is an “overboard” sort of film. For instance, when the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man rumbles through the downtown streets, the D-BOX chair rattles as if the viewer’s in a street-side building watching the sugary oaf lumber through. The motion is, in a word, perfect. The Stay-Puft scene also includes Motion that coincides with the on-screen blasts from the proton packs, not to mention the rubble falling from the rooftop, and these are also well executed.
But scenes like the classic Slimer in the hallway (“he slimed me”), or the first test-firing of a proton pack in the elevator, or Ray sliding down the pole in the firehouse…they all beg for some D-BOX lovin’. The Slimer scene, in particular, was a disappointment, as I expected some sort of an impact from the back of the chair. The test-firing works out the LFE (subwoofer), but it doesn’t get any sort of rumble. And the firehouse pole … even just a little thump would’ve been nice.
To be fair, the D-BOX code doesn’t detract at all from the film, and I’m still glad to be able to watch Ghostbusters with Motion Code support. But the support isn’t nearly as robust as I expected it to be, and it seems like the D-BOX team left out Motion Code support for a few key scenes.
- Score: 7.8
— Jonas Allen
