Need clarification

cfrizz · February 2005

Now that I am starting to get into DVD-A & SACD music, I am getting very confused. I never know what I'm going to end up with.

How do you tell which cd is just Stereo (front three speakers) from what will end up being in 5.1? And what does DTS 24/96 mean exactly?

I just got the Queen: Night at The Opera (which is DTS 24/96) and it doesn't come in on DTS it down grades to PCM & is only in the 3 front channels. Why didn't my DTS receiver & DVD player pick up the DTS?

Here I am expecting all this surround music & I end up with just stereo! Nice stereo but just stereo.

The only disc I have that is actually 5.1 is my Eagles: Hell Freezes Over disc.

So if any one can clarify any of this for me I would certainly appreciate it. Thanks.

Frank Z · February 2005

The following may explain things a bit for ya.

http://www.audiovideo101.com/dictionary/sampling-rate.asp

How do you tell which cd is just Stereo (front three speakers) from what will end up being in 5.1?

As far as Multi-Channel vs, Stereo Hi-Rez recordings, take a real close look at the info in the cover or back of the case. If it says "Multi-Channel" then you can be assured that you have a multi-channel recording, not trying to be a smart-****.

What you may need to do is get into the OSD for your player and make sure that you have it set-up properly. The DV-47a allows you select 2-channel or multichannel analog output.

Are you using 6 analog IC's to connect your player to your receiver/preamp? Your not going to get Hi-Rez without 'em.

Here's another link that will help with DVD-a questions.

http://www.digitalaudioguide.com/faq/dvd-audio/faq_intro.htm

This FAQ may help with SACD questions.

http://www.sonymusic.com/sacd/faq/

Emlyn · February 2005

I think Denon didn't start including the DTS 96/24 decoder until the 3803 receiver model. There are very few DTS 96/24 encoded discs around, but "Night at the Opera" is one that I have. Playback should default through the digital output of a DVD player to stereo PCM if the receiver doesn't have the DTS 96/24 decoder.

The "Night at the Opera" disc has DVD-Audio tracks as well though, so if you want to hear the high resolution audio from the disc you should use the six channel analog outputs from your DVD player and set your receiver to the external analog input mode.

It's a great recording either way. The only thing you're missing from the 96/24 tracks is the convenience of using a single digital output from the DVD player.

cfrizz · February 2005

All my equipment is set up properly. Double checked everything yesterday. It figures my receiver is one model too old for 96/24.:rolleyes:

I just don't like PCM it sounds too compressed.

I now see why these 2 formats are going no where fast.

F1nut · February 2005

Wait a minute, the issue you seem to be having is with DVD-V, not DVD-A or SACD. DTS is not a true high resolution format.

HBombToo · February 2005

Originally posted by cfrizz
All my equipment is set up properly. Double checked everything yesterday. It figures my receiver is one model too old for 96/24.:rolleyes:

I just don't like PCM it sounds too compressed.

I now see why these 2 formats are going no where fast.

Hi Big Sis... I hope all is well.

after our discussion on AIM I'm conviced you have a bad disk.

Hbomb

cfrizz · February 2005

Jesse it's a DVD-A disk, what would DVD-V have to do with it? the only pictures that come up on it is the lyrics which I don't bother with. Now I'm more confused than ever.

LOL perhaps you should tell that to DTS they seem to think they are!

Originally posted by F1nut
Wait a minute, the issue you seem to be having is with DVD-V, not DVD-A or SACD. DTS is not a true high resolution format.

HBombToo · February 2005

DualDisc: DualDisc is a new two-sided disc format combining a CD on one side with a DVD on the other. The CD side of DualDisc works like a conventional CD. The DVD side can be high resolution DVD-Audio or can be standard DVD-Video with its standard audio formats such as stereo 24/96 PCM or Dolby Digital 5.1.

I think Jesse nailed it Cathy...

http://buydvdnow.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=DA100028

what side of your disk are you listening to? As I was drinken a few brews and thinking about the issue I wondered if you had a dual disk????

Flip it and let us know;)

Henry turnen 1/4 twin

F1nut · February 2005

Whether on a DVD-A or DVD-V disc, DTS is a lossy format, meaning it's compressed. DTS does not meet the specs for true DVD-A which is a lossless (no compression) format.

There are a multitude of DVD formats now, including DVD-A, DVD-V, DualDisc which is suppose to be a DVD-A on one side and a non-redbook spec CD on the other (it sunk before it hit the streets) and DoubleDisc which is two separate discs, a redbook spec CD and a DVD-A disc in one package. DoubleDisc is the DVD camps new solution to their failed DualDisc format.

SACD (DSD) is a true hi-rez format. Some of the early SACD's contained a 2 channel SACD layer and a multi-channel SACD layer only, meaning they could only be played on a SACD player, no redbook. These days almost all SACD discs contain a 2 channel SACD layer, a multi-channel SACD layer and a 2 channel redbook spec layer all on one disc.

The only problem with SACD, IMO, is the limited selection of software. There are over 2800 SACD titles (compared to maybe 800 DVD-A's), but most are classical music. The reason for that may be that in the eyes of the record companies the typical "audiophile" is more likely to listen to classical music.

Personally, I went with the SACD format and enjoy the mix of rock, blues, jazz and classical discs that I own. However, I do wish there was more rock and blues software available.

cfrizz · February 2005

Henry, Thanks for the link. (I don't have a dual disk) I just watched the BR video & it flipped to DTS & when I went back to the Audio side it stayed in DTS! Now I'm a happy camper! Thanks bro!

You too Jesse.

Thank God for this board!

HBombToo · February 2005

and thank you. its all new enough that we are learning together.

1/4twin;)

Emlyn · February 2005

Cathy, I think the problem you were experiencing had to do with a "flag" on the disc that is supposed to trigger a DTS decoder to turn on. Denon had some backward compatibility problems with getting the DTS flag to communicate with its earlier receivers when playing back DTS-ES and DTS 96/24 discs. DTS 96/24 is supposed to be backwards compatible because the extra resolution of the format is just an extension of existing DTS compression technology. Turning on a DTS decoder can be manually forced through menu selection in the receiver though. It sounds like switching to the Bohemian Rhapsody video triggered the DTS decoder to turn on, and it stayed on for the other tracks.

I was confused when DTS Entertainment came out with DTS 96/24 technology but never really published much music in the format. DTS 96/24 is better than regular Dolby Digital because its sampling rate is doubled from 48kHz to 96kHz and reaches the usual maximum resolution that movie soundtracks are stored in digitally. I think DTS was just testing the market for future developments with DTS 96/24. I had thought the DTS 96/24 technology was going to be used for DVD movies because it's the only 96kHz sampling rate system that was compatible with moving video. The problem is that the DTS 96/24 technology uses the same space that would be used for the sixth discrete channel in DTS-ES movie soundtracks. The two can't be used together because of space constraints on DVD discs. Coupled with all the menus, commercials, movie trailers, and voice over commentaries on DVD discs, there's no space left for DTS 96/24 sound on regular DVD movies. I don't see it being used for music anymore either.

However, DTS will be part of both HD-DVD and Blu-Ray formats. Apparently, DTS technology will be used for up to 7.1 discrete channels of 96kHz/24 bit sound on the higher capacity discs as well as having the potential for lossless surround music at 96/24 resolution (the highest PCM resolution most digital archives of recordings are being stored in now). I wouldn't be surprised at all if a DTS format kills off DVD-A in the next few years once HD-DVD spreads.

The DTS 96/24 format is actually considered a high resolution audio format if only because its sampling rate is 96kHz, but it is not as theoretically capable in terms of high resolution audio as DVD-A (192kHz) or SACD (completely different technology). The current sampling rate of DTS 96/24 is actually higher than what was really used on a couple of DVD-A discs I have though. When listening through most systems, one would be hard pressed to tell a difference between the DTS 96/24 surround tracks and the DVD-A surround tracks on "A Night at the Opera." One thing I don't like about the DTS way of doing things with high resolution audio is that they don't always put two channel high resolution tracks on their discs. Their focus is on surround formats, not on stereo music.

cfrizz · February 2005

Thanks for the explaination Emlyn. I think you're right. When I turned off my DVD player & turned it back on to play the disc, I had to go back into the disc menu & tell it that I want to hear it in DTS because it reverts to something else. Once I do that & start playing my Denon picks it up & comes on.

Totally annoying having to do that extra step, but at least I know how to get it going now.

I absolutely love how DTS sounds, next on my to get list are Orleans & Olivia Newton-John.

I would gladly do without all the extra junk they put on DVDS to have it all go to the picture & sound. I love my Spiderman 1 & 2 super bit discs!

HBombToo · February 2005

Originally posted by cfrizz

I absolutely love how DTS sounds, next on my to get list are Orleans & Olivia Newton-John.

I would gladly do without all the extra junk they put on DVDS to have it all go to the picture & sound.

Olivia is a long time favorite for me. Goes back to pre teen stuff

My Denon allows me to shut my vidio circuits off while getting my listen on.

Need clarification

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