BR 5.1 outputs audio formats

NeilGabriel

I know this has been covered several times in the past, but I recently had a small disagreement with a friend who knows a lot more about this than I do.

I have the OPPO BR player and use the 5.1 outputs plugged into my Denon 3802.

Which of the higher grade audio formats will pass through the analog connections? I thought all...but he says, for example, the Dolby True HD only passes through HDMI?

Is the HDMI 1.3a limited on what audio formats it will pass to a receiver?

Thanks.

emoxley

You thought correct.............
Here is a quote from Oppo's site:

# Dolby® TrueHD - Dolby TrueHD delivers lossless studio master quality audio designed specifically for high definition entertainment. The BDP-83 supports bit-stream output of Dolby TrueHD via its HDMI 1.3 output. It can also internally decode Dolby TrueHD into LPCM and output via HDMI or the 7.1ch analog audio output terminals. (Dolby Digital and Dolby Digital Plus audio formats are also supported.).
# DTS-HD Master Audio™ - DTS-HD Master Audio delivers an auditory experience that matches the lifelike images of high-definition video with up to 7.1 channels that are bit-for-bit identical to the studio master. The BDP-83 supports bit-stream output of DTS-HD Master Audio. It can also internally decode DTS-HD Master Audio and output via HDMI or the 7.1ch analog audio output terminals. (DTS-HD High Resolution Audio and DTS Digital Surround are also supported.)

I think most, if not all (now days) BD players that have the 5.1/7.1 multi-channel analog outputs, decode internally, and send the HD audio over the analog outputs.

engtaz

SACD play back can only be outputed thru the HDMI and 5.1 outputs. SACD(see previous note), TrueHD and DTS-HD Master can only be used thru HDMI because of coipyright restictions. This has nothing to do with quality of the outputs.

vc69

emoxley is exactly correct and posted the followup proof.

Engatz, you are correct, but many player can decode Hi Rez audio codecs and output them via analog 5/7.1. as well. No HDMI necessary.

NeilGabriel

Engtaz.....how goes it? I'm look for a good pair of 10s if you come across something.

I will have to admit that when I swtch from standrad DD to True HD, I'm not hearing much if any difference in sound....are the differences that subtle?

Recommendations on one digitaal format over another?

I actually read the OPPO material when I bought it, which is why I bought it...thanks for reminding me...old guys have seives instead of memories

engtaz

Some are in the FS section.

cheddar

NeilGabriel wrote: »

I know this has been covered several times in the past, but I recently had a small disagreement with a friend who knows a lot more about this than I do.

I have the OPPO BR player and use the 5.1 outputs plugged into my Denon 3802.

Which of the higher grade audio formats will pass through the analog connections? I thought all...but he says, for example, the Dolby True HD only passes through HDMI?

Is the HDMI 1.3a limited on what audio formats it will pass to a receiver?

Thanks.

You have to remember that TrueHD and DTS-HD MA are only "compression" formats. That is, just like you can take a computer file and zip it up to save space, you can take a digital PCM file, zip it up with TrueHD or DTS-HD MA and unzip it later to get back the original PCM track. What you are listening to is not "TrueHD or DTS-HD MA", it's whatever the original PCM file was recorded at, then processed through a DAC to become an analog signal amplified to your speakers.

So the original, zipped TrueHD or DTS-HD MA information can only pass over HDMI 1.3 via bitstreaming to a receiver/pre. However, a player can unzip the TrueHD or DTS-HD MA and send the PCM to a receiver/pre via HDMI 1.1 or above. Or the player can unzip the TrueHD or DTS-HD MA, process the PCM using its internal DAC chips and send the analog information over the analog outs to a receiver/pre. The information sent out through analog outs is several steps removed from TrueHD or DTS-HD MA and resembles the audio a receiver/pre sends out for amplification to the speakers, not the highly compressed, digital information of the former.

cheddar

NeilGabriel wrote: »

I will have to admit that when I swtch from standrad DD to True HD, I'm not hearing much if any difference in sound....are the differences that subtle?

Recommendations on one digitaal format over another?

Because TrueHD and DTS-HD MA are only "zip" formats, the most relevant variable for quality is the original PCM master recording, not which format you "zip" it up with. So if the original recording is crappy, garbage in, garbage out. And studios will vary greatly in the quality of their masters or remaster/remixes, especially on catalog titles.

In addition, if you are comparing toslink DD to analog out lossless, you have your receiver/pre processing a bitstream of the DD. So it knows to add a +10db boost to the LFE channel (purposely mastered -10db lower to conserve bandwidth). Receiver/pre's do not know what the original format is of any player decoded audio. The original signal, unzipped and sent through a DAC before being sent to analog outs could be SACD, TrueHD, uncompressed PCM, etc. But all these appear the same to the receiver/pre when received over analog outs (or even PCM over hdmi). So you have to know your equipment and if it adds the +10db LFE boost automatically or if you have to configure it manually through your reciever/pre set-up menus. Without this LFE boost, a lossless track will probably sound WORSE than a bitstreamed toslink DD track.

When properly configured, with a high quality original PCM master and good equipment and speakers, lossless audio should rock your world.