vivarey

I know very little about Dolby Digital sound. I only have 2 speakers (no receiver), so is having an internal DD decoder in a DVD player any good? Is there a special way you have to set it up?

Also, can anyone recommend good audio and S-video cables from Outpost.com? I have some Flooz I can use there to upgrade my cables. OR would I be better just picking up Radio Shack cables? How much cheaper are they than Monster? Thanks!

VIVAREY

BEC

quote:<HR>I only have 2 speakers (no receiver), so is having an internal DD decoder in a DVD player any good? Is there a special way you have to set it up?<HR>

You need somekind of amplifier to power the speakers. Stand-alone DVD players do not power speakers. (2 exceptions Toshiba 6109c and Onkyo DR90 which are combination player/receivers)

A DVD player sends three different kinds of unamplified audio signals:

-2 channel analog, just like a CD player.
All players have this. You get stereo. You can use an existing 2 channel amplifier/receiver. No need for a DVD player w/internal decoding. You use the DVD player's DACs.

-1 channel digital out. All players have this for Dolby Digital 5.1. This signal needs to be decoded by a separate DD processor or receiver. You use the receiver's decoder and DACs.

-6 channel decoded outputs. A player w/a built-in decoder internally converts the digital signal for a 5.1 DVD disc into 6 different signals for the 5 speakers and subwoofer. You'll need a 5 channel amplifier or receiver w/5.1 inputs to amplify these signals. Bad idea to only amplify 2 channels when 6 are decoded: throw away lot's of information. If the DVD disc is a 2 channel recording (dolby 2.0), you're ok - but this isn't any better than hooking up directly to the analog outputs.

If you only have a 2 channel amp/stereo receiver, you don't need a DVD player w/a decoder. You can get 5.1 later on by buying a receiver w/a built-in decoder (and the extra speakers).

A player w/a built-in decoder is meant to save you a little money in the long run when you eventually want 5.1. IMO, usually not worth the trouble, since decoding receivers are very common and pretty cheap.

quote:<HR> Also, can anyone recommend good audio and S-video cables from Outpost.com? I have some Flooz I can use there to upgrade my cables. OR would I be better just picking up Radio Shack cables? How much cheaper are they than Monster? Thanks<HR>

Depends. How good is the rest of your system?
IMO, if your Flooz can be used to buy additional speakers, better speakers, a receiver... that might be a more substantial upgrade than Monster over RS/RCA/Phoenix Gold cables or Home depot speaker wire.
For cables, it about half the cost of Monster. For speaker wire, it MUCH less.

If you have great front speakers and a stereo amp and want really good stereo, why not get some Monster cable?

The larger the screen and better the DVD player, the larger the difference video cables make. If the difference in cable money can go to a better DVD player or TV, it's probably better spent there.



[This message has been edited by BEC (edited September 21, 2000).]

vivarey

Thank you very much!

I have a stereo shelf system that will power the speakers. Sorry I didn't make that clear in my other post. I know it's not the best setup, but I don't have the $$$ to buy upgrade right now. About the Flooz, I don't have much, but probably just enough for a cable or two.

Just to make sure I understand this: an internal decoder will do nothing for me unless there is a Dolby 2.0 track on the disc. And even if this is true, the sound difference will be minimal. This 2.0 track is different than the 2 channel analog signal, right? But in order for me to take advantage of it, would I have to make sure my audio speakers were connected to the Front left and right 5.1 outputs on the DVD Player? Thanks again!

BEC

quote:<HR> ...the sound difference will be minimal.<HR>

Probably yes. Usually the same type of DAC's for the analog out and decoded channel outs. Similiar processing.

quote:<HR> This 2.0 track is different than the 2 channel analog signal, right?<HR>

No. Both come from the same source track - it's not like laser discs w/a separate analog track. 2 channel analog comes from a separate 2 channel DD decoder (which all players have) that reads the digital track. For 5.1 material, this 2 channel decoder downmixes from 5 to 2 channels (the .1 LFE is usually ignored). For Dolby 2.0 material, the stereo material is simply passed by the 2 channel decoder/downmixer.

A 5.1 DD decoder decoder reads the digital track and makes 6 signals for 5.1 material. It makes 2 for 2.0.

Think of a fork in the road for a digital signal - either go through the 2 channel decoder for the analog out OR the 5.1 decoder (when present).

Here's a link w/more details: http://www.dvddemystified.com/dvdfaq.html#3.6.2

quote:<HR>But in order for me to take advantage of it, would I have to make sure my audio speakers were connected to the Front left and right 5.1 outputs on the DVD Player?<HR>

NO! 99.9% of DVD players DON'T power speakers. The DVD player's unamplified L&R signals go to the AUX or CD input of your stereo amp, just like a CD player. The stereo amp amplifies the L&R signals and powers the speakers.


Getting a player because it has decoders usually isn't a good idea, since decoding receivers can be cheap ($150-$200).

However, there's nothing wrong in getting a quality DVD player that happens to have built-in decoders (Tosh 3109, Pioneer 626, Panasonic 320, ...). Those players have improved video and ergonomics.

As far as cables go, if you can't think of a better upgrade to buy or save up for, sure. The usual idea is to get cables worthy of the rest of your current system, as opposed to building a future system worthy of your cables. YMMV.

[This message has been edited by BEC (edited September 21, 2000).]

[This message has been edited by BEC (edited September 21, 2000).]

vivarey

BEC, you've been a lot of help. I don't think I'm describing things correctly because of my lack of knowledge on this topic. When I said connect my speakers to the Front Left and Right outputs, I meant connect them indirectly through my stereo. This is what's powering my speakers. Regardless, I think what you're saying is I should stay away from the 5.1 outputs unless I have a receiver and proper speakers. The truth is, I think I will be getting a player with decoding built-in (Toshiba SD2200), although not solely for that reason. I wanted to know the best way to connect my system, and if I would be able to benefit in any way from the Dolby sound.

I think I will connect the DVD Player to my stereo (via RCA cables) and to my TV via S-video. The only thing I'm now unsure about is how to connect my stereo to the player. I would like to try out Dolby 2.0, but is this possible using the stereo output on my player? This stuff can be very confusing!

VIVAREY

BEC

Analog out is a pair of red and white RCA jacks.

A 2200 will also have a cluster of 6 RCA jacks for the decoder out. They'll be labeled Front left, front right, rear right, rear left, sub/lfe. For 2.0 material, hook up to the front left and right outputs w/regular stereo interconnects.

In the DVD menu, select DD2.0 if there are multiple choices for the audio. Many, if not all, 5.1 discs also have a 2.0 track.