DVD.guy

Here goes my first post !

I currently have a 5.1 system. Will a DTS movie sound OK or should i just stick to the 5.1 version?

Hope this is the right forum for this post. Thanks for the replies!!!

stevevt

Unfortunately, your question doesn't really make sense.

"5.1" can refer to Dolby Digital or DTS.

The question you need to answer is if your dvd player passes a DTS signal, and if your receiver (or processor) decodes it. If not, you should stick to the Dolby Digital versions of movies. If it does, give DTS a shot, since most people seem to think that it is an improvement over DD, and no one thinks it's a step down. Of course, if the DTS version costs more, that's a consideration, too.

Welcome to our little corner of the world.

-S

DVD.guy

Sorry for the confusion.

Thanks for the reply that helps greatly. Now if I could only find that manual.

stevevt

Well, you could just tell us what brand model # dvd player and receiver you have.

1 rule of thumb for knowing that you can do DTS is that your dvd player and receiver both should have a DTS logo on the front panel.

-S

[This message has been edited by stevevt (edited April 28, 2000).]

DVD.guy

Ok, neither my player or receiver support DTS. Would you the sound be the same with the DTS DVD or would it sound better with the dolby 5.1 version.

ANDREMIKE

Since you receiver and your DVD player do not support DTS you can not watch a movie in a DTS format. No sound will come out of your speakers.
If your asking a general question of which one is better its hard to say. I do know DTS came after 5.1 so one might think there is some advantage over it.

Mike

Crea

A couple months back I started getting into home theater and I was asking questions that sound a lot like what you are asking. Fortunately everyone here helped me out so hopefully now I can attempt to return the favor.

If neither your player or reciever support DTS or DD, then whether or not the disc has DD or DTS does not matter. If you don't have these formats then you can only listen to the sound using dolby pro logic (assuming your reciever is a pro logic reciever) or else in stereo if you don't have pro logic.

In order to use DD or DTS, you need a receiver with a DD and/or DTS decoder and a dvd player with the ability to output a DD and/or DTS digital audio signal. (Thats where the DTS and DD logo on the fronts of the units come into play). If you have these, which unfortunately is sounds like you don't, it would be a matter or hooking up the digital output of the player to the digital input to the reciever with either coaxial digital cables or fiber optic digital cables. Whichever types of input/output jacks you have.

If you knew all of this already, sorry. Just trying to help. If not, there ya go.

I'm also wondering if you know what the difference is between Dolby Digital and DTS...

DVD.guy

Thanks for all the help. Unfortunalety, Crea, the only thing I've heard of DD vs. DTS has been second hand and I must say not to reliable. My concern, of course, being the hype with DTS lately and justifying the purchase of a DTS DVD vs. DD.

My other concern was that if I were to purchase a DTS DVD would I be able to hear it with my current setup. Supposing if in the near future I decided to upgrade to DTS, I would like to have the DTS version if it really made a big difference.

Crea

DTS and DD are both 5.1 channel systems. Once I heard someone describe the difference between the two kinda like the difference between Nike vs Reebok or Coke vs Pepsi. Everyone has their favorites. No one can say one is better because everyone has different tastes.

That being said, now let me rekindle one of the most contraversial flames to date: I prefer DTS to Dolby Digital. I like both and both are significantly better then pro logic. However I just seem to enjoy DTS better for some reason. Also, as stevert illuded to, many people think DTS is better at least to some degree, yet very few people think it's a step down.

Basically, I'm sure almost everyone sould agree that with DD, you would be very happy. The question is, if you decide to upgrade to DTS, how unhappy would you be knowing you got non-DTS titles when you had the chance to get them. If you can check out DTS somewhere, that's your best bet. An finally, don't take my or anyone else's word on what is the best audio format. You got your own damn ears. Use 'em.

Blade

DVD.guy,

Per the DVD spec, all DVDs have to come with a DD or PCM soundtrack. However, just because it's DD (Dolby Digital) doesn't mean it is 5.1. DD is just a compression algorithm and soundtrack specification. It can be 5.1, 5.0, 4.1, 3.1, 2.0, or 1.0 and any other combination (Many DVDs, especially newer movies and action flics, are 5.1, but Disney's Tarzan was 5.0 which meant that it had no .1 or LFE or Low Frequency Effects channel. This doesn't mean it had no base, just that it wasn't seperated out and sent only to the subwoofer.)

PCM is just a digital stereo track.

As per the above, all commercially released DTS DVDs will come with some kind of DD soundtrack. Usually it will be a 2.0 track which will work out to dolby surround or stereo depending on your equipment. Some movies (Red Violin, the new versions of Twister and Interview with the Vampire) have both a DTS 5.1 and a DD 5.1 soundtrack on them.

Whether DTS is better depends on your equipment and the discernment of your ears. I've heard too many people say they love DTS to think that there is no difference, but I've come to think that the differnce is not as drastic as going from pro logic to dolby digital 5.1.

I like to use this analogy: DD is like having your favorite dessert. DTS is like having your favorite dessert with your favorite topping on it. When you have something as good as DD already is, it starts getting harder to generate a dramatic improvement in quality.

Having said that, given a choice of similar features, I'll always pick the DTS version. I'm just dreaming of the day I can finally buy those Monitor Audio Silver 9s.

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-David
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