Recievers and DTS
 

I recently found a 5.1 home theater setup (reciever and speakers) at Toys-R-Us for $50

"Curtis" is the manufacturer

nothing on the box indicates that this reciever is DTS compatible, but my JVC DVD player has a DTS decoder built in (I can hear DTS audio through my TV with no reciever connected)

would I be able to take full advantage of DTS audio with this reciever?

Doesn't sound like it. Just look anywhere on the receiver or box and look for the DTS logo. It'll be there somewhere. If it doesn't, I wouldn't bother. You can probably find a $100 receiver that plays DTS just fine.

I don't mean this as a slam, but no, you would never be able to "take full advantage of DTS" with a $50 Curtis receiver/speaker package.

You need decent speakers and a properly-powered amplifier to push them if you're going to hear the advantage of DTS. You aren't going to come close to that with a $50 setup. You get what you pay for.

How is that possible?

You are hearing audio. It is NOT a DTS audio track.

The only way, with a DVDp that decodes DTS, is to use the 5.1 analog output on the DVDp. (6 of the standard RCA connections) I am not confident that a sub-$100 HTiB will have the appropriate input.

I would hesitate to assume that the player actually decodes DTS to surround, as well. As mentioned, currently you are extracting the DTS core (or maybe the Dolby core, it could be changing it even if you select DTS in the DVD menu) for a stereo hook up to a basic TV, that is universal. True 5.1 DTS decoding and output in a player is not.

Exactly, tv speakers cannot reproduce all channels. You might hear some ambient sound, but that should be about it.