strangelove

I have a Philips DVD400AT DVD player that is from before DTS compatible DVD players were being sold. I never had a reciever before but I'm considering getting a DTS compatible receiver. My player has a digital coaxial output and I was wondering if I sent the digital stream to a receiver with a DTS decoder if it would work.

If anyone cares the receiver I might be getting is a Pioneer VSX-D409. I ordered one from Amazon.com while they had free shipping and $50 off (it's on order so I can still cancel it before it ships). I know it's not the greatest receiver but it's all I can afford ($199 final price) and I just want something that will let me experience 6-channel sound and not something to recreate the theater experience (I'm a student that lives in a studio apartment, recreating a theater is not going to happen no matter what receiver I get).

ANDREMIKE

If it has the DTS logo on it then it is a DTS DVD player or even reciever.
Even if it does not have a DTS logo you will still get DolbyDigital (DD) which is 6CH. sound. Just don't buy DVD's with the DTS track because most of those do not have a DD track. I would get the reciever with DTS decoder this way when you decide to get a new player you will be all set.

Mike

Mike

strangelove

I realize that if the DVD player has a DTS logo it is DTS compatible. What I'm saying is that I bought my player before companies started releasing DTS compatible players (this is when DVD players first came out). Now I know when I put a DTS DVD in my player the player recognizes the DTS track as an unknown track. But eventhough the player doesn't realize it's a DTS track I'm wondering if it will still output the signal to a receiver. I would think the player would output the digital stream via the digital out whether it recognizes what it is or not (since I believe DTS is just an encoded PCM stream the player would probably think it's outputing a PCM stream which it is supposed to be able to do).

So what I'm asking is that even though my player isn't intentionally DVD compatible (because that's not something that was considered when making DVD players when mine was made), if it is still capable of outputing the DTS stream intact even though it won't recognize that it is doing so.

[This message has been edited by strangelove (edited December 14, 2000).]

stevevt

quote:<HR>Originally posted by strangelove:
I realize that if the DVD player has a DTS logo it is DTS compatible. What I'm saying is that I bought my player before companies started releasing DTS compatible players (this is when DVD players first came out). Now I know when I put a DTS DVD in my player the player recognizes the DTS track as an unknown track. But eventhough the player doesn't realize it's a DTS track I'm wondering if it will still output the signal to a receiver. I would think the player would output the digital stream via the digital out whether it recognizes what it is or not (since I believe DTS is just an encoded PCM stream the player would probably think it's outputing a PCM stream which it is supposed to be able to do).<HR>

While I have heard of a few players doing what you're describing (sort of, actually they weren't badged as being DTS-compatible but actually were made that way and sold as lower-end models), in general, if your player doesn't have a DTS logo on it, it will not output a DTS bitstream.

No matter what your current dvd player is cabable of, I'd say that getting a DD/DTS receiver is your best bet. Adding DTS to a receiver adds very little to the price these days -- as opposed to the $100 or more premium when the format (and chips) were just being introduced.

Then once you have the DD/DTS receiver, you'll be able to see once and for all if your dvd player will pass the DTS bitstream, assuming you have a disc with DTS on it. My guess is that it will not.

-Steve

strangelove

Alrighty, I only have a few DTS DVDs anyways. I figured I'd get a DTS compatible receiver either way because eventually I'd be able to use it. I was just hoping my old player would work with DTS so I wouldn't have to spend more money to replace it (although eventually I'm going to have to anyways).

BillumillAmerika

philips 400 & 420 series were very solid machines albeit being 1st generation players.
They WILL NOT pass thru a DTS bitstream though, when these units were manufactured,
DVD DTS was still in its infancy. I owned
both the 400 & 420 units and lo & behold,
I paid $600 apiece just over 2 years ago
for these units!
Well, being an early adopter.........!!!!