dolphinboy

I won't drag this out, because I don't know that much about it. But, I have been buying dvds for 3 years w/o having a home theater system and I have always gone for the special features and 5.1 over the DTS only DVDs.

Examples like Jurassic Park, Out of Sight, Liar Liar, Apollo 13 and Saving Private Ryan come to mind.

Now, having gotten a middle of the road home theater system, should I reconsider this and replace these titles? How do you really make this type of decision?

I've only listened to a few DVDs for far, but 5.1 sounds pretty good to me for home. Do you need to be an audiophile to really notice a big difference, especially if it's not a high end system? Or is DTS simply the only way to go, no matter how much you lose if you can't get the special features?

I don't know what to do about this. For example, certainly the Jurassic Park DTS is better, but how much and would the average viewer notice? I have nieces and nephews who also watch movies like that and they love the extra dinosaur features on my 5.1 disc. And friends who come over love seeing gag reels and all of that stuff, so the replay value of special features seems to help.

But DTS is DTS. What should I do or is it really not that big of a deal? Thanks.

Tha Freak

My opinion...

keep what you have...and now on, look for DTS for your next purchases!...

Me too I just listen to my DVD with plain stereo, but I watched carefuly to get DTS's versions when available because a few of my friends has Denon's and Yamaha's HT and I have heard the difference between DD and DTS...(even if they have Bose Acoustimass...)

But I will soon kick their arses with my Rotel RSX-1055 and Energy C-6, C-2 and AV-300!!

Now THEY will see the difference!

Max Bottomtime

A lot of the older DTS releases were bare-bones. Most these days are at a lower bitrate so they can include many if not all the extras from the DD versions. There are also several new releases that include DD5.1, DTS and extra features.

ctyankee

Very true.

I'm a content is king kinda guy. So I opt for the best audio I can get. I have a nice system - but I would do the same if I didn't figuring I would get a nice system some day.

Having said that, I can't see going back and replacing discs to get better sound. Although perhaps Saving Private Ryan might be the one exception.

As others will surely chime in - sometimes the difference between DD 5.1 and DTS is very small or non-existant - even on the best of systems. Not worth the incremental outlay.

dolphinboy

Thanks, but is this because you'd pass on the special features for just the DTS sound? I mean, if DTS is offered along with the extras, of course I'm gonna get it, but that's not always the case.

Saving Private Ryan and Jurassic Park are good examples. How much, really, is the DTS better than the 5.1 that I have now? Because, the whole point of asking was because I'm split between the features and the DTS when they are offered together.

If you don't think I should replace the titles that I mentioned, are you telling me that it's not that big of a deal either way? The Patriot is another example. There is a superbit DTS, but I have the 5.1 with all the extras and I feel torn because I like the extras. Is there any easy way to make the decision? I like having the extras, can't afford to have 2 copies of discs, yet of course I want the best sound possible too.

Thanks to all for the advice and input.

cubanx

Saving Private Ryan DTS Edition clearly sounds better on my system then the Regular DD 5.1 that I rented before. The opening beach scene in simply amazing sound wise in DTS.

But a well done DD5.1 encode does sound better then a crappy DTS encode. There are a couple of examples of this but they elude me at the moment.

dolphinboy

What makes it even tougher to decide, is that even using this film, Saving Private Ryan (where even I would think the DTS would sound better), that on Amazon widesceen review has both the DD 5.1 and the DTS with a 5+ in audio, the best there they give. Not that I have any idea who they are, but you'd think the DTS would score better.

DarthMaul420

The extras with the DD discs are nine times out of ten just documentaries anyway. I will always take the better soundtrack over extras. I usually like the DTS tracks better on my system, but always check reviews first.


Point said, Go with the overall better presentation, no matter DD or DTS, over extras which will probably only get one viewing. Just make sure to check reviews and ask here for opinions on which is better.

As for SPR. I have what most audiophiles would consider a starter(or crappy lol) HTIB system, Kenwood HTB 505, in a small viewing room. I borrowed a friends DD copy to compare to my DTS version. The DD copy is great, however the DTS blows it away.

HKFlix

For me it kind of varies based on the DVD.

If it's an action-packed film made recently and originally mixed in multi-channel, then DTS will usually be a lot more fun to listen to. "Saving Private Ryan" is the perfect example, as far as I'm concerned, no amount of special features could make me give up the DTS mix on that DVD.

Also, if you're not the type of person that watches the extras more than once, maybe you'd be happiest buying the DTS version and renting the DD version once just to watch the extras.

But if it's an older film that was originally recorded in mono or maybe stereo, a lot of times the DTS sounds a bit nicer but isn't really anything to write home about. In those cases, the extras would be more clearly preferable.

And, of course, another thing to consider is your neighbors. If you won't be able to really play your movies loud anyway, you may not notice the DTS-DD difference much.

JimRochester

I prefer the DTS to the extras. Unless you plan on watching the extras over again, the DTS is well worth it.

Dave C

I always choose DTS. I've never watched an extra more than once but I'll watch a movie I like over and over.

I suppose there are discs with a crappy DTS track and a better 5.1, but you have to assume for the vast majority that the DTS is at least marginally better.

Turn out the lights and crank up the sound! Seems more like a movie.

REL77

I look at it like this. I will only watch the extras once, and the movie many times, so i take what ever will make the movie better, which is the DTS sound format. I am always going to know someone else who owns the DVD, and if the DTS version I got is missing something, I can always watch their copy of the extras and then be even more happy with what I have.

digitalboy

Buy the DTS version.

If you REALLY want to see the extras, RENT the DD version.

digitalfreaknyc

How about this...i've bought the DD versions which i've subsequently replaced with the DTS versions. Still have the DD but am going to rip the features that I've lost and burn them onto a DVD-R and sell the original!

Voila!