Hi everyone,

I'm brand new to this whole DVD thing, especially DVD Audio.
I just ordered my first DVD player (ok, yes I'm a little behind the times) and it has DVD Audio ability. I was reading some audio album reviews and noticed a lot of talk about DTS. I do understand that DTS is different than 'Audio' but my question is: Do I have to be vigilent in buying DVD-Audio discs or will the DTS discs work? Are they interchangable/compatible?

Just a little confused. :/

Thanks, and I can't wait for my player to get here!

Steve

Some of the dvd-audio discs come with other formats like dts and dd so you can buy an audio disc with both dvd-audio and dts and you can see how they sound to you.

Regards,
RaS

Are the DVD-Audio discs that have DTS and even DD 5.1 also included clearly labelled as such?

Terry

The case should include the audio formats that are supported. So just stop by a Best Buy or whatever other store that sells dvd-audio discs and take a look around.

Regards,
RaS

Seriously, does anyone know for a first-hand fact if DVD-A is indeed superior to DTS-A? Can it really be THAT much better? I have listened to DTS-A and it sounds phenomenal, so is DVD-A truly better, or is it like the difference between DTS & DD 5.1 movies? Anyone???

Yes it is much better. I have a DVD-A setup and most of the discs I have also have a DTS counterpart. The DVD-A program blows the DTS program out of the water. DVD-A is recorded at a much higher bit rate and uses lossless compression. DTS is very close to lossless compression, but it is still compressed more than DVD-A is.

One thing to keep in mind though is DVD-A sends a full range signal to all 5 of your speakers, so if you don't have full range speakers all the way around, you are not going to realize the full potential of DVD-A. If you are using small speakers you definitely want a DVD player that has bass management for DVD-A, so you can pull some of those lower frequencies off of your speakers and send them to the sub.

Also, and I am sure you are aware of this, you need a receiver that has 5.1 analog inputs in order use DVD-A. Your receiver can not decode DVD-A so you can't use the digital out from your DVD player.

jeez - I've still got the same CD player that I bought at Wal-mart in 1991

It's funny my DVD player plays the 44khz versions of my DVD-Audio disc but it can't play my DTS disc although my receiver does encode DTS for my DVD-Video discs. And my DVD player on my computer, which has DTS, CAN play my DTS discs.

I'm so confused...

Does anybody have any links to DVD-A (etc.) site(s)? I have not delved into this yet, but I'd be interested if the right disc is out and looks to have positive feedback.

I just did some reading and have learned that dvd-a does NOT output through coax or optical connections (is sacd the same way?). Is this true? I always assumed that dvd-a was just like dvd video but without the video, apparently I was dead wrong.

This is the page I got the information from
http://www.digitalaudioguide.com/faq...udio/faq_2.htm

I haven't jumped on the high def audio wagon yet, and now learning that I may have to use a different audio connection than I use for my dvd video I may never upgrade. I always thought that the optical connection to my receiver would result in the best audio, but from what I read dvd-a isn't even capable of using that connection! Can anyone enlighten me on this topic or provide some links?

Okay, I got my DTS disc to play on my DVD player. It was a setting on my receiver I had to change.

Anyway...

To begin with your quote, an optical connection versus a coaxial connection doesn't actually give you BETTER audio. Some prefer the coaxial connection because the cord holds up better than the optical one. But either an optical or coaxial connection can give you a 5.1 surround connection which IS better than a simple stereo connection via RCA output.

Now, neither DVD-Audio nor SACD are able to use the digital coaxial or optical outs. I heard that there's no 24-bit converter that can use the digital outs. So, they use RCA analog outs (6 cords, one for each speaker). My receiver doesn't have analog 5.1 inputs, so I would have to buy an entirely new receiver to use DVD-Audio or SACD.

So, for now, I'll use my computer as my DVD-Audio player. I can still play DVD-Audio discs on my DVD and get surround sound, but it's at 44 khz instead of the Advanced Resolution 96 khz sound. And I can hear a difference between the two.

I don't have any links that can explain this better. I've just been reading SACD/DVD-Audio player manuals on Amazon.com to find this out.

I upgraded my receiver about 6 months ago for DVD-A compatibility. If you are thinking of venturing into hi-res audio, I emplore you, get a universal player that will do both DVD-A and SACD. You will realize sooner than later that you build up a collection, and then see how much more is available in the other format. Over the summer I plan to upgrade my player again to a universal as there are just some great SACD titles (and some really good looking ones coming) out there. If you're serious about it though, make sure you're willing to spend the money. My speakers aren't the greatest and I know I'm losing out a lot which is why I'm planning to upgrade all around very soon. Don't forget discs will run $15-$30 each. If you really listen to music to actively 'listen' to it, and not just for background noise, then hi-res is the way to go, you really appreciate all the dynamics of the music so much more.

Ok, lets make sure I understand this right,
1) optical/coaxial are fairly equal as far as audio quality is concerned
2) dvd-a/sacd can only use RCA analog outs to get the full 96khz sound

does this mean rca analog gives better sound for both dvd-a and dvd video? I was under the assumption that digital > analog no matter what you're talking about, is this untrue in the case of sacd and dvd-a.

does anyone know if there are plans for players/receivers that can use a digital connection to transfer the hd audio formats in their advanced resolution?

I thought the upgrade to high def audio would be the simple case of a new player and I'm sure I can't be the only person who has this assumption. It seems that I will have to plan out an upgrade carefully, maybe even waiting for one format to emerge the victor before I make a buying decision. I guess it doesn't matter at this point, as I still need to buy an hdtv first. But I was so excited to purchase the dual disc of Nine Inch Nails' The Downward Spiral I thought I may start buying more high def discs, apparently I will have to wait until I am more educated on the topic.

Correct.

SACD/DVD-Audio players have a digital-to-analog 24-bit converter built-in. I'm not sure why this is. So, the only way to output them is through analog outputs. DVD-Video players send a digital signal via coaxial/optical to the receiver which then converts digital to analog to the speakers. The ONLY difference with either system is the point at which digital is converted to analog.

If this happens, I think it will be easier to put together an Advanced Resolution system. I wouldn't have to buy a new receiver.

Yes, I will wait on buying a DVD-Audio player or new receiver as well.

thanks for the info jarofclay73! I guess I will wait until I can get my nice flat plasma tv and then revisit this topic, maybe by then there will be some better options (or at least one high def audio standard)

Little more to add......
So far it looks like the basics have been covered.
-DVD-A uses lossless (MLP) technology
-DVD-A can have a sampling frequency of 96/24 up to 5.1 and 192/24 for two channel
-DVD-A is output through analog cables to the receiver (your receiver requires proper inputs)
-DTS is output through digital (optical or coax) cables

A little more...........
-DTS does have 96/24 capability for software that is DTS 96/24 encoded (Queen Night at the Opera is fantastic)
-DVD-A is limited to a max of 5.1 channels. DTS-ES can provide up to 6.1 discrete channels (The Crystal Method discs is a good choice here)
-If you do not have a DVD-A player, you can still play the DTS track on any DVD player and receiver and get surround sound music
-All those analog cables to hook up DVD-A. I'm moving and it's a pain to disconnect all those analog cables on my DVD-A player.
-The technology is there to output DVD-A/SA-CD via digital outs (IEEE or HDMI) Still issues with copy protection. That pesky music industry!

In my opinion both DVD-A and DTS music provide great surround sound music that really shows the possibilities music artists have nowadays. There are pros and cons of each but I recommend, get some titles and do some A/B comparisons for yourself. There is always a point where technology ends and personal opinion begins.

No wonder my DVD player has a 96khz option even though it doesn't play DVD-Audio or SACD discs.

Bastards!

Yeah, I feel DVD-A and DTS are safer options than SACD because they both can still play in DVD-Video players with the full surround capabilities (although only at 44khz). And DVD-Video players will be around for a LONG time!

I found a very reasonable low-end DVD-Audio system: Panasonic SC-HT670 5-Disc DVD Home Theater System
It's good for a small apartment like mine and it doesn't bust the bank. I'm a little wary about integrated decoders but this one sounded fine at the store. If I already didn't buy a DVD player last December and my receiver in August, I'd probably get this.

Huh? SACDs can come as hybrids that play in regular CD players. You don't consider that a safe alternative? Anyway, for my new DVD player, I got a Sony that plays SACDs, mainly because though yourmusic.com, I'm geting SACDs for $4.99/disc. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and Slowhand were my first discs and they sound AMAZING! I plan on building up my collection monthly through their site. Anyway, I'm really impressed with the sound; it's something else. I was tempted to get a Samsung unit that plays both, but I read some bad reviews about its performance. The way I understand it, Sony is tied to SACDs, Panasonic to DVD-A's, so buy accordingly.

I don't know enough about SACDs so I can't comment on the hybrids. But, if all I'm getting with the hybrid is 16-bit stereo music on a normal CD player, then I'd rather go with DVD-A. If both SACD players and DVD-A players were to become obsolete, at least with DVD-A you get the 5.1 capability on DVD-Video players, albeit at 16-bit 44khz quality.

I think it's 48khz, not 44 khz (but that's nitpicking I guess).

I agree about preferring having a Dolby Digital and/or DTS track rather than a CD layer. If you already have bought the CD, there's no reason to buy a SACD hybrid until you can play the SACD layer. With DVD-A's, you can listen to a DD/DTS multichannel track until you get a player that's able to output the MLP signal. Some of them even have an advanced resolution stereo track not in MLP that you can listen to if you have a player that can output a 24-bit/96 khz signal.

There has been some talk of having a firewire connection to transfer the digital data from a DVD-A/SACD, but I don't know if any players have this capability yet. Of course, you also need a receiver capable of that kind of input. (Standard optical/coax connections are not capable of carrying the amount of data required, and also do not offer the copy protection the RIAA wants.)

Okay...now it all makes sense. These digital outputs that DVD-Video players use CANNOT transmit the data necessary for advanced resolution DVD-A/SACD. And, I already knew about the copy protection. So, that's not a possibility.

And, yes, I don't know if any receivers have a firewire input. Maybe only the high-end stuff.

I heard the DVD-A for Queen's "A Night In The Opera" can do this. My player CAN play 24-bit/96khz, so I think I might give this a try.

Oh, I was wondering about that. I payed the guys from Tweeter mucho $$$ to set up my new system and even they didn't realize that you needed to directly input the SACD. I had to send them back to the house last week to fix it.

What's MLP?

DVD-A news and review-sites:
High Fidelity Review
DVD-A.DK
Audio Revolution
DVD-Audio.org
Fairly complete list of DVD-A's released around the world here (a lot are only released in Europe or Japan).

Meridian Lossless Packing, the lossless compression technique that's part of the standard for DVD-A. Not all DVD-A's use compression, but MLP is used if you need to compress the material to fit on the disc, and/or the bandwith requirements for uncompressed PCM would exceed the DVD standard.
MLP was invented by British hi-end audio/video manufacturer Meridian.

Some relatively hi-end equipment allow transmission of the signal in encrypted digital form.