DTS Sound with Dolby Receiver

[Kenjori]

Hello,

I have the following devices.

Sony KDL-40W5500 TV
Sony DAV-DZ950 Home Theater
PS3
Satellite Receiver
MKV Player

All devices are connected to TV via HDMI and TV optical out in connected to Home Theater optical in with TOSLINK cable.

TV doesn't have ARC feature.

Home Theater is DVD based and cannot decode DTS.

Is this possible to have DTS audio with this setup (via PS3 Decoder or MKV Player decoder) if so, how should be the hardware and software setup?

Thanks,

 

[markw]

Sorry, no. The receiver itself needs to be able to decode the DTS signal and, strange as it seems, it appears that Sony unit is incapable of doing this.

 

[Kenjori]

Yes receiver can't decode DTS. But isn't it possible to carry decoded audio from PS3 or MKV player to the speakers directly? Both PS3 (Bluray) and MKV player are capable of DTS decoding?

 

[markw]

Yes receiver can't decode DTS. But isn't it possible to carry decoded audio from PS3 or MKV player to the speakers directly? Both PS3 (Bluray) and MKV player are capable of DTS decoding?

Sorry, no. You would need two things to do this:

1) A source that can decode DTS and has multi-channel analog outputs. A very few Blu-ray players offer this Your sources do NOT.
AND
2) A receiver that can accept those multi-channel analog inputs. I strongly doubt you unit can do that.

What you're facing is one of the limitations of buying an all in one system. It offers no flexibility to do anything aside from what it was initially designed to do.

 

[Kenjori]

I see. Thank you for the explanation.

 

[Adam]

Hi, and welcome to the forum!

I'd like to offer a correction to what Mark said. You do not need analog connections to pass a decoded DTS signal. The PS3 can decode DTS and output it as linear PCM over a digital connection.

That said, I'm not sure how well that will work with your overall setup because you are passing that audio through the TV. Many TVs, but I don't know if yours is like this, will convert multi-channel audio from an HDMI input into two-channel audio for output through the optical audio output.

My suggestion is to try it. Go into the PS3 menu under Sound Settings and Audio Output Settings and unselect any box with "DTS" in it (there's probably just one), and make sure that the boxes for PCM are selected. That way, the PS3 won't output encoded DTS but will instead decode it first.

 

[j_garcia]

I am not sure if it will work like that either, but I'd definitely try what Adam is suggesting because I'm thinking that might work also.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

Hi, and welcome to the forum!

I'd like to offer a correction to what Mark said. You do not need analog connections to pass a decoded DTS signal. The PS3 can decode DTS and output it as linear PCM over a digital connection.

That said, I'm not sure how well that will work with your overall setup because you are passing that audio through the TV. Many TVs, but I don't know if yours is like this, will convert multi-channel audio from an HDMI input into two-channel audio for output through the optical audio output.

My suggestion is to try it. Go into the PS3 menu under Sound Settings and Audio Output Settings and unselect any box with "DTS" in it (there's probably just one), and make sure that the boxes for PCM are selected. That way, the PS3 won't output encoded DTS but will instead decode it first.

In addition I would check the TV settings for digital audio out - Auto for Dolby Digital Receivers and PCM for not
http://pdf.crse.com/manuals/4136111141.PDF

 

[markw]

Define "decoded". Does two channel PCM count?

 

[Adam]

Define "decoded". Does two channel PCM count?

You can decode two-channel, or multichannel...or mono. I'm sure that you can look up the definition. It's just a matter of outputting a format that the other electronics can understand. PCM is fairly universal.

I've had my PS3 decode multichannel to PCM before, so I know it works.

 

[markw]

And, what was the result of that PCM decoding? Stereo?

 

[Adam]

And, what was the result of that PCM decoding? Stereo?

Multichannel, just like the original.

 

[markw]

So, you believe that he can get multi-channel DTS through his digital TV output, go to and through his DD only receiver, and and have it wind up as DTS multi-channel through his speakers?

I may have learned something here.

But, I'm still curious what multi-channel format will be passed through the TV's digital output.

 

[Adam]

But, I'm still curious what multi-channel format will be passed through the TV's digital output.

Oh, I totally agree. Like I mentioned, I'm not sure if it will work when passed through the TV (and I won't be surprised if it doesn't), but it's worth a try. The PS3 can absolutely decode DTS into multichannel PCM, and that would work if it was connected directly to the Sony home theater using an optical cable.

 

[markw]

Interesting. According to the manual for that unit that BSA provided, the thing the TV will pass out the toslink port is Dolby Digital and "two channel linear PCM" and, as for the receiver, I'm pretty sure it doesn't do DTS, only DD.

 

[Adam]

Interesting. According to the manual for that unit that BSA provided, the only decoding that thing does is Dolby Digital and "two channel linear PCM"

Yeah, it's not likely that it will work great going through the TV. However, two channels is better than none. So, using the PS3 for DTS should give some audio versus the home theater player not being able to do it at all.

 

[markw]

So, two channels is better than none, eh? It looks like we're right back where we started.

 

[Adam]

It looks like we're right back where we started.

Not really. The thread started with the question of is it possible to listen to DTS on the OP's system. The answer is yes, but it will probably be in stereo given the current setup. If the PS3 audio is run directly to the home theater system, then it can be in surround sound.

 

[markw]

Not really. The thread started with the question of is it possible to listen to DTS on the OP's system. The answer is yes, but it will probably be in stereo given the current setup. If the PS3 audio is run directly to the home theater system, then it can be in surround sound.

Even though the receiver only does Dolby Digital?

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

Even though the receiver only does Dolby Digital?

Possibility so, depends on the htib receiver. We could theorize here till dawn of the days, but to get any usable results at this point op needs to start experiment with some of suggestions provided for him earlier in this thread