Bitstream or Uncompressed?

[Pogre]

What I'm asking is if you set the Xbox to 7.1 or 5.1 does pcm display on your avr

No.

 

[Pogre]

My avr doesn't literally display pcm/lpcm on the panel or in the general sound mode menu, just identifies that generally as "multi ch in"; if I dig into the setup menus via audio information then I can see it identified as pcm.

My avr will also, when bitstreaming, automatically change to the required codec (or remember the one I modify it to for that input/source). On top of a codec like DD my avr will still offer some dsp choices on top of that, e.g., starting with DD still have further dsp choices like DDEx, DDPLIIx and/or DSX modes or Neo:X; the choices aren't quite the same with "multi ch in", but the avr will remember to use whatever I last used for that particular codec the next time I use that same source/input....

Bitstream on my console makes me choose either Dolby, atmos or DTS. Whichever I choose in the Xbox menu, that's what shows up on my avr. Either dolby or dts. No multi ch in.

When I choose uncompressed I can choose multi ch in, dolby, dts, etc. from my avr's menu. I've been setting my Xbox to uncompressed 5.1 and pick multi ch in on my avr. I don't care if it isn't displayed on the front. If that setting allows for the codec to be automatically detected that's what I'll probably do.

What I'm asking is if you set the Xbox to 7.1 or 5.1 does pcm display on your avr

Is anything gained by selecting 7.1 in a 5.1 setup? I really don't know. I started this thread to educate myself. I've read through forums, xbox's site and there's a lot of conflicting (and old) information on which of the settings are most optimal. Like all of the settings. lol

 

[lovinthehd]

Bitstream on my console makes me choose either Dolby, atmos or DTS. Whichever I choose in the Xbox menu, that's what shows up on my avr. Either dolby or dts. No multi ch in.

When I choose uncompressed I can choose multi ch in, dolby, dts, etc. from my avr's menu. I've been setting my Xbox to uncompressed 5.1 and pick multi ch in on my avr. I don't care if it isn't displayed on the front. If that setting allows for the codec to be automatically detected that's what I'll probably do.

Is anything gained by selecting 7.1 in a 5.1 setup? I really don't know. I started this thread to educate myself. I've read through forums, xbox's site and there's a lot of conflicting (and old) information on which of the settings are most optimal. Like all of the settings. lol

Sounds like it needs an auto setting for bitstream. So if you're playing a DTS HD-MA disc and set bitstream to Dolby, it comes out as Dolby Digital? Sounds like your uncompressed mode is your console taking care of unpacking the codec and sending lpcm/pcm to your avr.

If your avr is showing multi-ch in at all pretty sure you're getting lpcm/pcm at that point, whether you can apply another dsp sound mode to it would be separate.

If the 7.1 selection in your console doesn't "know" your avr is only 5.1, I suppose with some discrete 7.1 discs you could get a slightly different output to your surrounds.

 

[Pogre]

Sounds like it needs an auto setting for bitstream. So if you're playing a DTS HD-MA disc and set bitstream to Dolby, it comes out as Dolby Digital? Sounds like your uncompressed mode is your console taking care of unpacking the codec and sending lpcm/pcm to your avr.

If your avr is showing multi-ch in at all pretty sure you're getting lpcm/pcm at that point, whether you can apply another dsp sound mode to it would be separate.

If the 7.1 selection in your console doesn't "know" your avr is only 5.1, I suppose with some discrete 7.1 discs you could get a slightly different output to your surrounds.

Okay, the thread is unraveling a little for me. Multi in only shows up as a selection when I choose uncompressed, then underneath it the choices are multi in + (insert format).

Here's what I get when I select bitstream/dolby in the audio ouput Xbox menu and put war of the worlds in.

The format on the disc is DTS and the avr displays dolby digital(!?).

I do have the Xbox setting Bitstream out, dolby digital. If I select dts on the console then it displays dts in the avr menu, no matter what format the disc is. It makes me choose a format when I select bitstream in the Xbox audio out menu. It's not automatic. It does sound like I'm missing an auto setting, huh? Wouldn't I want to have the Xbox send the untouched signal to my receiver and let it handle everything?

I don't really understand all the packing and unpacking stuff or how it matters. I'd just like to find an auto setting that works. Maybe ms set it up so I just have to go into the Xbox menus and choose the correct format to match the blu ray I want to play... I'm fully prepared to sink to that level of existence if it's necessary.

#FirstWorldProblems

 

[panteragstk]

Basically the xbox is re-encoding the sound no matter what preset you choose. For me I would choose the one that has the highest quality audio. That would be either uncompressed or Atmos. Encoding to lossy DTS or AC3 (Dolby Digital) will reduce quality.

It is odd that there isn't a pass-through option.

EDIT: I'd still choose Atmos since that's what it will encode for games, but I found this article that explains how to get it to passthrough BD audio.

 

[Pogre]

Basically the xbox is re-encoding the sound no matter what preset you choose. For me I would choose the one that has the highest quality audio. That would be either uncompressed or Atmos. Encoding to lossy DTS or AC3 (Dolby Digital) will reduce quality.

It is odd that there isn't a pass-through option.

EDIT: I'd still choose Atmos since that's what it will encode for games, but I found this article that explains how to get it to passthrough BD audio.

I haven't clicked the link yet, but thank you! I've searched for this and even reworded the search a couple of times.

*Edit: It's in the bluray settings! Now you'd think something like that would be in the AUDIO OUT menu!?

 

[Pogre]

Basically the xbox is re-encoding the sound no matter what preset you choose. For me I would choose the one that has the highest quality audio. That would be either uncompressed or Atmos. Encoding to lossy DTS or AC3 (Dolby Digital) will reduce quality.

It is odd that there isn't a pass-through option.

EDIT: I'd still choose Atmos since that's what it will encode for games, but I found this article that explains how to get it to passthrough BD audio.

Wait, you'd use atmos anyway? I only have a 5.1 setup.

Btw, the info in that link works! I just tried it out. Thanks again for finding that.

 

[panteragstk]

Wait, you'd use atmos anyway? I only have a 5.1 setup.

Btw, the info in that link works! I just tried it out. Thanks again for finding that.

No problem. I think the Atmos thing needs to be clarified. It is a codec. Same as Dolby Digital, True-HD, DTS, etc. It just happens to support a non-specific number of speakers.

What that means is even though you have a 5.1 setup, Atmos will play just fine. May even sound better than uncompressed PCM. If it were me I'd try both. If you hear no difference, then don't think too much about it.

 

[Pogre]

No problem. I think the Atmos thing needs to be clarified. It is a codec. Same as Dolby Digital, True-HD, DTS, etc. It just happens to support a non-specific number of speakers.

What that means is even though you have a 5.1 setup, Atmos will play just fine. May even sound better than uncompressed PCM. If it were me I'd try both. If you hear no difference, then don't think too much about it.

Gotcha. Right now it displays the same format the disc is in automatically. I'm a happy camper. I'll try atmos too and let you know. Any particular movies I might want to test, or should it work regardless?

 

[panteragstk]

Gotcha. Right now it displays the same format the disc is in automatically. I'm a happy camper. I'll try atmos too and let you know. What's a good one to try?

I think the Atmos setting you were looking at earlier was just for games. Could be wrong though.

Do you have any Atmos movies?

 

[Pogre]

I think the Atmos setting you were looking at earlier was just for games. Could be wrong though.

Do you have any Atmos movies?

I don't think so. I'll pick through them. I don't have a ton so that won't take long. There aren't a ton of atmos discs out now, are there?

 

[panteragstk]

I don't think so. I'll pick through them. I don't have a ton so that won't take long. There aren't a ton of atmos discs out now, are there?

There are quite a few. I've got a lot of them now. Tons of new discs come with Atmos tracks. They're re-releasing movies in Atmos now. It should say on the back.

 

[Pogre]

There are quite a few. I've got a lot of them now. Tons of new discs come with Atmos tracks. They're re-releasing movies in Atmos now. It should say on the back.

Nope. Not a single one. My newest ones are Star Wars: TFU (1080p blu ray) and Logan in 4k (4 discs, download code, calls itself "ultimate"), but no atmos. lol.

I've been wanting to buy another 4k title since they're hard to rent. I'll see if anything I want uses atmos the next time I'm out. Hmm... that could be my next upgrade. Atmos. I think Some Prime Elevation speakers would work well with the pitch of my vaulted ceiling for such a task.

 

[lovinthehd]

Yep PS3 also has both general and blutay settings....

 

[Ressex]

Hi

Just wondered if you managed to get the settings sorted out on the Xbox. I have an Xbox one X and checking if 5.1 uncompressed should be used which shows multi in on my Yamaha receiver or bitstream then Dolby which shows Dolby surround on the receiver or use the Atmos one which my receiver is compatible with however am only using a 5.1 setup.

Many thanks

 

[Pogre]

Hi

Just wondered if you managed to get the settings sorted out on the Xbox. I have an Xbox one X and checking if 5.1 uncompressed should be used which shows multi in on my Yamaha receiver or bitstream then Dolby which shows Dolby surround on the receiver or use the Atmos one which my receiver is compatible with however am only using a 5.1 setup.

Many thanks

I answered you in the pm. I'm still not sure what the "best" setting is for Xbox 1x, but I'll bet you could drive yourself insane flipping back and forth between settings to listen for differences!

 

[lovinthehd]

Hi

Just wondered if you managed to get the settings sorted out on the Xbox. I have an Xbox one X and checking if 5.1 uncompressed should be used which shows multi in on my Yamaha receiver or bitstream then Dolby which shows Dolby surround on the receiver or use the Atmos one which my receiver is compatible with however am only using a 5.1 setup.

Many thanks

That's just a difference between bitstream and multi-ch pcm; bitstream has your avr doing the decoding, and having your xbox do the decoding for export as multi-ch pcm. No real right or wrong and as Pogre says, you could drive yourself insane trying to figure out if one has an advantage You may get more dsp choices in your avr by bitstreaming, tho.