Analog 2.0 vs Analog 2.1

[mkinder]

I have an analog 2.1 (15yrs old) receiver but only two speakers. I'll be adding a sub soon and eventually a complete 5.1 system. My question is regarding sub source material. Does the LFE track get split across the analog 2.0 output on the dvd player?.. or do you only get it with a digital output to a digital receiver? I'll be getting a sub that accepts a line level input with a built in crossover, so I was hoping it's source material from the analog dvd output would have most if not all of the bass included. Thanks.

 

[j_garcia]

If I understand correctly what you are asking, yes the LFE gets downmixed into the L&R channels at the DVD player if you set it for downmixed output - no bass will be lost. In a case like this you would also select the Dolby Stereo or stereo track on the DVD itself to make sure this is the case. When you eventually get a digital receiver it won't be an issue anymore.

 

[sivadselim]

The LFE will not be rerouted by the player to the front analog L+R channels. You can check this with a purely LFE track on a calibration DVD; just make certain you use a pure LFE track.

Now, some DVDs will have a specifically engineered 2-channel audio track and in this case the audio engineer should have remixed some of the low frequency effects info across those 2 channels. Otherwise, you're best hope is that the engineer put some of the effects redundantly into the L+R channels of the 5.1 mix.

 

[j_garcia]

The LFE will not be rerouted by the player to the front analog L+R channels. You can check this with a purely LFE track on a calibration DVD; just make certain you use a pure LFE track.

If the player is set to downmix and output in stereo, either via digital or analog, the LFE should be included (I am not 100% sure of this, but it should be downmixing all channel). For a 2ch only system, this is what you would need to do to get a full range signal out of the analog RCAs to a stereo reciever, or select the stereo option within the disc itself. The stereo receiver will handle signal output to the sub, but that will not be a true ".1" like an LFE channel.

If the player has multichannel analog outputs, you CAN set the player to sub = none and mains large and get the LFE sent to the mains, however you would also have to set all of the other speakers to none as well, in order to get a stereo only signal via the R&L RCAs.

 

[sivadselim]

If the player is set to downmix and output in stereo, either via digital or analog, the LFE should be included (I am not 100% sure of this, but it should be downmixing all channel). For a 2ch only system, this is what you would need to do to get a full range signal out of the analog RCAs to a stereo reciever, or select the stereo option within the disc itself. The stereo receiver will handle signal output to the sub, but that will not be a true ".1" like an LFE channel.

If the player has multichannel analog outputs, you CAN set the player to sub = none and mains large and get the LFE sent to the mains, however you would also have to set all of the other speakers to none as well, in order to get a stereo only signal via the R&L RCAs.

Let's not argue about this; it's been beaten to death.

Unlike our receiver/pre/pros, players will not reroute LFE properly to their analog outs; they drop it altogether when set up as having NO SUB, 2-channel or multichannel. This is easy enough to verify using a DVD with a pure LFE track. But be careful, the calibration tones on AVIA are not pure LFE. The "Low Frequency Sweep, LFE" track on AVIA is pure LFE.

I have checked this with several players and have challenged many doubters to do the same. No one believes this, but it's true. If a player is setup as having NO SUB, the LFE channel is dropped, not rerouted.