Best BR player for legacy recv'r...

[mnnc]

Are there br players that allow dtd-ma and dolby true soundtrack to be played via the 7 analog cable connection rather than or in addition to the hdmi connection? I have a hddvd player that takes the dd-plus/dd-true and plays it back as dts. My pre-pro only has multi-ch ins...no hdmi which is not that big of a deal as I run the video signal straight to monitor and use my rig for audio. Info appreciated.

 

[Seth=L]

Yes.

There are the Panasonic DMP-55 and Sony BDP-S550. Those are just two I know off the top of my head. I know there are more.

 

[mnnc]

Thanks..so the Pan 55 will send dtsma or other awesome lossless audio through my pre-pro..ok...so how will the pre-pro signify this info? would it simply read dts on the display but really be dtsma that is being played? And how would this be if I currently have a 5.1 spkr system rather than 7.1? Thnks again.

 

[BMXTRIX]

You would hook up 5.1 analog outputs out of the player, then set your receiver to the analog 5.1 audio input. Your receiver would not be receiving anything DTS related at all, it would be getting fully decoded HD audio. The PLAYER would indicate what you are playing back, and should have settings to allow for either 5.1 audio or 7.1 audio playback.

 

[Seth=L]

The function of the 5.1 or 7.1 analog outputs on a Blu-ray player is very similar to that of a preamplifier/processor. A preamp used with a DVD player for example would take a digital input such as Toslink or Coaxial and convert it to analog for output to a power amplifier. A DVD you may be watching may have DTS for example, the the pre/pro receives the digital bitstream of DTS audio from the digital source (dvd player) and converts it to analog. The amplifier isn't getting DTS, it's getting 5-7 (LFE goes to subwoofer obviously) channels of analog audio (because the amplifier is analog, not digital).

Use the same principle logic with the Blu-ray player, only instead of the Blu-ray player sending a digital signal out it's decoded within the player. The player is now taking the action of a digital processor. The preamp receives analog from the Blu-ray player. The preamp's job at this point is level control, and that's pretty much all it's doing. It's not doing any additional decoding.

 

[Shock]

BMX and Seth are correct, since the player is doing the decoding and sending everything through the analog outs, your receiver will not notice it is digital in any way. You would just set the receiver to your 5.1 analog inputs to play the DTS-MA.

Personally I don't think the extra wires are really worth the hassle of a marginal (if any) increase is sound quality. If I can't run it with 1 wire, i don't like it!

 

[mnnc]

I understand now...I would connect br player to the multi-ch inputs(have 8 ins for up to 7.1) where I curently have my oppo for sacd/dvda purposes and then select multi channel input on pre-pro so as to receive it and ultimately send out to all the spkr's. Duh! on my part...major brain fade. Wish I had another set of multi-ch ins but...oh well. Thanks.

 

[Shock]

I understand now...I would connect br player to the multi-ch inputs(have 8 ins for up to 7.1) where I curently have my oppo for sacd/dvda purposes and then select multi channel input on pre-pro so as to receive it and ultimately send out to all the spkr's. Duh! on my part...major brain fade. Wish I had another set of multi-ch ins but...oh well. Thanks.

http://www.cablewholesale.com/specs/10r1-02506.htm

Get some piggy backing RCA cables, and just piggy back them into the 7.1 channel discrete inputs. Then you don't have to change cables everytime.

 

[Sheep]

BMX and Seth are correct, since the player is doing the decoding and sending everything through the analog outs, your receiver will not notice it is digital in any way. You would just set the receiver to your 5.1 analog inputs to play the DTS-MA.

Personally I don't think the extra wires are really worth the hassle of a marginal (if any) increase is sound quality. If I can't run it with 1 wire, i don't like it!

It ain't for SQ foo. It's so older gear can still receiver the lossless audio.

SheepStar

 

[billy p]

I understand now...I would connect br player to the multi-ch inputs(have 8 ins for up to 7.1) where I curently have my oppo for sacd/dvda purposes and then select multi channel input on pre-pro so as to receive it and ultimately send out to all the spkr's. Duh! on my part...major brain fade. Wish I had another set of multi-ch ins but...oh well. Thanks.

Who says you don't need all those "bells & whistles", you can never have to much. Heh.. I wish I had 2 sets m/c when I had the s550 & s55 at my disposal.

 

[Shock]

It ain't for SQ foo. It's so older gear can still receiver the lossless audio.

SheepStar

DTS-MA is supposed to be higher quality than regular DTS, whose the foo now foo?

You crazy Sheepy.

 

[Sheep]

DTS-MA is supposed to be higher quality than regular DTS, whose the foo now foo?

You crazy Sheepy.

You're not getting it.

I was talking about the reasoning for analog vs HDMI. People use the analog not because they think the extra cables will make it sound better, but because they can't receive the HDMI signal nor decode it with their current processor/receiver. The only way for them to get DTS-HDMA in full lossless, is through analog.

Where's my beaches?

SheepStar

 

[BMXTRIX]

Personally I don't think the extra wires are really worth the hassle of a marginal (if any) increase is sound quality. If I can't run it with 1 wire, i don't like it!

I'm a bit confused on this statement. Are you saying that there is a marginal improvement between dts and dts-ma? That seems to go pretty strongly against what all the reports have said. And since this receiver has no hdmi input, there is no other way to get lossless audio into the receiver.

Personally, he sounds like a candidate for the upcoming Oppo player as it will keep SACD playback and it looks like most of the other high end Oppo features. So he can replace the old Oppo with a new one. The downside is that nobody knows when it will actually be out

 

[Shock]

I'm a bit confused on this statement. Are you saying that there is a marginal improvement between dts and dts-ma?

That's exactly what i'm saying, and I'm sure there are many people here who would agree.

Sheepy, I thought that would have been implied.

 

[BMXTRIX]

That's exactly what i'm saying, and I'm sure there are many people here who would agree.

Don't know about that... From most reviews, it's been the audio which has been considered one of the strongest aspects of Blu-ray, and it seems like someone who is using SACD hooked up video analog, is exactly the type of person who does hear the major difference in audio levels. Considering how much better SACD is to CD, I would think the same holds true for DTS vs. DTS-MA and other HD lossless audio codecs.

 

[Shock]

Don't know about that... From most reviews, it's been the audio which has been considered one of the strongest aspects of Blu-ray, and it seems like someone who is using SACD hooked up video analog, is exactly the type of person who does hear the major difference in audio levels. Considering how much better SACD is to CD, I would think the same holds true for DTS vs. DTS-MA and other HD lossless audio codecs.

That's the thing, the lossless codecs should output a better quality sound. But this relies on so many different factors, such as how close the DTS mix is already to the master audio sample. On many movies the DTS mixes are already very close to the lossless counterparts that the difference is not noticeable.

It depends on the source far too much to say DTS-MA is the clear winner. I'm not saying it's worse, in no way is it worse sounding. But withthe extra wires just to get DTS-MA over analog is not worth it in my opinion. I'd stick to regular ol'DTS.

It's like trying to compare 320 kbps mp3's and lossless AAC, Ogg, or Flac. To be able to tell the difference is very difficult.

 

[Sheep]

That's exactly what i'm saying, and I'm sure there are many people here who would agree.

Sheepy, I thought that would have been implied.

There is more to it then just bit depth and bit rate. The mix is completely different, plus there is discrete tracks for all of your surrounds. That will add up to a noticeable difference IMO, foo.

SheepStar

 

[BMXTRIX]

That's the thing, the lossless codecs should output a better quality sound. But this relies on so many different factors, such as how close the DTS mix is already to the master audio sample. On many movies the DTS mixes are already very close to the lossless counterparts that the difference is not noticeable.

Or it is like saying that SACD or DVD-A is just barely better than CD, and it all depends on the master and how things were recorded.

Yes, I agree with you that it can be very difficult to tell the difference, but when a film is mastered with high quality audio, then that is typically the time when people can recognize that difference and it makes sense. Likewise, there are audio discs which utlize the HD audio to the fullest possible extent (at this time) and are clearly better.

Finally - 3 (or 4) stereo interconnects runs a total of about $20 with good cables from monoprice. It's not exactly 'break the bank' type stuff. Especially for people who really do care a lot about making the most of what they own.

 

[mnnc]

http://www.cablewholesale.com/specs/10r1-02506.htm

Get some piggy backing RCA cables, and just piggy back them into the 7.1 channel discrete inputs. Then you don't have to change cables everytime.

Paint me a picture...what are piggy-backs? Y-splitter type cables? Thanks, great idea as long as I remember to only have one source signal at a time going there so as to not freak out the pre/pro.

 

[mnnc]

I'm a bit confused on this statement. Are you saying that there is a marginal improvement between dts and dts-ma? That seems to go pretty strongly against what all the reports have said. And since this receiver has no hdmi input, there is no other way to get lossless audio into the receiver.

Personally, he sounds like a candidate for the upcoming Oppo player as it will keep SACD playback and it looks like most of the other high end Oppo features. So he can replace the old Oppo with a new one. The downside is that nobody knows when it will actually be out

My March issue of HT has a mini review of the new Oppo BR player...rumored perhaps it will see a dvd-a chip as well. If it has analog outs and does the dvda I'm all over it. It is going to do sacd but I have a few dvda that I love and a true universal/high def player will be awesome...even at proposed $500-600.