Decode audio at DVD player or AVR

[bancroft]

I watched the SD version of Rendition last night. Not a bad flick either. I playback using the PCM output on my Toshiba XA2 and use the analog in cables for the sound. This means the player was responsible for the decoding of the DD sound.

About half way through the movie, I switched the XA2 to bitstream and let the AVR decode the coaxial supplied DD sound signal. This resulted in a much more robust soundtrack. This includes the comparison of, and I'm not spoiling the movie, the explosion in the court yard.

For the life of me I can't understand why it would be different. I use the PCM and analog in for HD DVD to enjoy all but DTS MA advanced sound codecs and they are sweet.

Any thoughts?

 

[mtrycrafts]

I watched the SD version of Rendition last night. Not a bad flick either. I playback using the PCM output on my Toshiba XA2 and use the analog in cables for the sound. This means the player was responsible for the decoding of the DD sound.

About half way through the movie, I switched the XA2 to bitstream and let the AVR decode the coaxial supplied DD sound signal. This resulted in a much more robust soundtrack. This includes the comparison of, and I'm not spoiling the movie, the explosion in the court yard.

For the life of me I can't understand why it would be different. I use the PCM and analog in for HD DVD to enjoy all but DTS MA advanced sound codecs and they are sweet.

Any thoughts?

Perhaps the analog out from the XA2 is level different from the digital bitstream and the receiver's analog signal level, hence volume changes and sound quality perception will also change.
If you are an experimenter and have some tools, test disc, both pure tone and pink noise, SPL meter, say an RS analog one, and a stand for it you can test for such volume changes between the two rout the signal takes.

 

[fmw]

Agreed. Almost certainly mismatched levels.

 

[bancroft]

Thanks gents. Makes sense. I'll check it out.

 

[HTfan14]

I switched the XA2 to bitstream and let the AVR decode the coaxial supplied DD sound signal. This resulted in a much more robust soundtrack.

I notice the same with my XA1, my workaround is setting the audio to auto. This will send DD or DTS signals bitstreamed to the AVR for decoding, while letting the player decode DDTHD or DD+ and sending as PCM.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I notice the same with my XA1...

Same here. The levels are not matched.