dts Finalizes Branding of High Definition DVD Audio Formats

[Audioholics]

<A href="http://www.audioholics.com/news/pressreleases/dtshighdefinitionDVDformats.php"><IMG style="WIDTH: 125px; HEIGHT: 47px" alt=[dtshighresolutionaudio1] hspace=10 src="http://www.audioholics.com/news/thumbs/dtshighresolutionaudio1_th.jpg" align=left border=0></A>DTS, Inc. today unveiled a three-tiered system of audio solutions for the next generation HD DVD and Blu-ray Dics formats. The naming system is a scalable architecture that can support a variety of different quality levels in a single stream. It entails a series of new logos (boy, we sure need more of those on our AV boxes!) that communicate the varying quality levels to consumers: DTS-HD Master Audio, for sound bit-for-bit identical to the master soundtrack, DTS-HD High Resolution Audio, for audio that is nearly identical to the master soundtrack, and DTS Encore, which delivers 5.1 channels of audio at twice the resolution found on most standard DVDs. Except for the legacy dts format, all are classified as "optional" on the new DVD discs.

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[GlocksRock]

I love dts. So I would need a new receiver that can decode all these new dts formats before I can take advantage of them right? Would any of the new BR/HDDVD players be able to decode say a dts-hd master audio and convert it to pcm so my current receiver can play it back in say 7.1 without any loss in quality?

 

[tomd51]

Just drawing from past experience, you'd likely need at the very least a source component (HD-DVD/BR player) capable of playing these formats via analog multichannel outputs. A receiver/processor that could decode these formats as well may be needed also... -TD

 

[GlocksRock]

Right now I have an RX-V1600 and don't want to have to upgrade to a new receiver any time soon, so if I got a new BR/HDDVD player, I would want it to be able to decode and output the new dts format over optical, coaxial, or HDMI.

 

[BMXTRIX]

Right now I have an RX-V1600 and don't want to have to upgrade to a new receiver any time soon, so if I got a new BR/HDDVD player, I would want it to be able to decode and output the new dts format over optical, coaxial, or HDMI.

Not sure that's going to work. But, I'm not at all positive. I believe either HDMI 1.3 is required or 7.1 analog inputs are required to get the new HD formats into a receiver. 7.1 analog is great, but the 1600 only seems to have 5.1 analog input. But, as I said, I am not positive if there is another way to do it or not.

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

It's too bad those formats are "optional." I'm such a big DTS fan over DD. There's still a very low percentage of SD DVD's out that contain DTS audio.

Glocks,

I think you're going to need the HDMI 1.3 cable to decode DTS-HD. It makes sense analog inputs should work, but knowing the industry, they'll probably "down rez" the quality (if possible). HDMI cables allow for two way communication. Analog inputs do not. If the industry can't track info, what's keeping us from making perfect lossless audio copies with analog cables - say with concert style HD discs? It's just a guess, and I hope I'm wrong.

 

[tomd51]

You could be right, Buck, but wouldn't this be the case today with the SACD and DVD-A formats? Obviously they wouldn't have the resoution of the 'DTS-HD Master Audio' format, but they're both miles ahead of the CD format, IMO... -TD

 

[Electone]

The average Joe six-pack is not going to care if his DTS is encoded at 768kbps, 1.5mps, etc. Play a nicely recorded DVD like Star Wars Episode III. Will DTS-HD Master sound that much better than the Dolby Digital EX currently encoded on the disc? My guess is probably not.

 

[MACCA350]

DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby TrueHD should sound identical because they are both lossless formats, and if they sound different then they have been mastered differently.

HD-DVD players will output the decompressed PCM signal over HDMI 1.1 and the analogue connections at the moment these are the best quality connections to use, I believe Blue-ray players work the same.

Even if you have a HDMI 1.3 connection and a capable receiver to decode the new formats it will probably be no use to you because of the way the players mix audio and the fact that it's up to the studio whether or not to allow the player to bypass the mixing stage and output the raw stream, and its believed that if any do they will be few.

This is explained in this thread, see post 26 for links to more information.

The new players do not work the same as current DVD players for audio.

cheers

 

[Mobius]

Anyone know if DTS Encore will work with an optical/coax cable? From this comment in the article "even if a next generation player is connected to standard home theater hardware. " I am guessing this is a possibility.

 

[MACCA350]

Anyone know if DTS Encore will work with an optical/coax cable? From this comment in the article "even if a next generation player is connected to standard home theater hardware. " I am guessing this is a possibility.

This should answer your question

cheers