Hd-dvd ?

[Cozmo]

Hi,

I have a Toshiba HD-A2 which I will be connecting to a pre/pro using TOSLINK. Since the DVD player does not have multi-channel analog outputs, I cannot take advantage of the new HD audio formats with this setup. But will the downgraded signal sound any better than with a SD player under the same setup? I'm not sure if the downgraded HD audio is any better than the standard Dolby/DTS, etc.

Thanks,

 

[j_garcia]

It depends on the disc and the type of track it has on it, but yes, even the downmixed versions of Dolby True HD and DTS HD MA sound noticeably better than regular DD/DTS 5.1

 

[annunaki]

I watched Harry Potter last night in HD-DVD an I thought it souded noticeably cleaner and more dynamic. It sounded more open as well. Especially in the "Great Hall" scenes. The ambience was great.

 

[Nomo]

Well color me stupid.
I hadn't even tried the HD tracks thinking that they would be a waste of time.
Does this mean I have to re-rent all my Netflix movies?

 

[Cozmo]

Thanks, I wasn't sure if it would sound any different. I wonder if the signal a higher bitrate than the normal DD/DTS...

 

[j_garcia]

It is. When I played the DTS-HD MA track on Kingdom of Heaven BD, it was 1509K. I don't remember if Sleepy Hollow was DTS HD, but it was a 1509K track as well. Dobly True HD comes across as 640K. That in itself doesn't tell you the whole story, as you can have a high bitrate and a lousy track, but so far the ones I've heard have been pretty good.

 

[Alamar]

BTW: From what I understand some of the lossless tracks are actually mixed differently and go through a different process than some of the lossy audio tracks.

The difference that you can hear isn't always because of compression ... often it's just that the sound mix is different.

 

[Cozmo]

I am trying to decide if I should use my HD-A2 in a different room and purchase another HD-DVD with multi-channel analog outputs. That way I can use the new one with my Rotel 1068. But if the audio is better than SD with TOSLINK, I may just save the $$$.

 

[allargon]

Hi,

I have a Toshiba HD-A2 which I will be connecting to a pre/pro using TOSLINK. Since the DVD player does not have multi-channel analog outputs, I cannot take advantage of the new HD audio formats with this setup. But will the downgraded signal sound any better than with a SD player under the same setup? I'm not sure if the downgraded HD audio is any better than the standard Dolby/DTS, etc.

Thanks,

I have a HD-A2 in my master bedroom connected to a low-end Sony receiver via Toslink. It converts Dolby Digital plus and Dolby TrueHD to full bit rate DTS. I notice the difference between HD-DVD's and SD-DVD's. They sound fuller and richer. However, I will suggest you upgrade your player since you can afford Rotel, etc. There's no point in you not going for full lossless if you can afford it. The A1's (analog outs) are slower than the 2nd gen players but cheap if you look hard enough.

 

[j_garcia]

The issue with HD DVD is that they have to include a DD track that is compatible with most receivers. So with a DD+ or THD track, that means they likely won't have enough room to include a lossless PCM track also.

 

[Cozmo]

I have a HD-A2 in my master bedroom connected to a low-end Sony receiver via Toslink. It converts Dolby Digital plus and Dolby TrueHD to full bit rate DTS. I notice the difference between HD-DVD's and SD-DVD's. They sound fuller and richer. However, I will suggest you upgrade your player since you can afford Rotel, etc. There's no point in you not going for full lossless if you can afford it. The A1's (analog outs) are slower than the 2nd gen players but cheap if you look hard enough.

We've had a baby girl since I bought the 1068, so my budget has gone way down now. She recently turned two and we have moved into a new home where I have a dedicated room I am trying to finish/equip. I wonder if you can get Elmo in HD-DVD....

 

[Nomo]

We've had a baby girl since I bought the 1068, so my budget has gone way down now. She recently turned two and we have moved into a new home where I have a dedicated room I am trying to finish/equip. I wonder if you can get Elmo in HD-DVD....

IMHO, there is nothing wrong with hanging on to the A2 for now.
First of all there are no guarantees that the format will really take hold over BlueRay. Or for that matter, that either of the HD formats are going to succeed.
Secondly, as with everything else, what you bought yesterday, will by outdated tomorrow. The advantages of buying the higher end players will be overshadowed quickly by those the next generation of players.
As far as Elmo on DVD-HD; probably not. But the A2's upscaling will at least make Elmo look fuzzier.

 

[Cozmo]

IMHO, there is nothing wrong with hanging on to the A2 for now.
First of all there are no guarantees that the format will really take hold over BlueRay. Or for that matter, that either of the HD formats are going to succeed.
Secondly, as with everything else, what you bought yesterday, will by outdated tomorrow. The advantages of buying the higher end players will be overshadowed quickly by those the next generation of players.
As far as Elmo on DVD-HD; probably not. But the A2's upscaling will at least make Elmo look fuzzier.

Yeah, that's kinda what I was thinking. I am using a Denon DVD2900 in the living room now. I was thinking of selling it and using the funds towards a new HD-DVD player, but maybe I'll just hang on to it. It's a pretty decent SD player. I'm sure my daughter will really like Elmo on the 96" screen vs. 30" TV right now.....

 

[mtrycrafts]

Does this mean I have to re-rent all my Netflix movies?

If you owned them in the first place, you would not have this dilemma.