High Definition 101

[basil_ansari]

I really need professional help!

i read so many articles and the more i read the more i get confused. heres my story:

I got my self a Sony HD-TV 1080p, Sony PS3, XBOX Ellite with the HD-DVD Player and i have an Onkyo receiver TX-NR801 7.1 which has Dolby Digital, Dolby Pro Logic II and DTS, DTS-ES Discrete/Matrix 6.1, DTS Neo:6. Am Planning to get my self a new receiver Onkyo TX-SR875 which has the latest decoding systems and HDMI 1.3a inputs.

Now the question is What is PCM 5.1, Dolby True HD and DTS-HD? How to set up my equipments to get the best srround sound? How to get benifit of these latest formats? I have many Blue-Ray and HD-DVD titles what setting should i select in the Sound option in the disk menue and the receiver? What is the best optimal setup and settings for my equipmetns? Do i need additional equipmetns beside the new HDMI 1.3a receiver that am waiting for to arrive?

I need a detail explination on how to setup my equipments and settings in my PS3-XBOX HD-DVD-Onkyo Receiver?

PS: I have Bose Speakers a complete 7.1 set.

Urgent Help Please!

 

[Alamar]

NOTE: I will try to help but I am NOT a pro. Do not take anything I say as professional advice!!! I AM A NEWB BUT I THINK THAT I CAN HELP A LITTLE.

Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD are lossless audio formats. Basically the goal is to make sure that the sound recorded on the HD-DVD / BluRay is as close as possible to the original sound. Note that Dolby Digital and DTS codecs besides the above may alter the sound slightly so that what's on the disc is NOT the same as what was recorded.

PCM 5.1 I believe refers to multi-channel PCM [likely over HDMI]. This is also a lossless audio format. Basically there is no compression on the sound stream at all. You won't find this on HD-DVD or BluRay discs .... however your HDDVD / BluRay players may decode whatever audio is on the disc and it may pass it to your receiver in this format. Multi-channel PCM over HDMI is likely just fine.

I suspect that if you have multiple HD sources then you want to make sure:

1. That your receiver is HDMI [at least 1.1] compliant.
2. Make sure that your receiver will accept multi-channel PCM over HDMI.
3. Make sure that your receiver will process the PCM over HDMI signal. By process I mean apply bass management and everything else that you'd expect from a receiver. You do NOT want it to act as a passthrough only.
4. Try to configure as many devices as possible to pass multichannel PCM over HDMI as possible to your receiver.

After 1-4 I don't see any problems getting the most that you can out of your audio. I doubt that you'll have problems .... As for exact directions on what to do I'd call the tech support of the companies involved. I'm sure they'd be happy to help you.