New format confusion

[MichaelJHuman]

Just when I thought I understood HD-DVD audio, I realized I don't.

If you connect the Toshiba players via S/PDIF, no matter what format you select, its converted to Dolby Digital?

If connected via S/PDIF, do you get 6.1 channels vis DVD?

If conected via HDMI, you only get 5.1 over PCM? If you want 6.1 or 7.1 you have to wait for players which push more channels over HDMI?

 

[Audioholics]

Couple of notes:

1. No shipping players (that we know of as of this time) convert DTS-HD to PCM and push it, multi-channel, via HDMI. It's 2-channel only...
2. Nobody wants you to know this
3. Dolby TrueHD, on Gen 1 Toshibas with v2 firmware, gets converted to PCM and sent over HDMI in 5.1 so you can use an HDMI 1.1 receiver to decode 5.1 "lossless" audio. Analogue works as well, obviously.
4. S/PDIF cannot transmit Dolby TrueHD or DTS HD natively, only as a downmixed DTS stream.
5. There is no discrete 7.1 source content available on HD DVD or BD
6. It is somewhat vague as to what happens on 6.1 "ES/EX" discs with respect to multi-channel output (analogue or digital).
7. Gen 1 Toshiba players don't do lossless DTS-HD (just the core at 1.5Mb/s).
8. Gen 2 players seem to have HDMI 1.3. Once compatible receivers start to ship, consumers will have a true digital lossless multi-channel audio solution.

This list is subject to change and endless debate... Just remember, HD isn't confusing at all and everyone should be using it. Yes, with this kind of simplicity and clarity of vision I expect HD DVD technology to be the new standard in less than 6 months.

 

[jcPanny]

Notes

9. Gen 1 HD-DVD and BluRay players only have 5.1 channel analog outputs. Guess they aren't planning on having 7 discrete channels any time soon.

 

[MichaelJHuman]

Your sarcasm brightened up my day.

Its definitely a transition period.

Perhaps the consumer electronics groups felt that the average consumer would be happy with what they got as long as SOME audio got from their player to their TV or amp. And that eventually the systems would be working optimally.

 

[BMXTRIX]

9. Gen 1 HD-DVD and BluRay players only have 5.1 channel analog outputs. Guess they aren't planning on having 7 discrete channels any time soon.

Not including the Panasonic Blu-ray player are you? Look at the back of it.

 

[jcPanny]

Panasonic

Not including the Panasonic Blu-ray player are you? Look at the back of it.

It was nice of Panny to include that "feature" for $1k! Sony and Samsung didn't bother on their first gen BluRay players. I guess it is pretty useless anyway if there isn't any media to take advantage of it.