Problem with surrounds and dolby digital

[ptabib]

I did some checking and couldn't find the answers, so sorry if i am posting a repetitive problem. My surrounds are hardly even playing during dolby digital. They sound fine (maybe even too loud) in 5ch/7ch stereo mode. But if i switch it to dolby digital (playing tv or dvd's) they become silent, even though the a/v is showing it is receiving a dd 5.1 signal and that it is sending a dd 5.1 signal. The a/v is a denon 2805. Any suggestions would be nice.

thanks

 

[markw]

silent?

Well, most movies don't really have a lot of action from the surrounds. Only rarely do mine wake up. Odds are that if the test tones sound fairly consistent you're fine.

Unlike music, which tries to use every available speaker at all times, movies tend to use thesesparingly. Only when an audiable "clue" as to what's going on will they perk up and make their presense (pun intended) be known.

Generally, the big, bad action movies will make more use of these than chick flicks.

 

[j_garcia]

5ch stereo is sending a copy of what's in the mains to the surrounds at the same level. This is not the same as a discrete surround signal.

Have you calibrated the levels with a SPL meter?

Try out a movie like Blade2 in DTS-ES. You'll know right away if your surrounds are working correclty or not.

 

[ptabib]

Thanks for the replies. I didn't use a spl but just the mic included with the auto feature on the 2805. I tried some different movies, still the surrounds were weak. In a 15min. car chase/gun fight you maybe heard a few LOW car screech sounds from the surrounds, but that's it. No, pull you into the movie "surround sound". I don't even have a sub hooked up, then you wouldn't here anything. I'll try playing around with the channel level and the fader function. Hopefully there is something out of wack.

 

[mtrycrafts]

I'll try playing around with the channel level and the fader function. Hopefully there is something out of wack.

No, don't do that but you may want to bypass the auto setup and use an spl meter with a test DVd that passes the signal through the whole chain, from DVD player to the speakers. Even if there is no difference, you have verified the accuracy of the auto setup feature

I presume you have hooked everything up correctly? Try some of the recommended DVDs as they have aggressive surrounds. Not all do.