DTS-HD MA, DD+, DTS-HD HR, TRUE-HD, DTS, DTS-ES, Dolby Digital...

zoiks

Lifer
Jan 13, 2000
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WTF. I bought my Pio 5080hd and my Toshiba hd-dvd player last year and things were not this complicated. So now that I've bought a new Panny blu ray player, I'm thinking of replacing my onkyo ts-rx702 to conform to the new standards. But really is the sound difference that much greater than regular Dolby Digital?
 

Slick5150

Diamond Member
Nov 10, 2001
8,760
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Depends on your speakers obviously, but yes, there is a noticeable difference between DD/DTS & lossless DD True HD /DTS-MA

 

zoiks

Lifer
Jan 13, 2000
11,787
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Originally posted by: Slick5150
Depends on your speakers obviously, but yes, there is a noticeable difference between DD/DTS & lossless DD True HD /DTS-MA

So for DD True HD/DTS-MA do you need a 7.1 setup or a 5.1 or 6.1 will work as well?
 

vi edit

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 28, 1999
62,484
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Originally posted by: zoiks
Originally posted by: Slick5150
Depends on your speakers obviously, but yes, there is a noticeable difference between DD/DTS & lossless DD True HD /DTS-MA

So for DD True HD/DTS-MA do you need a 7.1 setup or a 5.1 or 6.1 will work as well?

5.1 is perfectly fine. The channel seperation and LFE tracks on the Hi-Def formats have a lot more "POP" to them than their compressed cousins.
 

kalrith

Diamond Member
Aug 22, 2005
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Originally posted by: Slick5150
Depends on your speakers obviously, but yes, there is a noticeable difference between DD/DTS & lossless DD True HD /DTS-MA

Since we're on the subject, would there be a noticeable difference between the old and new formats with the following 5.1 setup:
  • Polk R50 (fronts)
    Polk CSi25 (center)
    Polk R15 (surrounds)
    Polk PSW350 (sub)
I ask because I'm debating between spending $400-500 on a new receiver for this system and moving the Panasonic XR55 to the office or just buying a $100 receiver for the office system. I was considering upgrading the main system, but because of various reasons, I now have absolutely no plans to do that.

If there will be a difference, but not a huge one, then I think I'll pocket the difference and put a budget receiver in the office.

OP, I'm not trying to steal your thread, because I think the answer to my question will be relevant to yours as well.

Thanks!
 

Slick5150

Diamond Member
Nov 10, 2001
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Yeah. I mean, those aren't the best speakers in the world obviously, but they're not bad at all. You'd definitely notice a "fuller" sound, but how much of a difference that is to you and whether its worth spending the extra money is obviously debatable.

There isn't a right or wrong answer here, its just whether or not its worth it to you.

Do you have a Blu-Ray player already? If not, definitely no point in upgrading since that's the only thing that uses the newer audio formats.
 

iRONic

Diamond Member
Jan 28, 2006
8,015
3,332
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Originally posted by: zoiks
Originally posted by: Slick5150
Depends on your speakers obviously, but yes, there is a noticeable difference between DD/DTS & lossless DD True HD /DTS-MA

So for DD True HD/DTS-MA do you need a 7.1 setup or a 5.1 or 6.1 will work as well?
It's definitely a noticeable and delicious difference in 5.1.
 

kalrith

Diamond Member
Aug 22, 2005
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I use my PS3 as a Blu-Ray player; however, I don't watch nearly as much Blu-Ray as I do HD channels, so it's probably not worth it for me to spend that much extra just for the HD sound formats on the few BDs I watch. I'm completely satisfied with my receiver and sound system as it is, so I'll probably leave well enough alone.
 

zoiks

Lifer
Jan 13, 2000
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Thanks guys. This gives me something to start off with. I'm eyeing the RX-V1800 for the receiver but might settle for something else a bit cheaper.
 

zoiks

Lifer
Jan 13, 2000
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Originally posted by: vi edit
Originally posted by: zoiks
Thanks guys. This gives me something to start off with. I'm eyeing the RX-V1800 for the receiver but might settle for something else a bit cheaper.

At under 700 bucks the Onkyo 805 is hard to beat:

http://www.amazon.com/Onkyo-TX...&qid=1216237864&sr=8-4

Not bad. The only thing is that I've heard nightmarish situations dealing with Onkyo support. But that looks pretty good with 3 hdmi inputs.
 

iRONic

Diamond Member
Jan 28, 2006
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Originally posted by: zoiks
Originally posted by: vi edit
Originally posted by: zoiks
Thanks guys. This gives me something to start off with. I'm eyeing the RX-V1800 for the receiver but might settle for something else a bit cheaper.

At under 700 bucks the Onkyo 805 is hard to beat:

http://www.amazon.com/Onkyo-TX...&qid=1216237864&sr=8-4

Not bad. The only thing is that I've heard nightmarish situations dealing with Onkyo support. But that looks pretty good with 3 hdmi inputs.
I bought mine from Vann's with a 5 year extended warranty for $50 so I should never have to deal with Onkyo directly.

Excellent AVR!
 

zoiks

Lifer
Jan 13, 2000
11,787
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Originally posted by: iRONic
Originally posted by: zoiks
Originally posted by: vi edit
Originally posted by: zoiks
Thanks guys. This gives me something to start off with. I'm eyeing the RX-V1800 for the receiver but might settle for something else a bit cheaper.

At under 700 bucks the Onkyo 805 is hard to beat:

http://www.amazon.com/Onkyo-TX...&qid=1216237864&sr=8-4

Not bad. The only thing is that I've heard nightmarish situations dealing with Onkyo support. But that looks pretty good with 3 hdmi inputs.
I bought mine from Vann's with a 5 year extended warranty for $50 so I should never have to deal with Onkyo directly.

Excellent AVR!

You probably meant $500. They currently have it for $720. I might just get one of the refurbs instead for a cheaper price.
 

kalrith

Diamond Member
Aug 22, 2005
6,628
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Originally posted by: zoiks
Originally posted by: iRONic
Originally posted by: zoiks
Originally posted by: vi edit
Originally posted by: zoiks
Thanks guys. This gives me something to start off with. I'm eyeing the RX-V1800 for the receiver but might settle for something else a bit cheaper.

At under 700 bucks the Onkyo 805 is hard to beat:

http://www.amazon.com/Onkyo-TX...&qid=1216237864&sr=8-4

Not bad. The only thing is that I've heard nightmarish situations dealing with Onkyo support. But that looks pretty good with 3 hdmi inputs.
I bought mine from Vann's with a 5 year extended warranty for $50 so I should never have to deal with Onkyo directly.

Excellent AVR!

You probably meant $500. They currently have it for $720. I might just get one of the refurbs instead for a cheaper price.

He meant that the extended warranty cost $50, not the AVR.
 

iRONic

Diamond Member
Jan 28, 2006
8,015
3,332
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Originally posted by: zoiks
Originally posted by: iRONic
Originally posted by: zoiks
Originally posted by: vi edit
Originally posted by: zoiks
Thanks guys. This gives me something to start off with. I'm eyeing the RX-V1800 for the receiver but might settle for something else a bit cheaper.

At under 700 bucks the Onkyo 805 is hard to beat:

http://www.amazon.com/Onkyo-TX...&qid=1216237864&sr=8-4

Not bad. The only thing is that I've heard nightmarish situations dealing with Onkyo support. But that looks pretty good with 3 hdmi inputs.
I bought mine from Vann's with a 5 year extended warranty for $50 so I should never have to deal with Onkyo directly.

Excellent AVR!

You probably meant $500. They currently have it for $720. I might just get one of the refurbs instead for a cheaper price.
A refurb through shoponkyo forces you to deal with their CSR for everything.

Caveat emptor.
 

Shawn

Lifer
Apr 20, 2003
32,236
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91
Are you unhappy with the sound you are getting now? If not don't bother. The difference isn't as significant as people lead you to believe.
 

zoiks

Lifer
Jan 13, 2000
11,787
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81
I'm not really unhappy with it. To tell you the truth, I don't really play movies all that much. But I don't like missing out on what I could have which is my biggest problem. I have a nice tv, a good blu ray player and the speakers. I could just get the receiver and it would be complete but that would mean me shelling out more moola for it.
If I can unload the TX-SR702 that I have for a couple of bills, then I could probably put some more money together and get it.
 

SKoprowski

Member
Oct 21, 2003
187
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0
It sounds better, but not that significant to sell such a good receiver like the one you have. I'm not sure about the Panasonic BD players but my new Samsung 1500 will convert all the new advanced sound codecs to 1.5kps DTS which will sound very good. The advanced codecs are still in their infancy and unless you get a BD player that internally dencodes all the new codecs there are still some growing pains. A lot of users are complaining about sound dropouts when bitstreaming the advanced codecs to their receivers on the new BD players. I would keep the receiver you have and wait.
 

kalrith

Diamond Member
Aug 22, 2005
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I just thought of this. I'm pretty sure that some BD players can decode the new audio formats and pass them to a receiver via several RCA cables. Your receiver has these connections listed under DVD on the back (it also talks about it on page 21 of your user manual). You would basically connect 6 RCA cables from your Blu-Ray player to the back of your receiver: one for each speaker and one for your sub. I'm pretty sure that would give you the new HD formats with your current receiver. I'd be able to do this with my receiver, but unfortunately the PS3 doesn't have the RCA connections on it.
 

zoiks

Lifer
Jan 13, 2000
11,787
3
81
Originally posted by: kalrith
I just thought of this. I'm pretty sure that some BD players can decode the new audio formats and pass them to a receiver via several RCA cables. Your receiver has these connections listed under DVD on the back (it also talks about it on page 21 of your user manual). You would basically connect 6 RCA cables from your Blu-Ray player to the back of your receiver: one for each speaker and one for your sub. I'm pretty sure that would give you the new HD formats with your current receiver. I'd be able to do this with my receiver, but unfortunately the PS3 doesn't have the RCA connections on it.

Yeah I know but the blu ray player (Panny DMPBD30) I am getting doesn't have a builtin decoder for the new DTS formats. But nevertheless, I think I'll keep this receiver in accordance to what SKoprowski mentioned and also since I really don't watch movies all that much anyhow.
On second thought maybe I should cancel my order for the Panny player and get the S350 Sony instead. This way I can do the decoding via the player and do what exactly you mentioned above.
 

kalrith

Diamond Member
Aug 22, 2005
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81
If you can wait until this fall, it might be worth it to get the Sony S550.

Actually I just read this post, which states some bad news about the S350:
  • July 2008 release, not Q2
    Can not internally decode DTS-HD HR, but can bitstream.
    Analog Outputs are only 2.0, not 5.1

    Everything else appears to be accurate as-is.



    Based on the latest information taken from the Sony website (since no one actually owns this model yet): http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/...52921665368427
 

zoiks

Lifer
Jan 13, 2000
11,787
3
81
Originally posted by: kalrith
If you can wait until this fall, it might be worth it to get the Sony S550.

Actually I just read this post, which states some bad news about the S350:
  • July 2008 release, not Q2
    Can not internally decode DTS-HD HR, but can bitstream.
    Analog Outputs are only 2.0, not 5.1

    Everything else appears to be accurate as-is.



    Based on the latest information taken from the Sony website (since no one actually owns this model yet): http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/...52921665368427

Looks that way.
http://www.engadget.com/photos...hd-frivolities/927672/

I'll check other options as well. The BD50 is also an alternative but thats a bit pricey.
 

Shawn

Lifer
Apr 20, 2003
32,236
53
91
My Samsung BD-UP5000 can decode DD+ and TrueHD internally and has 7.1 analog outs. It doesn't currently decode DTS-MA but I think it may be added later with a firmware update since the chipset supposedly supports it.

edit: Also the upcoming Samsung BD-P2500 is supposed to support internal decoding of TrueHD and DTS-MA, have a reon video processor and be profile 2.0. The folks over at AVS believe it is actually the BD-UP5000 with HD DVD playback removed.

Because of this they believe that the BD-UP5000 will receive a firmware update in September (around the same time the 2500 is released) bringing it to 2.0 and adding internal DTS-MA decoding. If this is true it is definitely the player to get since you can find it for $400 or less. The BD-P2500 will retail for $700. It also plays HD DVDs if you still have any.