YADT: How to output DTS / 5.1 Audio from DVD Player to Receiver

[TechKnight]

Yet another dumbass thread (YATD)...

I have been confused about this for a LONG time. Behind my receiver, I have various video and audio inputs. Now some of my movies support 5.1 audio (i.e. The Incredibles). However, I have always thought using the Red (R) and White (L) RCA cables from the DVD player to the Receiver will only allow me to hear the audio in 2.1 since it's stereo with only Left and Right channels right? (No surround / rear channels). So I looked and there's this orange connector on the receiver that looks like a standard RCA cable can plug into and it's labeled "COAXIAL / DIGITAL". Is this the the cable that I need to allow the 5.1 audio signal from the DVD Player to get through to the Receiver to drive my 5.1 speaker setup? Or am I mistaken and I can just use the Red and White cables to support 5.1 audio? I am so confused... What about other Dolby Digital features like DTS / Pro Logic and whatnot?

 

[Nohr]

Digital coaxial uses the same RCA connector as composite audio & video. Usually it's recommended to at least use a yellow video RCA cable as they're 75 ohms. I don't know what would happen if you tried a red/white audio cable instead. Surely you have a yellow video cable lying around anyway.

 

[TechKnight]

Originally posted by: Nohr
Digital coaxial uses the same RCA connector as composite audio & video. Usually it's recommended to at least use a yellow video RCA cable as they're 75 ohms. I don't know what would happen if you tried a red/white audio cable instead. Surely you have a yellow video cable lying around anyway.

Are you saying the Digital Coaxial is needed to keep the DTS / 5.1 audio from my DVD Player to the receiver? Thus the Red and White Composite cables is only good for stereo (2-channel) output?

 

[Nohr]

Originally posted by: TechKnight

Originally posted by: Nohr
Digital coaxial uses the same RCA connector as composite audio & video. Usually it's recommended to at least use a yellow video RCA cable as they're 75 ohms. I don't know what would happen if you tried a red/white audio cable instead. Surely you have a yellow video cable lying around anyway.

Are you saying the Digital Coaxial is needed to keep the DTS / 5.1 audio from my DVD Player to the receiver? Thus the Red and White Composite cables is only good for stereo (2-channel) output?

Correct, to get surround sound from DVDs you need to use either digital coax, optical, or HDMI.

 

[sao123]

let me explain a bit...

One of the first 5.1 sound was actually Dolby ProLogic II, it had 5 seperate channels on the analog R/W cables...

However things have dramatically changed since then...
in order to get true 5.1/7.1 mode (one of which is DTS, but there are several) you need a digital sound hookup. There are 3 current ways of transmitting digital sound...

a)HDMI 1.1 or higher
b)Digital Optical (fiber optic cable)
c)Digital Coax

although Digital Coax is the same cable as the RCA R/W/Y cables you have always used... the signal output on standard analog output is much different than the signal output on a digital coax.

1. Your DVD player must have a digital coax jack out...
2. Additionally, in order to be able to use DTS, your reciever must have a digital coax in jack...(which you've stated it does)
3. The reciever must have a DTS decoder to be able to process that signal.

So no... you can not just plug the R/W into the Digital Coax on your reciever and expect to get sound. If you do not have all of the 3 above, dont fret...

If your DVD player + Reciever both support ProLogic II, you can still get analog 5.1 sound using the R/W cables.


Dolby Prologic II analog 5.1
Dolby Digital Sound
DTS

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

When you get hooked up via digital coaxial or digital optical, you should have the analog audio you're using now disconnected to be certain that it's actually working when you get the settings changed.

In the DVD player settings you should make sure that it's set to "bitstream" output in the DD/DTS settings if you have different options.

You may need to select a different audio input (the one you just connected to) to associate with the video input (if you have video running through the receiver) that the DVD player is connected to in order for the receiver to know that it now needs to look at the digital audio input now rather than analog.

How do you have your other audio/video sources connected in your system? (Maybe there are more things that could be improved by simply cables alone)

 

[jtvang125]

Also once you get everything connect right when you're watching anything with DD 5.1 or DTS your receiver should automatically switch to support that audio stream. The receiver will show DD or DTS on its display.

 

[montypythizzle]

Originally posted by: jtvang125
Also once you get everything connect right when you're watching anything with DD 5.1 or DTS your receiver should automatically switch to support that audio stream. The receiver will show DD or DTS on its display.

Or some fancy light

Sometimes you may have to assign a digital input to the input number you are using.
For instance, coax digital in can be assigned to whichever input you want.

 

[TechKnight]

Ah I understand now. I didn't even knew HDMI could transfer audio too. Always thought it was just a video signal medium. Thank you for the clarification everyone. I am definitely going to be doing some re-setup! :thumbsup:

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: TechKnight
Ah I understand now. I didn't even knew HDMI could transfer audio too. Always thought it was just a video signal medium. Thank you for the clarification everyone. I am definitely going to be doing some re-setup! :thumbsup:

It can depend on the equipment whether or not audio is even used with the HDMI equipment as well.

You might be able to select whether audio is output via HDMI on the DVD player settings but even if your receiver does have HDMI, it may not actually do HDMI audio processing and may just to passthrough of the video / switching of video.

This whole "HDMI is easier since it's only one cable" isn't quite there yet