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DTS & HDMI Pass-Through


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Old 19-06-2010, 01:30
energizer
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I was hoping to connect my Sony Bravia TV via digital optical cable to my audio system so I can listen to 5.1 audio from FreeviewHD. I also wanted to be able to playback DTSHD audio from my PS3 which is connected to the TV via HDMI. Is it possible to pass bistream DTSHD signals through the HDMI cable and out through the TV via digital optical cable.

If so, how?
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Old 19-06-2010, 07:16
paulr2006
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Optical does not have enough bandwidth to carry HD sound formats I'm afraid. Also not sure if Sony pass through 5.1 sound anyway. I know Panasonic don't as there is some kind of Copyright issue.

Does your AV amp. not have HDMI in & HDMI out to the TV?
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Old 19-06-2010, 08:18
Deacon1972
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I was hoping to connect my Sony Bravia TV via digital optical cable to my audio system so I can listen to 5.1 audio from FreeviewHD. I also wanted to be able to playback DTSHD audio from my PS3 which is connected to the TV via HDMI. Is it possible to pass bistream DTSHD signals through the HDMI cable and out through the TV via digital optical cable.

If so, how?
You should be able to listen to 5.1 from the TV via the Freeview HD tuner when you connect by optical to your sound system.

AFAIK, there are no TV's on the market that will loop audio through their digital connections from an external source..

For HD audio from your PS3 you will need a sound system that is HDMI compatible. You can listen to HD audio in the following ways............

Early PS3's only pass HD audio over HDMI as multichannel PCM, so your sound system will need to support this format over HDMI.

Slim PS3's will pass multichannel PCM and bitstream over HDMI, so your sound system will either need to support multichannel PCM over HDMI or have onboard decoders.
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Old 19-06-2010, 09:17
grahamlthompson
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Freeview HD sound is not Dolby Digital 5.1 it's AAC encoded. Whether your amp will handle this depends on what the Freeview tuner does with the sound and/or if your amp can work with AAC.
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Old 19-06-2010, 11:39
Deacon1972
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^

The Following list will tell you whether the TV will transcode AAC -> DD5.1 or not.

Goodmans GDB300HD - no

Humax HD-FOX T2 - no (although Humax says it will add the functionality in an update)

Icecrypt T2200 - no

Panasonic TX-L37V20 TV - no

Panasonic TX-L37S20 TV - no

Panasonic TX-P46G20 - no

Linsar FHD1 - yes

Philips DTR-5520 - yes

Sony KDL-46EX503 TV - yes

Sony KDL-37EX503 TV - yes

Samsung UE37C6505 TV - yes

LG 37LE5900 TV - yes

LG 42LE7900 - yes

If your TV doesn't the next stop will be the amp to see whether that will do it.
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Old 20-06-2010, 20:54
RobAnt
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The Following list will tell you whether the TV will transcode AAC -> DD5.1 or not.
Not quite sure I understand you. You list STBs not TVs. Surely it is a function of the TV not the STB?

Don't these STBs have optical/hdmi audio output?

Perhaps you mean "The following list will tell you whether the STB will transcode AAC into DD5.1"?
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Old 20-06-2010, 21:53
grahamlthompson
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Not quite sure I understand you. You list STBs not TVs. Surely it is a function of the TV not the STB?

Don't these STBs have optical/hdmi audio output?

Perhaps you mean "The following list will tell you whether the STB will transcode AAC into DD5.1"?
You misunderstand entirely the very clear posting. Whether the DVB-T2 tuner is in a Tv or an external set top box is irrelevant. The surround sound in a freeview-HD transmission is not encoded with dolby digital 5.1 but with a new surround sound formst AAC (Advanced Audio Codec) this offers some advantages over DD5.1 but introduces incompatibilties with most AV surround sound kit,

Some tuners can convert the AAC 5.1 to DD5,1 maintaining compatiblity with existing kit. Those that can't require an AV amp that has a AAC decoder. The whole point is what the STB/TV delivers to the AV amp over a digital interconnect depends on what the tuner and stb audio processing does to the digital output
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Old 21-06-2010, 11:26
Deacon1972
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Not quite sure I understand you. You list STBs not TVs. Surely it is a function of the TV not the STB?

Don't these STBs have optical/hdmi audio output?

Perhaps you mean "The following list will tell you whether the STB will transcode AAC into DD5.1"?
The list includes stb's and TV's, two of which are Sony Bravia's, not sure how upto date the list is, but there's a good chance the OP has one or the other listed there.

If they own either model they should get DD5.1 from their sound system as the two models mentioned transcode AAC -> DD5.1.

If there are other Sony models out there, there's a good chance they will also do the transcoding, but if they don't, they would then need to have to look at the amp to see if that was compatible with AAC.
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Old 22-06-2010, 21:33
energizer
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Thanks for the info guys.

I assume the TV converts AAC to DD 5.1 as the surround system recognises the signal as DD 5.1 when watching BBCHD through Freeview HD and digital optical.

When I connect the PS3 to the TV via HDMI, the sound 'component' of the signal automatically configures itself, recognising that 2.1, AAC and DD 5.1 is available. DTS, however, is not. I presume therefore that DTS cannot be looped through the TV. When I connect the PS3 directly to the surround system via digital optical, the DTS signal is recognised.

Cheers for the help. Not sure if the PS3 can output the DTS signal in 5.1 AAC for loopthrough? Perhaps that would be an option? Forgive the technical ignorance.
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Old 23-06-2010, 02:17
RobAnt
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I'm definitely missing something here.

Why would Freeview HD STB manufacturers make STBs that don't output in bog standard AC3 that any optical/hdmi equipped AV receiver can accept and understand?

They would be getting returns from thousands of customers who expected it to work properly out of the box. In other words, it doesn't make any commercial sense.

I was considering buying a Freeview HD box myself, but if my receiver doesn't understand it, what's the point? I might be getting a better picture, but my favourite programmes are things like Later with Jools Holland. which is in DD5.1.

So I reiterate, wtf?
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Old 23-06-2010, 09:45
grahamlthompson
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The change to AAC encoding was made at the last minute. After the design of the first boxes was finalised.
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Old 23-06-2010, 13:07
webbie
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What a bunch of idiots freeview are. Here in the west country when we first went over to freeview we had itv2 and itv3. Then, in July last year, in what was described as an improvement - we lost itv2 and itv3 to make space for the hd channels. Which haven't started yet. Some improvement. And there are lots of people in my area who can't always get the freeview signal - depends on the tide, weather etc. Hopeless. Glad I've got sky!
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Old 23-06-2010, 13:29
MAW
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I've just had a long tech chat with Panasonic and Onkyo re this audio from freeview HD problem, and to tell the truth, nobody has an absolute answer, excet that all Panasonic TVs with freeview HD output the AAC bitstream on optical and HDMI audio return. Onkyo could not give a definitive answer on whether the new 608 reciever would accept this either on optical or HDMI return, but said that if it was possible on HDMI, the reciever ought to cope. So here goes, it's being tried tomorrow afternnon.
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Old 28-06-2010, 17:02
RobAnt
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In my conversation with Cambridge Audio they state:

Originally Posted by Cambridge Audio
The audio CODEC that is broadcast along with the corresponding video is all transcoded inside the set top box, rather than by the AV receiver. So, whether the broadcast is HD or not, the audio and video is transcoded in the box, before being output to the TV or to the amplifier as a standard PCM or Dolby Digital signal.

So, the set top box needs to be able to decode the AAC CODEC and output this as PCM or Dolby Digital to the AV receiver, as the receiver does not decode the AAC or AC3 formats itself. This is the same for all AV receivers, not just the 540R.
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Old 28-06-2010, 17:16
joshua_welby
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There are new AVRs that are being launched this year
that will be able to pass the sound through them
using the new HDMI 1.4 Standard

See www.hdmi.org for more details
And http://www.hdmi.org/pdf/2009_10_Veri..._Interview.pdf
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Old 28-06-2010, 17:38
RobAnt
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Therefore any Freeview HD box that displays the Dolby Digital and/or DTS badges, or claims to be Dolby Digital and/or DTS must provide a decoded signal via it's digital outputs.
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Old 28-06-2010, 17:42
RobAnt
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There are new AVRs that are being launched this year
that will be able to pass the sound through them
using the new HDMI 1.4 Standard

See www.hdmi.org for more details
And http://www.hdmi.org/pdf/2009_10_Veri..._Interview.pdf
That is somewhat irrelevant to me, as all HDMI plugs support DD/DTS.

Please read what I have mentioned elsewhere about automatic word wrap. Try it, then look at "Preview Post" if you're unsure.
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Old 28-06-2010, 18:01
MAW
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That is somewhat irrelevant to me, as all HDMI plugs support DD/DTS.

Please read what I have mentioned elsewhere about automatic word wrap. Try it, then look at "Preview Post" if you're unsure.
It is relevant, he's just not expressed hoimself very well. What he's trying to say, I think, is that HDMI 1.4 allows HDMI audio return from similarly equipped TVs, and most Freeview HD tuner TVs are. Onkyo can do it, and Denon too though I have not tried that. I have had an Onky0 608 working with Freeview HD on a Panasonic TV, ie AAC 5.1, and a single HDMI cable between them.
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