Help with getting 5.1/dts

Milky Joe · 03-01-2003, 17:14

Hi all,

I already have a Toshiba 220 dvd player which i got last year from Richer Sounds. Currently only having pro logic and just got an xbox for christmas im thinking now would be a good time to get that little bit more and go for a 5.1 system.

Its just deciding which which is the pain

Im thinking anywhere up to about £350 is the max. Would it be wise just to go for the decoder with speakers? Or better to go for a full one with dvd player...i heard the toshiba 220 is supposed to be good thats partly why i got it back then was to be future upgradable.

I've found these 2 so far:

http://www.techtronics.com/uk/shop/6...ma-system.html - Sony htk25

http://www.techtronics.com/uk/shop/6...ma-system.html - Sony HT-SL5A

Also what is cinema studio x?

Any other recommendations peeps? Thanks

Also is techtronics a good website and safe to order off of incase i do go for that? thanks again.

Colin58 · 03-01-2003, 18:27

How are you going to connect the X Box to the Surround sound system. No optical or coaxial connection output from the X box to get 5.1 out of it.

Col...

Milky Joe · 03-01-2003, 20:14

yep there is

on the advanced scart lead..the xbox can do 5.1 sound in nearly all games

Colin58 · 03-01-2003, 20:21

Thanks Exulus, I did not know that. Where can you source this Scart, I assume it does not cmewith the box as standard, I am afraid this info is for my son's benefit, I dont / cant use the thing.

Milky Joe · 03-01-2003, 20:32

no probs. Yep your right it doesnt come in the box as they just give you the standard scart. You can get the advanced scart from most normal places such as Game, Virgin, Gamestation etc for £19.99 i think

.

The advanced scart not only does 5.1 sound but also supports RGB colour

heres a link to it on gameplay - http://shop.gameplay.co.uk/webstore/...uctcode=XB0013

Colin58 · 03-01-2003, 20:36

Sounds ideal, I was also looking at a Scart Expander to give me more RGB scart inputs, sounds like I am going to need one. Once again thanks

Col....

wicket · 04-01-2003, 12:12

Sorry you will have to explain to my how the scart carries the optical sound from your X-Box. Does it have an optical lead as part of the scart to connect directly to a home cinema amp? There must be either an optical or a coaxial cable to be able to achieve 5.1 sound via an amplifier.

I think you would be best buying a home cinema kit ie speakers, sub woofer and amp/receiver/decoder and attaching this to your equipment. You already have a good dvd player so it seems crackers to spend money on a bit of kit you don't need in a combined unit when you can concentrate all your money buying the amplifier you do need.

With amplifiers you have to watch out that it can connect to your existing equipment okay. Some amplifiers just have optical inputs or coaxial inputs so you have to match it up to the outputs your dvd player has.

Milky Joe · 04-01-2003, 14:21

when you buy the advanced scart lead, i believe that somewhere along the lead there is a sort of box which has an output for optical. Theres a photo of it on the gameplay site i mentioned above

Ok, thanks for the info wicket so which one would you recommend?

wicket · 04-01-2003, 15:11

Well that was exciting looking at your links (sad am I not). Out of the two there and not based on the sound quality because obviously I have not heard them I would go for the HTK25. It looks similar to the Sony HTK 215 I have, which is a really good system and has the benefit of being small too. It looks like the 25 is a updated version of the one I have got with the added benefit of Prologic II. Go for it.

Milky Joe · 05-01-2003, 12:02

well im pretty much certain im going for the htk25 then! Cheers wicket

Is techtronics a good website to order from? Or should i go to someone more well known like unbeatable.co.uk...

Tenesmus · 05-01-2003, 18:35

I recently ordered from Unbeatable and their service was excellent. They upgraded the delivery to Saturday and waived the surcharge and when I discovered a small bit missing (not their fault but the courier's) they sent it through the post in a couple of days in bubble wrap and 3 (!) jiffy bags!

Saved money compared to Dixons as well.

I will be ordering from them again.

wicket · 06-01-2003, 09:38

I cannot personally recommend an internet site because I have not ordered any electrical goods from one. I know a lot of people have used unbeatable and don't seem to have had any problems on this site.

Milky Joe · 06-01-2003, 10:23

cheers again both Tenesmus and Wicket, really appreciated

But uh oh, as always the way, when lookin at unbeatable i found one more to tempt me:

http://www.unbeatable.co.uk/default....NI5047MGAE1656 - Sony HTDDW740S

Compared with:

http://www.unbeatable.co.uk/default....NI5047MGAE1656 - Sony htk25 which i was gonna get.

Now, is it worth the extra bit of money for what it does? It seems to be a lot mroe powerful and only just over £15 extra?

The speakers look a bit better as well i would have thought it would feel strange having a tall thin one as the main speaking one rather than the normal flattish ones that come with the £15 extra one.

JohnW · 06-01-2003, 10:57

Quote:

Originally posted by Exulus

Is techtronics a good website to order from? Or should i go to someone more well known like unbeatable.co.uk...

I bought a system from Techtronics last year and it was fine. However if you do a search on Techtronics on Google groups you will find some people who have had less fortunate experiences. Mind you, most of the complaints are quite old, so they may have got their act together since then.

wicket · 06-01-2003, 13:39

I would still go for the 25, this other one you added doesn't have Dolby Prologic II and also looks like it only has one optical input which would make it difficult if you were wanting to connect your X Box and dvd player via optical cables. It is also extremely bulky, I prefer the smaller set up because then I can fit everything under the tv.

The speakers on the HTK 215 are plenty powerful enough for us so I personally would not be too worried about the wattage of the speakers, all of them are designed to do a job which they can all do.

One thing is for sure, when you get your set up it will bring all your dvds and X-box games to life. I wouldn't be without a home cinema system, it is as essential to me as a cooker.

Milky Joe · 06-01-2003, 13:46

hehe cool cheers

Yeah, we've currently got a pro logic set up at the moment and all it does really is add a more fuller feel to the room rather than just sound coming from the corner (if that makes any sense).

I have heard a lot of people about upgrading to pro logic to 5.1 and saying its really amazing and fantastic and at the moment i obviously cant see how that works cos ive never listened to a 5.1 in my life (apart from the cinema obviously but then its different accoustics) so i cant wait to see what the upgrade is like

Is pro logic 2 decent then?

Milky Joe · 06-01-2003, 14:31

oh and also can you really *feel* the rumble with the sub woofer? Me being a *music played loud* freak its nice to feel the rumble

Also we have a concrete floor as opposed to wooden floorboards...would that make a difference or does the rumble just sorta spread through the air.

wicket · 07-01-2003, 12:13

You will notice a big difference upgrading to 5.1/dts from prologic. The basic difference is that it adds stereo sound to the rear two speakers. However, the way it deals with sound is substantially better and you will be able to tell the difference.

We upgraded from a Sony prologic system to a 5.1/dts one and couldn't believe the difference - trust me you will be delighted with it.

Unfortunately, I have not experienced Prologic 2 but have read extremely good reports about it. I think anything that improves on a sound signal has to be a good thing and believe it will give much life to old videos, etc.

What I often feel is that people who invest in a dvd player are only getting half the benefits, yes they have a terrific picture but you really need to team it up with a 5.1/dts cinema kit to get the full benefits. A soundtrack to a film is one its most important components and to achieve the same effects at home, a kit is a must.

You can definitely feel a 'rumble' with the sub-woofer. We have concrete floors and you can feel the vibrations when you have that effect in a film. However, we live in a detached house so can get away with having the sound on loud, if you are in a semi I don't think your neighbours will be too impressed.

Skysurfer2000 · 07-01-2003, 13:08

I can vouch for that! Three times I have had mine round. I don't mean to annoy them, but sometimes the vocals are too far down in the overall mix (Star Wars 1 & 2!!). Apparantly Lord of the Rings got them shaking too

Milky Joe · 07-01-2003, 15:59

ooh thanks ever so much for the info everyone

I shall be ordering it soon

(that other one the Sony HTDDW740S is still staring at me though lol i'll have to try to ignore it

)

oh and yea we do live in a semi however the guy next door is out pretty much all the time and works in foreign countries and stuff, and even if he is home im sure he wouldnt mind as he is in the early 20 single male group so if we invite him round a copuple of times to watch a few films im sure he wont mind

Milky Joe · 08-01-2003, 14:26

hmm well, after having a chat to me mum, we are now pretty much sweerved onto the HTDDW740S (im such a ditherer lol).

Mainly because she said she didnt like the look of the first one etc and wouldnt really have it in her living room

But never mind i dont think i'll be too fussed with changing the optical cables if i needed to, and im not that bothered with DPL2. Also she likes the idea of the radio cos we dont have a radio downstairs apart from the kitchen at the moment and its only a small one

Thanks for the help everyone again

wicket · 08-01-2003, 19:29

Quote:

Originally posted by Exulus
Thanks for the help everyone again

Its a pleasure, hope you enjoy it when it arrives.

Milky Joe · 08-01-2003, 20:10

Quote:

Originally posted by wicket
Its a pleasure, hope you enjoy it when it arrives.

cheers

I ordered earlier at around 3pm from unbeatable..they say 2-3 days delivery so hopefully it'll come on monday! (/me hopes someone will be in).

Alex's No.1 Fan · 08-01-2003, 20:26

....I've been looking to buy a cheapish DVD player & was thinking about the Toshiba SD420E (Multiregion) but can't really find any reviews on it, did think about the 220E (has had some good reviews - ***** what Hi-fi) but thought the 420e could be a bit better, as I've seen a price for it that isn't much more than what i've seen for 220e.

So is the 420 any good?? (compared to the 220)

Milky Joe · 10-01-2003, 12:52

nooo

They tried to deliver today but no one was in

oh well, next time they are gonna try is monday. Theres gonna be a period between 11 and 1 where no one is in, eep

03-01-2003, 17:14	#1
Milky Joe Forum Member Join Date: May 2001 Location: 0.3 units from doom Posts: 17,447	Help with getting 5.1/dts Hi all, I already have a Toshiba 220 dvd player which i got last year from Richer Sounds. Currently only having pro logic and just got an xbox for christmas im thinking now would be a good time to get that little bit more and go for a 5.1 system. Its just deciding which which is the pain Im thinking anywhere up to about £350 is the max. Would it be wise just to go for the decoder with speakers? Or better to go for a full one with dvd player...i heard the toshiba 220 is supposed to be good thats partly why i got it back then was to be future upgradable. I've found these 2 so far: http://www.techtronics.com/uk/shop/6...ma-system.html - Sony htk25 http://www.techtronics.com/uk/shop/6...ma-system.html - Sony HT-SL5A Also what is cinema studio x? Any other recommendations peeps? Thanks Also is techtronics a good website and safe to order off of incase i do go for that? thanks again.

03-01-2003, 20:32	#5
Milky Joe Forum Member Join Date: May 2001 Location: 0.3 units from doom Posts: 17,447	no probs. Yep your right it doesnt come in the box as they just give you the standard scart. You can get the advanced scart from most normal places such as Game, Virgin, Gamestation etc for £19.99 i think. The advanced scart not only does 5.1 sound but also supports RGB colour heres a link to it on gameplay - http://shop.gameplay.co.uk/webstore/...uctcode=XB0013

08-01-2003, 14:26	#21
Milky Joe Forum Member Join Date: May 2001 Location: 0.3 units from doom Posts: 17,447	hmm well, after having a chat to me mum, we are now pretty much sweerved onto the HTDDW740S (im such a ditherer lol). Mainly because she said she didnt like the look of the first one etc and wouldnt really have it in her living room But never mind i dont think i'll be too fussed with changing the optical cables if i needed to, and im not that bothered with DPL2. Also she likes the idea of the radio cos we dont have a radio downstairs apart from the kitchen at the moment and its only a small one Thanks for the help everyone again Last edited by Exulus : 08-01-2003 at 14:54.

08-01-2003, 20:26	#24
Alex's No.1 Fan Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: In a house Posts: 335	I'm new & can't start new threads so I'm posting this here ....I've been looking to buy a cheapish DVD player & was thinking about the Toshiba SD420E (Multiregion) but can't really find any reviews on it, did think about the 220E (has had some good reviews - ***** what Hi-fi) but thought the 420e could be a bit better, as I've seen a price for it that isn't much more than what i've seen for 220e. So is the 420 any good?? (compared to the 220)

03-01-2003, 18:27	#2
Colin58 Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Scotland Posts: 28	How are you going to connect the X Box to the Surround sound system. No optical or coaxial connection output from the X box to get 5.1 out of it. Col...

03-01-2003, 20:14	#3
Milky Joe Forum Member Join Date: May 2001 Location: 0.3 units from doom Posts: 17,447	yep there is on the advanced scart lead..the xbox can do 5.1 sound in nearly all games

03-01-2003, 20:21	#4
Colin58 Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Scotland Posts: 28	Thanks Exulus, I did not know that. Where can you source this Scart, I assume it does not cmewith the box as standard, I am afraid this info is for my son's benefit, I dont / cant use the thing.

03-01-2003, 20:36	#6
Colin58 Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Scotland Posts: 28	Sounds ideal, I was also looking at a Scart Expander to give me more RGB scart inputs, sounds like I am going to need one. Once again thanks Col....

04-01-2003, 12:12	#7
wicket Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: NE England Posts: 3,096	Sorry you will have to explain to my how the scart carries the optical sound from your X-Box. Does it have an optical lead as part of the scart to connect directly to a home cinema amp? There must be either an optical or a coaxial cable to be able to achieve 5.1 sound via an amplifier. I think you would be best buying a home cinema kit ie speakers, sub woofer and amp/receiver/decoder and attaching this to your equipment. You already have a good dvd player so it seems crackers to spend money on a bit of kit you don't need in a combined unit when you can concentrate all your money buying the amplifier you do need. With amplifiers you have to watch out that it can connect to your existing equipment okay. Some amplifiers just have optical inputs or coaxial inputs so you have to match it up to the outputs your dvd player has.

04-01-2003, 14:21	#8
Milky Joe Forum Member Join Date: May 2001 Location: 0.3 units from doom Posts: 17,447	when you buy the advanced scart lead, i believe that somewhere along the lead there is a sort of box which has an output for optical. Theres a photo of it on the gameplay site i mentioned above Ok, thanks for the info wicket so which one would you recommend?

04-01-2003, 15:11	#9
wicket Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: NE England Posts: 3,096	Well that was exciting looking at your links (sad am I not). Out of the two there and not based on the sound quality because obviously I have not heard them I would go for the HTK25. It looks similar to the Sony HTK 215 I have, which is a really good system and has the benefit of being small too. It looks like the 25 is a updated version of the one I have got with the added benefit of Prologic II. Go for it.

05-01-2003, 12:02	#10
Milky Joe Forum Member Join Date: May 2001 Location: 0.3 units from doom Posts: 17,447	well im pretty much certain im going for the htk25 then! Cheers wicket Is techtronics a good website to order from? Or should i go to someone more well known like unbeatable.co.uk...

05-01-2003, 18:35	#11
Tenesmus Forum Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Penzance Posts: 445	I recently ordered from Unbeatable and their service was excellent. They upgraded the delivery to Saturday and waived the surcharge and when I discovered a small bit missing (not their fault but the courier's) they sent it through the post in a couple of days in bubble wrap and 3 (!) jiffy bags! Saved money compared to Dixons as well. I will be ordering from them again.

06-01-2003, 09:38	#12
wicket Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: NE England Posts: 3,096	I cannot personally recommend an internet site because I have not ordered any electrical goods from one. I know a lot of people have used unbeatable and don't seem to have had any problems on this site.

06-01-2003, 10:23	#13
Milky Joe Forum Member Join Date: May 2001 Location: 0.3 units from doom Posts: 17,447	cheers again both Tenesmus and Wicket, really appreciated But uh oh, as always the way, when lookin at unbeatable i found one more to tempt me: http://www.unbeatable.co.uk/default....NI5047MGAE1656 - Sony HTDDW740S Compared with: http://www.unbeatable.co.uk/default....NI5047MGAE1656 - Sony htk25 which i was gonna get. Now, is it worth the extra bit of money for what it does? It seems to be a lot mroe powerful and only just over £15 extra? The speakers look a bit better as well i would have thought it would feel strange having a tall thin one as the main speaking one rather than the normal flattish ones that come with the £15 extra one.

06-01-2003, 10:57	#14
JohnW Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2000 Location: Loughborough Posts: 502	Quote: Originally posted by Exulus Is techtronics a good website to order from? Or should i go to someone more well known like unbeatable.co.uk... I bought a system from Techtronics last year and it was fine. However if you do a search on Techtronics on Google groups you will find some people who have had less fortunate experiences. Mind you, most of the complaints are quite old, so they may have got their act together since then.

06-01-2003, 13:39	#15
wicket Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: NE England Posts: 3,096	I would still go for the 25, this other one you added doesn't have Dolby Prologic II and also looks like it only has one optical input which would make it difficult if you were wanting to connect your X Box and dvd player via optical cables. It is also extremely bulky, I prefer the smaller set up because then I can fit everything under the tv. The speakers on the HTK 215 are plenty powerful enough for us so I personally would not be too worried about the wattage of the speakers, all of them are designed to do a job which they can all do. One thing is for sure, when you get your set up it will bring all your dvds and X-box games to life. I wouldn't be without a home cinema system, it is as essential to me as a cooker.

06-01-2003, 13:46	#16
Milky Joe Forum Member Join Date: May 2001 Location: 0.3 units from doom Posts: 17,447	hehe cool cheers Yeah, we've currently got a pro logic set up at the moment and all it does really is add a more fuller feel to the room rather than just sound coming from the corner (if that makes any sense). I have heard a lot of people about upgrading to pro logic to 5.1 and saying its really amazing and fantastic and at the moment i obviously cant see how that works cos ive never listened to a 5.1 in my life (apart from the cinema obviously but then its different accoustics) so i cant wait to see what the upgrade is like Is pro logic 2 decent then?

06-01-2003, 14:31	#17
Milky Joe Forum Member Join Date: May 2001 Location: 0.3 units from doom Posts: 17,447	oh and also can you really feel the rumble with the sub woofer? Me being a music played loud freak its nice to feel the rumble Also we have a concrete floor as opposed to wooden floorboards...would that make a difference or does the rumble just sorta spread through the air.

07-01-2003, 12:13	#18
wicket Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: NE England Posts: 3,096	You will notice a big difference upgrading to 5.1/dts from prologic. The basic difference is that it adds stereo sound to the rear two speakers. However, the way it deals with sound is substantially better and you will be able to tell the difference. We upgraded from a Sony prologic system to a 5.1/dts one and couldn't believe the difference - trust me you will be delighted with it. Unfortunately, I have not experienced Prologic 2 but have read extremely good reports about it. I think anything that improves on a sound signal has to be a good thing and believe it will give much life to old videos, etc. What I often feel is that people who invest in a dvd player are only getting half the benefits, yes they have a terrific picture but you really need to team it up with a 5.1/dts cinema kit to get the full benefits. A soundtrack to a film is one its most important components and to achieve the same effects at home, a kit is a must. You can definitely feel a 'rumble' with the sub-woofer. We have concrete floors and you can feel the vibrations when you have that effect in a film. However, we live in a detached house so can get away with having the sound on loud, if you are in a semi I don't think your neighbours will be too impressed.

07-01-2003, 13:08	#19
Skysurfer2000 Inactive Member Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: United States of Europe Posts: 1,652	I can vouch for that! Three times I have had mine round. I don't mean to annoy them, but sometimes the vocals are too far down in the overall mix (Star Wars 1 & 2!!). Apparantly Lord of the Rings got them shaking too

07-01-2003, 15:59	#20
Milky Joe Forum Member Join Date: May 2001 Location: 0.3 units from doom Posts: 17,447	ooh thanks ever so much for the info everyone I shall be ordering it soon (that other one the Sony HTDDW740S is still staring at me though lol i'll have to try to ignore it ) oh and yea we do live in a semi however the guy next door is out pretty much all the time and works in foreign countries and stuff, and even if he is home im sure he wouldnt mind as he is in the early 20 single male group so if we invite him round a copuple of times to watch a few films im sure he wont mind

08-01-2003, 19:29	#22
wicket Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: NE England Posts: 3,096	Quote: Originally posted by Exulus Thanks for the help everyone again Its a pleasure, hope you enjoy it when it arrives.

08-01-2003, 20:10	#23
Milky Joe Forum Member Join Date: May 2001 Location: 0.3 units from doom Posts: 17,447	Quote: Originally posted by wicket Its a pleasure, hope you enjoy it when it arrives. cheers I ordered earlier at around 3pm from unbeatable..they say 2-3 days delivery so hopefully it'll come on monday! (/me hopes someone will be in).

DS Forums

Help with getting 5.1/dts

10-01-2003, 12:52	#25
Milky Joe Forum Member Join Date: May 2001 Location: 0.3 units from doom Posts: 17,447	nooo They tried to deliver today but no one was in oh well, next time they are gonna try is monday. Theres gonna be a period between 11 and 1 where no one is in, eep