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Dolby Digital DTS
AntiInternet
13-11-2007
I've just found out about this (bear in mind I'm not very technical, I don't really know much other than the ordinary DVD stuff). I was watching a DVD in Dolby Digital 5.1 (I think, might've been 2.0) and then after the film, I clicked 'setup' on the menu, and saw Dolby Digital 5.1 DTS. Watched the first few minutes in this format and was amazed! I've done a bit of research and it's supposed to sound like a cinema, right?

A question;

I have checked my home cinema system (don't know the name etc sorry) and I saw the DTS label on the front of the DVD player. Does this mean it won't do the discs any damage to watch in DTS if they have it? As I read it causes more data to be used, thought it might damage them. I also saw on my X-Men DVD that one of the films has DTS ES 6.1 sound quality, will I be able to watch it this way? I have a center speaker, 2 left, 2 right, and a subwoofer.

Any help appreciated.
edwinastley
13-11-2007
Originally Posted by AntiInternet:
“I've just found out about this (bear in mind I'm not very technical, I don't really know much other than the ordinary DVD stuff). I was watching a DVD in Dolby Digital 5.1 (I think, might've been 2.0) and then after the film, I clicked 'setup' on the menu, and saw Dolby Digital 5.1 DTS. Watched the first few minutes in this format and was amazed! I've done a bit of research and it's supposed to sound like a cinema, right?

A question;

I have checked my home cinema system (don't know the name etc sorry) and I saw the DTS label on the front of the DVD player. Does this mean it won't do the discs any damage to watch in DTS if they have it? As I read it causes more data to be used, thought it might damage them. I also saw on my X-Men DVD that one of the films has DTS ES 6.1 sound quality, will I be able to watch it this way? I have a center speaker, 2 left, 2 right, and a subwoofer.

Any help appreciated.”

DTS is simply an alternative to Dolby Digital.
Although it uses less compression than DD and techheads whittle on about how much better it is than DD its highly unlikley you would hear any difference on anything less than a super high end system.

DTS-ES is a 6.1 soundtrack.

Although DD-EX is also a 6.1 soundtrack (both designed for use with an additional rear centre speaker) the DTS 6.1 is technically better than the DD version because the rear centre in DD is matrixed in with the existing rear sound while the DTS rear centre is a completely separate track from the other rear channels.

But again ,you would be hard pushed to tell.

Your existing 5.1 system will play them fine.

While the DTS logo on your dvd player simply means that it will output DTS (some early players wouldn't play it) you do need a DTS amp to hear the sound correctly.

If your amp does not have a DTS logo on it then the DTS will be downmixed to 2 channel surround.
dwb
13-11-2007
Just to add my 2p worth.... I've found that in my ears DTS does sound slightly better than DD and so I always play the DTS audio when it's there on disc. But the difference isn't as much as some say. To put that in perspective my listening room is only about 8' square and so I do hear it too well at times.... So it is worth getting the best you can, cinema is not all about picture quality.
edwinastley
13-11-2007
Originally Posted by dwb:
“Just to add my 2p worth.... I've found that in my ears DTS does sound slightly better than DD and so I always play the DTS audio when it's there on disc. But the difference isn't as much as some say. To put that in perspective my listening room is only about 8' square and so I do hear it too well at times.... So it is worth getting the best you can, cinema is not all about picture quality.”

What I meant to say was that unless you have the DTS and DD tracks side by side there's no way anyone would pick out one from the other .

And even if you have ,I'd wager that blindfolded you wouldn't know which was which.

There are also dvd's out there where the DD mix is better than the DTS.

When Warner released the R1 Lethal Weapon Directors Cut dvd's years back they were amongst the first releases to include both DTS and DD on the same disc.

But Warner were so disappointed with the lack of difference they dropped DTS like a stone.

Even 6 or 7 years later I think DTS on Warner discs is not too common
dwb
13-11-2007
True in most cases the difference is slight but when the encoding/ mixing is done well, DTS, to me sounds right so to speak or should I say hear. But it does really come to whether it sounds ok to you. Yes there are times when I've played the DTS audio and thought it was flat compared to the DD version. I guess, as in may cases, it's down to sound engineer who mixes it. As to the bit rate of the two all I will say is that I find if I listen to a std cd at the higher bit rate, 96 Khz it sounds so much better than the std of 44 / 48 KHz, again that's may be due the quality of it all. Such is life

My system is a Denon 1706, 2 prs of Tannoy Sensys 1, Tannoy Sensys Centre and Tsunami 200 sub, Samsung HD DVD-950 and Mirai TS27004
Last edited by dwb : 13-11-2007 at 23:48
Praxidike
14-11-2007
On most things I have tried, DTS has been clearer than DD, and with better sound placement, and even the bass just sounds more responsive, so I always choose DTS when available. If I remember to check it exists on the disk...
mlythaby
14-11-2007
Originally Posted by AntiInternet:
“I was watching a DVD in Dolby Digital 5.1 (I think, might've been 2.0)”

Perhaps you were set to Dolby Pro Logic II, then you would hear a difference
Airborne
19-11-2007
We all tend to get "brainwashed" by Reviews. The DD v DTS discussion is no exception. Given a reasonable separate Amplifier and speakers it is possible to detect a clear differance between the two..but not on all DVD soundtracks. Some DVD's have clear cut differances. I haven't heard them all , but two stand out as clearly superior on DTS. They are
"Chicago" and "Phantom of the Opera". There are very good reviews also for classics such as "Das Boot", "Saving Private Ryan", "Master & Commander", and the aerial combat sequences on "Top Gun".
Last edited by Airborne : 19-11-2007 at 16:39
Jarrak
19-11-2007
Master & Commander sounds better in DTS however I was blown away by the DD soundtrack which I watched first. It was only because I watched the movie twice in quick succession and then flipped back and forth between the audio tracks so really recognise the difference, a blind test would probably have ended up being a pure guess to which was which.
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