Hi

Ive bought a sony home theatre system and i was wondering what is the best sound option to choose while watching films, DTS or Dolby?

Also, what does everyone prefer?

DTS.

There isnt MUCH difference (well from what i can hear anyway) although there is one, sound is more defined and on the whole it just sounds a lot clearer.

Use it whenever you have the opportunity

DTS 1
Dolby 0

Anyone else got any views? What is it that makes DTS better exactly?

This is a subject that has been discussed many times before on these forums...The previous post pretty much hits the nail on the head. Generally DTS just has the edge. A good test is the Gladiator DVD. Listen to it in DD5.1 then try the DTS track. It is much more well defined. The same goes for Close Encounters. The opening bit in the desert wind really makes you feel like you are there.

On the other hand, I have heard some DTS soundtracks that are very poor compared to the DD5.1 alternative.

One thing to note however, is that DTS on DVD is a compressed format. DTS in the cinema isn't. DTS in the cinema is played from a time cued (fancy) multi cd type player. That has different disks for each channel I believe.

I did read that the DD5.1 compression algorithms were better than the DTS ones however. Thus for a similar quality of sound the DTS track will take up more space than the DD5.1.

Personally, given the choice, I would always opt for the dts sound version if available - to me it just sounds better, more dynamic.

DTS is miles ahead.

It sounds louder, more dynamic and - well just plain bigger.

A good test disc is "Kylie in Sydney" - in DTS you are with her!

The audience just surrounds you.

However only a relatively small number of discs feature DTS and it takes up much more space, so it will be a long time before it's ever broadcast.

And don't try to play Dolby discs with DTS or you'll get - well er - silence...

Yeah, ive noticed that many DVDs dont even give you the choice.

On Panic Room, it does and i wasnt impressed with DTS. Also the Dolby Digital helicopter thing to demonstrate the sound is much better than the tack DTS plain writing done on auntie betty's PC!

I know that DTS supposedly takes up larger space but...

I bought the austin powers 3 disc the other day. It contains both a DTS 6.1 and DD 5.1 track, and a HUGE number of extra features (took me about 1.5 hours to watch them all).

And that was all on one disc?

NO NO No As a Cinema Projectionist a quite a few years now

You're right about time cued cd's for the (sound) track.
they are on the optical (Dolby Stereo / SR analogue) track and each disc has about 40mins to an hour on each disc full 6 tracks of information some times 7.
Sorry to be a killjoy But Dolby has it in my view and apart from THx there is nothing to touch it .

Na.DTS everytime. It is less compressed than DD5.1 on DVDs and the sound is far more dynamic and punchy.

Ah! I was talking about in the system in the actual cinemas

Well if we are talking actual cinema sound then neither of them are any good when compared to a good SDDS installation

But for home use DTS is king for all the reasons stated so far

Now that's funny most folks that I've spoken to have never heard or heard of sdds, and my understanding is that it was to smart for its own good. Still the Odeon here in Edin'h in Cinema 1 (which is about to close,long story) has been recognised throuout the industry has haveing amzing acoustics and have both dolby and dts I've heard them both but not side by side to compare and still come down on dolby's side.
There is just more raw info available for the decoder on dolby..

I use dts where available.

When I say that DTS is better than Dolby, that's not to say Dolby is bad in any way - I have enjoyed many Dolby productions with terrific soundtracks.

DTS comes into its own when you are looking for spectacular sound - music is also good.

But can the projectionist tell me what I was listening to in the 70s - for example in the ABC2 in Glasgow - where I first heard what sounded like multi channel sound?

I remember Funny Girl, Paint Your Wagon, Ryans' Daughter etc all sounded impressive.

I don't know whether it was just enhanced stereo, but it did fly around the cinema...

My first true Dolby experience was I think in Leicester Square in London - that was awe inspiring!

Listen to Gladiator or Monsters Inc in DTS and it always beats DD. Not by much but it just sounds more rewarding. You'll know what I mean when you hear it.

So DD 98; DTS 99.9

Yes it was six track discrete analogue sound on four magnetic strips either side of the perforations.
Five tracks behind the screen
In order from left to right as you look at the screen
Channels 5, 1,2,3,6 and 4 was the Ambient or surround as it is more commonly known now.
Interesting ly the ambient channel was not present at all times but was "Switched" on and of with a "Frequency gate" of around 12 -16Khz, as used in four track cinemascope films as well..

Incidentally the ABC2 (in Sauchiehall street I think) Used Philips projectors as did most of the ABC cicuit and in the 70's most probably Phillips sound equipment

Thanks RR...

I'm most interested in cinema gear and I guess we have a lot to thank people like you for giving us a great night out.

I never thought that we would be able to get close to cinema sound in our homes, but I now can.

I'm convinced it was the improvement in cinema sound that revived it rather than the pictures.

Are there any web sites that deal with cinema sound that are worth looking at?

Try www.Dolby.com
also www.skywalkersound.com
www.thx.com
www.dtstech.com

Will these do?
Any tech questions on cinema I'm your man and if I don't know....................I know a man that does!

Thanks again RR...

My limited moment of glory was being allowed to show a short film at Glasgow Film Theatre with a very patient and sympathetic projectionist.

It was only then that I realised just how much was involved in showing films - before automated multiplexes of course!

Keep up the good work - we need people like you to tell us how it was done.

Your very welcome and thankyou for your kind words

Also you may try this:- www.dp70.com/index.htm hope this helps

What are evryones thoughts on SDDS?

I don't know of many cinema's that have SDDS (made by Sony)
none here in Edinburgh have it. Maybe some in London, just don't know.
I did hear on the Proj grapevine that it was to smart for its own good and wasn't any better or worse than Dolby or DTS.