Blu-ray and audio

Handruin

Administrator
Joined
Jan 13, 2002
Messages
13,914
Location
USA
If I buy a blu ray player, will the audio work with my existing environment? I have a Yamaha home theater receiver that is about 8 years old (read: no HDMI). It supports DD 5.1 and DTS which I connect my DVD player and xbox through an optical connection. Will I need to upgrade my receiver if I get a blu ray player, or can I get a BR player with optical audio output that will support what I have? I would be connecting the BR to my TV via HDMI if that matters?
 

Handruin

Administrator
Joined
Jan 13, 2002
Messages
13,914
Location
USA
Do you know if it's feasible for me to use both optical and HDMI at the same time without issues? HDMI going to my TV and optical going to the receiver. Also, is there anything specific I should look for in the BR player that allows it to convert to DD5.1 and/or DTS (ie is it a specific name or spec)?
 

Handruin

Administrator
Joined
Jan 13, 2002
Messages
13,914
Location
USA
I kind of like the Samsung BD-P1600 for the price. It seems to have all the modern BR features.

The article says:

The BD-P1600 has onboard decoding for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. That means it can decode those soundtrack formats so they can be played back on almost every HDMI-capable AV receiver. Bit stream output is also supported, if you'd rather the decoding be done in your AV receiver. Those looking to play DVDs with legacy DTS formats like DTS 96/24, ES, ES Matrix, and Neo:6 will be happy to note the BD-P1600 has decoding for these formats, unlike players that feature DTS-HD Master Audio Essential.

I'm guessing that means I can use the legacy audio format to connect to my receiver?
 

Stereodude

Not really a
Joined
Jan 22, 2002
Messages
10,865
Location
Michigan
I kind of like the Samsung BD-P1600 for the price. It seems to have all the modern BR features.

The article says:

I'm guessing that means I can use the legacy audio format to connect to my receiver?
It actually doesn't say anything related to the use case you're interested in.

From browsing through the manual it does not appear to have any encoding capability, so you will get the DTS core for any DTS track, and DD for any DD+ or True-HD track via SPDIF, but if you watch a disc with LPCM audio you will get 2 channel only via SPDIF.
 

Handruin

Administrator
Joined
Jan 13, 2002
Messages
13,914
Location
USA
I was reading a review over at Engadget HD and it makes mention of a BitStream re-encode option. I think that does what I need for right now until I upgrade my audio in the future.

I googled that BitStream re-encode option and Samsung claims the following which makes me think I'll be fine with my current reciever.

In practice, Bitstream (Re-encode) works a bit like a cross between PCM output and the Bitstream (Audiophile) approach. As with the PCM method, the Blu-ray Disc player takes the disc’s PCM track or decodes the high resolution track to PCM and then mixes all of the disc’s audio internally—including all secondary audio features, like director’s commentary, as well as effects audio, such as the bleeps and blips that accompany menu navigation. Instead of outputting this uncompressed digital audio, though, the player then re-encodes the audio as high-bitrate compressed DTS, which virtually any receiver or processor with an optical digital audio input can accept and decode. This, of course, won’t quite rival the audio quality of fully uncompressed digital audio, but it should be a noticeable upgrade from what you’re used to hearing from old-school DVDs.
 

Handruin

Administrator
Joined
Jan 13, 2002
Messages
13,914
Location
USA
I don't know much about LPCM audio, is that a common format on BR movies? I found the same note you mentioned from the documentation.

Further in the manual I found similar information about the re-encode: "Recommended choice if you don’t have an HDMI supported receiver, but have a receiver with an optical input that can decode DTS."

The Cons for using re-encode state:
"Audio quaility may be lower than PCM or Bitstream (Audiophile) setups when you are using a receiver with HDMI or Optical input."

I'm ok with those cons for now. My audio portion (speakers/receiver) would need upgrading to get better sound any way.
 

Handruin

Administrator
Joined
Jan 13, 2002
Messages
13,914
Location
USA
I got a craving to watch the Planet Earth in HD series last night. This is a total spur of the moment purchase which requires a BR player. :)

Thanks for the help with this.
 

Handruin

Administrator
Joined
Jan 13, 2002
Messages
13,914
Location
USA
I don't have a PC to connect to my TV to do that, but it's a good idea. I've wanted a BR player for a while anyway, so even though I joke about it being only for Planet Earth, I'll rent movies from netflix.
 

Handruin

Administrator
Joined
Jan 13, 2002
Messages
13,914
Location
USA
I bought that player last night and also got bestbuy to match the price on the 4-disc Planet Earth with Walmart's price of $55. The series looks fantastic so far. My only concern is in a few situations, the dark areas on the screen were doing this weird pulsing of white. I don't think it's my TV as I've never noticed it before with anything else (TV @ 1080i and xbox at 1080p). It could either be the planet earth recording or maybe something with the BR player. I'll need to get another BR disc to watch and see if it still has the occasional pulsing (ever half second) in certain dark and contrast areas of the video. Otherwise the video quality was very good.

As for the audio, it works fine so far using the bitstream re-encode option. My receiver shows as playing a DTS sound track as expected and it sounds very good. Arguable better than DVD soundtracks, but I'm not comparing apples to apples here.
 

Fushigi

Storage Is My Life
Joined
Jan 23, 2002
Messages
2,890
Location
Illinois, USA
We picked up the domestic release of PE on BD, not the BBC version. Sigourney Weaver narrates and I like her version better than the BBC narrator (David Attenborough). AFAIK the domestic version is only available at the Discovery site; I've only ever seen the BBC version at retail.
 

Pradeep

Storage? I am Storage!
Joined
Jan 21, 2002
Messages
3,845
Location
Runny glass
Doug, does your receiver by any chance have a 5.1 pre-amp input? That in conjunction with the 5.1 analog outs of an appropriate blu-ray player will give the high def audio (24 bit 48 kHz * 7.1 channels) that optical and co-ax S/PDIF doesnt have the bandwidth for.

I'm running a PS3 via HDMI to a Pioneer 1018 receiver, blu-ray audio is significantly more lifelike and dynamic compared to the highly compressed DD 5.1 that most DVDs use.
 

Handruin

Administrator
Joined
Jan 13, 2002
Messages
13,914
Location
USA
My home receiever does have the 5.1 pre-amp inputs but the BR player I bought does not have the outputs for this. The next model up from mine (which is another $150) has them, but I didn't find that worth the money given the unit uses the same exact video chipset offering no other visual improvements. I'd rather put the extra $150 towards a new receiver that uses the TrueHD. Otherwise that's a good idea.

Even the current compressed audio that I have now sounds better than my DVD player. I bet it would get even better as you've suggested with the TrueHD and/or DTS format. I was reading good things about the Onkyo TX-SR607...hmm
 

Pradeep

Storage? I am Storage!
Joined
Jan 21, 2002
Messages
3,845
Location
Runny glass
It would be worth the money to go to the 700 series Onkyo's IMHO.

Right now I'm watching prices of Viera G1s and G10s. 1080p plasma is getting very affordable.
 

ddrueding

Fixture
Joined
Feb 4, 2002
Messages
19,719
Location
Horsens, Denmark
Right now I'm watching prices of Viera G1s and G10s. 1080p plasma is getting very affordable.

Neither of those look to be plasma? All the links I see say LCD...

Looking at one of these for a client, but the question is whether it will send source A to receiver 2 and source C to receiver 4 while simultaneously sending source B to receiver 1. I know it will make any of those connections, but I don't know if it supports multiple feeds simultaneously.

Anyone have experience with these things?
 

Mercutio

Fatwah on Western Digital
Joined
Jan 17, 2002
Messages
22,228
Location
I am omnipresent
May just be what I'm used to but I've always liked Onkyo/Integra better than Denon.
I'd probably start with something like this and move up the product line until I found all the features I need.
 

Handruin

Administrator
Joined
Jan 13, 2002
Messages
13,914
Location
USA
The Onkyo SR607 that you linked is exactly the one I mentioned above. It has pretty much everything I would need.
 

Pradeep

Storage? I am Storage!
Joined
Jan 21, 2002
Messages
3,845
Location
Runny glass
Neither of those look to be plasma? All the links I see say LCD...

Looking at one of these for a client, but the question is whether it will send source A to receiver 2 and source C to receiver 4 while simultaneously sending source B to receiver 1. I know it will make any of those connections, but I don't know if it supports multiple feeds simultaneously.

Anyone have experience with these things?

http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-VIERA-TC-P50G10-50-Inch-Plasma/dp/B001UAEWUS

I think they have model lines with both LCD and plasma, the G10 has more onboard stuff for the Viera link (buying VOD from amazon etc). Given that all that can be done with an HTPC, the G1/S1? is more bang for the buck.
 
Top