The difference between DTS and DVD-Audio

[audiodrome]

I'm new to all this surround sound stuff but I'm very intrigued by some of the CDs that are now available and to be able to hear them in this new way. Do you need two completely different setups to play DTS and DVD-Audio CDs? Do you think they both will last and will we be able to find the equipment to play them on in the future? Thanks for any help. It took me a while to give up my vinyl (though I haven't really given it up) and jump on the CD bandwagon back in the '80's, and this new technology may take even longer to sway me. But then again, I have yet to experience any of my favorites records in surround sound.

Paul

[mcow1]

Originally posted by audiodrome
I'm new to all this surround sound stuff but I'm very intrigued by some of the CDs that are now available and to be able to hear them in this new way. Do you need two completely different setups to play DTS and DVD-Audio CDs? Do you think they both will last and will we be able to find the equipment to play them on in the future? Thanks for any help. It took me a while to give up my vinyl (though I haven't really given it up) and jump on the CD bandwagon back in the '80's, and this new technology may take even longer to sway me. But then again, I have yet to experience any of my favorites records in surround sound.

Paul

No not two setups a good newer dvd player will take care of both. DTS is more often used as a type of sound encoding for movies (I believe it's Digital Theatrical Sound, could be wrong). There is some debate whether it sounds any better than 5.1 digital surround some movie-philes think so, some don't.

[SVL]

AFAIK, one of the principal reasons why DTS is preferred by audio-conscious movie buffs is that it employs less compression than Dolby Digital. In the past it was not very often used on DVD, also because many older AV amps/receivers came w/o a DTS decoder.

Universal was one of the early supporters of DTS (could be one of the developers too - I'm not sure). Most other studios were using Dolby Digital for their DVDs almost exclusively.

Now DTS seems to be gaining more presence on DVD - e.g. Sony now includes a DTS soundtrack on their "hi-end" Superbit DVDs.

Most new receivers come with a DTS decoder. To play DVD-A, you will need a DVD player that can decode DVD-A signal. Today this decoding is handled by players, not by receivers. This might change though, when the industry takes care of the standards and digital copy protection.

[Richard Feirstein]

Dolby Digital is more efficient than DTS thus a bit rate race is not a fair comparison per se. Dolby Digital employes dialogue normalization and a multi-channel mix that folds down into stereo pro-logic with bass management criteria to ensure compatibility in stereo and multi-channel and pro-logic setups. None of there isses are part of the DTS option. Very few DTS DVD presentations utilize the highest bit rate today, while most Dolby Digital presentations are now mastered at its highest bit rate setting. If you have a proper setup with adequate bass management and time alignment both give good results.

[audiodrome]

Thanks for the info

So you are saying that all you need is any current model DVD player and any current model surround sound receiver/speaker setup and you can play both DTS and DVD-A CDs without any other added components? That's good news...

Paul

[mcow1]

Originally posted by audiodrome
Thanks for the info

So you are saying that all you need is any current model DVD player and any current model surround sound receiver/speaker setup and you can play both DTS and DVD-A CDs without any other added components? That's good news...

Paul

Not any current model for dvd-a, dvd-a receivers have 5 RCA jacks for dvd-a, dvd players have the 5 RCA out. Lots of current models have it but not all, and they are not really much (if any) more expensive.

[Richard Feirstein]

Well if you have a 5.1 receiver without 5.1 analog inputs you can play a DVD-A disk if it contains a DTS 5.1 track thorugh your DTS decoder. If you have a DVD-A player you need a receiver with 5.1 analog inputs to play in DVD-A mode. This is also true for SACD. Hybred SACD disks will play in a conventional CD player as a CD, DVD-A disks won't but SACD disks in SACD mode require an SACD player to enjoy. Soon DVD/SACD/DVD-A players will sport a new digital interconnect and new receivers will do all the SACD and DVD-A decoding eliminating the need for 5.1 analog inputs.

[bmoura]

Originally posted by Richard Feirstein
Dolby Digital is more efficient than DTS thus a bit rate race is not a fair comparison per se. Dolby Digital employes dialogue normalization and a multi-channel mix that folds down into stereo pro-logic with bass management criteria to ensure compatibility in stereo and multi-channel and pro-logic setups. None of there isses are part of the DTS option. Very few DTS DVD presentations utilize the highest bit rate today, while most Dolby Digital presentations are now mastered at its highest bit rate setting. If you have a proper setup with adequate bass management and time alignment both give good results.

Actually Dolby Digital is used at either 384k or 448k data rates for DVD Video. The highest data rate for Dolby Digital is 640k which is not usable with DVD Video discs due to the DVD Video spec.

[krabapple]

Originally posted by audiodrome
Thanks for the info

So you are saying that all you need is any current model DVD player and any current model surround sound receiver/speaker setup and you can play both DTS and DVD-A CDs without any other added components? That's good news...

Paul

Nope, to play DVD-A you need a player that specifically claims to play DVD-A. But it will also play DVD video, and probably DTS audio as well. (And of course it can play CD too!)

[Richard Feirstein]

"Actually Dolby Digital is used at either 384k or 448k data rates for DVD Video. The highest data rate for Dolby Digital is 640k which is not usable with DVD Video discs due to the DVD Video spec."

Without getting too technical, Dolby Labs had the option of going with a higher bit rate for DVD or greater efficiency; it chose efficiency. Something to to with page size, etc. Today most if not all DVD releases use the highest Dolby Digital bit rate available. Today most DVD releases utilize about half the max bit rate for DTS. Most people would find that DTS presents a better sound field when lowest bit rate Dolby Digital is matched against highest bit rate DTS. Today that is seldom found in the wild.

[JohnT]

Another difference would be both stereo & multichannel mixes exist (most of the time) on the DVD-A format.

DVD-A also provides some still photos & video screens which tends to irk some audiophiles.

DTS has trickled to almost nothing at this point, no? Queen DTS/DVD-A NATO just released but is there any more?

[Richard Feirstein]

In the SACD format always get a stereo mix and if you also get a multi-track mix you also get a actualy stereo mix as well, not derived from the multi-track, as is somtimes the case with DVD-A, and perhaps it will be a hybred disk with a conventional CD layer you can play in the car. Text is also being used and the standard permits photos, etc., but no such disks have hit the street yet.

[bmoura]

Originally posted by Richard Feirstein
"Actually Dolby Digital is used at either 384k or 448k data rates for DVD Video. The highest data rate for Dolby Digital is 640k which is not usable with DVD Video discs due to the DVD Video spec."

Without getting too technical, Dolby Labs had the option of going with a higher bit rate for DVD or greater efficiency; it chose efficiency. Something to to with page size, etc. Today most if not all DVD releases use the highest Dolby Digital bit rate available. Today most DVD releases utilize about half the max bit rate for DTS. Most people would find that DTS presents a better sound field when lowest bit rate Dolby Digital is matched against highest bit rate DTS. Today that is seldom found in the wild.

What I think you mean here is that most DVD Video releases use the highest Dolby Digital rate possible on that format (448k) vs. the highest Dolby Digital rate possible for any format (640k).