Hi all I have one quick question about audio sound on DVD's.

I have noticed recently, (because I just bought a brand new setup that is has the ability to decode DTS or Dolby Digital 5.1) that when using the Dolby Digital 5.1 that the volume has to be put on a high level to be able to hear all the effects, but when using the DTS on that same DVD, all I need do is put the volume at a medium setting and with that I get all the depth, full sound and everything else I would like.

Why would ANY DVD not put DTS on ALL DVD's??? What is the difference. I am new to the DVD game, but I am very interested in finding out why this difference in DVD's.

Roger

PS: If there is a FAQ on this please put the URL in your reply.

Roger, the DVD specs call for DD as a mandantory provision, but DTS is optional. The difference in apparent loudness is because of a couple of things; DTS tends to be encoded at a higher average level, and because DTS uses less compression, there is potential for a greater dynamic range (difference between loudest and softest signal), so the loud can be louder (without overmodulation), and the soft can be softer (without being lost in residual background noise).

Larry
www.fineelectricco.com

P.S. Yes, I know that there's a difference between digital compression and audio compression.

This message was edited by Larry Fine on 12/23/01 22:42.44.

Roger,

to answer some of the questions, that Larry didn't touch:

- DTS is not available on all discs (yet) becasue it takes up far more space on the disc than DD. I have heard that in US, DTS is some kind of Quality Stamp which generates sales of DVDs, but apparently this phenomenon has not yet reached Europe (where I am), as only very few Region 2 discs have DTS soundtrack. There might also be a commercial issue in including DTS (licensing, royalties or whatever), but I'm not sure

- It could also be that your level differences are caused by the speaker setup. In the extreme there could be 20dB difference between the speaker level in DD and DTS just because of the settings (20dB is a lot!). Try to find the manual and see how you can check/adjust the level (and timing) of the individual spoeakers.

And then finally: Welcome in the DVD-world...

/Allan

Thank you all for your help:~)
I am sure I will have more questions as time goes on, but for now, I will look into the information I was given.

Again Thank you all

Well my understanding of it is that DD is compressed audio and DTS is not. DTS is louder! I have some dvds with DTS and DD and many of them the DTS gives a lot of sound distortion becasue it was recorded at a very high level. Other DVDs with DTS sound very nice. DD 5.1 good nice. DTS 5.1 Good Nice and bright! Oww!


HtPB

Well, actually, Heretic, DTS is compressed, but to about one-fourth the degree that DD is.
Larry
www.fineelectricco.com

Ok Thanks Larry for letting me know!

HtPB

My thoughts on DTS

I have the Pearl Harbor, Speed, and Evoultion, Yeah I know Evoultion Sucked LOL

I have a Denon Avr 3600, with a Denon 3300 Dvd Play. I use Klipsch Speakers all around.

I am sorry, But There is NO ONE that can convince me that DTS does not make that much of a diffference.

DTS is a Highly better format. All three disks I mentioned have BOTH formats builin to them, and I can switch back and forth, to deterimine differences.

The BIGGEST difference, it Spacial. When in DD mode, sounds produced to the speakers, are somewhat muddled and confused. Voices are somewhat clear.

In DTS mode WOWOWOWOWOW, Sounds are VERY distinct, produced exactly where they are supposed to go, and all I can say for dynamic range, and being Spacial Placement is WOW!!!! Once Again!

There are a lot of Cd's that are produced now in DTS,. I have one, and the Difference, WOW once again, from Normal CD's.

The only Fault I C in DTS, is that NOT enuf DVD's, or CD"s have the format yet! :( Once you listen to a few DVD's , or CD"s recorded in it, you feel Disappointed, with DD.

Just my opion of course :)

Rick

I think both formats have the capability to be very good, but DTS seems to have a higher percentage of "really good" soundtracks on DVD... which may make DTS fans biased. :-)

Over the last couple of weeks, I bought a fair percentage of DTS encoded discs. I have actually found a couple where I preferred the DD track, but for the most part I have to say the DTS "sounds better" to both me and my spouse. Unfortunately, it seems most DTS discs don't have as many extras, perhaps because the DTS track takes up more space?

I tend to agree that DTS usually sounds "better", but I really think it's a subjective opinion. As others have said, the surround effects are more pronounced, but that's simply because DTS masters the surrounds at about 4Db higher than DD.

As far as DTS sounding "clearer", I think that comes from the tendency for DTS tracks to be a little brighter than the DD tracks, which sometimes makes things sound clearer, but not necessarily better.

Sure DTS can sound better....It has less data compression than Dolby Digital, but am I the only one who is bothered by DTS soundtracks being OUT OF SYNC on some DVDs?

Moulin Rouge is clearly out of sync by at least 4 frames and I also find the Shrek DVD to be "soft"....

On the topic of DTS CDs touched above by islhopr: Technically there shouldn't be a reason that DTS CDs should sound better than normal CDs, as normal CDs are not compressed, so unless DTS introduces higher bitrates (like e.g. HDCD) the quality can only be as good as or worse than normal CDs.

I don't have any DTS CDs and I haven't really read much about them, so if someone can correct my perception above, feel free...

Greve, for one thing, CDs would be, at best, DPL, because CD is only a 2-channel format. Apart from the discrete hi-def CD formats, DTS-CD would be the only "standard-def" CD with discrete surround channels, so there really is no fair comparison.

Larry
www.fineelectricco.com

Thanks for that explanation Larry - now I see what this thing about DTS CDs is all about: Surround Sound!!!

But this also means that you have to play DTS CDs in your DVD-Player I presume. A normal CD-player does not have DTS decoders and it probably can't send a DTS bitstream to an AV-Amp, right?