BluRay / PS3 pros and cons
Discussion
Ah, I didn't consider the conversion to normal DTS at high bitrates. I believe blind tests with DTS @ 1.5Mb have proven it to be imperceptible. I don't think it can be argued that lossless compression is bad though. Most Bluray stuff is still only 16bit/48khz as far as I know so it doesn't have more resolution, just fewer artefacts.
Does anyone know what the PS3 does with DTS-HD MA if you output the audio as bitstream? Does it convert it to DTS at high bitrate or just DD?
Does anyone know what the PS3 does with DTS-HD MA if you output the audio as bitstream? Does it convert it to DTS at high bitrate or just DD?
mackie1 said:
Does anyone know what the PS3 does with DTS-HD MA if you output the audio as bitstream? Does it convert it to DTS at high bitrate or just DD?
Via Optical it sends DTS core @ 1.5MB/s for DTS MA soundtrack. For Dolby TrueHD soundtracks it just sends the bog standard Dolby Digtal at just over 600KB/s.
Of course if you are using HDMI, providing you select LPCM you get the full lossless soundtrack, either; DTS MA, Dolby TrueHD or uncompressed PCM.
Mr_Yogi said:
mackie1 said:
Does anyone know what the PS3 does with DTS-HD MA if you output the audio as bitstream? Does it convert it to DTS at high bitrate or just DD?
Via Optical it sends DTS core @ 1.5MB/s for DTS MA soundtrack. For Dolby TrueHD soundtracks it just sends the bog standard Dolby Digtal at just over 600KB/s.
Of course if you are using HDMI, providing you select LPCM you get the full lossless soundtrack, either; DTS MA, Dolby TrueHD or uncompressed PCM.
Ultra Violent said:
I used to use my PS3 for blue-ray but now have the Denon 2500 transport. Picture and sound improvement is very obvious and well worth the extra money IMO. Works well with my Denon 4308 amp. That said I did find the PS3 very good at blue-ray and upscaling for the money.
That Denon looks like a nice bit of kit.Sturdy and minimalist - round the back is a power cable socket and an HDMI output. Thats it!
If my AV processor did HDMI I would be tempted, however I will have to stick to my max bitrate DTS for now.
Dark Knight, is just eye popping. There really is a 3D element to the picture. My misses keeps trying to look "round" things. I was very surprised by the fact I could hear a real difference with DD-HD and DTS-Master. My hearing is very slightly impaired, but the difference was very obvious.
It is quite slow to load up Blue ray discs, but quick with DVD, and the remote is slow to respond and the usable angle is quite poor.
But given you can get these for 650quid, if you look, I think it's one of the best value pieces of AV I have ever bought.
It is quite slow to load up Blue ray discs, but quick with DVD, and the remote is slow to respond and the usable angle is quite poor.
But given you can get these for 650quid, if you look, I think it's one of the best value pieces of AV I have ever bought.
Ultra Violent said:
Dark Knight, is just eye popping. There really is a 3D element to the picture. My misses keeps trying to look "round" things. I was very surprised by the fact I could hear a real difference with DD-HD and DTS-Master. My hearing is very slightly impaired, but the difference was very obvious.
It is quite slow to load up Blue ray discs, but quick with DVD, and the remote is slow to respond and the usable angle is quite poor.
But given you can get these for 650quid, if you look, I think it's one of the best value pieces of AV I have ever bought.
DTS and DD do sound a lot different.It is quite slow to load up Blue ray discs, but quick with DVD, and the remote is slow to respond and the usable angle is quite poor.
But given you can get these for 650quid, if you look, I think it's one of the best value pieces of AV I have ever bought.
The main difference is the fact that on my system anyway DTS is quieter and the subwoofer balance is way different until you try to reset the volumes.
Ultra Violent said:
Sorry I was commenting wrt DD v DD-HD and DTS v DTS-Master. But I agree DTS and DD do sound different, although I thought DTS had a higher bit rate for the Bass channel v DD.
Ahh,However, you still cannot compare in an AB situation DD or DTS against their HD equivalents, as it is not the case that they are the same 'file' just one at a higher resolution than the other.
They are mixed and encoded in different ways, and may not even come from the same master.
It would be a bit like listening to two mixes of the same song by two different mixers. The main difference you would hear is the alternate 'view' of the source material rather than a difference between formats.
Plotloss said:
THX Certification?
Essential I'd say, certainly a guarantee of quality
Indeed, on that point I agree. Essential I'd say, certainly a guarantee of quality

However, there are a lot of similarities to qualification you essentially 'pay for', because you need the recognised label.
On a big amp or speakers for someone who wants to hear the Star Wars X-Wings fly around your room in all of the glory the director intended I can understand the need for a standard (as I must admit I have done the THX calibration myself...), however when you see the THX logo on a £10 cable in Currys then it just smells to me like marketingboomf than anything else.

If the logo is carried on any product or individual then that product or individual has passed an assessment test, to a set of standards.
If its on a cable then the cable has been tested (well not that particular cable but the specification).
The THX Certified DVD Title process for example is enormously involved, which is why its popular on Lucas productions (they're mastered within the standard at production) and Pixar productions (all computer generated so easy again).
Obtaining THX Certified Home Screening Room is again a very involved and very expensive process.
But what cost seeing and hearing something which is to all intents and purposes identical to what George Lucas sees and hears at Kurosawa?
As Ferris said "If you have the means I highly recommend picking one up"
If its on a cable then the cable has been tested (well not that particular cable but the specification).
The THX Certified DVD Title process for example is enormously involved, which is why its popular on Lucas productions (they're mastered within the standard at production) and Pixar productions (all computer generated so easy again).
Obtaining THX Certified Home Screening Room is again a very involved and very expensive process.
But what cost seeing and hearing something which is to all intents and purposes identical to what George Lucas sees and hears at Kurosawa?
As Ferris said "If you have the means I highly recommend picking one up"
Plotloss said:
mackie1 said:
That's all well and good but some THX certified DVDs are garbage and do nothing but make THX meaningless in this context.
THX Certification refers only to the sound.Which on the Abyss is very good, very tight, where it should be.
Edited by mackie1 on Friday 23 January 12:10
Plotloss said:
If the logo is carried on any product or individual then that product or individual has passed an assessment test, to a set of standards.
If its on a cable then the cable has been tested (well not that particular cable but the specification).
The THX Certified DVD Title process for example is enormously involved, which is why its popular on Lucas productions (they're mastered within the standard at production) and Pixar productions (all computer generated so easy again).
Obtaining THX Certified Home Screening Room is again a very involved and very expensive process.
But what cost seeing and hearing something which is to all intents and purposes identical to what George Lucas sees and hears at Kurosawa?
As Ferris said "If you have the means I highly recommend picking one up"
I agree.If its on a cable then the cable has been tested (well not that particular cable but the specification).
The THX Certified DVD Title process for example is enormously involved, which is why its popular on Lucas productions (they're mastered within the standard at production) and Pixar productions (all computer generated so easy again).
Obtaining THX Certified Home Screening Room is again a very involved and very expensive process.
But what cost seeing and hearing something which is to all intents and purposes identical to what George Lucas sees and hears at Kurosawa?
As Ferris said "If you have the means I highly recommend picking one up"
I am more than happy with the speakers they have in the control room!
That said, I am sure with money no object you can get better like in the Kurosawa room at Skywalker. Don't get me wrong, I am a fan, and of the concept of a standard specification. However, it has to be remembered that the reason that THX came about was that the sound in cinemas in the 70's and 80's was not only rather crap, there was no standard speaker setup therefore it was impossible to control how it would be played back, making cinema quality rather variable.
If a cinema was THX certified you knew it was going to be good and not crap.
However, I do feel that this idea has been very diluted down into the home market to the point where the specification in now so inbred in manufacture anyway to be able to stamp THX on a piece of equipment has more to to with a 'paid for' use of a well known brand stamp than what it actually means.
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