Pro Logic II or DTS NEO:6?

[slowtrain1]

Just trying to decide which one of these to use on 2 channel sources. Which one do you guys prefer (if any) and why?
Thank in advance

[Big Daddy]

Pro-Logic IIx converts any stereo or 5.1-channel audio input to 6.1 or 7.1 discrete channel output. There are usually two or three modes: Music, Movies, and Games.

DTS Neo:6 can convert stereo and matrix content (music or movie) to 5.1 or 6.1 discrete channels.

[ZIPPO]

Originally Posted by slowtrain1

Just trying to decide which one of these to use on 2 channel sources. Which one do you guys prefer (if any) and why?
Thank in advance

My Marantz receiver has the following choices: Dolby Pro Logic IIx, DTS Neo:6, SRS-CSII( http://www.srslabs.mobi ) & Neural THX. I've tried them all & prefer Dolby Pro Logic IIx & DTS Neo:6 equally, but use DPL IIx most of the time.

[LordoftheRings]

Originally Posted by slowtrain1

Just trying to decide which one of these to use on 2 channel sources. Which one do you guys prefer (if any) and why?
Thank in advance

I personally never used them with Music (I did try them in the past though).
And I only do use it with some DVDs (extremely rarely as I watched about a couple DVDs per year ), but mainly with Dolby Pro Logic IIx Movie mode.

* But if I was going to use one over the other one (on 2-channel Stereo Music),
I think I'd go with Dolby Pro Logic II Music mode.
...And making the right parameter adjustments for that particular mode: Panorama, Dimension & Center Width.
And of course no "x" (back surround).

[Big Daddy]

This is a good read from our friends at Best Buy.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/null/nul...cat22300050003

Dolby Pro Logic II
Originally unveiled by Dolby in June 2001 and first appearing in consumer equipment in 2002, Dolby Pro Logic II is a dramatically improved matrix-surround system based on the principles of original Dolby Pro Logic technology. Where original Pro Logic was designed primarily to extract the surround information matrix-encoded in Dolby Surround media, Pro Logic II enhances the listening experience of both music and movies, including 2-channel stereo content (like audio CDs and videotapes) that was not originally mixed with surround presentation in mind.

In contrast to the single, limited-bandwidth surround signal generated by original Pro Logic decoding, Pro Logic II can generate 5 full-bandwidth channels (including a true stereo pair of surround signals for a heightened sense of space), plus a ".1" subwoofer channel, from any stereo source. Any Dolby Surround matrix-encoded content can be decoded by Pro Logic II, with demonstrably superior results.

It is with music, however, that Pro Logic II really raises the bar. Original Pro Logic, though it worked well with Dolby Surround video soundtracks, was never really intended to process music. Music enthusiasts (who nevertheless couldn't resist exploring the possibility) widely complained that it produced inconsistent and often disappointing results with musical program material; it smeared the stereo field, distorted the mix of instruments and vocals, and created distracting movement in the stereo image, with musical events seeming to leap randomly from speaker to speaker.

Compared to original Pro Logic, PLII incorporates vastly improved steering logic ("geek greek" for the assignment of distinct spatial cues in each of the 5 full-bandwidth channels), resulting in an exceptionally stable and realistic surround soundfield. In layman's terms, it's better. A lot better.

All PLII processors incorporate the standard "Movie mode," which is ideal for movies and is also appropriate for video-game audio. At the manufacturer's discretion, a Pro Logic II processor may also include a dedicated "Music mode," which features 3 adjustable parameters to fine-tune the soundfield for the best-possible listening experience:

• Center Width gradually spreads the center-channel signal into the front left and front right speakers, creating a broader front soundstage.
• Panorama blends the front left and right channel signals into the rear surround speakers, creating a dramatic sense of envelopment.
• Dimension adjusts the balance between the front and rear channels.
• A "Matrix" mode, which generates surround sound from mono sources, may also be included.

DTS Neo:6
Digital Theater Systems' advanced matrix surround processor actually predates Dolby Pro Logic II, but is very similar in functionality. Like PLII, Neo:6 is capable of intelligently generating a stable, convincing surround soundfield from content originally mixed in as few as 2 channels (including CDs, VHS videotapes, and even video-game audio). Neo:6 also offers the added capability to generate up to 6 full-bandwidth channels (versus PLII's 6 channels) in systems that can support 6.1-channel extended-surround playback. (Like PLII, Neo:6 uses the bass management capabilities of the receiver in which the processor resides to generate the ".1" subwoofer channel. Neo:6 can even "add" a sixth full-bandwidth rear-surround channel to increase the envelopment of 5.1-channel source material.

As with PLII, the results of Neo:6 processing vary depending on the characteristics of the source content; some source material may produce questionable results, while certain titles may actually sound subjectively better when treated with a matrix decoder than when played back using the 5.1- or 6.1-channel discrete mix. Experiment with your favorite movies and music, and decide which processing method you prefer for each.

Dolby Pro Logic IIx
Unveiled in September 2003, Dolby's new flagship matrix surround algorithm is the first on the market to deliver a convincing, true 7.1-channel surround experience from 2-channel stereo, 5.1 or 6.1-channel source material. Built on the technology that has made Pro Logic II a runaway hit with both manufacturers and consumers, PLIIx improves on PLII in a couple of important ways.

First, PLIIx extracts two additional, true-stereo "back surround" channels from the original 2+-channel source, using enhanced steering logic to interpret spatial cues (derived either from amplitude and phase relationships in stereo material, or from matrixed information encoded specifically for compatibility with the PLIIx processing). As with PLII, all front, surround and back channel information is delivered in full-bandwith (20Hz - 20kHz) audio, resulting in a fully enveloping, immersive surround experience with precise directionality and an enlarged optimum listening area (or "sweet spot").

In addition to the same Movie and Music modes carried over from Pro Logic II, the new processor also incorporates an exclusive "Game" mode, designed specifically to deliver a totally immersive experience with the most sophisticated new video games. Increasingly, today's video games employ full 5.1-channel surround audio to complement their ultrarealistic graphics, and PLIIx maximizes the suspension of disbelief (critical to immersive gaming) by assigning precisely directional cues to the rear of the soundfield. Proprietary steering logic ensures that all low-bass information is redirected to the subwoofer channel, clarifying the directionality and visceral impact of sound effects originating from the rear of the listening area.

[Talon884]

Personally I like DTS:NEO for SD TV use - seems to me to be more crisp and less muffled (yes ... Subjective)

[Aerodude73]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy

This is a good read from our friends at Best Buy.

Good info, but you're docked 20 Demerit Points for posting "Our good friends at Best Buy."

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by Aerodude73

Good info, but you're docked 20 Demerit Points for posting "Our good friends at Best Buy."

You are not quoting me correctly. I said "This is a good read from our friends at Best Buy". I never said Good Friends from Best Buy. I will have to ban you for 3 months.

[Aerodude73]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy

You are not quoting me correctly. I said "This is a good read from our friends at Best Buy". I never said Good Friends from Best Buy. I will have to ban you for 3 months.

Oh, okay - you're right - sorry, Oh MIGHTY & GLORIOUS Big Daddy!!!

But you DID say "OUR FRIENDS"

[Show spoiler](...at Best Buy)

--- They're not OUR Friends. Everyone knows that.

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by Aerodude73

Oh, okay - you're right - sorry, Oh MIGHTY & GLORIOUS Big Daddy!!!

But you DID say "OUR FRIENDS"

[Show spoiler](...at Best Buy)

--- They're not OUR Friends. Everyone knows that.

With CC disappearing, they are the only option for many people who do not live near big cities. We have to treat them as friends. The other options besides BB are Costco/Sam's Club, Wal-Mart/Target, and Salvation Army.

[Aerodude73]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy

With CC disappearing, they are the only option for many people who do not live near big cities. We have to treat them as friends. The other options besides BB are Costco/Sam's Club, Wal-Mart/Target, and Salvation Army.

I guess.

Personally, AMAZON works great for me

[Show spoiler](Blu's, as well as Walmart with their $10-12 titles)

, along with NEWEGG, Monoprice, & other HD dealers, via the Fine Reporting/Reviewing from knowledgeable people here like yourself, & Many other Bluray.com Members.

[Hammie]

Maybe I'm just a purist, but all my sources are set to DIRECT on my Denon.

I have played with them, but hearing music in surround is just weird (unless properly mastered for it and released in a 5.1 SA-CD format, but even then not all is pleasing to my ears).

I might say the only exception would be classical. It doesn't sound too bad matrixed into a surround environment.

[Blu-21]

I've been watching season 3 of The X-Files, and been experimenting with Dolby Pro Logic II and Neo:6. I prefer Neo:6 mode for its smoother transition across the channels, but both modes do have an issue with drowning out dialog when there is a lot going on.

Anyhow I could never go back to regular stereo. The matrix decoding is so much more expansive and theatrical.

[Alister_M]

I never use any of them with music, I find it flattens the bass too much and makes everything sound too spread out. On my receiver it doesn't work with lossless multichannel audio anyway, only with lossy or lossless mono/stereo tracks. I find it's mostly useful for centering the dialogue on dual-mono and stereo tracks. When I do choose to activate it, I normally go for PLXII since it fully utilizes all my surround speakers.