7.1 setup on a 5.1 bluray

[blowaway]

Hi everyone,

I have been toying with the idea of getting 2 rear speakers to finish my 7.1 setup but had a question...if i am watching a blu that only is setup for 5.1 will those back 2 speakers put out anything or will it just be the other 5 speakers...or will the back 2 put out the same audio as my 2 side speakers or is it all how you have your system setup?

[BIslander]

Rears will be silent unless you apply a DSP such as PLIIx , which extracts surround material and intelligently routes it to the rears.

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[blowaway]

would that be a setting you configure on the receiver? I have a denon 1611 receiver...i think thats the model

[BIslander]

Yes, on the receiver.

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[Erman_94]

Sorry to steal this thread, but I did not want to make another one for no reason.

I just recently upgraded to a 7.1 setup and had some questions similar to the OP.

1) If I use the IIx as suggested, am I still listening to the lossless audio codecs? Or am I now downgrading the sound?

2) Is the surround sound split between the four surrounds or am I just hearing a duplicate in my rears that is coming from the side surrounds?

3) What are the general opinions on playing 5.1 soundtracks on a 7.1 system. Is it best to use the IIx setting, or just play it as is and wait for a true 7.1 source?

Any answers/insight is greatly appreciated.

[BIslander]

Yes, you are still getting the lossless source. The player decodes the TrueHD or dts-MA track, turning it back into PCM. Then it applies the PLIIx processing.

PLIIx does not simply duplicate the surrounds to the rears. It uses phase information to intelligently steer some surround information to the rear speakers. PLIIx generates stereo rears while DTS Neo:6 produces a mono rear channel that is fed to both speakers.

Whether or not to apply a surround mode to 5.1 content is a matter of personal preference.

[Erman_94]

Thanks for the reply! You did an excellent job of explaining it, especially since I am not too knowledgable on the topic.

How would I go about utilizing the PLIIX setting? I would assume it is done through my receiver. Also, if I turn this feature "on", do I have to turn it off when actually listening to a true 7.1 track? Or will the receiver know this and simply feed the original 7.1 track without the PLIIX processing?

Any help, as always, is greatly appreciated.

[BIslander]

Yes, you turn it on in the receiver. When the source is already 7.1, the software is smart enough to know that additional processing should not be done. So, you can apply it once and then not worry about it after that.

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[Erman_94]

Thanks BIslander, you have been very, very helpful!

[ChainsawJedi]

Can I just add my thanks, too. I have a 7.1 set-up and have fallen into the habit of always using the A.F.D. Auto soundfield setting on my STR-DH820. I see from this thread that that's not really the best approach to use when the source isn't 7.1. I'll start using DPLIIX straight away!

[BIslander]

Glad to help.

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[KISSAnimal]

Without a doubt, the PLIIx and PLIIz settings on your receiver are definitely the best settings for watching movies that are in 5.1 if you have a 7.1 speaker setup. The sound that it supplies to the 2 other speakers is a BIG difference. Not the perfect example, but I picked up the Star Wars Episodes IV-VI box yesterday from Best Buy. Popped in Episode IV when I got home, and I my receiver was already set for the PLIIz setting, but I decided on a whim just to make a comparison between the A.F.D. Direct settings and the PLIIz settings, and the difference was like night and day. Also when watching ANY other movies that are in 5.1, using that setting with a 7.1 speaker setup like mine, the difference is crazy. So YES, the PLIIx and PLIIz settings really DO make a world of difference.

[Erman_94]

Thanks for the input, KISSAnimal.

Could you, or anyone else for that matter, explain to me the differences between PLIIx and PLIIz?

I was unaware that two versions existed.

Thanks in advance!

[chip75]

Originally Posted by Erman_94

Could you, or anyone else for that matter, explain to me the differences between PLIIx and PLIIz?

I think Dolby Pro Logic IIz offers more flexibility over x as it can be used to add 2 channels above the left and right front speakers as well as two more rears if you have a 9.1 set-up (or 2 more stereo speakers in another room).

[Erman_94]

Originally Posted by chip75

I think Dolby Pro Logic IIz offers more flexibility over x as it can be used to add 2 channels above the left and right front speakers as well as two more rears if you have a 9.1 set-up (or 2 more stereo speakers in another room).

So is PLIIz not used for a traditional 7.1 setup with two surrounds and two rears?

Is it only good for when you want to add height channels to the front or when you have a 9.1 setup with height channels and traditional rears?

[chip75]

Originally Posted by Erman_94

So is PLIIz not used for a traditional 7.1 setup with two surrounds and two rears?

Is it only good for when you want to add height channels to the front or when you have a 9.1 setup with height channels and traditional rears?

I think it can still offer all that x delivers but it can expand on its functions (I don't think X can give you height for the FL and FR channels), a bit like ProLogic II over ProLogic. I don't have any on-hand experience but the Dolby site has a lot of info. The most my system can offer is DTS: Neo 6, so I'm a bit behind the times!

[ChainsawJedi]

Originally Posted by KISSAnimal

Without a doubt, the PLIIx and PLIIz settings on your receiver are definitely the best settings for watching movies that are in 5.1 if you have a 7.1 speaker setup. The sound that it supplies to the 2 other speakers is a BIG difference. Not the perfect example, but I picked up the Star Wars Episodes IV-VI box yesterday from Best Buy. Popped in Episode IV when I got home, and I my receiver was already set for the PLIIz setting, but I decided on a whim just to make a comparison between the A.F.D. Direct settings and the PLIIz settings, and the difference was like night and day. Also when watching ANY other movies that are in 5.1, using that setting with a 7.1 speaker setup like mine, the difference is crazy. So YES, the PLIIx and PLIIz settings really DO make a world of difference.

The Star Wars films are in 6.1, though, not 5.1. That said, thanks for the recommendation. I'm not due to revisit the Star Wars movies any time soon but I'll definitely try the PLIIx approach when I do.

[Tech-UK]

I am sure BIslander will explain it better but here is a link to Wikipedia regarding Pro Logic and its many forms:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pro_Logic

Just to add to that, DTS have DTS Neo:X that creates 11.1. A few titles specifically some Lionsgate titles i.e. The Expendables 2 and Dredd, are encoded with Neo:X information that can be used by a Neo:X capable receiver to create front height and front wide channels, or it can be enabled to allow 2.0/5.1/6.1/7.1 expansion to 11.1 for any soundtrack.

[MrsMiniver]

Originally Posted by blowaway

Hi everyone,

I have been toying with the idea of getting 2 rear speakers to finish my 7.1 setup but had a question...if i am watching a blu that only is setup for 5.1 will those back 2 speakers put out anything or will it just be the other 5 speakers...or will the back 2 put out the same audio as my 2 side speakers or is it all how you have your system setup?

I originally had a 7.1 set up, I never really liked it all that much. I then set up my rears the way you would see it in an IMAX digital theater and I just love the surrounds now. I have the speakers elevated and pointed down and they are located right at the rear corners of my room. Just my $.02 cents.

[slimdude]

I've always thought, all Dolby Pro-Logic enhanced soundfields were matrix, not discrete.