Poll: Should Sony use DTS-HD Master Audio or Dolby TrueHD?

[Tok]

Originally Posted by saprano

DRC is not a good reason to stay with dolbyTrueHD.

I have to agree with Peter. Some people like it. It is the current hardware implementation for disabling it though that has to change with some manufacturers.

The remote that came with my receiver has a DRC/Nightmode button and I also mapped a DRC button to my main activity pages for BD.

I am not sure but I think it is per Dolby spec that when TrueHD decoding starts it defaults to AUTO which is not an issue unless the disc was encoded to have DRC enabled by default.

Again I don't care which one is used as lossless is an option. I just tire of the rants from uninformed users claiming one blows the the other out of the water. Let's not forget dts has some issues to be concerned about as well. As some have pointed out, dts may be forcing channel duplication in the rears with 5.1 tracks to get 7.1. Personally I would rather have a choice as to which soundfield I apply or maybe turn off the faux processes altogether and just listen to it as native 5.1 track.

As I said early as far as sound quality I have been equally impressed and underwhelmed by both. It is the mix/soundfield design that ACTUALLY have an effect. Both LOSSLESS codecs are just a delivery method.

[trans22]

Hey peter, I can see that your a DOLBY fan so i want to ask if SONY start to release their blu-rays with DTS will you be still happy to buy them?

[davcole]

Originally Posted by CraigW

I am not sure but I think it is per Dolby spec that when TrueHD decoding starts it defaults to AUTO which is not an issue unless the disc was encoded to have DRC enabled by default.

I agree!

That's my main argument with DRC is that the hardware is required to be in AUTO mode. The default should be OFF and it should be an "opt-in" option. If they would simply change that on future hardware, I could be a whole lot more supportive of TRUEHD.

My thought's kinda echo's some other's. I think TRUEHD is a great product, it would have been better if it didn't require the hardware to default to presets.

[ClaytonMG]

Originally Posted by davcole

I agree!

That's my main argument with DRC is that the hardware is required to be in AUTO mode. The default should be OFF and it should be an "opt-in" option. If they would simply change that on future hardware, I could be a whole lot more supportive of TRUEHD.

My thought's kinda echo's some other's. I think TRUEHD is a great product, it would have been better if it didn't require the hardware to default to presets.

I actually wonder if it's not the receiver manufacturer though. On my Yamaha receivers DRC is controlled a little differently. There's Min, Normal and Max. The default is MAX. It might be due to how old the receiver is though...

[davcole]

Interesting, for sure the default is for AUTO. I think on those occasions where it's been triggered by the DRC flag, it's been at the MAX setting as both Iron Man and Bourne Ultimatum (hd dvd) were very compressed.

[PeterTHX]

Originally Posted by ClaytonMG

I actually wonder if it's not the receiver manufacturer though. On my Yamaha receivers DRC is controlled a little differently. There's Min, Normal and Max. The default is MAX. It might be due to how old the receiver is though...

The Onkyos are different as well.

TrueHD is "Auto" "On" or "Off"

DD is off low or high.

PS3 is either on or off for either format.

[BIslander]

Where are people getting the idea that manufacturers are required to put DRC into an On or Auto position by default? On my AVR and all of my disc players, the default for DRC is Off. I suspect that's the case for most devices with Dolby decoders.

And, remember, the Auto setting for a player or AVR is only a problem if the disc has a flag instructing the decoder to turn DRC on when set to Auto. From what I've seen in this thread and others, Iron Man is the only Blu where that's ever happened. There may be others, but I've not seen them reported anywhere.

The decoder looks at the device's DRC setting. If it is set to Off or Auto, then DRC is not employed.

[davcole]

Originally Posted by BIslander

Where are people getting the idea that manufacturers are required to put DRC into an On or Auto position by default? On my AVR and all of my disc players, the default for DRC is Off. I suspect that's the case for most devices with Dolby decoders.

And, remember, the Auto setting for a player or AVR is only a problem if the disc has a flag instructing the decoder to turn DRC on when set to Auto. From what I've seen in this thread and others, Iron Man is the only Blu where that's ever happened. There may be others, but I've not seen them reported anywhere.

The decoder looks at the device's DRC setting. If it is set to Off or Auto, then DRC is not employed.

Does your receiver have an AUTO setting for DRC?

[Tok]

Originally Posted by BIslander

Where are people getting the idea that manufacturers are required to put DRC into an On or Auto position by default? On my AVR and all of my disc players, the default for DRC is Off. I suspect that's the case for most devices with Dolby decoders.

And, remember, the Auto setting for a player or AVR is only a problem if the disc has a flag instructing the decoder to turn DRC on when set to Auto. From what I've seen in this thread and others, Iron Man is the only Blu where that's ever happened. There may be others, but I've not seen them reported anywhere.

The decoder looks at the device's DRC setting. If it is set to Off or Auto, then DRC is not employed.

I know from my Onkyo and also examining a Denon manual that when TrueHD is initially being decoded, the default is set to AUTO. Like you said this becomes problamatic when DRC flag in the bitstream is something other than none.

The bigger issue: Is it part of the Dolby spec that DRC defaults to Auto upon initial decoding? Why can't this be a set it and forget it function? The PS3 seems to hold its off setting but I have not used it much recently to know for sure if the OFF holds when TrueHD is decoded or if it does require cycling as well.

I like that Dolby provides this option, but I wish that they would have given the end users a little more flexibility. I would not be surprised if this is related to the same controversy in the early DVD days where some tracks were remixed/re-eq'd by the content providers because of fear of killing consumers hardware/speakers with highly dynamic tracks. I know some tracks got to be known as sub-killers. Consumers would turn up the volume to get intelligible dialog and BAMMMM it was too loud for explosion that followed the dialog.

[BIslander]

Originally Posted by davcole

Does your receiver have an AUTO setting for DRC?

I have a Denon 3805. The DRC settings are Off, Low, Middle, and High, with Off being the default.

Originally Posted by CraigW

I know from my Onkyo and also examining a Denon manual that when TrueHD is initially being decoded, the default is set to AUTO. Like you said this becomes problamatic when DRC flag in the bitstream is something other than none.

Yes, there's no one approach. I was merely questioning the statement that Dolby requires manufacturers to set DRC to Auto or On. That is clearly not the case.

The bigger issue: Is it part of the Dolby spec that DRC defaults to Auto upon initial decoding? Why can't this be a set it and forget it function? The PS3 seems to hold its off setting but I have not used it much recently to know for sure if the OFF holds when TrueHD is decoded or if it does require cycling as well.

The decoder doesn't default to Auto. It looks at the device's DRC setting before deciding what to do. It doesn't apply DRC unless the device is set that way.

And, this is a "set it and forget it" option. I believe some Onkyos have a bug that resets DRC to Auto when the power is cycled. But, that's just a bug.

I like that Dolby provides this option, but I wish that they would have given the end users a little more flexibility.

You lost me here. I personally think the Auto setting is a waste and the cause of the few problems that exist. But, aside from a bug in some processors and one disc that's a problem with some receivers, the implementation seems pretty much right to me.

[davcole]

Originally Posted by BIslander

I have a Denon 3805. The DRC settings are Off, Low, Middle, and High, with Off being the default.

That's the ideal setting.

[Tok]

Originally Posted by BIslander

I have a Denon 3805. The DRC settings are Off, Low, Middle, and High, with Off being the default.

Yes, there's no one approach. I was merely questioning the statement that Dolby requires manufacturers to set DRC to Auto or On. That is clearly not the case.

The decoder doesn't default to Auto. It looks at the device's DRC setting before deciding what to do. It doesn't apply DRC unless the device is set that way.

And, this is a "set it and forget it" option. I believe some Onkyos have a bug that resets DRC to Auto when the power is cycled. But, that's just a bug.

You lost me here. I personally think the Auto setting is a waste and the cause of the few problems that exist. But, aside from a bug in some processors and one disc that's a problem with some receivers, the implementation seems pretty much right to me.

Are you sure that Denon holds DRC setting does not reset each time the TrueHD is initially decoding? After the Power Cycle with Onkyo it defaults back to AUTO. Remember this specific to TrueHD.

Sorry I lost you... I just meant I appreciate having the DRC ability.

[BIslander]

Originally Posted by CraigW

Are you sure that Denon holds DRC setting does not reset each time the TrueHD is initially decoding? After the Power Cycle with Onkyo it defaults back to AUTO. Remember this specific to TrueHD.

Yep. I've never had to reset any device. I have DRC off and that's where it stays with all of them. I've read that some Onkyos have the flaw you describe. It's definitely not the way DRC is supposed to operate. No configuration setting should be reset when the power is cycled. I don't recall whether there's a firmware fix.

[Tok]

Originally Posted by BIslander

Yep. I've never had to reset any device. I have DRC off and that's where it stays with all of them. I've read that some Onkyos have the flaw you describe. It's definitely not the way DRC is supposed to operate. No configuration setting should be reset when the power is cycled. I don't recall whether there's a firmware fix.

No there is not. It is just a minor annoyance.

[Blu-Dog]

Originally Posted by PeterTHX

Common sense is reading the manual.

Where's the manual for Iron Man?

[PeterTHX]

Originally Posted by Blu-Dog

Where's the manual for Iron Man?

I was speaking of your receiver (of course).

The thingy with the volume control and the buttons.

[Blu-Dog]

Originally Posted by PeterTHX

I was speaking of your receiver (of course).

The thingy with the volume control and the buttons.

I got two, but they're identical. Do I have to read both manuals?

[Blu-Dog]

Originally Posted by PeterTHX

Yeah...the "Night Mode" button on the receiver front and/or remote...what's it for? Why have receivers had it for over a decade now?

I guess I better tell you...those Night Mode buttons work on all sources...they don't have to be Dolby.

There's also a volume knob. It's pretty big, but check your manual before fiddling with it.

[Blu-Dog]

Originally Posted by PeterTHX

(on DRC not being a reason to stick with Dolby)To the general public, people with children, the millions who live in apartment/townhomes/condos, people with HTiBs or speaker systems with low dynamic capability, people with computers or laptops with small speakers, it is.

No, it isn't. [Insert "Argument Clinic" skit here]

Every one of those uncounted millions also have non-Dolby source material, mostly music, and we don't hear the masses crying out in agony over the lack of DRC-mangled audio.

Originally Posted by PeterTHX

For those of us who don't have these concerns, TrueHD gives the option of full dynamics. But at least there's an option, a choice for those who don't.

Well, Jazz the Transformer thought squishing the kid's parents was an option, too.

[Blu-Dog]

Originally Posted by ClaytonMG

Sorry, next time I wont try to help you adjust your volume knob. Actually, why do they even have those things anyway? Since, of course, using DTS makes the point of volume adjustments useless anyway...

I hate people fiddling with the volume, so I connected the volume knob to a 100,000 volt coil. So I'd advise not messing with it.

Sometimes Dialnorm ticks me off so bad I forget about that, and start twiddling the knob, you see the problem. Just another reason I prefer DTS.