PCM or DTS-HD MASTER

[john5469]

Hello,

I recently purchased a Samsung BDP-1400 which decodes DTS-HD Master Audio. I also purchased a Yamaha RX-V1800 which will decode DTS-HD MAster audio. My question is which sounds better? Should I select PCM in the Samsung setup or select bitstream and let the Yamaha do the work? Please advise with opinions or better yet an explanation of these two sound options....

Thanks,

John

[BStecke]

I would let the receiver handle it.

[MOONPHASE]

They both sound wonderful but if you have all of that you should probably go with the DTS HD Master Audio option but PCM is flawless and sounds really well as well so really i think its up to you

[quetzalcoatl]

I am always of the opinion let the receiver do the audio decoding. That is what is is made to do. Even if in theroy they should sound the same.

[WriteSimply]

Select bitstream and let your receiver do the brunt work. Using this setting and if you choose the right audio track to play, your receiver will handle LPCM, Dolby TrueHD and DTS HDMA. Of course, the connection to the receiver must be with a HDMI cable.

Most movies with LPCM tracks are at 16-bit. DTS HDMA can be at 16-bit or 20-bit or higher, and still occupy less space than LPCM. The same can be said about TrueHD. The higher the sampling rate, the better the audio.

Your Samsung can't decode DTS HDMA, just pass it through a compatible receiver. It can decode TrueHD.


fuad

[garak]

Read this article, it will clear things up for you. It doesn't matter if the player or receiver decodes DTS-HD MA.

http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/sh..._Necessary/853

[jcs913]

Originally Posted by garak

Read this article, it will clear things up for you. It doesn't matter if the player or receiver decodes DTS-HD MA.

http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/sh..._Necessary/853

I have read that article a little while ago. But I have heard from plenty of different users that when the player sends out the PCM, like the PS3 on the TrueHD track, that it does not sounds as dynamic as when it is bitstreamed to a player, like the 1400. The track may be the same bit for bit, but the processing seems to be different. So this article seems to be in theory true, but in real life, not so??

[garak]

Originally Posted by jcs913

I have read that article a little while ago. But I have heard from plenty of different users that when the player sends out the PCM, like the PS3 on the TrueHD track, that it does not sounds as dynamic as when it is bitstreamed to a player, like the 1400. The track may be the same bit for bit, but the processing seems to be different. So this article seems to be in theory true, but in real life, not so??

I think in some cases, they are imagining the difference because whether the TrueHD or DTS-HD MA is decoded in the player or the receiver, the resulting PCM is the same no matter what. The data is digital, it doesn't matter where the PCM data is unpacked.

If the sound was decoded in the player, and then sent to the receiver via the player's analog outs, then I definitely believe that the sound would be better if it was sent bitstream over HDMI. This is because instead of the player sending digital data to the receiver, the player must convert the sound to analog first. It most cases, the receiver has better DACs than the player and some receivers also do post-processing of the PCM data to improve it.

[WickyWoo]

Apparently the way DTS designed it, HDMA is happier when decoded in the reciever

Either way, they're both just PCM in the end. There is no "better" at the same sample rates

[Chuey]

Originally Posted by garak

I think in some cases, they are imagining the difference because whether the TrueHD or DTS-HD MA is decoded in the player or the receiver, the resulting PCM is the same no matter what. The data is digital, it doesn't matter where the PCM data is unpacked.

If the sound was decoded in the player, and then sent to the receiver via the player's analog outs, then I definitely believe that the sound would be better if it was sent bitstream over HDMI. This is because instead of the player sending digital data to the receiver, the player must convert the sound to analog first. It most cases, the receiver has better DACs than the player and some receivers also do post-processing of the PCM data to improve it.

I agree, it depends on the quality of the decoding chip on the player and on the receiver/processor. Also it depends how well the receiver/processor handling the incoming data either it is LPCM or bit stream.

[Canada]

I don't know but more people can get 5.1 PCM than can get DTS Master HD.

[MacDaddyOJack]

I don't think that the BD-P1400 can decode DTS-MA, I believe that it can only bitstream it. If you set the BD-P1400 to decode DTS-MA signals, then it will only decode the core DTS 5.1 track and output it as PCM to your reciever. Obviously you want to get all that you paid for so it would be best to bitstream the DTS-MA signals to your reciever.

[crackinhedz]

Originally Posted by jcs913

But I have heard from plenty of different users that when the player sends out the PCM, like the PS3 on the TrueHD track, that it does not sounds as dynamic as when it is bitstreamed to a player.

when has anyone heard dolby trueHD in bitstream??? is there a player that can even do that?

[Sonny]

I'd perfectly happy if all BD's had PCM

[MacDaddyOJack]

Im not sure on this, but here goes..... Is the ability to decode DTS-MA a hardware or software issue??? I am beginning to think it is a hardware issue as no players can currently decode it. I understand that bitstreaming the DTS-MA signal can be updated with firmware, but if the actual decoding can only be done with a hardware upgrade then there may be a BUNCH of angry PS3 owners! I'm pretty good with audio related issues but this one is over my head, anyone got any insight??

[dobyblue]

Originally Posted by garak

I think in some cases, they are imagining the difference because whether the TrueHD or DTS-HD MA is decoded in the player or the receiver, the resulting PCM is the same no matter what. The data is digital, it doesn't matter where the PCM data is unpacked.

If the sound was decoded in the player, and then sent to the receiver via the player's analog outs, then I definitely believe that the sound would be better if it was sent bitstream over HDMI. This is because instead of the player sending digital data to the receiver, the player must convert the sound to analog first. It most cases, the receiver has better DACs than the player and some receivers also do post-processing of the PCM data to improve it.

That is not true, it DOES depend on the technology doing the decoding, which is why there is not just one chip to decode DTS-MA.

It depends on all your components from the player to the receiver to the cabling to the room's environment.

This would be the equivalent of saying a $6999 Marantz SACD player is the same as a $169 Oppo player because both can send DSD out natively, but I assure you they do not sound the same.

[dobyblue]

Originally Posted by MacDaddyOJack

Im not sure on this, but here goes..... Is the ability to decode DTS-MA a hardware or software issue??? I am beginning to think it is a hardware issue as no players can currently decode it. I understand that bitstreaming the DTS-MA signal can be updated with firmware, but if the actual decoding can only be done with a hardware upgrade then there may be a BUNCH of angry PS3 owners! I'm pretty good with audio related issues but this one is over my head, anyone got any insight??

The exception to that rule would be the PS3, which has used software for every update so far, including DSD to PCM decimation at 24/176.4

[HDJK]

Originally Posted by dobyblue

That is not true, it DOES depend on the technology doing the decoding, which is why there is not just one chip to decode DTS-MA.

It depends on all your components from the player to the receiver to the cabling to the room's environment.

This would be the equivalent of saying a $6999 Marantz SACD player is the same as a $169 Oppo player because both can send DSD out natively, but I assure you they do not sound the same.

But that is mainly due to differences in the acual drive/transport, isn't it? The conversion to analog is different, for sure.

But as to another discussion going on: is there really a difference in the decoding of a lossless track (THD or DTSHD MA) depending on the chip? Wouldn't that defeat the purpose of a lossless encoding?

[quetzalcoatl]

Originally Posted by crackinhedz

when has anyone heard dolby trueHD in bitstream??? is there a player that can even do that?

Yes the pioneer 95 can do it.

[Sundar83]

hi my doubt is if we choose pcm 2ch as input the receiver will get the option of dts neo6 listening mode if we choose pcm 5.1 or 7.1 channel to the receiver input receiver automatically taken as multichannel as input and muti channel as out put not getting the option of dts neo 6 output in listening mode and another question is dts only process the surround, multichannel not doing that if we get surround process then only the sound quality looks good as of my experience Dolby and dts hd ma only giving the best quality but for that am giving Dolby and dts hd ma as input then only the sound quality is nice