PCM vs Dolby Digital

[fsileo]

I'm sure this has been addressed, but I'm new to Blu Ray, so apologies.

I just got all new eq today: my 1st Blu ray player, a SONY BDP BX1 (= BDPS 350), plus a Yamaha RX-V863 receiver. TV = Samsung LN52A650, 52" LCD 120mhz HDTV. All hooked up via HDMI's.

Played my 1st blue ray tonight, and "PCM" comes up. Not Dolby Digital. Is this expected? Is PCM better?

Also, the blu ray was playing as 1080i / 60hz. Shouldn't it play at 1080p + 120hz?

Thanks for the help.

Fred

[ixlegitballinxl]

wrong section, i saw that bx1 model at sam's today

pcm is > standard dd

you most likely have to change your tv/player settings to 1080p

it will always say 60hz, but you can change the settings on your picture menu for 120hz ( low,medium, high) .. should be under advanced settings

the content playing is 60hz, but you can upconvert it to 120hz

[JasonR]

Change your audio setting from "mix" to "direct" on your BDP. Which movie was playing at 1080i?

[coolmilo]

I think you should spend some time with your owner's manuals.

You should expect 1080P (provided your LCD is 1080P) and most likely TrueHD or DTSMA HD sound.

Even though you are hooked up via HDMI, you might want to make sure your cables are 1.3 certified. But most likely you are having a settings problem.

[coolmilo]

I did some searching and your equipment is very nice. You should be able to achieve full HD bliss. However, you will need to check the settings of your LCD, Blu-ray player, and Yamaha receiver so that all your equipment will play well together.

Again, verify your HDMI cables and make sure that when you play BD's that you select the correct audio.

[BTBuck1]

Originally Posted by coolmilo

Even though you are hooked up via HDMI, you might want to make sure your cables are 1.3 certified.

goodluck with that...

[fsileo]

OK, I reset the DVD player (some installed it for me). It now reads 1920 x 1080 when I play a blue ray. No reference to i or p??? is this now set right? Also, it reads @24 Hz when playing the blu ray. Should this be 120hz (which the Samsung TV is)? When I put in a regular DVD (not blu ray) it also reads 1920 x 1080, but it reads at 60 hz??

Thanks again.

[blukibuken]

Ok, concerning the sound: PCM (or "pulse code modulation") is the decoded form of any audio codec (e.g. Dolby Digital) and is to be preferred.

Concerning your picture, I believe that it is now set right as you are seeing the full 1920x1080 picture in resolution. I would look into your manual to see how your television indicates a progressive or an interlaced signal.

The 24Hz is normal: the Hz stands for the number of frames per second. Blu-ray's are recorded with 24 frames per second because movies (film) plays at 24 frames per second. So this is normal. You don't need the 120Hz, this will only add a "soap opera look" to your movies and is not to be recommended for movie watching (maybe for sports and daytime TV).

Hope this helped!

[fsileo]

bluk:

Thanks! That definately helps. Just one more question: when would I see 120 hz? I'm viewing a HD sports channel and reads 1920 x 1080i (not p) @ 60 hz.

Should I be getting "p" instread of "i" and shouldn't I see 120 Hz?

Many thanks.

[blukibuken]

Most HD channels are broadcast at 1080i so this is perfectly normal.

As for the 120 Hz, it's just a "feature", the framerate from the broadcast signal is doubled by your television to "eliminate" motion blur as such you will never see it indicated on your set.

I would even recommend going into your tv menu and turning it off for dvd and blu-ray watching as it will give them that "soap opera look"

Oh and welcome to the wonderful world of blu!

[BIslander]

Your receiver can decode TrueHD and dts-HD Master Audio. You need to set the S350 BD Audio to Direct. The player and receiver will negotiate an HDMI connection and any HD encoded sound track will be bitstreamed to your receiver for decoding. The AVR display will say TrueHD or dts-MA, not PCM. The only time you should see PCM on your receiver display is when you play a PCM track on the disc.

Originally Posted by blukibuken

Ok, concerning the sound: PCM (or "pulse code modulation") is the decoded form of any audio codec (e.g. Dolby Digital) and is to be preferred.

PCM is better than a lossy codec such as DD or DTS because those codecs discard some of the original PCM. But, lossless codecs such as TrueHD and dts-MA are decoded into the original PCM. TrueHD = dts-MA = PCM. They all produce the same audio in the end.

[Jamoctopus]

I'm learning more here than reading my manual.

[fsileo]

Originally Posted by blukibuken

Most HD channels are broadcast at 1080i so this is perfectly normal.

I would even recommend going into your tv menu and turning it off for dvd and blu-ray watching as it will give them that "soap opera look"

Oh and welcome to the wonderful world of blu!

Bluk: I've been trying to find out how to do this but can't. Any suggetions as to where this is found (I realize that this is almost impossible to do without a manual for the TV, but I'm hoping that you might have some info).

[Mr. HiDef]

Originally Posted by fsileo

Bluk: I've been trying to find out how to do this but can't. Any suggetions as to where this is found (I realize that this is almost impossible to do without a manual for the TV, but I'm hoping that you might have some info).

It would just be under your settings in the tv, also for your bluray player your going to want to set your audio output to bitstream so the AVR will do all the decoding

[fsileo]

Originally Posted by Mr. HiDef

It would just be under your settings in the tv, also for your bluray player your going to want to set your audio output to bitstream so the AVR will do all the decoding

If I understand the above, I'm looking to do this just for playing DVD's. Not for watching TV. Is there a way to turn it off just for DVD/'s?

[BIslander]

Originally Posted by Mr. HiDef

also for your bluray player your going to want to set your audio output to bitstream so the AVR will do all the decoding

The S350 doesn't have a bitstream setting for the HD codecs over HDMI. When BD Audio = Direct, the HDMI handshake between the player and receiver determines how the audio is sent. If the receiver supports HD decoding, the player bitstreams. If the AVR doesn't, the player decodes and sends PCM.

[ryoohki]

120hz is inside you're tv. Bluray are 24 or 30fps. Most 120hz tv simulate what a movie could look at 120fps. Off course no such thing exist right now. Some people don't like the effect because our brain is brainwashed to seeing stutter movement, it's been lilke this since cinema exist. You might refuse it at first tought. It's a thing that you can't control unless you watch it with this mode on for at least 6 months, they you're brain will assimilate this movement of 'Movies' as being normal and you'll get nerved to anything that stutter after that thrust me. It's just like when they change signals and circulation pannels on a street that have the same panels since 30 years, then pam they change it. You're gonna have a lot of frustrated people. Human fear change.

Then you'll have some people that tell you that it's director intent.... were it's more of a limitation then anything. Offer a director a 120fps and 120fps cinema and they'll take it right away. It's different from Grain where the removal of it detroys the detail that 1080p provide, frame interpolation only smooth the scrolling (unless it introduce artefact, witch in that case you will want to turn it off)

[SellmeyourDVD]

Originally Posted by ixlegitballinxl

wrong section, i saw that bx1 model at sam's today

pcm is > standard dd

you most likely have to change your tv/player settings to 1080p

it will always say 60hz, but you can change the settings on your picture menu for 120hz ( low,medium, high) .. should be under advanced settings

the content playing is 60hz, but you can upconvert it to 120hz

120hz is not "low,medium,high" what you are talking about is the AMP which is what the motion enhancers are called on samsung tv's.

It will also not always say 60hz, when my tv is getting a video signal for 24p playback my tv will display 1920x1080 @ 24hz.

You also can't upconvert 60hz to 120hz, a tv that displays in 60hz can ONLY display in 60hz. 120hz TVs reduces judder and than a tv can properly accept 24fps.

Pretty sure i got it right on the dot....

[moviefan]

l 46" Sharp Aquos LC46D64U !

Mr. HiDeF, is this for real?

[prerich]

Originally Posted by fsileo

I'm sure this has been addressed, but I'm new to Blu Ray, so apologies.

I just got all new eq today: my 1st Blu ray player, a SONY BDP BX1 (= BDPS 350), plus a Yamaha RX-V863 receiver. TV = Samsung LN52A650, 52" LCD 120mhz HDTV. All hooked up via HDMI's.

Played my 1st blue ray tonight, and "PCM" comes up. Not Dolby Digital. Is this expected? Is PCM better?

Also, the blu ray was playing as 1080i / 60hz. Shouldn't it play at 1080p + 120hz?

Thanks for the help.

Fred

Set your BD to bitstream the HD audio to your Yamaha receiver, you should see TrueHD or DTSHD Master lights come on...Unless you are watching a 5.1 or 7.1 PCM movie (like the Utimate Avengers) then you will see the PCM lights.

Make sure that your sources are going into your Yamaha and the HDMI out of your Yamaha goes directly to your TV.