Need help understanding bitstreaming

[skatalite]

Right now, I have a Sony BDP-S350 which bistreams TrueHD and DTS-HD MA. I use a Sony HTS-S2300 home theater in a box (specs here: http://tinyurl.com/ny46w9), but I'm confused with how bitstreaming from the player interacts with the receiver. I connect the two using an HDMI cable.

How do I know if my receiver can handle the bitstreaming done by the BD player? What feature on the receiver would indicate that?

Thanks so much for the help. I'm just deciding on if I should upgrade my player to a PS3 Slim. I know the BDP-S350 doesn't decode DTS-HD MA. I want to be able to take full advantage of DTS-HD MA audio tracks.

Thanks!

[D]

Originally Posted by skatalite

Right now, I have a Sony BDP-S350 which bistreams TrueHD and DTS-HD MA. I use a Sony HTS-S2300 home theater in a box (specs here: http://tinyurl.com/ny46w9), but I'm confused with how bitstreaming from the player interacts with the receiver. How do I know if my receiver can handle the bitstreaming done by the BD player? What feature on the receiver would indicate that? Thanks so much for the help. I'm just deciding on if I should upgrade my player to a PS3 Slim. I know the BDP-S350 doesn't decode DTS-HD MA. I want to be able to take full advantage of DTS-HD MA audio tracks. Thanks!

The HTIB accepts linear PCM via HDMI, so the PS3 set to linear PCM output would be the way to go, and then you would get Dolby True, as well as DTS HD Master decoded in the PS3, and sent out as PCM, which the BDP-S350 can't do. The HTIB will show multi-channel pcm on it's display, and the PS3 will show whatever codec is being played onscreen in it's display on you tv. Hope this helps. EDIT: I would get the PS3, then you can take amvantage of both Dolby True, and DTS HD Master.

[SlmShdy1]

That would be the way to do it if he had a PS3 already.

You'll know that your receiver can handle bitstreaming as long as it says it can decode that certain codec. In this case, it would have to be able to decode Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD MA. Also, little logos are printed on the player when it has the ability to do so. On your receiver, for example, you have Dolby Digital and DTS logos because it is able to decode both of those codecs internally. However, there are no logos for the newer HD codecs.

But, like db01 said, your receiver only accepts a Linear PCM signal over HDMI. The only time you would use bitstreaming with that receiver is if you were using an optical cable for audio. Now, if you had a PS3, then you could have the PS3 do the decoding and have it send the audio via LPCM to your receiver with a HDMI cable. In your case, you wouldn't have to worry about bitstreaming until you get a newer receiver that is capable of decoding the newer codecs.

[skatalite]

Originally Posted by SlmShdy1

That would be the way to do it if he had a PS3 already.

You'll know that your receiver can handle bitstreaming as long as it says it can decode that certain codec. In this case, it would have to be able to decode Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD MA. Also, little logos are printed on the player when it has the ability to do so. On your receiver, for example, you have Dolby Digital and DTS logos because it is able to decode both of those codecs internally. However, there are no logos for the newer HD codecs.

But, like db01 said, your receiver only accepts a Linear PCM signal over HDMI. The only time you would use bitstreaming with that receiver is if you were using an optical cable for audio. Now, if you had a PS3, then you could have the PS3 do the decoding and have it send the audio via LPCM to your receiver with a HDMI cable. In your case, you wouldn't have to worry about bitstreaming until you get a newer receiver that is capable of decoding the newer codecs.

Awesome! Thanks a lot for the information, guys.