Please help, audio trouble

[CabinDweller]

I apologize if this is not in the right section.

I recently bought an LG BD370 blu-ray player. I connected it to my TV via HDMI. I have a Panasonic all-in-one (HTiB) surround sound system. I connected the blu-ray player to the HTiB via digital optical cable. Here is where my frustration starts... If I play a DVD in the blu-ray player, I get full (5.1) multi-channel audio. If I put a blu-ray disc in the player, I only get 2 channel audio.

Why would a DVD allow the player to work properly in DTS Re-Encode mode but a blu-ray disc will only produce sound in PCM stereo mode? If I go into settings and select any format other than "PCM stereo", no sound will be produced from the blu-ray disc.

Please help.

[zweet77]

Which movie are you usjng on blu ray what codecs does it use?

[peralta67]

First of all go to the blu-ray player under menu go to audio selection and make sure its set up on auto, so when you play a disc it will automatically will detect and initiate 5.1, 6.1 or 7.1. Not sure if the Blu-ray player you have is capable of processing 7.1 channel. Hope this helps.... Also make sure your receiver or processor is set on auto as well, so it will detect the right signal from the blu-ray player.

[CabinDweller]

Thanks guys. The BD is "Hitman". 5.1 DTS HD Master Lossless.


My audio menu doesn't have an "AUTO". It has the following choices:

PCM Stereo
PCM Multi-Ch (HDMI only)
DTS Re-Encode
Primary pass-Thru

[SlmShdy1]

Movies with DTS-HD have the DTS core track built in so you should still be getting 5.1. Make sure, on your player, you have the Digital Out set to Bitstream and not PCM. It should be under the audio options on the menu of the player.

With this kind of setup, you have to make sure you select the Dolby Digital or DTS track on whichever movie you watch. Don't select TrueHD, DTS-HD, or Uncompressed PCM because that will only give you two channels of sound.

[BIslander]

Originally Posted by CabinDweller

Thanks guys. The BD is "Hitman". 5.1 DTS HD Master Lossless.


My audio menu doesn't have an "AUTO". It has the following choices:

PCM Stereo
PCM Multi-Ch (HDMI only)
DTS Re-Encode
Primary pass-Thru

Does your HTIB have a DTS decoder that works for externally attached devices? Did any of the DVDs you played have DTS tracks that worked? The symptoms you describe suggest the lack of DTS decoding in your HTIB receiver.

Primary Pass-thru would be the proper choice. It outputs the DD 5.1 and DTS when you select TrueHD and dts-MA on the disc. Using that setup, what happens if you play a BD with a TrueHD track instead of one with dts-MA?

Originally Posted by SlmShdy1

Movies with DTS-HD have the DTS core track built in so you should still be getting 5.1. Make sure, on your player, you have the Digital Out set to Bitstream and not PCM. It should be under the audio options on the menu of the player.

He said his player doesn't have a simple bitstream option. His choices are DTS Re-encode and Primary Pass-thru.

With this kind of setup, you have to make sure you select the Dolby Digital or DTS track on whichever movie you watch. Don't select TrueHD, DTS-HD, or Uncompressed PCM because that will only give you two channels of sound.

??

dts-MA and TrueHD will both output legacy multichannel encodes over optical. DTS is never an option on the audio menu if the disc contains a dts-MA track. DD 5.1 is sometimes an option, often not.

[DonRSD]

Originally Posted by CabinDweller

I apologize if this is not in the right section.

I recently bought an LG BD370 blu-ray player. I connected it to my TV via HDMI. I have a Panasonic all-in-one (HTiB) surround sound system. I connected the blu-ray player to the HTiB via digital optical cable. Here is where my frustration starts... If I play a DVD in the blu-ray player, I get full (5.1) multi-channel audio. If I put a blu-ray disc in the player, I only get 2 channel audio.

Why would a DVD allow the player to work properly in DTS Re-Encode mode but a blu-ray disc will only produce sound in PCM stereo mode? If I go into settings and select any format other than "PCM stereo", no sound will be produced from the blu-ray disc.

Please help.

why not connect the blyray player to the receiver(htib) with hdmi. then use another hdmi from receiver to tv?

[CosmoKid]

Originally Posted by DonRSD

why not connect the blyray player to the receiver(htib) with hdmi. then use another hdmi from receiver to tv?

I assume his HTIB doesn't have HDMI and if it does, I am sure it is merely video pass-through.

[CabinDweller]

"Does your HTIB have a DTS decoder that works for externally attached devices? Did any of the DVDs you played have DTS tracks that worked? The symptoms you describe suggest the lack of DTS decoding in your HTIB receiver."

The receiver has the DTS symbol stamped on the front. That is all that I know. When I play a DVD in the BD player, I get great 5.1. Put the BD in and my problems begin. Would your theory above still apply?


"I assume his HTIB doesn't have HDMI and if it does, I am sure it is merely video pass-through."

Correct. It has no HDMI ports.

[Zman2k2]

You need to change the audio settings in your Blu-ray player. You cannot leave it on bitstream if you are using an optical cable. Reasons are that when you bitstream Blu-ray HD audio over optical, there is only enough bandwidth for 2.0 audio. You need to change the audio output on the player to "Downmix" I believe. That should give you surround through optical.

[CabinDweller]

These are my only options in my audio settings:

PCM Stereo
PCM Multi-Ch (HDMI only)
DTS Re-Encode
Primary pass-Thru

[Zman2k2]

Okay, so I read the manual online, and it looks like you have two options.

DTS-reencode. Everything will be output by the player as DTS. Not a fan of this, as you are converting one surround output to another, and could be losing information.
Primary Pass-through. This will send information out as it is. It will add no additional decoding. However it is up to you to make sure you select the correct surround mix in the discs audio menu.

[BIslander]

Originally Posted by CabinDweller

[The receiver has the DTS symbol stamped on the front. That is all that I know. When I play a DVD in the BD player, I get great 5.1. Put the BD in and my problems begin. Would your theory above still apply?

Yes.

What does the manual say about DTS? btw, what is the model of your HTIB and does it have a built in DVD player?

I also asked whether you tried the DTS track on any DVDs. Did you? Do they work?

I suggested you try the Primary Pass-thru setting, which is the one that outputs DD 5.1 tracks, and then play a BD with a TrueHD track. Have you tried that and does it work?

We can only help if you try the recommended trouble-shooting steps.

[BIslander]

Originally Posted by Zman2k2

You need to change the audio settings in your Blu-ray player. You cannot leave it on bitstream if you are using an optical cable. Reasons are that when you bitstream Blu-ray HD audio over optical, there is only enough bandwidth for 2.0 audio. You need to change the audio output on the player to "Downmix" I believe. That should give you surround through optical.

That is incorrect. The player will use the legacy DTS core or a companion DD 5.1 track instead of lossless. That's the way all BD players work and that's what the manual for this player says it will do. The Downmix setting tells the player to output stereo PCM. It's designed for people with two channel systems and older receivers without DTS and/or DD 5.1 decoders.

Originally Posted by Zman2k2

Okay, so I read the manual online, and it looks like you have two options.

DTS-reencode. Everything will be output by the player as DTS. Not a fan of this, as you are converting one surround output to another, and could be losing information.

He's not "losing information". The player is transcoding one format to another. This is quite likely the OP's problem, however. If his receiver cannot decode DTS from an external source, then he won't get audio using the DTS re-encode setting.

As noted, Primary Pass-thru is likely the proper player setting here.

[CabinDweller]

What does the manual say about DTS? btw, what is the model of your HTIB and does it have a built in DVD player?

I am trying to find the manual. The model is SC-HT920. Yes, it has a built in 5-disc DVD player.


I also asked whether you tried the DTS track on any DVDs. Did you? Do they work?

I have only tried one DVD (SWAT). On the back of the case it says Dolby Digital. I will try another one tonight. I will look for one with DTS.


I suggested you try the Primary Pass-thru setting, which is the one that outputs DD 5.1 tracks, and then play a BD with a TrueHD track. Have you tried that and does it work?

I only have one BD right now (Hitman). I was expecting NetFlix to deliver one yesterday but they did not. I did try playing Hitman while setup for pass-thru. I got no sound at all and my receiver display said "error".

[BIslander]

Originally Posted by CabinDweller

What does the manual say about DTS? btw, what is the model of your HTIB and does it have a built in DVD player?

I am trying to find the manual. The model is SC-HT920. Yes, it has a built in 5-disc DVD player.

With many such HTIBs, DTS can only be processed from the internal player, not from the optical input.

I also asked whether you tried the DTS track on any DVDs. Did you? Do they work?

I have only tried one DVD (SWAT). On the back of the case it says Dolby Digital. I will try another one tonight. I will look for one with DTS.


I suggested you try the Primary Pass-thru setting, which is the one that outputs DD 5.1 tracks, and then play a BD with a TrueHD track. Have you tried that and does it work?

I only have one BD right now (Hitman). I was expecting NetFlix to deliver one yesterday but they did not. I did try playing Hitman while setup for pass-thru. I got no sound at all and my receiver display said "error".

All of this points to the lack of DTS decoding from audio arriving over the optical input. You'll know soon enough when you get the correct test discs:

Set the Panasonic to Primary Pass-thru
Play a regular DVD and select the DTS track from the disc audio menu. You will likely get no audio.
Play a Blu with an TrueHD soundtrack. You will likely get DD 5.1 and good audio.

The lack of DTS decoding is a significant drawback since many BDs only have DTS tracks. You will need to have your player decode them and output stereo PCM (surround encoded) to your receiver. You can apply ProLogic in the HTIB to produce reasonable surround effects. But, it won't be as good as a discrete 5.1 track.

[CabinDweller]

Thanks. I was afraid of that. I guess it's time to buy a new receiver