Can't Get DTS to work ... Help!!! (1 Viewer)

[Cory-C]

I don't know too much about this stuff, so maybe someone can give me a hand.

I just bought a Sony STR-DE995 receiver (7.1 w/ DTS and all that jazz). On my old receiver I just ran a optical cable from my DVD player to my receiver to get 5.1 Dolby Digital sound. I tried to run my optical cable into my new receiver, but there was no specific optical input for DVD players (just TV, MD sumthin' or other, and CD/SACD). There is an input for a digital coaxial cable for a DVD player on the new receiver.

The optical cable gives me sound from my DVD player in the other inputs, but only of the basic Dolby Digital variety.

To get DTS, do I HAVE to buy a digital coaxial cable or is there some way I can get DTS by running the old optical cable into one of those other selections. Is there any chance I am just not setting it up on the receiver the right way?

 

[Greg Kolinski]

On most DVD players you have to manually choose the DTS option in the DVD player set up menu.I believe it needs to be set to bitstreem rater than PCM.This is kinda "muddy" ,hope someone can give a little clearer answer id you are still having problems.I had the same trouble first time I tried to use DTS.

Greg

 

[Mike~Sileck]

Generally those input labels are dynamic, they just put them there as refrence. Usually you can change the name's of the inputs that show up on the LCD screen, and I know for a fact it should allow you to get DTS 5.1, DD 5.1, and anything else. Make sure your dvd has the correct audio selection selected (i.e. Dolby Digital 5.1, not Dobly Stereo 2.0). Other than that, I'm not too familiar with this new reciever, so someone can help him tweak it? I know for a fact you don't need a coaxial cable tho, so don't worry about buying one.

Mike

 

[Shiu]

Just use any of those optical input. If your DVD player could output DTS to your old receiver, it must have been set correctly (yes, bit stream)already. Of course you could use the digital input as well if you are willing to buy a digital coax cable.

 

[Ed Moxley]

You can re-assign the inputs to be what you want it for. If you use the cd input for the dvd player, you'll have to push the cd button on front/remote when you want to watch a dvd.Re-assigning will let it read dvd in the window display of the receiver. The manual should walk you through it, step by step. Just take your time....
If the dvd is already assigned to the digital coax input, by default, I'd just use that. Less confusing. To see if it works though, you can use the yellow rca cable (usually the composite video cable), to check it. That cable works because it's a 75 ohm cable. If it works, I'd still get a digital coax cable. It will have better connectors and better shielding. Should be able to get one at Radio Shack for about $8-$10.
You may need to go into the receiver's setup menus and enable that input for digital, instead of analog, even though it's assigned for dvd player. It's got to be something not set quite right in the setup of things.
Good luck! Let us know how it goes.........

 

[Tim Stumpf]

This may be obvious, but first make sure that your DVD player supports DTS. Just having a receiver that does is not enough. That happened to me. I thougth I was getting DTS when I bought my new receiver, not realizing that the source first needed to be able to send a DTS signal. Not to open a can of worms but I've read that's it's debatable anyway what you would be losing by not having DTS. I'm happily cruising along with just DD 5.1.

 

[John Garcia]

He said it worked fine previously.

I think Ed Moxley is correct - it sounds like in your receiver's setup menu you have to assign this digital input to the source (DVD) selection you are using on the receiver. This is how most current receivers work. Also, as Ed mentions, you may have to tell the receiver to use digital for this source as well, though in that case, you should get no sound.

On most discs with a DD or DTS track, the DTS almost always sounds better to me. If given a choice, I always go with DTS first.

 

[Tim Stumpf]

You're probably right about the solution, but he never said DTS worked already on the old receiver. He said DD 5.1 worked. Which would still be true if the DVD player did not support DTS.

 

[John Garcia]

Oops, I though he said DTS also, but looks like he was referring to DD only. :b

By the way, have you tried reading your manual? If the manual doesn't say you can reassign digital inputs, then you may be stuck with coaxial only for DVD.

 

[Steve Schaffer]

I have the impression that he did not have DTS decoding capability before, only DD. In this case he probably does not have the DTS output enabled on his dvd player as they all ship with DTS disabled.

He needs to drag out the owner's manual for the player and enable DTS bitstream output, then find out if he can re-assign one of the optical digital inputs on the receiver to DVD, or go ahead and use one of the optical inputs that works regardless of labelling and run video straight to the tv.

 

[Ed Moxley]

Ever since I got into HT, it's been my understanding, from people much smarter than me about this stuff, that if your receiver has the dts decoder, your player doesn't need it. The receiver is supposed to do a better job anyway.
If you send a bitstream signal to the receiver, then choose the dts track in the movie's menus and have the receiver set to digital auto, it will play the dts......... but, you DO have to choose the dts track in the movie's menus. It WILL NOT automatically choose the dts track, like it will the DD track. You also have to wait until the actual movie begins to determine if dts is working. Most of the lead-in stuff won't be dts.
Good luck!

 

[John Garcia]

Partially. The player needs to be able to read the DTS stream to pass it, though it doesn't need to be able to decode it. Not all players can do this. My first player, a Panny A300U, could not read a DTS track. Most CD players with a digital output can read and pass a DTS stream for DTS audio discs.

 

[Tim Stumpf]

I have a cheapie Hitachi DVD Player and I don't think it can support DTS. I've spent some time trying to make it work and all's I get is silence. Then I read somewhere that the player needs to be able to read it, but that the decoding can be done either at the DVD level or the processor. So, IMHO, DTS is not a given, especially on lower end DVD players. I get Dolby Digital 5.1 just fine, so I am able to deal with a digital signal.

Can anyone verify this as fact?

t.

 

[Steve Schaffer]

Tim,

Most all players, even the cheapest, have been able to pass the dts bitstream since about 1999. If your Hitachi is newer than that it should be capable of passing the dts bitstream. Look on the front of the player for a DTS logo-if it's got one it will pass dts via digital cable for decoding by your receiver. If it doesn't have a DTS logo, it won't pass the DTS bitstream. Most players with built in decoders only do DD unless they also will decode DVD-Audio. Most DVD-Audio capable players' built in decoders will also do dts.

the setting that enables the player to pass the dts bitstream is not always labelled "dts". Sometimes it just says "bitstream" or something else. Typically you need to go into the audio setup menu with the dvd stopped to find the setting. If you still have an owner's manual for that Hitachi it might help, depending on how impenetrable the Japlish is.

 

[Tim Stumpf]

Thanks Steve, I'll check that out, but I already have "bitstream" enabled and I do have a receiver capable of decoding DTS. When I choose the DTS option in a DVD menu, the movie will start playing and then "silence". I just assumed that the player could not read the DTS track. I got the DVD play for Christmas '03 so maybe I've got some other problem. I'll look through the menus again. I was not under the impression that I had to somehow enable DTS on the receiver side? Can you think of anything else to check. I have an Onkyo 501 connected via digital coax. It's funny, I'm totally happy with DD 5.1. Sounds awesome. But, I've read so much debate about DD vs DTS that I want to hear for myself. Not enought to go out and buy another DVD player right away, but it would be cool to compare and judge for myself.