Don't understand Panasonic BD85 audio terminology (1 Viewer)

[jwelder3unc]

Hello all, I just purchased my first blu-ray player and i've been wirelessly streaming netflix and youtube. Unfortunately that's about all I know how to do with it as my knowledge on this new tech is lacking. I searched the menu options and started freakin out because of all the different audio options. I don't know how to set it all up. I have the blu-ray connected to an older RCA non hdmi 5.1 surround sound receiver and last night it sounded quite nice when transformers2 dvd was playing but do I need to change audio options when streaming movies from netflix? Also I wish I had it in front of me but the blu-ray manual said something to the effect about if a connected device can't decode the bla bla bla then if you choose certain option, it wont sound right and 7.1 will actually be sent as 6.1 unless it is lower than......and choose between bitstream and something else and wpa or wap I can't remember. Anyway, please help.

Thanks, Joe

 

[Adam Gregorich]

Joe-

Welcome to Home Theater Forum. To help you decode the bla bla bla, can you give more more info on how you have your Panasonic BD85 hooked up to your RCA receiver? Are you using a single digital cable (toslink or coax digital) or are you running 6 analog cables to a analog 5.1 input on your receiver? If you live in the US send me a PM with your address and I will send you a copy of Avatar on Blu-ray. Panasonic sent me a couple since they did the disc authoring, and since you just got a Panasonic Blu-ray player, you probably need to start building your Blu-ray collection.

 

[Ken_McAlinden]

Is it connected via analog output (6-8 RCA type inputs/outputs)? ... via coaxial or optical digital cables?

 

[jwelder3unc]

Thanks guys, it's connected via digital coax. When I get home I'll have the manual to ask better questions but thanks again for the help already.

 

[Brian McHale]

Want more information on your player than you can handle? Check out the owners' thread at AVS Forum:


http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1230391


These owners' threads get absolutely crazy, but in all likelihood any question you could ask has been asked, answered and (most likely) beaten to death.

 

[jwelder3unc]

Ok, home now and tried reading some of the avsforum but to be honest, I didn't understand half of it. I wasn't kidding when I said my knowledge of newer tech is terrible. On my bd85 the audio setup is kinda like this:


AUDIO SETUP


Dynamic Range Compression: on,off or auto

PCM Down Conversion: on or off

Downmix: surround encoded or stereo

7.1 ch. audio reformatting: auto or off


DIGITAL AUDIO OUTPUT

Dolby D/DolbyD+/Dolby True HD: Bitstream or PCM

DTS/DTS-HD: Bitstream or PCM



BD-Video Secondary Audio: on or off


I'm just wandering the best setup for disc and stream. Thanks

 

[Ken_McAlinden]

My answers/educated guesses below:

Originally Posted by jwelder3unc

Ok, home now and tried reading some of the avsforum but to be honest, I didn't understand half of it. I wasn't kidding when I said my knowledge of newer tech is terrible. On my bd85 the audio setup is kinda like this:


AUDIO SETUP


Dynamic Range Compression: on,off or auto


Off


PCM Down Conversion: on or off


Off


Downmix: surround encoded or stereo


Either, you probably will not be using it.


7.1 ch. audio reformatting: auto or off


Auto


DIGITAL AUDIO OUTPUT

Dolby D/DolbyD+/Dolby True HD: Bitstream or PCM


Bitstream


DTS/DTS-HD: Bitstream or PCM


Bistream


BD-Video Secondary Audio: on or off


On


I'm just wandering the best setup for disc and stream. Thanks

FYI - When watching a BD with an uncompressed PCM surround track, you will not be able to get surround sound unless you select an alternate Dolby Digital or DTS track.


Regards,

 

[jwelder3unc]

Originally Posted by Ken_McAlinden

My answers/educated guesses below:


FYI - When watching a BD with an uncompressed PCM surround track, you will not be able to get surround sound unless you select an alternate Dolby Digital or DTS track.


Regards,

Thanks Ken,


Will a BD with and uncompressed PCM surround track be obvious and do I select an alternate track on my blu-ray or receiver? If you have time, what does all that mean?

 

[jwelder3unc]

Thanks Ken,

What does an uncompressed pcm soundtrack mean and do I select an alternate track on the blu-ray or receiver?

 

[Ken_McAlinden]

Certain Blu-ray discs have the 5.1 or 7.1 channels encoded as lossless "PCM" (similar to CD quality sound). For those discs, your player passing sound through an optical cable will not be able to turn it into a 5.1 signal recognizable by your older receiver. You will at best get some kind of downmixed two channel stereo and at worst get the left and right channels with no center, surround, or LFE. Most of these discs also have at least one additional audio track with the the 5.1 or 7.1 channel soundtrack in another format (such as Dolby Digital 5.1) that your receiver will be able to handle. For discs with lossless surround tracks encoded as DTS-HD MA or Dolby TrueHD, your player will output a down converted lossy DTS or Dolby Digital track over the optical connection to the receiver, so you will not run into the problem as with uncompressed PCM.


You will not be able to hear any of the multichannel "lossless" formats at their full fidelity until you upgrade your receiver to one that can receive audio through HDMI, but in the mean time, you will still be able to enjoy high bitrate Dolby Digital and DTS sound which is as good or better than what you get in most theaters.

 

[jwelder3unc]

Thanks for the help and knowledge.