Lee_L

What's the difference between DTS and Dolby Digital?

My girlfriend and I rented Terminal last night, and it had options for Dolby Digital 5.1, or DTS 5.1. We watched it in Dolby Digital, but afterwards I was curious and watched part of a scene again in Dolby, then in DTS. DTS seemed a bit louder, and with more impact. What are the differences between the two?

ChrisWiggles

If you're new, I'l apologize in advance for the blutness, but this has been debated and flamed since the dinosaurs.

The short answer is that the biggest difference you'll hear is if the mixes are done differently. DTS may tend to mix things differently and more aggressivly, but this isn't really an attribute of the technology itself. If you run some searches, you'll find many a long long thread and debate on this topic.

Please see my: Advanced Guide to Source Options

Lee_L

Ah, so there's usually not a big difference? Just a matter of mixing more han the technologies? Meh, I'll accept that for what it is.

Vader

Lee,

As Chris mentioned, this debate is older than dirt, and amounts to what has become a religioue war. My first amp did not have DTS playback capability, so I lived with AC-3 (the original name for Dolby Digital), and was (am) perfectly happy with it. I read the arguments made by both sides, but at the time it was academic for me. When I finally upgraded to DTS, I found that I am a DTS convert, as opposed to what I term a "DTS-snob" (people who are physically incapable of enjoying the same Dolby Digital they were praising 5 minutes prior to hearing the DTS version, and take every opportunity to express their newfound dislike for anything Dolby Digital to anyone who will listen). Personally, I perceive DTS to offer a much fuller soundstage, as well as smoother, tighter bass. For me, it also holds up to higher volumes better, before my ears begin to feel fatigued. The only DTS complaint I have is directed towards theatrical DTS, and that is the sound is much too bright for my tastes (to the point of the dialog sounding distorted - CIP Jurassic Park). But, that may simply have been the sound being cranked to the point of clipping. Home DTS is a different animal altogether, and my Denon allows me to curb overly bright signals. But, DTS is like anything else... garbage in, garbage out. Both formats are at the mercy of the source material, and the care taken when mastering it. Dolby Digital can sound fantastic; A well-mastered Dolby Digital track will wipe the floor with a poorly mastered DTS one. However, a well mastered DTS track has no equal IMHO (until we get uncompressed DTS, anyway... )

Peace... Derek

One sub to rumble them all. One sub to shake them. One sub to humble them all. And in the darkness break them.

Louvre attendant: Sacre bleu! ze frame on ze Mona Lisa broke and ze only one left iz too small. Andre, bring me ze scissors!

John S

The subjective opinions of how big of a difference there is, is just that subjective.

DTS has the advantage of being the only real format beyond 5.1... 6.1 descreet, a real sound mode.


Only DVD's that actually contain a 6.1 DTS will / can reveal this and it has to be played on a real 6.1 / 7.1 AVR that offers this decoder.

ChrisWiggles

Ironically, as I've turned into a video fundamentalist, I've moved away from DTS because it hoggs so much space.

Please see my: Advanced Guide to Source Options

Lee_L

Hmm, I may try to start listening to DTS versions if available. Just so happens however, that this is the first DVD I've noticed that has DTS.

Jack Briggs

Well, Lee, you've gotten a sample of all this. Please, for future reference, run searches in the Software area for more than you'll ever care to know about this subject. Meanwhile, thread closed.