A slightly complex Dolby Digital EX question. (1 Viewer)

[Arthur S]

My Kenwood VR 6070 has little white lights under the speaker icons on the display panel that light up the speakers that are in use for the various formats. Using Terminator 2 Ultimate edition that has DD 5.1 EX and DTS 5.1 ES, the Center back speaker white light comes on when I use the DTS soundtrack, but the white light under the Center back speaker does Not come on with the Dolby Digital EX soundtrack.

The Kenwood tech people say the light doesn't come on with DD 5.1 EX because the center surround track is a matrix, not a discrete, but the DTS is not discrete either and the white light comes on under the Center back speaker icon.

Does anyone know if this is normal? A little help please.

Thanks

Artie

 

[Seth_L]

Most DD-EX discs are not flagged as such, so you have to manually enable DD-EX. That might be why you don't see the light coming on for the EX soundtrack.

Seth

 

[Arthur S]

Seth

Even when I manually engage DD EX, the light does not come on even though the sound does come out of the Center back speaker. Am I wrong thinking this light should come on when sound is coming from the Center back speaker and the receiver is in DD-EX mode?

Thanks

Artie

 

[Michael Reuben]

It all depends on what data the Kenwood is reading to determine which channels are "active". What happens when you play a 2-channel soundtrack through ProLogic?

M.

 

[Babek]

Don't worry I had the exact same problem with my integra dtr 5.3. I phoned tech service and they said that most dolby digital ex films are not flagged with it, and there are few that are. So basically, you manually turn ex on and that's it.

 

[Arthur S]

Michael

When I put a VHS Dolby Surround tape in the white lights come on under Front L, Center, Subwoofer, Front R, Surround L, and Surround R.

Thanks

Artie

 

[JeremyFr]

DTS ES is discrete 6.1. DD EX is not, so the reciever will only show what is actually coming throught he data stream my Yamaha is the same way for instance when I throw AOTC in I have to use the remote to tell the reciever to switch to EX, but when I throw LOTR in it pops right up with all 6 channels active so this is normal for a reciever to do between to the 2 formats and yes whoever said the EX flag is not present on most that say they are is absolutely correct Dolby can be weird sometimes all the more reason I like DTS.

 

[Arthur S]

Jeremy

The front panel says DTS Matrix on Terminator 2 Ultimate.

Is the receiver actually putting out a discrete signal to the Center back even though the display says DTS Matrix?

Thanks

Artie

 

[Michael Reuben]

No, the T2 DTS mix is ES matrix, not discrete. But I believe that, unlike Dolby, DTS routinely flags its ES matrix mixes, which is probably how the receiver knows that there should be a rear center channel.

When I put a VHS Dolby Surround tape in the white lights come on under Front L, Center, Subwoofer, Front R, Surround L, and Surround R.

I don't know Kenwood receivers, but my guess is that we're talking about a fairly unsophisticated mechanism for determining which lights illuminate. The receiver obviously isn't monitoring which channels actually have activity (if it were, the rear center would illuminate in DD EX). It probably just has certain lighting patterns programmed into it, which are selected based on the receiver's best determination of the format. So, if you're in ProLogic, it "knows" that those 6 channels should be active. With DTS-ES matrix, which is flagged as such, the receiver "knows" there should be seven channels. But since most DD EX tracks don't contain the EX flag, all the receiver knows is that it's a DD track -- and it just lights up the 6 channels for standard 5.1.

That's my best guess.

M.

 

[GregK]

Arther,

My Yamaha receiver acts the same way with it's display screen readout, but it's simply indicating what the recognition flag in the DD or DTS bitstream says, and not if the EX or ES mode is actually active or not. But when I play a 2-channel mix in DPL-II or Neo6, the receiver channel indicator still shows 2 channels. In short the receiver display is a nice 'guideline' tool, but does not affect actual ES/EX decoding when it is activated manually.

As you may know, Dolby had trouble with it's EX recognition flag when decoded by a few receivers, so Dolby has put the EX flag on indefinite hiatus. One exception (or error?) was Dreamworks recent DVD Minority Report, which HAS the DD EX recognition flag, but strangely enough is MISSING the DTS ES flag! My guess is an inexperienced tech messed up and flagged the wrong track, as I have not heard of any new DVDs with a revised Dolby EX recognition flag ..yet.

Hope this helps.