Cannot obtain Dolby Digital with DVD (1 Viewer)

[Chieftan69]

Hey all, new to the board here. Seems to be very helpful; I hope you can help me. And sorry if I posted this in the wrong place. I browsed the board and wasn't sure where to post it.

I have Sony Receiver (STR-DG720) and Sony DVD (DVP-NC665P). The DVD player is hooked to the receiver via component for video and digital optical for audio. However, I am unable to get Dolby Digital out of the system. I go through the menu on the DVD player and find nothing that would enable Dolby Digital. When I go to the audio format of the disc being played, it says Dolby Digital 3/2.1. When I go through the Surround and Audio menus of the receiver, the Dolby Digital options are disabled.

My receiver is brand new. On the previous receiver, also Sony, I was unable to get Dolby Digital out of it.

A bit more info... It is forced into Pro Logic and does not show my surround speakers on the receiver display panel, although I do hear sound through them. If I play a DVD on my XBox360, that's hooked up via HDMI, I DO get Dobly Digital (and it sounds awesome). The DVD player is older and does not have HDMI. After the receiver purchase, the wife would be none to happy about a new DVD player.

Please help. This is very frustrating and I am seeing no reason why I shouldn't be getting Dolby Digital. Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[Mark-P]

It sounds like maybe your DVD player has the Dolby Digital output set to "PCM" rather than "Bitstream" If it is set to PCM it will downmix to 2-channel PCM through the digital output.

 

[Ed Moxley]

Once the dvd player's audio output is set to bitstream, as Mark suggested, make sure the receiver is set to "Digital Auto" (or whatever it's wording is). Then whenever you put in a dvd, it will automatically go to the DD 5.1 track. You'll need to choose DTS tracks, in the movie's menus.

The optical input is assigned to the dvd player, right?

 

[Chieftan69]

I got it. I had to run the Setup of the DVD player without a disc in it. I guess hearig you guys talk made me realize that was what I had to do. In that setup I told it to use Dolby Digital instead of PCM, that I'm using the digital out rather than L/R, and to turn DTS on.

It's working and sounds great now. Thank you so much.