Dolby Digital and DTS codec versions (1 Viewer)

[lakshmant]

I was curious to know how often dolby and DTS update their home audio codecs for DVD. As they both say in their tech papers that the improvements in the encoder side(software+hardware) pass on into the decoder when the bit stream is decoded.So is it possible that having a disc of titanic SE will have the latest version of dolby and DTS codec and a older release like X men may have a older version.I am just curious to know.

Also is there any place where we can read about the new features in every encoder version released over the previous one for both formats.Also is there any PC software to check with what version of dolby or DTS codec my DVD disc was encoded.

 

[John Garcia]

Usually if they change, they are not a new version, but rather given a new name. Neither has changed much in quite some time (there are no "versions" AFAIK), but there were new incarnations of each released a few years ago: DD-EX and DTS-ES, both of which are 6.1 capable variants of DD and DTS. Both are coming out with "hi-def" versions that are supposed to be lossless like DVD-A (MLP). The obvious places to look would probably be www.dolby.com and www.dts.com

 

[lakshmant]

I do know a little about the basic and extended surround formats coutesy HTF primers,what i wanted to know specifically was at the studio encoder level.

 

[John S]

I have found the software release version histories for studios in the past on the Dolby and DTS websites, it took some serious digging from what I remember though.

I used to be sort of up on it, when I operated my recording studio. Most times, the version is sort of hard coded in whatever mix software is being used. In anlog / linear recording each channel is mixed separately and then a simple combine is done to produce the DD or DTS.


In non-linear / computer based studios like mine, it is built into or an add on to like ProTools, or SAWStudio.

They had talked about a DirectX plug in that would do this for you as well, not sure if that ever transpired though or not.

My first mix a head was represneted graphically and you could simply drag what was ever on the track to what ever postion you wanted around the head and the rest was figured out for you. Sort of cool, but I am sure that is so old school now.