dvd-audio question (1 Viewer)

[ElevSkyMovie]

I remember reading about the specs for dvd-audio. If I remember correctly, it can have separate high-res stereo and 5.1 tracks. I also remember reading that it can downmix the 5.1 to stereo, eliminating the need for a separate stereo track. I would rather have the original stereo track in high-res, not the 5.1 mix combined for stereo. Does anyone know if there is a way to tell on the packaging if a disc has a separate stereo track?

 

[Matt Fisher]

Most DVD-A discs, at least all the ones I own, have a little table on the back that says what tracks are included.

 

[ElevSkyMovie]

Matt,

I'm not sure they list if the stereo track is separate. I think they may say it has a stereo track, even if the it is sourced from the 5.1 mix.

 

[Brian L]

Most, if not all of my DVD-A's are labelled as such. But, there are instances where a Hi-Rez 2CH track is listed, but does not exist (ELP maybe????). Most of my Warner titles have a table listing exactly what tracks exist; even including the bit depth and sampling rate.

And as for Dual Disc, which potentially has hi-rez 5.1 and 2CH on the DVD side, its a crap shoot. There is no such standard that I have noticed, although I only have one title; Dire Straits "Bothers in Arms".

I have been experimenting with some of my DVD-A discs on 2 different machines, and made some observations.

One is my Denon 3910, set for multichannel. It has an icon in the player's display that indicates if the MC track can be downmixed. I tried a 1/2 dozen discs last night, and all illuminated the icon. And all played the MC track by default (there is also a set of icons in the display to indicate the # of channels active).

I then took those discs to my Pio 45a in a 2CH rig, which is of course set for 2CH operation, and has no video display. The players display has very little information other than group and track.

Here's what I found that was interesting.

It appears that in the Pio set for 2CH, the discs I played ALL automatically play the 2CH Hi-Rez tracks. Here is why I think that is true.

If I use the audio button to change program, its apparent that there is something missing, as though I were only hearing the L/R tracks of a MC mix. One disc in particular that exhibited this behavior was REM's Automatic for the People.

But what that means is that the MC tracks are NOT being downmixed, otherwise there would not likely be a huge difference between a true 2CH mix and a downmixed MC mix. So, although my Denon says they can downmix, the Pio does not seem to do so.

I am going to hook up a small video display to the Pio so I can see what it really is doing.

One more thing. It seems that there is something weird with the Group numbering. Whether or not I am playing the MC or 2CH tracks, BOTH machines show that Group 1 is playing. I am thinking that maybe the audio button is just switching to a downmixed version, and to get to the REAL 2CH mix, I must go into the menu?

Brian

 

[Brian L]

A quick test of some of my DVD-A's with my Pio 45a set for 2CH; this time with a video display. Test involved putting in the disc, and pushing Play.

ELP - Plays 3/2.1 mix (there is no 2CH mix..label is wrong). Possibly (likely) downmixed. Will have to listen to it more carefully.

Eagles HC - Plays 3/2.1 downmixed. Does have a 2.0 track, which I can select from Audio button.

Yes, REM, Steely Dan (EMG), Donald Fagen - All play the 2.0 tracks.

It appears that the Pio set for 2CH mode will play the 2CH track on most of these discs, if there is one. I don't know why the Eagles is different, although I am sure its a player/disc compatibility issue.

And I would bet that a different set of discs on a different player may not behave the same way.

One more note: My copy of the Eagles HC does NOT have a chart on the back with the available tracks.

Brian