DVD'S WITH SURROUND SOUND (1 Viewer)

[HTROLAND]

I'm new to HT and about to finish my 5.1. Do regular DVD's have surround sound or just Blu Rays? I haven't bought any DVDs. Do they specify anything about the sound that is recorded on it? I have played DVDs from friends, public library's or copied version also from friends. What about from OTA or Cable? Do they have suround sound? I understand CD's and VCR's if played on the new HT receivers will only play in stereo. Am I right? What about DVD's?

THANKS FOR EDUCATING ME.

 

[gene c]

Most dvd's have either Dolby Digital or DTS surround sound. But many older movies and television shows are either Dolby mono 2.0, stereo or just plain mono. And of course you can simulate surround sound from a stereo source with things like Dolby ProLogic, DTS Neo:6 and H/K's Logic 7.

 

Most dvd's discs with surround sound have an audio setup menu where you can choose which format you'ld like to use.

 

[Steve Schaffer]

[SIZE= 14px]Commercially produced dvds will usually state on the back of the case what the audio format options are. If not you can click on "audio" or "languages" on the menu screen to bring up that information. On most recently produced films the primary soundtrack will have surround encoding while secondary tracks may not.[/SIZE]

 

[SIZE= 14px]Surround tracks on DVD will be either "lossy" Dolby Digital or occasionally DTS, BD discs most commonly use "lossless" Dolby Tru-HD or DTS Master Audio.[/SIZE]

 

[SIZE= 14px]Local broadcast channels will vary. All the major networks, ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, etc. provide DD 5.1 surround sound feeds to their affilliates but not all local affilliates can broadcast in that format, some downconvert it to 2 channel. [/SIZE]

 

[SIZE= 14px]Downloadable streaming video from Netflix, etc will usually be 2.0 to conserve bandwidth.[/SIZE]

 

[HTROLAND]

Thank you Gene and Steve for your info.

Can the surround speaker volume be increased after the MCACC setup? I bought this cube speaker called Pure Resonance from Pro Acoustic. I tried it together with my 6 in. speaker and it did not sound loud with a good volume from my amplifier compared with my 6 in. I have not tried it with my Blu Ray yet. I tried it using the receiver Tuner then the CD. Barely hear it.

 

[gene c]

Hit the "CH Level" button, which is also the "0" button, on the remote control repeatedly until the speaker you wish to adjust is on the front panel display then use the Left and Right arrow buttons to raise or lower the volume.

 

[HTROLAND]

Thank you again Gene. I read this portion in the manual but did not hit me, you are a big help.

 

[HTROLAND]

Gene,

I adjusted my surround speaker as you and the manual stated. As it went more negative the volume gets softer so I went to the positve side and noticed volume gets louder but it only went as far as +10db or -10db on the negative side. My speakers did not sound loud enough. At this setting, is this suppose to be what a speaker can handle? It seems something is wrong with the speakers I bought as shown by test I did when I hooked both my old 6 inch speaker and this new speaker on my stereo. This new speaker's output is only 20% of what my old one is putting out. Did I miss anything?

 

[gene c]

I remember you having a pioneer 1019 but refresh my memory on your speakers, fronts/center/surrounds. Some speakers are very efficient while others may require much more power to achieve the same volume level. Look for the speakers SPL (sound pressure level) rating which might be on the back of the speaker. I've seen ratings as low as 82 db and as high as 105 db. 87-90 is about average. A 3 db increase is supposed to be twice as loud, or require 1/2 as much power to achieve the same volume level. So, in theory, an 87 db speaker would need it's volume set twice as high as a 90 db speaker. Another reason to have all your speakers come from the same brand and series.

 

Keep in mind that the surround channels of most dvd's are for ambience only. There isn't very much content sent to the surround channels. "The surround channels volume is too low!" is a common complaint around here. Try putting on a two channel music source like a cd and select 5/7 Channel Stereo or All Channel Stereo, whatever Pioneer calls there version of it, and the fronts and surrounds will receive about the same content and therefore should be about the same volume.

 

If you ran the Pioneers MCACC automatic setup it should have set the speaker volumes fairly accurately. You could then tweak the settings a bit if you wish.

 

[Robert_J]

I use the MCACC setup on my 1014 and it is just as accurate as Video Essentials and my trusty SPL meter. I do set my speakers to small after running it and boost my sub 3db. Other than that, it provides a very balanced sound all the way around.

 

One thing to remember is keep the room quiet while running the setup. If you have a ceiling fan or AC, turn it off for a few minutes. Make sure the mic is in the proper place. I have measured how far my ears are from the couch cushions and using a tripod, that's where I put the MCACC mic. A little bit of blue painter's tape holds it in place.

 

[HTROLAND]

Yes my receiver is the 1019 and my front speakers L/R is Ohm. I checked my 6 in. speaker from years ago if it matches my front and it did. That's how I hear it, so used it for my center. Its brand is Adventure in Sound. Surround are from Pro Accoustic cube speaker called Pure Resonance. It does not have SPL just sensitivity 86 +/- 3 db, frequency response 200Hz-20Khz and contineous power rating 30 watts average.

 

I ran the Advance MCACC again and I love the result. The surround seems working right the way it was set. The distances are right as well. Yes the suround is not always there, it's for ambience only. I tried for the first time my AVATAR BD and enjoyed my HT. I know I will need more help as I venture in this new field but THANKS AGAIN TO EVERYONE.