Need to know if this will work? (merged) (1 Viewer)

[Curt Badry]

This is my first post. Hat's off to everyone envolved here,(members/admins) that make this forum work.
Ok, I need a little clarification. I have a Yamaha RX- V 495 reciever.It had DD 5.1 but does not decode DTS. Yesterday i went out and bought a new Panasonic S-55 DVD player because i read that it decoded DTS. The manual is not very clear on exact connections/settings, that's where i need help.
The way i have it setup now is, I have my DVD player connected to my reciever with an optical cable. In the settings for the DVD player it tells me to set DD to bitstream if my reciever can decode it, which i did. For DTS it tells me to set it to PCM if my reciever cannot decode it, which it can't. With the settings the way they are, am i going to be successful in recieving the Dts signal, and will it sound better than DD 5.1? I ask because i am under the assumption that bitstream is digital and PCM is analog(i'm probably wrong). So will Dts movies sound better being played in DTS,set at PCM going through my optical cable, or should i watch them in DD 5.1 set at Bitstream through my optical cable?.
Another thing, on the back of my DVD player, there are analog conections for 5.1,sourround,sub,center. I have nothing hooked up to these, as my reciever decodes 5.1 and i have all my speakers connected directly to my reciever. I originally thought that the only way that my DVD player would decode DTS was if my speakers were connected to the DVD player itself. I hope i have it hooked up correctly, i have never experienced DTS before, so i hope i am able to achieve it with my current config.
Sorry for the long post, but i wanted to be as clear as possible when asking for help.
Thanks in advance
Curt

 

[Vince Maskeeper]

Nope, these are the connectors you need. YOu don't connect the speakers direct to these (they are not amplified, so they won't drive a speaker)-- instead you have to connect these to a receiver that has 6 channel inputs for this type of thing.

By doing so, you will use the decoder inside the player for DD and DTS, and it will send out the appropriate signal to the receiver, which will amplify it, and send it to your speakers...

 

[John Garcia]

PCM is digital, but it is generally stereo. DTS can be passed via PCM, but since your receiver can't decode DTS, it will be no use.

If you connect the multi-channel analog, you should be able to get DTS, because the player will be doing all the decoding. I normally recommend letting the receiver do the decoding, but in this particular case, you will want the player to do it, and you will need the analog connections for DVD-A, which this player is capable of, anyway.

You cannot hook the speakers directly to the DVD, because it does not provide any power.

 

[Curt Badry]

Thanks for clearing that up. So basically it's not going to work, as my reciever ( i'm guessing) only decodes DD 5.1, no 6 channel inputs. Is the sixth channel rear center surround?. Can i buy a Dts decoder/processor that i can hook up inbetween my dvd player and reciever. That way i can set my dvd player DTS setting to bitstream and use my optical cable which would then go into a DTS decoder/processor and then to my reciever, or do i have to buy a new reciever if i want to have DTS?

 

[John Garcia]

Your receiver does have multi-channel, preamp inputs. You should be all set.

You have the same question in the receiver forum.

 

[Vince Maskeeper]

Not unless your receiver has 6 channel analog inputs. The DTS decoder will ALSO convert to 6 analog lines. It can't convert it to any other format (except maybe dolby digital, and then what would be the point??)

Not sure how you plan to get signal from decoder to the receiver. You ahve to have 6 channel inputs. You already have a DTS decoder, it's in the dvd player.

Hope that helps

-V

 

[Curt Badry]

Ok, john says my reciever has multi-channel pre amp imputs, so that part is good. Just so i understand this correct. i am going to run 6 seperate analog cables to my reciever from my player, which will decode dts, and i leave my dts settings in my player to PCM. when watching movies that are not in DTS, just DD 5.1 the signal would be sent through my optical cable like it is now.

If this is correct and this is what i have to do to get DTS to work on my reciever, will it sound better than my DD 5.1 does, being sent through analog cables versus optical.
thanks again for clearing all this up for me, gonna head over and read some six channel info.

 

[Curt Badry]

I posted earlier about hooking up my dvd player that has a dts decoder to my DD 5.1 reciever via 6 channel imputs. I know know that it will work (thanks), what i need to know before i go and but the six cables ( which ones should, if it matters) is will it sound better. For dts to work i need my player to decode dts and send it to my reciever by 6 analog cables, then i get dts, but at what quality?. Can i still have my optical cable hooked up to my reciever from my player when in DD 5.1?, or is that too going to be sent through the analog cables. Because right now i am using my optical for dd 5.1 and it sounds great. I have not experienced DTS, that's why i would like to hook it up, but not if i am going to loose sound quality, going to analog, kinda defeats the purpose.up , I'd rather just stick with optical 5.1. Could someone clear this up for me, thanks

 

[Vince Maskeeper]

Curt,

You'll find that people will be more likely to help you if you stick with you main thread and be patient. There is no need to post a new thread on this topic when you existing thread (not to mention cross posted articles in other forums) had these same questions asked... (and hopefully a mod will merge all of these into your existing thread here).

The short answer is, there is no answer to your question.

THe long answer is:
THis is a complex question. In the digital coax situation you are using the converters in your receiver, in the analog config, you will be using the converters in your DVD player. WIll there be a difference? Probably. Will you be able to tell the diff? I don't know- depends on the items in question and your ears... It is possible your receiver has older, and less accurate converters, so the analog config would actually be better for DD and DTS.

In addition, can I even say if you will hear a diff between DTS and DD, analog/coax question aside? Nope, I can't say if you will hear a big difference.

But, yes- you CAN still run to optical cable between the two- however if your receiver is old enough to not do DTS (and might be a "budget" product as well)-- chances are good that the converters inside are mediocre-- so the use of the DVD player converters might be an improvement for DD and DTS.

BUt again- you want someone to say "Yeah dude- it's night and day and so worth the investment in 6 cables"-- but no one here could say that. There are 1 million variables in this equation, not the least of which being your perception-- and I can't say one way or another if you will find DTS an improvement at all, let alone be able to tell the diff between converters.

So this is just a decision you're gonna have to make for yourself... an experiment you'll have to conduct and tell us if you think it was worth it.

-V

 

[Topher]

I am using the analog 5.1 connection from my DVD player to my reciever, since my receiver can't do DTS. I think it actually sounds BETTER than it used to with just running the optical digital cable for DD. I think the DAC's in my DVD player are better then my receiver (like Vince said) and that is the reason. As for quality of sound for the analog 5.1 channel connection compared to the digital optical/coax, well IMHO there isn't a REAL difference. I mean SACD and DVDA run through the 5.1 channel analog output and they sound incredible, can't get that from the digital coax/optical.

 

[John Garcia]

This is a very good comment, and I agree with it completely. Vinyl is an analog format, and is still considered to be one of the best sounding formats even today. SACD and DVD-A via analog (I have both) are simply stunning with good recordings. Granted, these hi-res formats are of much higher fidelity than the majority of DVDs, I don't think there is a reason to worry about the quality of the analog connections.

HOWEVER, receivers usually have better and/or more flexible bass management than the typical DVD player (not always) which can be of benefit. If you find that your player lacks good enough bass management, you can eventually upgrade your receiver.

I'm with Vince on the DACs, your player's may actually be better than the Yamaha's, especially since the S55 does DVD-A.

 

[Curt Badry]

Thanks guys for your imput. Sorry for the double posting!,won't happen again. I'm gonna try rhe 6 cables and see how it sounds.