Will Blu-Ray make all of our receivers obsolete? (1 Viewer)

[Greg Racki]

I'm excited about the upcoming blu-ray spec (and HD-DVD if they don't merge) and I've heard that it will likely introduce a new audio format (HD DD/DTS). Does this mean that to take advantage of the new format, we are all going to have to buy new receivers and new blu-ray players? If it does, what a P.I.T.A.!

 

[Mike DBS]

If I read the press releases right on the DTS & Dolby sites, you will have to buy new hardware unfortunately:frowning: but both formats are backwards compatible so you can hang on to your now clockwork/stone-age/antique/obselete 5.1/6.1 receiver for the time being!

 

[FeisalK]

well, any receiver with only 6.1 and ProLogicII (not IIx) is obsolete anyway. As Mike says, 5.1 is antiquated

 

[John Garcia]

Blu-ray and HD-DVD may not see the light of day on the consumer market. Sony and Toshiba are in talks to make one standard for the next gen, so it doesn't turn into another format war.

 

[Lewis Besze]

I come from the LD era[as opposed to VHS or nothing at all],and I can tell you that DVD took several years to achieve the market saturation[it was only 2% of households for LD]and to bring all the studios on board and have their day to day releases issued on DVD with VHS/LD. I assume the same will be true for any HI-Def DVD formats as well, so I wouldn't worry about hardware issues right now,not too mention you can't do a damn thing about it anyway.If you thinking about "upgrading" now it will still give you years of enjoyment till real changes will "force" you to "upgrade again".

 

[Evan M.]

Lewis probably won't believe this ......but I agree with him %100. I would certainly not worry too much about this.......For a technology that is sooo close to coming out....it is still such a darn mystery....

 

[Shane Martin]

Last I read, Sony agreed we needed a standard and said that they would adopt one if Toshiba gave up HD-DVD. I can dig up the article if I need to. Basically don't hold your breath.

 

[Calvin S]

Wow -- we'll adopt a standard as long as it's ours. How "big" of them.

 

[Kevin C Brown]

Lewis is right on the money. IMO, it's too early to get too hyper about the new stuff. Bottom line as Mike mentioned anyway, is that DD+ and DTS+ (or whatever the new versions are/will be called) are backwards compatible with regular DD and DTS.

 

[PaulDA]

I've also read comments from Roger Dressler, at Dolby Labs, that players are expected to have internal decoders (at least for Dolby) and the MCH analogue outputs to allow early adopters to integrate the new audio formats with their existing gear.

 

[Vader]

Although this is an option, keep in mind that going this route completely by-passeses all of the digital processing in current A/V amps, such as speaker level balance, delay, and EQ. All of this will have to be done in the player setup

 

[PaulDA]

My Marantz DV6400 can do all of that (save the autoEQ, and my receiver can't do that either) already, so I expect the new players to do so (I wouldn't buy one that didn't unless I'd already upgraded the receiver).

 

[Sanjay Gupta]

When you know that your 'standard', is by far superior and advanced than the other's, what else can one say? Let's accept the facts, Blu-Ray is far superior to 'HD-DVD' as a standard and the only reason that 'HD-DVD' even exists, is nothing but the commercial interests (greed) of companies like 'Warner' & 'Toshiba'. Personally, I as a consumer would rather there be no common standard, if it means having to compromise the future format only to placate the commercial interests of a few companies. For once I am on Sony's side although I generally despise their practise of introducing 'proprietry' technologies, the 'memory stick' being one of the recent one's. Left on their own I sincerely believe Blu-Ray will ultimately win the race, although I do understand that two competing formats will slow down the acceptability of a new format. Then again, given the fact that 'DVD' was a much bigger jump in technology and quality from 'VHS' compared to that from 'DVD' to any new 'HD' format, to the vast majority of consumers 'DVD' is good enough as it is, and therefore they are not going to be cueing up for any new format anyhow.

 

[Panther_B]

Hello Sanjay.

You said...”Let's accept the facts, Blu-Ray is far superior to 'HD-DVD' as a standard...“

But I thought that both standards basically produced identical results. One of them (Blu-Ray I think) has more storage capacity but that's it. Right?

Sanjay or anyone else, could you explain why one format is better than the other.

Thanks,
PB

P.S. - Could we please keep this discussion civil. I'm not trying to start a shouting match about stuff that we, the consumers, may never see.

 

[RyanJE]

Can I ask a stupid question? Does the receiver decode the formats. DVD players dont say if there 5.1,6.1 etc. Is that because it sends the signal and then the receiver decodes. Im asking because im trying to figure out why our receivers would be obsolete.

 

[ScottHH]

Ryan,

If you use the optical or coaxial digital connection between the DVD player and your receiver, the receiver is doing the decoding.

If your DVD player has 5.1 analog outs, and you connect them to the 5.1 analog inputs on your receiver (if it has them), the DVD player is doing the decoding, and the receiver is just amplifying the signals.

 

[RyanJE]

What if the blue ray dvd players have 5.1 outs, coiuld we keep our receivers? Is it better to let the dvd or avr do the decoding?

 

[Kevin C Brown]

As far as I can tell, no current receiver or pre/pro will be made obsolete by BluRay or HD-DVD. As I understand it, the new DD+ and DTS+ (or whatever) formats will be backwards compatible in that you will still be able to get a "std" DD/DTS feed through the coax or optical connection. Basically, you will have the option in the player to downmix whatever is on the disc to DD or DTS.

 

[Kenneth Harden]

My Harman Kardon AVR 635 has 6/8 channel inputs with bass management on those in's.

I'm set...for now.

 

[PaulDA]

Yes.