DTS HD Master Audio?

[admin_exported]

What is DTS HD Master Audio? How is it different from other audio formats? And do i really need it?

I have a Sony KDL-40W2000 TV, a Sony STR-DA1200ES receiver and Kef KHT 2005.2 speakers that I bought a year ago. I'm looking to get a blu-ray player and have my eye on a Sony model as they will link together with the TV through the HDMI cable making control a bit easier. However, there are 2 models i'm looking at, namely the BDP-S350 and the BDP-S550. The only differences are BD-Live and multi-channel analogue outputs (neither of which i'm that fussed about) and the DTS HD Master Audio decoding. Apparently, the receiver can't do DTS HD Master Audio, so will I be wasting my money by buying the better model Blu-ray player?

 

[Anonymous]

Please dont think im being condesending as im really not But i dont think you would hear a big differnce using the amp and speakers that your using! It may sound slightly better but so very slighty that i dont think you'd miss it.

 

[Anonymous]

i Have spent a fortune on my surround gear and so far the dts master audio is a hundred miles behind dolby tru-hd other people will have other opinions but to be honest i have watched several blu-rays in dts and it seems no better than standard dvd dts! Yet every dolby tru-hd blu-ray i have watched has sounded a real leap forward from dvd!

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks, I'm glad to know I wouldn't be missing much if I got the cheaper model. I think I'll probably go with the S350.

 

[Anonymous]

From reading this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Theater_System#DTS-HD_Master_Audio

it appears MA doesn't have to be lossless. Technically it can deliver lossless audio whereas Dolby TrueHD is only lossless.

 

[professorhat]

Well, if you have a receiver that can't do DTS HD Master Audio, surely you'd be better getting a Blu-Ray player which can decode it. If you don't, you'll effectively only be getting the DTS 'core' mix when you buy a movie with this soundtrack which is nowhere near as good as the full DTS HD soundtrack. Most of the discs I've seen with DTS HD soundtracks don't have a choice of other formats on them so it doesn't really matter how it stacks up against Dolby TrueHD as you won't have that as an option.

 

[Anonymous]

I'm now confused! If the blu-ray player is going to be connected through the receiver, which can't cope with DTS HD Master Audio, surely the audio format will be lost at this point?

 

[professorhat]

No, because the Blu-Ray player is doing the decoding. So basically, you have the native DTS HD MA signal - if your Blu-Ray player sends this through natively (known as bitstreaming), the AV receiver doesn't have the necessary decoding ability so you only get the core mix. However, if the Blu-Ray player can decode it onboard and send it out via Linear PCM (as the S550 can), then your receiver will happily accept this and play just fine. Which amp do you have, just to be sure?

 

[Anonymous]

Not if the audio is being decoded in the BD player and being outputted to the amp as LPCM.

 

[professorhat]

mattread1:i Have spent a fortune on my surround gear and so far the dts master audio is a hundred miles behind dolby tru-hd other people will have other opinions but to be honest i have watched several blu-rays in dts and it seems no better than standard dvd dts! Yet every dolby tru-hd blu-ray i have watched has sounded a real leap forward from dvd!
Disagree with this personally but, as you say, each to their own.

 

[Anonymous]

So, the linear PCM signal is transmitted through the HDMI cable along with the video signal or separately through an optical digital cable?

 

[Anonymous]

the Sony STR-DA1200ES.

 

[professorhat]

All goes through the HDMI cable - no need for optical.

 

[professorhat]

Ace123:the Sony STR-DA1200ES.
Ah, okay. In that case you definitely want the S550. The Sony amp you have doesn't look like it can accept any audio connections via its HDMI port, only video. In order to get any of the HD audio formats working through this amp then, you'd need a Blu-Ray player which can decode all the formats and output via the multichannel outputs. The S550 have this ability so I think it's definitely a better bet for you.

 

[Anonymous]

Is that the multichannel analogue outputs? Or will that be better through the digital (optical) connection?

 

[professorhat]

Yup, the multichannel analogue outputs. Digital optical connections can't carry the necessary bandwidth for HD audio, only the old Dolby Digital / DTS 5.1 formats so this no good. Without an amp upgrade, the only way to get HD audio is to go for a Blu-Ray player which can decode all the formats and output this via the multichannel analogue outputs.

 

[Anonymous]

So, would the same thing go for my Sky HD box, in that I should have connected the audio up via analogue connections? I've always been led to believe digital was far better.

 

[professorhat]

Sky HD is different as it's not broadcasting the HD audio formats, only the older Dolby Digital / DTS 5.1 formats on some channels. In fact, with the Sky HD box, you only actually get stereo through the HDMI cable (no idea why - it's a limitation built into the box). So with this, your best bet is the digital optical cable.
Digital would be better, but the only digital connection with the necessary bandwidth to transfer the HD audio signals is HDMI and since your amp can't accept this signal, the best you can do is use the analogue multichannel outputs. Remember though, at some point any digital signal is always converted to an analogue signal at some point so it can be sent to your speakers! In this case, it's just being done earlier in the chain by the Blu-Ray player.

 

[Anonymous]

Well, thanks for the info. Thats given me a few things to think about. Maybe I will go with the S550 after all!