DTS vs Dolby

[admin_exported]

Hi all....This may have been discussed in the past, so please forgive if so:

I was just wondering, with standard DVD, if there is a consensus to which is the 'better' audio format ?

I know that DTS has a slightly higher bandwidth, and I can certainly hear differences between the two codecs if they are both available on a disc (DTS seems to have more presence in the surrounds and Dolby seeming louder due to it's +4dB gain)....But is there anything more in it than ones preference ? Do artists/sound mixers/directors prefer one over the other ? (I read Spielberg was involved with DTS). I mean, if I put on U2's Vertigo tour, does the DTS or Dolby sound more like what The Edge intended in the mixing room..?!

And listeners/audiophiles ? 

Just wondering and interested in your thoughts......

SC 

 

[professorhat]

It's pretty much as simple as you say, in theory DTS soundtracks use less compression and thus have a higher bandwidth (DTS uses up to 1.5Mbps compared to DD's maximum of 448kbps) and thus in theory, the DTS soundtrack should sound better. Dolby claim that their DD format is more efficient in compression, but really it's down to you and your ears - I've noticed some soundtracks where I prefer the DTS soundtrack and others where I prefer the Dolby Digital one.
If you google "Dolby Digital vs DTS" you can find some interesting articles about it.

 

[Anonymous]

Cheers Prof.......Thought there might be a few more stabs at this...

Choice hey - It's a pain isn't it !ÿ

 

[Anonymous]

I must say that given a choice on a disc, I always plump for DTS, though I'm not sure why! I suppose it's because I know it has a higher bandwidth etc, so therefore should be better. That said, if i choose to process stereo material, I much prefer Dolby PLII over Neo:6.

 

[Sliced Bread]

deejay2007:I must say that given a choice on a disc, I always plump for DTS, though I'm not sure why! I suppose it's because I know it has a higher bandwidth etc, so therefore should be better. That said, if i choose to process stereo material, I much prefer Dolby PLII over Neo:6.

I'm exactlty the same, although I must say that on the whole (to my ears) the DTS sound tracks are marginally better. It's probably also worth noting that while DTS is capable of 1.5Mbps you will generally never hear DTS in it's 1.5Mbps form on a standard DVD due to the linitations of the DVD capacity. It is usually half of this. Although I understand that many blueray disks do contain the full 1.5Mbps DTS which can be decoded on a non-HD Amp.