Dear forumers,

I am noob in this. I would like to know the sound format for HD movies. How is it being done? PCM , Dolby DigitalTrue HD, dts-hdma....

And... how can I really hear the difference? do i need special sets of speakers?

I plan to run the full HD movies using my notebook (with HDMI port) and link to Full HD LCD TV and the sounds will be processed by Creative X-Fi USB sound processor? Possible?

Rgds,
RK

u wont get HD sound from notebook playback.
Most notebook HDMI only output video only, the best u can get from their optical (if any) is normal DD or DTS sound
and, use your ear to listen to the difference

It usually comes it AC3 (DD5.1) or DTS....

But sometimes got DTSHDMA, AAC, WMA and others as well.
If you use a computer, a sound card to decode it, and send the signals to the multichannel Amp using the jacks available.

how about bd player is ps3.got option for audio.
PCM @ Linear.default is PCM.i heard if change to Linear,
audio come better.but,if i change to Linear,appear message.
" Some part of audio be unless " ( i forgot exactly the message )

currently,i use ht for audio with optical cable.

You are referring to the problem of the PS3 or the HT?
If the PS3 sorry, dunno, but if the HT try playing around with the menu options.

option audio at ps3..

Wow, so informative! Thanks guys!

mpyw: Meaning i cannot use notebook even with Creative Ext. Sound card? Gotta scout for ASUS O!Play AIR HDP-R3 already

Azbro: So, meaning to say, I have to invest in Home Theater Systems also? Aiyo

So if i were to purchase from [http://www.movieberry.com/], those HD media players can decode those sound formats?

Still thinking of the cheapest solution to get to hear the sound difference... haha

This post has been edited by RayKazansky: Mar 5 2010, 07:00 PM

Get a HT set ....or 2nd hand AVR that decodes DTS/DD...but make sure of hardware compatibility first.
But for DTSHDMA, you need to spend a lot more...and I'm not sure AsusOplay supports DTSHDMA or not?...

Owh, ok,... will do more research bro.

Gee,... thankx

This post has been edited by RayKazansky: Mar 5 2010, 07:30 PM

Tell us your progress, get the right stuff...take note abt this..a few ppl spend thousands and couldn't even get a basic DTS sound to come out from their HT.
So, share your setup...

Bro,... Asus O!Play Air HDP-R3 is running on HDMI 1.3. I think, DTSHDMA us supported. Amacam, worth buying ka? It also comes with the optical audio jack.

Go for it then..i think thats what you were looking for..rite..

that is not a clear indication that it can support dts-hdma.
nearly 90% of the media player that exist in the market can't play, or have at least some problem bitstreaming dts-hdma and truehd.

well make that 95%

Oh my

How can I be sure? Never mention in specs.



This post has been edited by RayKazansky: Mar 16 2010, 05:19 PM

if it's not mention, it means there's no capability.

even those that mention can play also have problem play one. hehe

Google and look up for the specs. You'll need to know what you're looking for..

u will get d effect but not as good as using the proper HT set..

I think can

If you want media player that plays HD audio, currently only the higher priced ones can do that, e.g the Dvico 6500A, HDX BD1, HDMAX-BD-200C (all above RM1K). You will also need an AVR with HDMI input which also supports HD audio. (Note * Just having HDMI is not enough, it must also SUPPORT HD Audio, whether Bitstream or LPCM).

Those movie files with HD Audio (TrueHD ot DTS-MA) are normally files with .M2TS extension.

Those with .MKV extension normally only contain downconverted Regular Dolby/DTS 5.1.

(Note:- Although the cheaper Media players can play .m2ts files, the audio will not be real HD Audio, only downgraded 5.1 sound or sometimes even stereo or no sound)

This post has been edited by Ngto: Mar 16 2010, 11:55 PM

Oh my,... i sense more components being taken into account. Btw, what is AVR?

AVR is your Audio Video Receiver as in Pioneer, Onkyo, Denon, Yamaha.... (some may know them as Amplifiers)

movie files with mkv extension nowadays can contain HD audios already
but none of the media players in the market can properly bitstream HD audios from mkv files
not even those high price media players if I'm not mistaken

Among cheaper media players so far only WDTV Live can play m2ts files with proper bitstreaming of TrueHD

They Can contain but they are not the norm yet, that's why I use the word "Normally".

WDTV Live may play TrueHD but what about DTS-MA. Partial function don't count as the real thing because lots of m2ts are using DTS-MA nowadays .

Anyway let's not bring topic of MKV that contain HD Audio into the picture since no media players in market can properly bitstream them currently , it will only confuse the TS

This post has been edited by Ngto: Mar 17 2010, 12:09 AM

Do a search on DTSHD here you'll be amazed..

At least there's a cheap media player that can play TrueHD rather than none, right?
Still can play some older m2ts titles with TrueHD
Better than those who promised initially that it can play HD audios then later claimed that got licensing issue lar, chipset limitation lar, SDK restriction lar, blah blah blah

Since mkv can contain HD audios already
it's just a matter of time it becomes a norm

All I see are files with just regular AC3 and DTS

---

Added on March 17, 2010, 12:15 amLike I said TS looking for info on Current Media players in market, not something that relates to future . If he buys the Asus O!Play thinking it can play MKVs with HD Audio in future then you better answer to him in future



This post has been edited by Ngto: Mar 17 2010, 12:22 AM

well.. i have to admit that.. but most 1080p are ripped with DTSHDMA core..

the source are dts-hdma, but the hdma part are left out leaving only the dts core in the mkv.
it's quite rare to find mkv that has dtshdma/truehd in it.

I think is better u get a AVR.

AS nowaday Notebook can play any file if got d codec..

Can also... so i get:
- An Asus notebook with 1GB dedicated GPU & HDMI port
- Creative X-Fi Surround 5.1 (with TOSLINK)
- Good 5.1 Surround Speakers with TOSLINK? (not those expensive ones)

Dear sifus, this config is okay?

Since you have decided not to have HD Audio , why not just stick to a cheap media player. You can also get hold of a cheap AVR that does regular 5.1 sound.

Makes sense also as I only wanna make sure that the sound that comes out is really Dolby Digital AC3,Dolby Digital Plus & DTS Digital Surround.

That's all my requirement. Maybe my ears also cannot differentiate the HD audio

You guys (all the sifus that replied) really shared good info and it is very useful. Thanks, yo!

This post has been edited by RayKazansky: Mar 17 2010, 11:16 AM

Actually diff between HD Audio and regular 5.1 not really night and day difference especially with budget setups. So just forget HD Audio and play regular MKV with your media player. MKVs quality are actually quite good and the size can be about 4-5 times smaller than the full uncompressed BD copy. (Occasionally you can also try some m2ts if you know where to get them, but your setup can only hear regular 5.1 of course )

This post has been edited by Ngto: Mar 17 2010, 11:48 AM

That's just a branch out lar, bro
merely a discussion on what mkv can contain
I'm not a fortune teller to tell him what player can play mkv files with HD audios in future

Like I said, none of the players in the market can play mkv files with HD audios currently
and there is a cheap media player that can at least play m2ts files with TrueHD
that might be an option for TS

I purposely used the sentence MKV 'normally' don't have HD Audio , just to avoid people sidetracking into something that confuse the TS but still you couldn't resist

agree with u, not much different...

I thinks linear mean ur PS3 will pass through audio to your HT. Maybe ur HT cannot decode that audio.
PCM means PS3 will decode that audio and send to HT.

Yes, the difference will be rather minimal or to some untrained ears, none at all, which was being debated some time ago.

I had Dvico 6500 and HDX BD1. In a way, both have their pros and cons in terms of HD playback (m2ts and bd iso). I guess there isn't a perfect media player that does all flawlessly in the market now.

Hi guys,

I don't know y u guys says Notebook HDMI cannot give audio output. My notebook can output 5.1 and even 7.1 to my AVR. I not sure this is call decode or pass thru but it does audio output.

i just tested the newer Compaq CQ35 series with nVidia chipset. it does have an option to output audio through HDMI.
no idea if it supports HD audio passthorugh though. no AVR to test it with

Which 'You Guys' said that? I only read one guy said that MOST Notebok HDMI doesn't give Audio, only video. There's a difference between the word 'Most' and 'All' you know .

Anyway TS was asking more about HD Audio over HDMI, I hope you know the diff between HD Audio and regular Dolby/DTS 5.1 audio

---

Added on March 18, 2010, 9:58 amHow's your BD1, still got poblem with certain files? No firmware updates yet? Sell to me cheap . I want to replace my POHD.

This post has been edited by Ngto: Mar 19 2010, 02:06 PM

Sorry if i quote "guys" wrongly.

About TS, my notebook can output HD Audio over HDMI. I "think" HDMI should be able to output both HD audio and video over HDMI in any case (maybe i am wrong).

Must be very careful with writing english here!!! . May offend someone.

Bro, since I'm on a tight budget, I am considering one of these players first...

- TViX HD N1 (Cafe)
- A.C.Ryan Playon!HD mini [ACR-PV73200]
- ASUS O!Play AIR HDP-R3
- WD TV Live
- FreeAgent Theater+™ HD Media Player

Any suggestion?

*I think, HTPC+AVR will be too costly for me at the moment *

Just having 5.1 sound over HDMI doesn't mean it can handle HD Audio. Getting HD Audio will depend on the software, the sound Card capabilities etc.

Even your AVR must be able to handle HD Audio. There are some AVR with HDMI but the sound is not passed through.

In either case there must be a HD audio decoder (TrueHD/DTS-MA, not regular Dolby/DTS) present.

Selecting HD audio in the source movie and hearing 5.1 sound in your HT system doesn't mean you are getting HD Audio. For e.g when I play a blu-ray movie in my non-HD audio AVR , I still get 5.1 sound but it is only downgraded sound.

btw, you didn't quote "guys" wrongly. You quote "U Guys" wrongly . And it's not the english that I am talking about

---

Added on March 18, 2010, 11:53 amEach player got some ++ and -- . You need to be more specific of your needs.

This post has been edited by Ngto: Mar 18 2010, 11:53 AM

[quote=Ngto,Mar 18 2010, 11:46 AM]
Just having 5.1 sound over HDMI doesn't mean it can handle HD Audio. Getting HD Audio will depend on the software, the sound Card capabilities etc.
I am not sure about your setup but my setup is notebook -> AVR, my AVR shows that HD Audio is running with 7.1 and not only "just having 5.1 sound over HDMI". Does this mean my system can handle HD Audio?

Even your AVR must be able to handle HD Audio. There are some AVR with HDMI but the sound is not passed through.

In either case there must be a HD audio decoder (TrueHD/DTS-MA, not regular Dolby/DTS) present.

Selecting HD audio in the source movie and hearing 5.1 sound in your HT system doesn't mean you are getting HD Audio. For e.g when I play a blu-ray movie in my non-HD audio AVR , I still get 5.1 sound but it is only downgraded sound.

btw, you didn't quote "guys" wrongly. You quote "U Guys" wrongly . And it's not the english that I am talking about
I wrote "u guys" means that i am not specifically pointing at that person and just for general speaking.

I'm on a CQ45 nvidia graphics and outputting to an AVR.. yes it does give me the 5.1 from an mkv source but the amps only light up PCM.. so no passthrough here..

[quote=TrynRex,Mar 18 2010, 01:45 PM]
[quote=Ngto,Mar 18 2010, 11:46 AM]
Just having 5.1 sound over HDMI doesn't mean it can handle HD Audio. Getting HD Audio will depend on the software, the sound Card capabilities etc.
I am not sure about your setup but my setup is notebook -> AVR, my AVR shows that HD Audio is running with 7.1 and not only "just having 5.1 sound over HDMI". Does this mean my system can handle HD Audio?

Even your AVR must be able to handle HD Audio. There are some AVR with HDMI but the sound is not passed through.

In either case there must be a HD audio decoder (TrueHD/DTS-MA, not regular Dolby/DTS) present.

Selecting HD audio in the source movie and hearing 5.1 sound in your HT system doesn't mean you are getting HD Audio. For e.g when I play a blu-ray movie in my non-HD audio AVR , I still get 5.1 sound but it is only downgraded sound.

btw, you didn't quote "guys" wrongly. You quote "U Guys" wrongly . And it's not the english that I am talking about
I wrote "u guys" means that i am not specifically pointing at that person and just for general speaking.

[/quote]


Make sure your AVR display screen TrueHD or DTS-MA logo light up. If you can see that ,then Ok, your system can handle HD Audio . Some 7.1 AVR can take a regular AC3 or DTS 5.1 sound and upmix some of the channels giving a virtual 7.1.

Like I said it's not about the english. I was referring to you saying someone said 'so and so ' when no one really said 'so and so'. Can we drop this issue now and move on .

This post has been edited by Ngto: Mar 18 2010, 02:32 PM

cheers mate.....

Since TViX HD N1 (shortlisted) is premium according to Digital Mall seller... I am still wondering if the unit is more reliable than others like ACRyan in terms of certain files cannot be played eventhough format is supported, menu hang...and etc.

No f/w updates yet. Have to wait til April. Not much of a problem if you just hit 'play' button. Only happens to very few bd iso when I press 'fwd'. It stuck there. Apart from this, it plays bd iso w/o much problem. Still IMHO it is better than my Dvico 6500.

I have 2 BD1 with me. One is for myself and the other is for sale. Cheap?

No problems with my AC Ryan . But maybe I am just using for straightforward playback. Not using network or any of the other features.

Anyway N1 is using same realtek chipset as AC Ryan, if I am not mistaken.

---

Added on March 19, 2010, 12:08 amIs it new or used? For sale means how much?

btw, Wasn't there a DVD playback problem with the latest firmware?

This post has been edited by Ngto: Mar 19 2010, 12:09 AM

It is a new unit. PM me for the price.

DVD playback? Never tried it. I am getting because it can play bd iso or m2ts with bd java w/o problem, which my 6500 is unable to do it.

A while back, I read in the BD1 thread one user mentioned that DVD.iso stopped functioning after updating to 4.9 firmware. I don't know if this happened only to his set.

I also read that a new firmware is coming out in April. I think I will wait for while and see how that goes before deciding.

What is the BD1 thingy? got link?

BD1 is priced in region of RM1.1K. The advantage over the cheaper media players is it can display the full Menus found in bdmv(m2ts files) or bd.iso. It is also able to bitstream HD audio to your AVR (provided it also support HD Audio).

Meaning the BD1 is more advance than the one i'm targetting... TViX HD N1 Cafe? price could be as close to double

Yes, spot on. I bought it because it does not have any limitation (in terms of number of playing times) for m2ts as well as bd iso playback.

Like I have told you before, since your budget is low, do you really need HD Audio? If you do, you have to pay RM1.1 K for the BD1 player and on top of that you have to buy an AVR which supports HD Audio which will cost you another RM1.5K. And what about your speaker system ?

Secondly regarding BD Menus, the BD1 has the advantage to activate those menus in m2ts and BD.iso files. But like I mentioned before, the other cheaper media players (like the POHD) can also play those fiiles, but only disadvantage is they can't display the menus. (please don't confuse with DVD menus, which all the players cheap or expensive can display).

Also take note that MKVs don't contain any menus, so even the expensive players like the BD1 won't be able to do anything about it.

Next point is do you want to play RMVB files ? Because the BD1 can't play those files.

update- BD1 I tested at shop
---------------------------------
It also can't play VCD files which the cheaper players (POHD) can.

The player specs said can play .dat (VCD) files, but when I tested at the shop the BD1 can't even recognise and list the files with .dat extension. Maybe this is a bug (Not that I am expecting enyone to play VCD files on this player, except me of course, for my Karaoke collection ). )

Also I tried to browse DVD folders but again it didn't allow that feature (even when system settings was set to browse (General). Another bug?

Then I tried to play 2 of the DVD I copied to my External HDD. One of them played successfully. The other (Jet Li's "Hero" double Layer copy) couldn't play. The menus appeared though, but pressing play or sellecting a chapter kicked back to the Menu after a brief moment.). This movie didn't have any problems whatsoevr playing on the cheaper Players.

The BD playback was of course problem free , whch is what this player's main purpose is for.

This post has been edited by Ngto: Mar 20 2010, 01:52 PM

Hi Ngto,
Thank you for the very informative explanations. If I were to set my purchase price higher, what are the options (players that are on par with BD1) ?

I have already posted the details before. Maybe you should go back through the previous posts. FYI, The other players which can display Blu-ray menus are even more expensive than the BD1

This post has been edited by Ngto: Mar 22 2010, 11:51 AM

Bro, someone selling AC Ryan told me that the device can read bluray iso... is it the same thing you mentioned about BD1?

You really should go back and read what I have posted before. I can't be repeating everything I have said before . Hope you take the trouble to read it

Ok, one last time, this was what I posted just 3 or 4 posts above :-

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Like I have told you before, since your budget is low, do you really need HD Audio? If you do, you have to pay RM1.1 K for the BD1 player and on top of that you have to buy an AVR which supports HD Audio which will cost you another RM1.5K. And what about your speaker system ?

Secondly regarding BD Menus, the BD1 has the advantage to activate those menus in m2ts and BD.iso files. But like I mentioned before, the other cheaper media players (like the POHD) can also play those fiiles, but only disadvantage is they can't display the menus. (please don't confuse with DVD menus, which all the players cheap or expensive can display).

Also take note that MKVs don't contain any menus, so even the expensive players like the BD1 won't be able to do anything about it.

Next point is do you want to play RMVB files ? Because the BD1 can't play those files.

update- BD1 I tested at shop
---------------------------------
It also can't play VCD files which the cheaper players (POHD) can.

The player specs said can play .dat (VCD) files, but when I tested at the shop the BD1 can't even recognise and list the files with .dat extension. Maybe this is a bug (Not that I am expecting enyone to play VCD files on this player, except me of course, for my Karaoke collection ). )

Also I tried to browse DVD folders but again it didn't allow that feature (even when system settings was set to browse (General). Another bug?

Then I tried to play 2 of the DVD I copied to my External HDD. One of them played successfully. The other (Jet Li's "Hero" double Layer copy) couldn't play. The menus appeared though, but pressing play or sellecting a chapter kicked back to the Menu after a brief moment.). This movie didn't have any problems whatsoevr playing on the cheaper Players.

The BD playback was of course problem free , whch is what this player's main purpose is for.

This post has been edited by Ngto: Mar 22 2010, 01:43 PM

Hi Ngto, yes,.. fully under-sa-tand liow & ten-kiu.

Here's what i wanna do:-
- Just get the HD N1 for normal playback and forget about expensip sound system. Cant afford liow as I am buying new car.

Not that you can't afford. Only that your priority is different

Don't worry , play around with your player first. Stick to mostly MKV for now (maybe can try out some m2ts/BD.iso if you like). MKV quality and sound are good enough and the files are quite easily available. On the other hand , M2ts and BD.iso files are not that many yet and not easily available, unless you know how to get them. They are more expensive too if you are buying from someone and each file size average around 40GB+ and take up a lot of your HD space. (MKV file size only average 8-10GB).

Next time got more money then can buy HD Audio AVR and media players like BD1. By that time price already much cheaper.

This post has been edited by Ngto: Mar 24 2010, 11:31 AM

after so many comment.. u end up buy HD N1...

How much bro and where?

He can't afford mah, so buy cheaper option loh. But knowledge is free, so he ask as much as he wants loh

hahaha.. that is true.. knowlwdge is free.. but just wonder he learn or not.. sekali gus we giv so many input...

Everyone has to start from somewhere

So many inputs until i wanted to faint (too noob)... . Sorry to have troubled you guys and I really appreciate those comments.

luckily u still stand and not fainted yet...

Hope 1 day u will sell ur car and bcome to HT...

Aiyo... nowadays hobbies can be so expensive... i can be normal HT fan but not extreme ones... good 1080p quality vids and clear sound also can already... requirement = low.

yala, nowaday habbies need money. No money no hobbie...