DTS and Dolby? whats the diff?

[AznRevlAzn 10+ year member]

So theres DTS and Dolby digital. Whats the difference? I am starting to get on the home theatre thing //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

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[PV Audio 5,000+ posts]

exactly what i was thinking james, well put

 

[Prowler573 5,000+ posts]

Not any better of an explanation than Jmac's...just a bit more detailed..

Taken from Crutchfield's 'Learning Center' pages:

Dolby Digital: A higher level of realism

Dolby® Digital quickly established itself as a reigning surround format, largely thanks to DVDs. Although Dolby Digital, strictly speaking, is a particular method of encoding audio information digitally, the term is often used to refer to 5.1-channel audio — its most popular form. In discussing Dolby Digital surround sound, we'll be focusing on this multichannel format.

Unlike Pro Logic, Dolby Digital 5.1-channel audio is a "discrete" multichannel surround sound system. Discrete means that the sound information contained in each of the six available channels is distinct and independent from the others. These six channels are described as a "5.1-channel" system, because there are five full-bandwidth channels with 3-20,000 Hz frequency range for front left and right, center, and surround, plus one "low frequency effects" (LFE) subwoofer channel devoted to frequencies from 3-120 Hz.

Advantages to Dolby Digital include the following:

• Dolby Digital is the chosen multichannel digital audio format for DVDs and HDTV
  
• any receiver with Dolby Digital decoding can also decode Pro Logic
  
• six discrete channels; sounds can be placed much more precisely, for improved dialogue clarity, soundstage size, spaciousness, and realism
  
• you get stereo surround channels; you can hear separate off-screen sounds to the left rear and right rear simultaneously
  
• you get a dedicated subwoofer channel, for plenty of deep bass
  
• thanks to digital encoding, you enjoy greater accuracy

DTS: Another 5.1 surround option

Like Dolby Digital, DTS® provides 5.1 channels of digital audio. However, DTS uses less compression than Dolby Digital. As a result, some say that the sound produced by DTS is slightly more accurate than the sound produced by Dolby Digital.

The down side is that most DTS DVDs don't have as much room for extra features (like commentaries, foreign languages, and multiple versions of the movie). Also, there are very few DTS DVDs or CDs available, compared to the number of Dolby Digital DVDs.

 

[TeenWolf 10+ year member]

Yes, I have to agree...DTS offers better quality sound because there is less compression. Unfortunately, most movies are in Dolby Digital.

 

[PV Audio 5,000+ posts]

to me it doesn't matter because stereo>all

//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

 

[cjjackson85 5,000+ posts]

Surround>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Stereo in Home Theatre...

 

[Decado 10+ year member]

I love DTS, but it definitely makes it harder to burn dvd's to DVD-5 (instead of DVD-9 which is twice the size but alot more expensive) without losing quality because DTS takes up so much space //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif .

 

[PV Audio 5,000+ posts]

Surround>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Stereo in Home Theatre...

when you get to the point that stereo becomes surround, then you'll understand //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[adam71 5,000+ posts]

I understand that no matter how well your speakers image you can never surpass 5 or 7 channels in surround mode with 2 speakers......get real. Digital surround is discrete, not matrixed (exception being the center surround on Dolby EX). Once you downmix the Dolby Digital or DTS signal to 2 channel you loose your discrete rear channel information and its all smudged into one mono channel. I seriously doubt you can hear surround information coming from behind you in a 2 channel stereo set up.

 

[bri487 5,000+ posts]

a love a good surround system. just began building my new one, all in ceiling though.

 

[adam71 5,000+ posts]

It's lemans ... You don't even need to argue with him; he's wrong by default ...

Oh ok.......//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

Of course, if I had $500 to spend, I'd rather have a pair of $500 towers than a $500 surround system. But a well-designed 5.1 system with good speakers is much better than a 2.0 system.

You got that right. I have Mirage Front and center speakers and Atlantic Technology dipole surrounds and I'm getting ready to buy a pair of B&W speakers to replace my mains. And then in a month get the B&W matching center channel. B&Ws are great freakin speakers.

 

[JimJ 5,000+ posts]

I don't have the money yet to do a surround system like what I'd want to...thinking something like all-Class A, monoblocked with a 12AU7 preamp //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif 45w to 7 channels should be good...with a nice DIY sub.

 

[JimJ 5,000+ posts]

Bowers & Wilkins are good...for the price I could design better, though. A tad inefficient, as well.

 

[adam71 5,000+ posts]

I don't have the money yet to do a surround system like what I'd want to...thinking something like all-Class A, monoblocked with a 12AU7 preamp //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif 45w to 7 channels should be good...with a nice DIY sub.

Like one with all balanced XLR inputs and outputs. That would rule.

 

[JimJ 5,000+ posts]

Wouldn't really need the balanced inputs as long as it was well-shielded...