Using Dolby Pro Logic to Play 5.1 DTS DVDs

[Mark Williams]

I have an old home theater system with Dolby Pro Logic. I noticed that most
of the DVDs now just have 5.1 as an audio option. Will the Dolby Pro Logic
still work with 5.1?

[Rich Clark]

"Mark Williams" <MarkWilliam@att.net> wrote in message
news:WqgId.11108$8u5.9701@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
>I have an old home theater system with Dolby Pro Logic. I noticed that
>most
> of the DVDs now just have 5.1 as an audio option. Will the Dolby Pro
> Logic
> still work with 5.1?

Your player creates a stereo downmix of the 5.1 track that is sent out the
analog l/r audio outputs. Your DPL decoder will attempt to reconstruct that
stereo signal as a surround mix (as it does with any stereo signal). The
results will likely bear very little resemblance to the original discrete
surround mix, although they may be pleasant enough to listen to. But all of
the original audio will still be there.

RichC

Sure but nowadays most if not all receivers use a new proccessing system
called pro-logic two.
This basically takes pro-logic stuff and gets dvd-like sound from it. If you
can swing a new receiver 5.1 is definately worth it
"Mark Williams" <MarkWilliam@att.net> wrote in message
news:WqgId.11108$8u5.9701@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
> I have an old home theater system with Dolby Pro Logic. I noticed that
most
> of the DVDs now just have 5.1 as an audio option. Will the Dolby Pro
Logic
> still work with 5.1?
>
>

[Lucas Tam]

<steve99@bellsouth.net> wrote in
news:uiyId.87106$zy6.86537@bignews5.bellsouth.net:

> Sure but nowadays most if not all receivers use a new proccessing
> system called pro-logic two.
> This basically takes pro-logic stuff and gets dvd-like sound from it.
> If you can swing a new receiver 5.1 is definately worth it

You're out of date Stevie-O...

There's an even newer processing method called Dolby Pro-Logic IIx. It
takes stereo, 5.1, 6.1 material and coverts it to 7.1 audio. The effect
produced by DPLIIx is quite good.

--
Lucas Tam (REMOVEnntp@rogers.com)
Please delete "REMOVE" from the e-mail address when replying.
http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/coolspot18/

[Mark Williams]

Thank you everyone for the input... it sounds like it is time to buy a new
system. Any recommendation on a good system that I should go and listen to
that is a reasonable price? Does brand name matter?

[Rich Clark]

"Mark Williams" <MarkWilliams@att.net> wrote in message
news:ZqBId.14546$8u5.7222@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
> Thank you everyone for the input... it sounds like it is time to buy a new
> system. Any recommendation on a good system that I should go and listen
> to that is a reasonable price? Does brand name matter?

Brand name matters, and so do a lot of other things.

What's a "reasonable price"? What speakers do you have now, and do you plan
to keep them? What other components do you have or plan to add to your
system (including the display)? Is the system to be used only for video, or
will you do significant critical music-listening with it?

RichC

[Lucas Tam]

"Mark Williams" <MarkWilliams@att.net> wrote in
news:ZqBId.14546$8u5.7222@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net:

> Thank you everyone for the input... it sounds like it is time to buy a
> new system. Any recommendation on a good system that I should go and
> listen to that is a reasonable price? Does brand name matter?

How much do you want to spend? If you're on a budget, take a look at a
Pioneer VSX-1014 - it has all the latest sound decoding technologies and a
pretty complete feature set too.

--
Lucas Tam (REMOVEnntp@rogers.com)
Please delete "REMOVE" from the e-mail address when replying.
http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/coolspot18/

[Mark Williams]

I currently have aiwa Z-VM27 Midi System... (main speaker 100W/6ohm | center
speaker 30W/8ohm | rear speakers 40W/16 ohms). I am not sure what it the
best way to go and am very open to how I should approach this and what to
get. I don't need the very best, but would like a good solid system. Is
it possible to achieve this for around 500 or less?

If okay... one side question from the original question. My DVD player has
an audio setting for down sampling when outputting 48kHz. What is this for
and should I have this on or off? Also indicates that turning Dolby
Digital off coverts the Dolby Digital to PCM. Is PCM the two channel
digital format that then gets converted to anlog that goes out the L/R
channels?

Thanks again for the help!!!

[Rich Clark]

"Mark Williams" <MarkWilliams@att.net> wrote in message
news:tCEId.15056$8u5.1164@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
>I currently have aiwa Z-VM27 Midi System... (main speaker 100W/6ohm |
>center speaker 30W/8ohm | rear speakers 40W/16 ohms). I am not sure what
>it the best way to go and am very open to how I should approach this and
>what to get. I don't need the very best, but would like a good solid
>system. Is it possible to achieve this for around 500 or less?

Not really. $500 buys the equivalent of what you have now, basically -- a
"home theater in a box" with the requisite five or six speakers, powered
subwoofer, and receiver. Not high fidelity, but then, what you have now
doesn't qualify as such either. An example: Onkyo HT-S770, which commonly
sells for $400-500. See
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-5DNTJndbONr/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?g=135100&I=580HTS770
(linked for reference purposes, not as a recommendation or endorsement of
the seller).

A better approach is to start by selecting a speaker array sounds good to
you, and then select a receiver. One well-regarded entry-level 5.1 speaker
system is the Athena Micra 6
http://www.onecall.com/PID_21643.htm#21643
which could be put together with something like an Onkyo 502
http://www.jr.com/JRProductPage.process?Product=3978050
for a system that would cost less than $700 but sound quite good and be
up-to-date.

(The Pioneer receiver recommended in another post is better, but about $200
more.)

You really need to get out there and listen to current equipment,
particularly speakers, and do so at something other than "big box"
electronics stores like Best Buy or Circuit City, which really aren't set up
for critical listening or A/B comparisons. IMO it's worth it to listen to
some higher-end stuff -- Paradigm, Infinity, Definitive (not Bose!) -- to
get a sense of what an excellent system actually sounds like. Then you have
a standard to aim for when trying to find less expensive equipment that
looses as little of that excellent sound quality as possible.

Normally, I'd recommend to someone with $500 that they buy a receiver and a
decent pair of main speakers, and fill in the rest of the speakers later
when they have more money. But in your case stepping back from an existing
surround system to a stereo system probably isn't acceptable.

It's possible, with astute shopping and some patience, to assemble a worthy
(if modest) HT audio system for $500. But it takes a willingness to wait for
great deals, and/or buy used/refurbished gear, and/or audition equipment in
a store and then buy it online. A system that has no obvious flaws and can
fill a large-ish room at realistic levels is going to cross the $1000 mark
through brick-and-mortar retail channels.

> If okay... one side question from the original question. My DVD player
> has an audio setting for down sampling when outputting 48kHz. What is
> this for and should I have this on or off?

This setting shouldn't matter if you're not using the digital audio output.
Some digital decoders can't handle high sampling rates (96kHz) and work
better if the player sends them a downconverted (48kHz) stream. 48kHz is the
standard for DVD.

>Also indicates that turning Dolby
> Digital off coverts the Dolby Digital to PCM. Is PCM the two channel
> digital format that then gets converted to anlog that goes out the L/R
> channels?

Yes.

RichC

"Lucas Tam" <REMOVEnntp@rogers.com> wrote in message
news:Xns95E69C218DB7nntprogerscom@140.99.99.130...
> <steve99@bellsouth.net> wrote in
> news:uiyId.87106$zy6.86537@bignews5.bellsouth.net:
>
> > Sure but nowadays most if not all receivers use a new proccessing
> > system called pro-logic two.
> > This basically takes pro-logic stuff and gets dvd-like sound from it.
> > If you can swing a new receiver 5.1 is definately worth it
>
> You're out of date Stevie-O...
>
> There's an even newer processing method called Dolby Pro-Logic IIx. It
> takes stereo, 5.1, 6.1 material and coverts it to 7.1 audio. The effect
> produced by DPLIIx is quite good.
Sure, but MOST receivers use prologicII, and will do so until they use up
the chipsets
Doesnt neo6 make a back channel also?
>
> --
> Lucas Tam (REMOVEnntp@rogers.com)
> Please delete "REMOVE" from the e-mail address when replying.
> http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/coolspot18/

[Lucas Tam]

<steve99@bellsouth.net> wrote in news:tDNQd.117$1x1.10
@bignews6.bellsouth.net:

>> You're out of date Stevie-O...
>>
>> There's an even newer processing method called Dolby Pro-Logic IIx. It
>> takes stereo, 5.1, 6.1 material and coverts it to 7.1 audio. The effect
>> produced by DPLIIx is quite good.
> Sure, but MOST receivers use prologicII, and will do so until they use up
> the chipsets
> Doesnt neo6 make a back channel also

Check all the new receivers on the market (for the last 6 - 10 months) -
all are PLIIx : )

--
Lucas Tam (REMOVEnntp@rogers.com)
Please delete "REMOVE" from the e-mail address when replying.
http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/coolspot18/