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Blu-ray Dolby / DTS TrueHD
Matt:
Every few months, I spend some time playing with Bluray. I keep hoping it'll be less messy to use on a computer.
I have a problem where Bluray movies often only have Dolby TrueHD audio. My theater amplifier doesn't do TrueHD decoding and is connected with SPDIF. This means I can't use the TrueHD formats.
The software I've tried for Bluray playback can output this sound as 2.0 DTS or AC3 but not 5.1 DTS or AC3.
So to get surround sound with all Blurays, I think I need:
$300+ - Dolby / DTS TrueHD amplifier
$100 - Latest PowerDVD or Arcsoft for HDMI 1.3 audio output
$300-$400 - ATI 5xxx series video card for HDMI output with sound support (the computer is used for gaming so a slower card isn't really an option)
Is there any better solution? It's strange to me that I can have a pretty decent computer (i7, GTX 280) and theater setup but need to spend $1000 to use Bluray audio.
Is there any way to output TrueHD sound down-mixed to 5.1 AC3 / DTS over SPDIF?
Thanks for any help.
Daydream:
My two cents.
If you really just want to play the sound and see the movie, then the latest ffdshow audio will decode the lossless streams - re-encode TrueHD in plain ac3 5.1 and get the DTS core respectively - and feed the data through SPDIF. From any player that does DirectShow. So you can watch just the movie from let's say MPC-HC. If you however want a player that takes advantage of all things on a Blu-Ray -> BD-Java, BD-live, PiP, chapters, subs, whatnot, you can't avoid the scenario you described. Or you abandon the PC, get a standalone Blu-Ray player that does internal decoding and 5.1 analog output (not sure how many units do this) and use your present receiver.
And I would venture a guess that TrueHD is not that popular (mainly only Warner?) because it requires a second track for compatibility reasons. DTS-MA on the other hand is made of lossy core + additional data to make the lossless track. Because of that a DTS decoder can fall back within the same track without the requirement for other tracks. Just saying.
Matt:
--- Quote from: Daydream on December 18, 2009, 07:21:24 pm ---If you really just want to play the sound and see the movie, then the latest ffdshow audio will decode the lossless streams - re-encode TrueHD in plain ac3 5.1 and get the DTS core respectively - and feed the data through SPDIF. From any player that does DirectShow.
--- End quote ---
Doesn't this require AnyDVD-HD? Needing an expensive program that's possibly illegal and that the Blu-ray people would like to lock-out isn't a great solution for me personally or for JRiver to recommend.
jmone:
--- Quote from: Matt on December 18, 2009, 05:59:41 pm ---Is there any way to output TrueHD sound down-mixed to 5.1 AC3 / DTS over SPDIF?
--- End quote ---
Hi Matt,
As you know SPDIF does not have the bandwidth for 5.1 PCM or support bitstreaming of any of the newer Codecs (eg it can only do DD, DTS, 2CH PCM). So if you want to hear any High Definition Multi Channel Audio (one of the big benefits of Blu-ray IMHO) you only have have a few connection choices choices (and all of them will require TMT / PDVD to "play" a disc without ripping it's content):
a) Bitstream: If you want to decode in your receiver you will need a HDMI 1.3 graphic card that supports bitstreaming (eg ATI 5XXX) + a new HDMI receiver. TMT (PDVD???) can then pass the bitsteam over the HDMI link to the receiver for decoding, amplification etc.
b) PCM: The option most had used to date is for TMT / PDVD to decode your selected Audio track to LPCM and transmit this over HDMI (eg ATI HD4XXX+) to a suitably equipped HDMI Receiver or an Analoge connection from your Sound Card to the Analoge in on your Receiver (even your receiver should have these!)
Your only other way of getting sound out is to either play the standard DD/DTS (or 2CH PCM track) or downconvert to these formats. Both TMT and PDVD should do this for you but the sound at this point is no better than a DVD...and if you are not using a large HD screen...there is no benefit of Blu-ray at all. If you do have the right equipment it looks and sounds great.
Thanks
Nathan
jmone:
I added some of this to "7: Blu-ray...Not Seeing and Hearing the Difference?" in the Blu-ray thread http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=55171.0
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