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[stalag131]

Some people say it doesn't work... some people say it does....   Is this just basically trial and error?  Luck?

[bspachman]

Well, I haven't gotten them to work with MJ yet...but steps are being taken. Keep in mind my knowledge is based on working in Win2k, so there may be differences with the "consumer" OSes.

Bit-perfect playback is needed when dealing with DTS CDs. The decoders are very sensitive to mangling of the bitstream. MJ 8 has an alpha ASIO plugin that is a start. MJ 9 integrates the ASIO driver into the main application.

ASIO is a different driver model that lets MJ send the bitstream directly to the soundcard without going through the native Windows drivers. Unfortunately, the majority of soundcards that have ASIO drivers available are the "pro" soundcards. Check out RME, M-Audio, etc.

DTS doesn't work yet with MJ in my case because the MJ ASIO driver sends the bitstream to the first channel on my M-Audio sound card which is unfortunately an analog channel. I can use my sound card interface to map the analog channels back to the digital outputs, but the card performs some upsampling and mangles the bitstream into static. I have to wait until there is some kind of interface with MJ to actually select the output channel on the sound card. (Any news on that, guys?)

FWIW, I have successfully played DTS CDs using WinAmp. You need the CDReader plugin and the ASIO output plugin. After that, you should be okay (as long as your sound card supports ASIO).

ASIO sounds better to me than the regular SPDIF output on my card anyway, so i love the steps that MJ 9 is taking!

Best,
Brad

[Mike Noe]

MJ9 (ASIO) passes DTS CD (encoded APE) to my sound card (RME Digi96/8PST) just fine.  I have to choose "non-audio" on my card driver options for the DTS bitstream to be understood by my external DAC (Proceed AVP).  If you don't choose "non-audio" bitstream, the AVP can't figure it out.

Media Jukebox PLUS 9.0.57
Install Path: C:\Program Files\J River\Media Jukebox\

CPU: Intel Pentium III 448 MHz MMX
Memory: Total - 261 MB, Free - 107 MB
OS: Microsoft Windows XP  Workstation 5.1 Service Pack 1 (Build 2600)

Internet Explorer: 6.0.2800.1106
ComCtl32.dll: 6.00.2800.1106
Shlwapi.dll: 6.00.2800.1106
Shell32.dll: 6.00.2800.1106
wnaspi32.dll: Internal ASPI Layer

[DocLotus]

DTS Cd's?

What's a DTS CD anyway?

[Markeau]

Multichannel audio cd recorded in the DTS format.

http://www.dtsonline.com/

[bspachman]

Doc,

A DTS CD is a redbook CD that has DTS-encoded material on it. I suppose it's not entirely accurate to refer to one as a "CD", but since it looks like one and has music on it, it's an easy thing to do.

DTS encoding is normally found on DVDs, but there are several music-only "CD"s out there that are surround-sound oriented if you have the appropriate decoders. For MJ users, since MJ doesn't contain a DTS decoder, you would need to hook your computer up to a pre/pro that has DTS decoding built-in.

One thing I've been meaning to try is to see if the digital out on my regular CD player enables me to listen to DTS CDs... The digital out should theoretically send a perfect DTS bitstream to my receiver, which would then decode the DTS info and give me surround sound playback of the CD.

Best,
Brad

[stalag131]

Brad,
 This is how I've always heard of dts cd's being p.ayed, out the optical and through the reciever.

[Mike Noe]

Yes, you'll see DVD and CD players with the little "DTS" logo.  That means they'll read and pass the bitstream but not decode it, hence the need for an receiver/preamp that will accept/decode the DTS bitstream.  Though not very popular, there are some very nice DTS CDs:

Steely Dan - Gaucho
Junior Wells
Santana

The list goes on...but not too far.

[bspachman]

stalag,

Yep, it seems obvious now that I've though about it. Since I only own 2 DTS CDs, I always just popped them in my DVD player--no problem. Since my last post, I reconnected my CD player and tried them both out there. They work great! Too bad MJ can't control my CD player...

Ah well, once ASIO support gets stabilized in MJ9, I'll be able to dump WinAmp forever. Next it's on to pulling DTS/DD audio off my DVD-As and playing them with MJ & finally pulling the 96/24 tracks off the DVD-As and getting them into MJ!

One Jukebox to rule them all, and on the hard drive bind them...

Best,
Brad

[DocLotus]

Brad... thanks for the info.

Do you know exactly what the initials 'DTS' stand for? I am keeping a large Word file with thousands of abbriviations & their meanings.

Thanks;
Doc

[SeanC]

DTS=Digital Theatre Sound

[Phat Phreddy]

Passing them out of the digital out is possible depending on the soundcard drivers and OS that you are using...

Of course getting them out of the analogue outs is not an option as MJ has no DTS decoder licences...

[DocLotus]

Hi Guys;

Does the DTS sound found on a few CD’s have an AC3 extension?

The reason I ask is because my Sound Blaster Audigy Platinum sound card came with some 5.1 surround sound music files & they have AC3 file extensions.

I have 5.1 surround sound on my computer as the Audigy has built in 5.1.

The AC3 files sound like nothing else I have heard… simply spectacular!  They make all other music files, including the best CD music, sound really ‘dead’.

Unfortunately, MJ9 does not play AC3 files.  I have to use the Creative Play Center (a less then great media player).