Thread: Blu-ray Hardware Deals

Originally Posted by Wdam33

The S550 internally decodes Dolby TruHD and DTS-MA.

-Mark

Sony has taken back their statement that it will internally decode DTS-MAster and bitstream only. Big conversation over at AVS. According to their chart, it will only support 5.1 DTS, which is core.

S~

Originally Posted by teachsac

Sony has taken back their statement that it will internally decode DTS-MAster and bitstream only. Big conversation over at AVS. According to their chart, it will only support 5.1 DTS, which is core.

S~

oh....I was not aware of that. I guess I'll head over to AVS and see whats up. Thanks for the info.

I personally believe that it will internally decode DTS Master. I think most of the problem comes from the confusion of DTS and all of its different labels. I think their chart is just incorrect. I have seen many a players' spec sheet or owner's manujal incorrectly list its capabilities for DTS audio. DTS sometimes uses the label DTSHD to encompass everything. People then take it that it only handles DTS-HD HR and not DTS-HD MA. Then there's DTS advanced Digital Out for bitstreaming. They made their own mess with names. We'll see soon enough whether or not it does. You just start to wonder when Filmmixer chimes in.

S~

Originally Posted by navychop

Let me see- how many people have posted they won't go Blu until there's a player below $200? In the last few days, even.

That's what I am waiting for. Even though I came close when Amazon had the Sony BDP-S350 on sale for 278 shipped. But now it is up to 339

Originally Posted by teachsac

I personally believe that it will internally decode DTS Master. I think most of the problem comes from the confusion of DTS and all of its different labels. I think their chart is just incorrect. I have seen many a players' spec sheet or owner's manujal incorrectly list its capabilities for DTS audio. DTS sometimes uses the label DTSHD to encompass everything. People then take it that it only handles DTS-HD HR and not DTS-HD MA. Then there's DTS advanced Digital Out for bitstreaming. They made their own mess with names. We'll see soon enough whether or not it does. You just start to wonder when Filmmixer chimes in.

S~

Eventually yes... It's pretty easy to tell if you have an AVR that accepts 7.1 audio. If a player internally decodes a 7.1 DTS-HD HR or DTS-HD MA track and sends out 8 channels, then it's all good. If it sends out the typical 6 channels, then you're getting the core. Currently people are getting the core.

People have the right to be annoyed. Denon, Samsung, Onkyo and several others have released players saying they would eventually decode all high res audio formats only to be stuck waiting and waiting and waiting.

Originally Posted by allargon

Eventually yes... It's pretty easy to tell if you have an AVR that accepts 7.1 audio. If a player internally decodes a 7.1 DTS-HD HR or DTS-HD MA track and sends out 8 channels, then it's all good. If it sends out the typical 6 channels, then you're getting the core. Currently people are getting the core.

People have the right to be annoyed. Denon, Samsung, Onkyo and several others have released players saying they would eventually decode all high res audio formats only to be stuck waiting and waiting and waiting.

Denon has decoded DTS Master from the day it came out as does the Marantz and BD50. I do agree that people should be annoyed at certain manufacturers saying available with a fw update (i.e. Pioneer). I don't recall Onkyo/integra saying it would ever decode and would be a transport to match their receiver line. Sony's firmware promise was for BDLive. Pioneer has promised Master decoding with a FW update for the 51/05. SAmsung's 2550 is an interesting character as it is exclusive to BB and looks like a guinnea pig model for the upcoming 2500. It is supposed to have an upgrade, but the 2500 should ship with it. It's even more confusing as they use the same OM which says use audiohile (bitstream) to get Dts HD, yet the players have the decoders. It will all depend on below.

DTS has been its own worst enemy in this whole HDM mess and this is not BD specific. From specs, to processors that handle it, and now a "supposed" licensing backlog. I wouldn't mind seeing studios and manufacturers dropping DTS and going with Dolby.

S~

Originally Posted by teachsac

Denon has decoded DTS Master from the day it came out as does the Marantz and BD50. I do agree that people should be annoyed at certain manufacturers saying available with a fw update (i.e. Pioneer). I don't recall Onkyo/integra saying it would ever decode and would be a transport to match their receiver line.

Denon and Marantz still don't internally decode DD+. DD+ is rare on Blu. However, a player that is supposed to decode everything is supposed to decode EVERYTHING. With respect to Onkyo and Integra I am talking about their HD DVD players. HD DVD is dead, but LG and Toshiba continue to release updates on their units. Onkyo should do the same.

Originally Posted by allargon

Denon and Marantz still don't internally decode DD+. DD+ is rare on Blu. However, a player that is supposed to decode everything is supposed to decode EVERYTHING. With respect to Onkyo and Integra I am talking about their HD DVD players. HD DVD is dead, but LG and Toshiba continue to release updates on their units. Onkyo should do the same.

DD+ on BD only exists on one obscure title. No retail discs use it. I don't believe the chipsets used in the HDDVD players were ever capable of internally decoding DTS MA, especially based on/cloned from the XA2. Whether or not a gen4 player could have, we'll never know.

S~

I wouldn't mind seeing studios and manufacturers dropping DTS and going with Dolby.

The problem is the proverbial "genie is out of the bottle." Too many Blu-ray discs are shipping with DTS-HD Master Audio being the only audio format used on the disc. Nearly all of the releases from Fox have DTS-HD Master Audio. Universal Pictures seems to be adopting the same exclusive policy. A lot of Blu-ray discs from New Line and Lionsgate also carry DTS-HD.

If DTS-HD support was dropped from new audio video receivers, surround controllers as well as new BD players it would negatively affect the sales of those devices.

I'm putting money away to buy a new 7.1 channel receiver with HDMI 1.3a connections. I absolutely will not buy a receiver lacking either Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD decoding. The PS3 does internal decoding of both formats, but I know full well the PS3 will not be the only Blu-ray player I'll ever own. I went through 3 different DVD players from 1999 to 2007.