Page 1 of The Official; "Prove DTS is better than Dolby thread"!!!Evidence please!

Is DTS that important?

I am hoping to buy a home cinema system at the weekend, choice between the new Sony HTK25 with DTS or an Acoustic Solutions which is only 5.1. (but you do get speaker stand which look v nice).

Any advice would be welcome.

This item was edited on Friday, 27th September 2002, 15:21

You`ll always be wondering what the difference is if you don`t get it. Certain films have outstanding DTS soundtracks, others show a more subtle difference, and a few sound better in DD 5.1. Personally, I`d make sure any system I bought had DTS.

I would agree with Richard H, some DTS tracks are far better than the dolby digital 5.1. Personally i would get an amp with the DTS facility as further down the line you will wish you had.

I`ll second that

The R1 DTS soundtrack in Blade 2 rocks

...and let`s not forget DTS music - Queen have a greatest hits audio/video compilation coming out next month in lovely DTS.

Guys lets not lose touch here!!

As with all the other dts vs dolby debates it`s been PROVEN that the percieved difference between dts and dolby is because a 3db lift is added to the soundtrack at the authoring stage to compensate for the half bit rate DTS audio. Theoretically, if the track was mixed at the same level as the dolby mix - it would sound WORSE as you are practically halving the available bit rate. Dolby comes in either 484 or 384 guises, and it doesn`t pretend to be anything more, (though there are some very rare 640 kbps dolby tracks, but aren`t used anymore), so dolby`s full bitrate is used from the off. In order for the halving of the dts bit rate, the decibel lift above is applied - hence the PERCIEVED sese that effects are clearer at any given volume when in fact they`re just louder!

I`ve been very sceptical of dts of late, having gone through extensive comparisons with all my latest discs, (Blade 2, Monsters Inc, Blade R3 DTS), i can find absolutely NO difference whatsoever, (he says as he cracks open a can of worms!!).

Full bit rate DTS tracks and 6.1 discrete show a certain difference in sonic character, the full bit rate tracks seem quieter because they are allowed the room to breathe as they are technically identical to the original master, and 6.1 discrete is different by default as it has a completely seperate rear surround channel. Also some dts mixes are encoded by a different team of mixing bods, so of course, it WILL sound different, but not necessarily better.

If someone could tell me what is actually BETTER about any given dts track, (please, no one mention the arrows in Gladiator sounding clearer in dts, it sounds just the same in dolby 5.1!!), then i`d like it explained here!! :-).

Perhaps the only exceptions i`m willing to accept are The Haunting R1 and Saving Private Ryan, which have been remixed from the ground up i believe!

Lets have some.... :-)

Westy

This item was edited on Thursday, 26th September 2002, 17:32

Have to agree with you on SPR - -still the disc I shove in when I just want some class surround action - -One proposition I will put forward though is the Die Hard ultimate collection, I think there is a difference here with the DTS track but Ill await ur response.

CS

Die Hard collection,

I did some testing last night when the neighbours were out, set everything on the amp to zero, (including the dts lfe), turned up the volume to reference point and sat back. I watched and listened to the bit where Mclane throws the computer bomb down the lift shaft. The explosion was just as deep on the Dolby 5.1 track as it is on dts, also the mid and high frequencies were identical on both. Possibly one difference is that the dts track can sometimes sound rather shrill as the recording is very old indeed.

So Die Hard, no. If you can provide another reference that proves me wrong then keep em comin.. :-)

Westy

My brown eye, the stinker not the winker. The money shot in scene 6 where the anal router spluffs his load is awsome in DTS.

I await your thoughts Westy.

The 42%er.

Aaaah, but is this beacuse you listened to the dts mix FIRST, then switched to the Dolby track? Its at that point that the guilty conciense in the back of your head MAKES you believe the dts track sounded better cause you want to justify the extra sound option on the disc.

I`ve just had a listen in Dolby and DTS, no difference whatsoever. Just as much punch and dynamic snarl on both tracks.

NEXT!!

Westy