Hey all, I've learned a lot just reading here but haven't quite got this one..
Kinda excited about playing a Nine Inch Nails DVD-A I've got but waiting to set up the best way 1st with what I've got..
Sony NC625 5-disc DVD-V/CD Player to Pioneer VSXD510 Receiver(has all possible inputs)
I've got the dig. coax out on the dvd, and the amp's got that input as well as the 6 channels..
Will the dig. coax out decode well enough (or at all) to support the TRUE 5.1 surround mix? --(or even at a comprimised bit-rate)-- (Considering I'm not ready to just BOOYEA and go get a DVD-A player just yet...
I've read different things from: it not working at all using dig. coax because of copyrights from the dvd-a disc ; Not getting the proper rez (96 bumped down to 48 khz)...
Have we really gotten screwed again? Or are the differences so slight I'll still boast most of what the DVD-A disc has to offer?
Depends on the disc, some DVD-As contain a 48 KHz 2 channel track. Some even contain a 5.1 Dolby Digital or DTS track you can access with the coax cable.
Unfortuneately for the true high rez 24 bit / 96 Hhz playback, you're going to need a player with the 6 channel analog outputs.
The S/PDIF (coaxial or optical cable) interface is limited to a total 192KHz/24 bits summing up all channels. So in theory you could put through several channels at CD quality. Problem is, receiver DSP does only understand DD, DTS and 2-channel PCM. The latter can actually be up to 96KHz/24 bits per stereo channel within DVD-V standard. But often disc gives instructions to player to downsample digital out at 48/24. This protection can be overruled on a decrypted disc copy. (An interesting albeit slightly illegal experiment).
Even if you have the 6-channel analog outputs, which I think you do, you're not going to get high-res sound playing DVD-As on the Sony player, because Sony doesn't support that format. You'll be able to play the did probably but it will be at a lower resolution, comparable to DVD-V sound or if the disc has it, DTS.
Nope I don't have the 6 analog outputs.. also the specs on the dvd player say it does not support dvd audio discs.
I did hook up the digital but I'm not sure if I'm getting a simulated surround or if I'm just hearing it differently because parts of the music have been mixed to stand out. The dvd-a I tried has Dolby Surround option or Dolby Stereo. My amp decodes displays Prologic with it playing thru Dolby Surround though.
Although I'm not done figuring this whole operation - another Q..
Why haven't DVD-A's been just been a DVD-V if the latter has been designed to get the best possible sound in surround?
DVD-V surround is compressed: - DTS maybe 4:1, each channel is compressed separately - DD/AC3 usually even higher compression, eliminating interference phenomenons between channels.
DVD-A is packed with MLP algorithm: - Compression rate is merely 1:2 - MLP allows for 100% restoring of the original PCM signals.
Total DVD-A bit rate is actually comparable to DVD-V. But used for audio only! (except a few still pictures)