Ive noticed that a lot of the new model receivers have a long version of the DTS logo on them with a 96 over 24 next to it. I was wondering if anyone can tell me what this is and if there is any difference or advantage to it over regular DTS or DTS ES?
thanks -mike
Derek
Posted on
The 24 is the number of bits used to represent a sound when it is sampled. 24 bits can theoreticly produce a signal to noise ratio of 144 db. CD use 16 bits per sample with a signal to noise ratio (theoreticly) of 96 db. 24 bit recordings should have the ability to capture more suble information but it uses 50% more data (which is why it is not used on CD - it would reduce the recording time to 50 minutes and isn't compatable with existing CD players).
The 96 [KHz] is the rate at which the original recorder sampled the music or sound - 96,000 times each second. Since the minimum number of samples to capture the typical sound is 2 (a positive and a negative voltage swing), that make the maximum frequency range of the source recording somewhere around 48KHz (96K/2). Higher frequencies can be recorded with a 96K recorder compared to CD's 41K sampling rate (for about 20KHz). Of course, this requires twice as much data. Combine that with the 24 bits and you can see why we need the DVD 5 times more capacity over CD. Add the 6 (5.1) channels for movies and you see why we need compression. We haven't even added the actual video from the movie.
By the way, there is a provision in the DVD spec for 2 channel 192Ks/s 24 bit audio. No can anyone hear to 96 KHz and how many of us have speakers flat to that frequency?...Nevermind that 144 db requires 100,000 watts and would probably kill your.
There are DVDs, DVD player and receivers that can actually do it with ease though.
Hope that helps.
mike
Posted on
Derek,
Thank you for that description. Wouldnt that mean then that the current DVD technology out there does not have the capacity for such hi res audio? The only way I can see this currently being useful would be with audio only dvds. Until a dvd technology with more space comes out and is used in mainstream applications, it seems to me that making a receiver upgrade would be uncessary at this point. Do you agree?
-mike
Derek
Posted on
No. The DVD spec w/Video includes the 96/24 spec (and the 172/24 spec as well). You may have listened to one already and didn't know about it. A Dolby Digital decoder may "dumb down" the signal to lower resolution (44/16) so you can hear it. Manufacturers that use the more powerful D/As will be certain to let you know.