Hello Group,

I offer for discussion, as I may be alone on this request; why New Line Cinema, 20th Century Fox and maybe others, are either using English DTS or DTS only on their Blu-Ray DVD releases (Jumper, Dark City, etc.).

I just emailed this question to New Line Cinema and 20th Century Fox, requesting an answer to this question. I'm hoping that this group of home theater Blu-Ray users and members that work for the movie companies are here and part of this forum.

I'm 100% for including new audio technology, but I also want to be able to enjoy it on not so old formats like Dolby Digital 5.1 in English. I mention this, because 20th Century Fox uses DTS 5.1 for their English and Dolby Digital 5.1 on the same Blu-Ray DVD for Spanish and French languages. I just don't understand why they are leaving the few of us that speak English...out of luck.

Following is the note I just emailed to New Line Cinema. I'm very doubtful it will be given to the appropriate customer service representative for a reply. I may be wrong...I hope I'm wrong.

I thank all of you for your input and wait your good points on this issue.

Dear New Line Cinema (Blu-Ray DVD),

This is to inform you, I am a Blu-Ray DVD user and a Dolby Digital (5.1) equipment (high end McIntosh Audio) only user. My equipment does not handle DTS audio.

Yesterday (July 30), I purchased the Blu-Ray DVD title “Dark City” and was disappointed, in finding that New Line Cinema found it necessary to not include a Dolby Digital 5.1 sound track, in addition to the DTS (only) sound track.

Please enlighten me with an explanation, of why New Line Cinema elected to not support the buying public with the above home theater setup (Dolby Digital 5.1). I will be passing this on to our radio entertainment staff, as a discussion topic for our local West Michigan radio listeners.

Thank you in advance for replying to this communication.

Good Selling,

Gary D. Hunt
Underwriting Sales Manager
WGVU TV35 & WGVK TV52 [PBS]
WGVU 1480 AM/88.5 FM & WGVS 850 AM/95.3 FM [NPR]
Office: 616-331-6734
Cell: 616-617-HUNT[4868]

That is a good question. With all the bandwidth and space touted by BD, there is no excuse not to include legacy DD track as well as lossless HD track in original language with all discs.

Do blu-ray player specs require DTS decoding? If so, then they dont include it because they expect you to be able to play DTS core at 1.5mbps. If not, then it's a good question

read my sig.

The studios have it right. Once you hear the other codes, you'll want to completely abandon legacy Dolby Digital.

I am emailing New-Line to tell them the opposite of what the OP did.:p

Virtually any piece of equipment out there, at this point, that decodes Dolby Digital will also decode DTS. The hi-rez DTS tracks include core DTS tracks (and at a higher bit rate than is typical on standard DVDs), so any receiver or pre/pro out there (except for units that are over ten years old) can utilize that. There are very, very few people out there that can decode a Dolby Digital bitstream but not a DTS one. It's really a non-issue. My advice is simply to enjoy how good the core DTS tracks sound.

BTW, there is no such thing as a "Blu-Ray DVD."

Virtually any piece of equipment out there, at this point, that decodes Dolby Digital will also decode DTS. The hi-rez DTS tracks include core DTS tracks (and at a higher bit rate than is typical on standard DVDs), so any receiver or pre/pro out there (except for units that are over ten years old) can utilize that. There are very, very few people out there that can decode a Dolby Digital bitstream but not a DTS one. It's really a non-issue. My advice is simply to enjoy how good the core DTS tracks sound.

BTW, there is no such thing as a "Blu-Ray DVD."

Did you read the OP's post? He says that his McIntosh receiver does not decode DTS.

I am in the same boat, but there are very few of us. I have an ancient (mid level) Sony receiver (about to be replaced). You can buy a receiver with lossless decoding for less than $400. So there is really no reason to be stuck with the old electronics. When I do upgrade, I will probably get the Onkyo TX-SR805 ~$650. That would sound better than your old electronics however good it may have been.Did you read the OP's post? He says that his McIntosh receiver does not decode DTS.My receiver does not decode either, but I still listen to the DTS core

Some people really need to upgrade. NON DTS equipment is atleast 10 years old. I'll be glad to send them a note to stop using DD all together on BR. Lossless or bust.

The studios have it right. Once you hear the other codes, you'll want to completely abandon legacy Dolby Digital.

640 dd is not bad sounding....some consider it equivalent to 1.5 dts. Your flawed and biased posts are starting to make me lose all respect for your opinions...aside from your ridiculous sig.

Thank you for your comments and suggestions, you are all very kind.

Please let me repeat what I said in my original message, so there's less chance of missunderstanding my position on this topic. I'm 100% behind new technology being included on Blu Ray releases, but am requesting that an English Dolby Digital 5.1 track also be included. 20th Century Fox is including DD 5.1, but not the English track -- only the French and Spanish.

When playing a movie like "Dark City", with only DTS, my McIntosh Audio DD recievers out gives me audio for only the front center and two rear surrounds.

I am using the MAC-3 Dolby Digital Decoder, manufactured in 1997).

20th Century Fox and New Line Cinema have been the only two movie makers to do this, to my knowlege. There may be others, but I haven't seen one yet.

Again, thank you all and I'll be here to see what else you folks have to offer.

Gary

I see no reason why the studios couldn't include all lossy formats on a Blu-ray. I do think multiple lossless tracks at the same bit depth are a waste of space but I see the marketing value in that.

Thank you for your comments and suggestions, you are all very kind.

Please let me repeat what I said in my original message, so there's less chance of missunderstanding my position on this topic. I'm 100% behind new technology being included on Blu Ray releases, but am requesting that an English Dolby Digital 5.1 track also be included. 20th Century Fox is including DD 5.1, but not the English track -- only the French and Spanish.

When playing a movie like "Dark City", with only DTS, my McIntosh Audio DD recievers out gives me audio for only the front center and two rear surrounds.

I am using the MAC-3 Dolby Digital Decoder, manufactured in 1997).

20th Century Fox and New Line Cinema have been the only two movie makers to do this, to my knowlege. There may be others, but I haven't seen one yet.

Again, thank you all and I'll be here to see what else you folks have to offer.

Gary

Doesn't your pre-amp or receiver have multi channel analog input? If so, use the 5.1 or 7.1 analog output of your Bluray player instead of the digital output. That way you can actually get at least the core DTS decoded in the player since all players are supposed to at least decode the core DTS.

1st DTS (like LPCM and DD) is a mandatory format and can be used by itself.

2nd DTS is not a new format and is in fact an "old" format. It was introduced to the consumer just a few months after DD.

3rd Just hook up your analog outs and you can enjoy all the formats (provided your BD player decodes them).

I will check. The receiver/control center is one component and the DD decoder is another component. I think I'm using the seperate analog outs for the control center, to connect it with the decoder.

Excellent idea and I will check when I get home.

Do blu-ray player specs require DTS decoding? If so, then they dont include it because they expect you to be able to play DTS core at 1.5mbps. If not, then it's a good question
Yes, all BD players must decode DTS because DTS is mandatory format.

I see no reason why the studios couldn't include all lossy formats on a Blu-ray. I do think multiple lossless tracks at the same bit depth are a waste of space but I see the marketing value in that.

Isn't it also a waste of bandwith? I'm not really seeing the value in that. I respect the fact that some people have older equipment but eating up bandwith and space redundantly (when a lossy DTS track is already available and can be decoded in player) just doesn't seem like a priority to me.

Brandon

I see no reason why the studios couldn't include all lossy formats on a Blu-ray. I do think multiple lossless tracks at the same bit depth are a waste of space but I see the marketing value in that.


Waste of space -- plus they have to pay royalties if they use them all. DTS-HD MA solves the problem.... You get a lossy and lossless in one. And the lossy 1.5mbps core is better than DD at 640kbps.

Since others have verified that DTS decoding is mandatory, it means that the OP's software player does not meet the blu-ray standard....

Isn't it also a waste of bandwith? I'm not really seeing the value in that. I respect the fact that some people have older equipment but eating up bandwith and space redundantly (when a lossy DTS track is already available and can be decoded in player) just doesn't seem like a priority to me.


Waste of space yes, but not a waste of bandwidth since you can only play one audio track at a time.

My opinion, DTS-HD MA is the best option to satisfy everyone (assuming they have compliant hardware/software players). With this , there's no need for another audio track (no counting tracks for other languages, directory commentary, etc).

Waste of space yes, but not a waste of bandwidth since you can only play one audio track at a time.

I was under the impression that bandwith is used regardless of which track is selected.

Brandon

I was under the impression that bandwith is used regardless of which track is selected.

Brandon
DTS core is 1.5Mbps
DTS-HD-HR 3.0Mbps
Full Blown MA is usually 3Mbps spiking at 11 maybe higher(it depends on the content). Who's keeping track?:p

I agree with Stum. I don't know why. I just do.

When the core is being played it only eats up that much bandwidth(1.5). Then again the studios plan the video encode for the fullblown track. So does it really matter? Anyway. MA-all-the-way!