What's your favorite feature of the BH200? - Page 2

Please don't get hung up on bit rates. It's been debated many, many, MANY times before, but DD and DTS handle compression differently. The bit rate shouldn't be be used as the sole basis to determine what is better.

I'm not going to tell you which is better (there's no way I can). I'd recommend doing a test to find out which you prefer (DD@640 or DTS @1.5). You might be surprised.

Personally, I prefer to pass the audio unalterated (not re-encoded to DTS) in it's native format. With the BH200, this works perfectly for all sources except TrueHD. If I want to get 5.1 out of TrueHD, I have to select re-encode to DTS, which also re-encodes DD and DD+ (which I don't want). Wish I could do pass-through for everything, but TrueHD... I think my A3 handled this better (pass-through for everything, but re-encode TrueHD to DD@640).

Most receivers that can handle DTS @ 1.5 will also be able to handle DD @640, so re-encoding everything to DTS doesn't make a lot of since to me. The only thing that should need to be re-encoded is TrueHD.

John

It would be easier to have it re-encode to DTS for everything then to have to go into the menu everytime you want to listen to a TrueHD track to change it to re-encode to DTS setting.

Easier yes, better, no.

I'm also getting some popping on my rears when it converts DD+ to DTS (happened with Fast and Furious). Passthrough (DD) doesn't pop.

John

You can press the Resolution button to switch back to 480/576.


That is what it does. When DTS Re-encode is enabled (on HD-DVD/BD) everything gets transcoded to DTS. DVD is unaffected.


Maybe not but it's still a good basic indicator. I'm aware DD uses Normalisation, regardless the end result is the same, DTS usually sounds better than DD.

I know it's been debated many times (to the point of boredom) but I prefer to base my own opinion, and yes 1.5Mbps DTS/DD Plus does sound better than 640Kbps/768Kbps DD/DTS.


I always do.


And PCM too.

The PCM converted to DTS on Casino Royale for instance sounds much better than the DD5.1 on the disc. If it were possible to just enable DTS Re-encode for PCM and TrueHD I'd opt for that but it's not possible and I cannot be bothered to constantly go into the menu to switch back and fourth.

I therefore leave it on DTS Re-encode, the best setting for Optical users.


I prefer the LG approach, it chops less out of the bitrate. TrueHD to 1.5Mbps DTS instead of 640Kbps DD. Converting TrueHD to DD is still transcoding anyway.


And PCM.

I do agree though, it would've been better not to transcode everything but what we have works fine so I'm not really bothered. DD, DD Plus and DTS-HD converted to DTS sounds essentially the same.

Bit rate is actually not a very good indicator of sound quality. It's just a number and in a lot of cases (such as the one we're discussing now) it isn't a good indicator. For example, would you claim that 128 MP3 sounds as good as 128 AAC (or WMA)? Of course not, but they are the same bit rate.

DD@640 is on par with DTS@1.5. I actually think it sound a little better, but it's so close that I doubt I could pick it out in a double blind.


While the purist in me says no, it's not fine, I'm going to agree that it's close enough not to worry about it. Except I'm having a problem with re-encode to DTS. I played Superbad BD (DD+) last night with no problems, but Fast and Furious gives me trouble (probably because the sound track is a lot more demanding).

Does anyone else get popping (clipping)in your rear speakers (5.1) when you set the BH200 to re-encode to DTS while playing "The Fast and the Furious" HD DVD? It's a DD+ track. It happens through-out the movie, but an easy test is Chapter 3, Time 10:35 (right as he's about to park). Pass-through sounds fine (no clipping).

John

So your Casino Royale Bluray does downconvert the LPCM 5.1 tracks to DTS? I've had some issues in testing the disc, that my BH200 didn't pass any sound after the initial roaring lion opening... I was kind of assuming it didn't downconvert LPCM to DTS. (the DTS light on my receiver started blinking, instead of staying on solid, which was odd)

Or is this one of the "audio dropouts" I've been reading about?

WHy do you guys keep re-encoding things? I simply bitstream everything and let my AVR do the rest.

The biggest reason is because they don't have a receiver that can decode everything. The other reason is they are using a receiver that doesn't take HDMI input, only optical. This means you can't send HD audio, so it has to be down-converted, cored, or re-encoded.

To always get a 5.1 signal from the BH200, the only setting that will do that is DTS Re-Encode. This isn't the way I'd like to handle it, but it is what it is.

John