[kingtz]

I know this is subjective so I want your opinion: what's a good listening mode for watching movies (DVDs mostly)?


I have a 7100 set up in 5.1 and my source is PCM from a soundcard on a HTPC. PCM was 1 of the only 2 output choices available (Dolby Digital Live being the other).


With PCM as my source, I don't seem to have a lot of listening modes available - I have All Channel, DD PLII, Neo:6 Cinema, Full Mono, Full Stereo, Theater Dimensional.


None of these seem like they're suited for DVD viewing just from reading the descriptions in the manual. All Channel sounds the loudest but it's weird having all the sounds from all the speakers, i.e. voices from the side surrounds.


With DD PLII, it seems like it should work, but my source is hardly 2 channel, and the side surrounds sound very low, and I don't get a very good "surround" effect.


The rest of the modes just sound so bad, I just don't know what to do. When I eventually buy a BD player, I'll have direct or whatever, but Direct mode is not available. So yeah, I don't really know how to fix this...

 

[Tulpa]

What do you get when you use Dolby Digital Live?



I have 7.1, so on movies I use Dolby ProLogicIIx almost exclusively. Sometimes I'll switch to Neo:6 if it's a DTS track, but I've found PrologicIIx a bit better.


If I had 5.1, I'd look to using Dolby Digital or DTS 5.1, straight from the DVD. But I have the bitstream option from my DVD player.

 

[kingtz]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Tulpa /forum/post/15519569


I have 7.1, so on movies I use Dolby ProLogicIIx almost exclusively. Sometimes I'll switch to Neo:6 if it's a DTS track, but I've found PrologicIIx a bit better.

Aren't DD PLII and Neo:6 for turning 2 channel sources into 5.1 or 7.1 output? If so, how does it deal with 5.1 sources?


As for Dolby Digital Live, I haven't tested this extensively, just listened to it for a bit, and it didn't sound as good as PCM. I could re-test DDLive with listening modes, I suppose.

 

[Tulpa]



Quote:
Originally Posted by kingtz /forum/post/15519849


Aren't DD PLII and Neo:6 for turning 2 channel sources into 5.1 or 7.1 output? If so, how does it deal with 5.1 sources?

ProLogicII is a processing mode turns stereo into a matrixed 5.1. It shouldn't do anything to something that is already 5.1.


ProLogicIIx can turn stereo and 5.1 into 7.1 (works better on 5.1, IMO.) Neo:6 is like a DTS version of those, although it doesn't have to be exclusively used on DTS (and the ProLogic systems don't have to be used on Dolby codecs exclusively.)


If your source is already 5.1 and your system is 5.1, you shouldn't need to apply anything. You should just be able to select Dolby Digital, although if you're getting PCM, it might be messing with that.

 

[kingtz]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Tulpa /forum/post/15519569


What do you get when you use Dolby Digital Live?

Ok, so I tested the Dolby Digital Live and it's as horrible as I remembered. Basically, I get sound only from the Front speakers and the sub. I only get background sound effects and the voice channel is very, very low. And I either don't get the Sides or they're also very, very low as well. I don't even get Dolby PLII and Neo:6 modes with this.


I changed it back to PCM (apparently is a stereo output from the soundcard), and Neo:6 sounds really good to me. Deeper bass for explosions, and it also seems to work the Side surrounds a bit more. I guess I'll have to use this until I can bitstream from a BD player later on.