[noah katz]

If I don't have any high-res audio sources, do I need to concern myself with this?


Right now I have the XA2 Audio set to Auto; should I change it to PCM?

 

[thebland]

Bitstream only. It will allow your receiver to decode and post process the DD and DTS soundtracks.

 

[Bull1962]

I believe leaving it on AUTO will suffice, mine is set that way and it auto's to PCM thru HDMI into my Onkyo. DUNNO....sry saw you have the XA2 and not the A2.

 

[noah katz]

"Bitstream only. It will allow your receiver to decode and post process the DD and DTS soundtracks."


My receiver doesn't decode either, but anyway, aren't both transmitted via PCM over HDMI?

 

[thebland]

All receivers decode bitstream unless your receiver is a more thn 10 yr old Pro Logic model. I assume you are using a digital audio SPDIF out?


Auto would be fine, I guess..

 

[MARTINIGUY]

Please be little more specific, what type receiver are you using?

 

[noah katz]

"All receivers decode bitstream unless your receiver is a more thn 10 yr old Pro Logic model."


I guess I'm way out of date; I thought they all handle PCM and bitstream was more or less unique to high res audio.


In any case, they're both just ways of encoding digital data, so can't they be transcoded from one to the other w/o degradation?


I have an HK 635, so yes I use the SPDIF output (will try analog when I get 1.6), but will hopefully be upgrading to an HDMI pre/pro or receiver within not too many months.

 

[millerwill]

Noah, your HK 635 will certainly decode the signals sent it via bitstream over toslink. And yes, you do want to set the output as bitstream if your using a toslink (or coax) digital connection. My understanding that you will only get 2-channel (i.e., stereo) if you send PCM over toslink. You only want to use PCM if your sending the audio via HDMI (which I don't think your AVR can accept) or via 5.1 analog audio.

 

[cpcat]

This is an aside, but for those using multichannel PCM, setting spdif to "bitstream" will force upsampling the 6 channel output to 96khz. The data is actually at only 48khz (according to Filmmixer). So to make the XA2 more of a true "transport" and provide a native 48khz signal, set spdif to "PCM".

 

[steviec]



Quote:
Originally Posted by cpcat /forum/post/0


This is an aside, but for those using multichannel PCM, setting spdif to "bitstream" will force upsampling the 6 channel output to 96khz. The data is actually at only 48khz (according to Filmmixer). So to make the XA2 more of a true "transport" and provide a native 48khz signal, set spdif to "PCM".

I set my xa2 audio to bitstream and run a toslink into a dvdo vp50.

The vp50 shows that it is recieving a 48hz pcm signal from the xa2.

Interesting also is the fact that when I use my panny bluray into the vp50 it shows only a 44hz pcm signal.

 

[NOVA5]

PCM over HDMI will allow multichannel DDTruHD and DTS MA to be decoded by the player and sent to the AVR unit as discrete channels, as i understand it,

 

[noah katz]

"My understanding that you will only get 2-channel (i.e., stereo) if you send PCM over toslink. You only want to use PCM if your sending the audio via HDMI (which I don't think your AVR can accept) or via 5.1 analog audio."


Woa, maybe that's why I haven't been particularly impressed with the audio, unless Auto is defaulting to bitstream - thanks, Bill.

 

[cpcat]



Quote:
Originally Posted by steviec /forum/post/0


I set my xa2 audio to bitstream and run a toslink into a dvdo vp50.

The vp50 shows that it is recieving a 48hz pcm signal from the xa2.

Interesting also is the fact that when I use my panny bluray into the vp50 it shows only a 44hz pcm signal.

That's a little strange. The VP50 shouldn't be reading it as a pcm signal at all. It should be seeing a bitstream assuming the source is outputting it. My AVM50 reads "448kbps" or similar depending on the bitrate with the same setting.

 

[Robert George]



Quote:
PCM over HDMI will allow multichannel DDTruHD and DTS MA to be decoded by the player and sent to the AVR unit as discrete channels, as i understand it,

So does "Bitstream". Currently, all TrueHD audio is decoded in the player and sent out the HDMI as multi-channel PCM. With the "Bitstream" setting, DTS-HD or HD MA tracks extract the DTS core data and send it out as standard DTS. If one uses the "PCM" setting, the DTS is decoded and sent out as PCM.

 

[eric.exe]

If your receiver doesn't have any type of HDMI at all, and your player doesn't have analog outs, you can't get TrueHD or DTS-MA at all right?

 

[TrevorS]



Quote:
Originally Posted by noah katz /forum/post/0


If I don't have any high-res audio sources, do I need to concern myself with this?


Right now I have the XA2 Audio set to Auto; should I change it to PCM?

Just leave the HDMI on "Auto" and S/PDIF on "Bitstream". That normally works perfectly for both SD DVD and HD DVD audio tracks.

 

[angelo913]

Is there any advantage to S/PDIF compared to Coax if you are running 3 feet?


Thanks...Angelo

 

[Robert George]



Quote:
Is there any advantage to S/PDIF compared to Coax if you are running 3 feet?

Actually, both the optical and coaxial digital are S/PDIF (Sony/Philips digital interface format). I'm sure you mean to ask, is there any advantage to optical (Toslink) compared to coaxial. The answer is, no.

 

[angelo913]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Robert George /forum/post/0


Actually, both the optical and coaxial digital are S/PDIF (Sony/Philips digital interface format). I'm sure you mean to ask, is there any advantage to optical (Toslink) compared to coaxial. The answer is, no.

Yes, that is what I meant.


Thanks...Angelo

 

[Rusty James]

Now THIS is the kind of informative thread I expect to find at the AVS Forum.