Dts hd master audio setup advice?

bezzy3004

bezzy3004

bezzy3004

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Hi all.

I am in the process of trying to putting together a budget dts hd master audio system and require some advice, as far as i can see my Samsung 3D bluray player can decode DTS HD master audio as it is printed on the top of the unit also i have a Toshiba 3D smart tv that has dts printed on the rear of the set if that is at all relevant in setting up the system, now at the moment i own a feeble Cambridge Soundworks DTT3500 Reciever which only cost me £3.00 from a boot-sale!! The reciever does not decode any form of DTS only DD 5.1 so this is what i have set up via the optical route also the reciever has no HDMI's.

The question i have is what would be the least expensive way to get a true DTS-HD Master Audio set-up if indeed the Bluray decodes the audio can i just purchase a non DTS HD Master Audio receiver with an HDMI input or does it have to have this audio codec? My Bluray player has 3 options for audio output PCM, Bitstrean (re-encode) and Bitstream (Audiophille) which one of these would i set it to?
My exact equiptment is listed here:-
http://www.automatedhome.co.uk/reviews/cambridge-soundworks-dtt3500-digital-speaker-review.html
https://www.avforums.com/review/toshiba-l74-55l7453-tv-full-hd-led-lcd-review.10486
http://www.samsung.com/us/video/blu-ray-dvd/BD-C5900/XAA-specs
Thanks Paul.
 
A few points:

Optical will not carry DTS HD Master Audio or Uncompressed PCM (other than 2 channel) - therefore in order to get any sort of Audio over Optical you are looking at using standard DTS or standard Dolby Digital.


The three output options "Output PCM", "Bitstream (re-encode)" and "Bitsteam (Audiophile), are listed in a table in the Players manual - Page 34:
http://downloadcenter.samsung.com/c...165423068/01963A-BD-C5900-XAA-ENG-BM-1119.pdf

Which shows what happens depending on the source material, the output option and whether connected via HDMI or optical.

The best option would be to get a Receiver that has HDMI input, and I believe almost all support DTS HD Master Audio - you then connect with a single HDMI lead from bluray player to receiver, and then hdmi from receiver to TV. You then set the Bluray player to output Bitstream (Audiophile) and the receiver takes care of decoding (and normally lights up a DTS light)
 
Armageus said:
A few points:

Optical will not carry DTS HD Master Audio or Uncompressed PCM (other than 2 channel) - therefore in order to get any sort of Audio over Optical you are looking at using standard DTS or standard Dolby Digital.


The three output options "Output PCM", "Bitstream (re-encode)" and "Bitsteam (Audiophile), are listed in a table in the Players manual - Page 34:
http://downloadcenter.samsung.com/c...165423068/01963A-BD-C5900-XAA-ENG-BM-1119.pdf

Which shows what happens depending on the source material, the output option and whether connected via HDMI or optical.

The best option would be to get a Receiver that has HDMI input, and I believe almost all support DTS HD Master Audio - you then connect with a single HDMI lead from bluray player to receiver, and then hdmi from receiver to TV. You then set the Bluray player to output Bitstream (Audiophile) and the receiver takes care of decoding (and normally lights up a DTS light)
Click to expand...

Thanks very much for that info, excuse me for my lack of knowledge but i am still unclear, would i be able to buy an older second hand reciever with an HDMI input and it be able to output the Master audio, can't the bluray do the decoding and send it to a reciever without the dts master audio capability?
 
bezzy3004 said:
Thanks very much for that info, excuse me for my lack of knowledge but i am still unclear, would i be able to buy an older second hand reciever with an HDMI input and it be able to output the Master audio, can't the bluray do the decoding and send it to a reciever without the dts master audio capability?
Click to expand...

Yes that would be fine - you would just select Output PCM on the Bluray player
 
With the gear you have you don't have a workable solution.

The BD player can decode all the different audio formats, but it will only output them via HDMI as a multichannel digital signal in PCM format. That would then have to be passed to a surround system capable of accepting a HDMI input and of handling multichannel PCM. Such a system is basically an AV Receiver + speaker package. You couldn't use the Cambridge Audio kit with this. They wouldn't be compatible.

If the CA speaker kit processor had a multichannel input on 6 phonos or 3 stereo jacks then you could buy a BD player with 6.1 audio out on phonos and make the connection that way in the same fashion as connecting a desktop PC audio card via analogue. There are two problems though. The first is cost. If you are buying new then a BD player with analogue audio outs is going to cost you £300 plus. That's more than buying a surround system which would decode all the audio formats. The second issue is volume control. PC speaker with a multichannel expect to be connected to a PC which will also provide a way to control the volume. A BD player doesn't have that feature.

Basically then you're flogging a dead horse. Buy a surround sound kit (AV Receiver + 5.1 speaker kit) for £250-£300 and have done with it or just stick to DD off the BD player optical or coax out.
 
lucid said:
With the gear you have you don't have a workable solution.

The BD player can decode all the different audio formats, but it will only output them via HDMI as a multichannel digital signal in PCM format. That would then have to be passed to a surround system capable of accepting a HDMI input and of handling multichannel PCM. Such a system is basically an AV Receiver + speaker package. You couldn't use the Cambridge Audio kit with this. They wouldn't be compatible.

If the CA speaker kit processor had a multichannel input on 6 phonos or 3 stereo jacks then you could buy a BD player with 6.1 audio out on phonos and make the connection that way in the same fashion as connecting a desktop PC audio card via analogue. There are two problems though. The first is cost. If you are buying new then a BD player with analogue audio outs is going to cost you £300 plus. That's more than buying a surround system which would decode all the audio formats. The second issue is volume control. PC speaker with a multichannel expect to be connected to a PC which will also provide a way to control the volume. A BD player doesn't have that feature.

Basically then you're flogging a dead horse. Buy a surround sound kit (AV Receiver + 5.1 speaker kit) for £250-£300 and have done with it or just stick to DD off the BD player optical or coax out.
Click to expand...

Yes i am aware the Cambridge is no good thats why i am upgrading sorry if i didnt make that clear, looks like im just in the market for a budget av reciever and i think i have found it the Onkyo TXSR333 at £150 looks like a great unit for the money http://www.richersounds.com/product/av-receivers/onkyo/txsr333/onky-txsr333-blk

Thx again.
 
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