DTS-HD Master Audio

Telling us which receiver you have would have been a post saver. However...

All BluRay players will feed your receiver that format via HDMI.

My answer was a tad incomplete.

If your receiver has that logo, it implies that it decodes the format. If so, you're good to go. If not, new can of worms.

My receiver is the Onkyo TX-NR905.

I was confused between the DTS-HD and the DTS-HD Master Audio. Most of the specs on the manufacturer websites just list DTS-HD and NOT DTS-HD Master Audio. I was also looking at some older blu-ray players and it also list just DTS-HD.

Here is an example of the Sony BDP-S550:

dts-HD Decoding: Yes

What does "Yes" means? Does it mean just the basic DTS-HD or DTS-HD Master Audio.

Your Onkyo AVR will do the decoding. Quite well. I have the same AVR as you. Decodes all the high and low rez Bluray formats you can throw at it.

Thanks Srwooten for the information!

I was thinking of buying the SONY BDP-S500. You can check out the specs on this player and let me know if it will do DTS-HD Master Audio at:

http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&productId=8198552921665227485

The player is a few years older but I like it because it fits on my audio rack better than all the latest players. All the latest players are too thin for my audio rack and it looks stupid. I can't barely see the player where I am sitting because it's so thin like 2 inches in height.

Anyway, I am looking at older blu-ray players that are at least 4 inches or higher in height.

From what I can understand, the DTS-HD Master Audio is an option when you buy a blu-ray disc movie correct? When you pop in the disc with the DTS-HD Master Audio, you need to select that option on the disc menu selection right? Kind of like player a DTS-ES sound format on a regular DVD movie.

Bob, excellent information about how to use a blu-ray player since I have never own one. You mention about pressing the Audio magic button on the remote, are you talking about the remote of the blu-ray player or the receiver remote?

Bob, never mind. I figured it out. The Audio button you are talking about is the remote from the blu-ray player and NOT the receiver.

I have the Onkyo 905 receiver and the Sony BDP-S5000 (their top line unit). Most Blu Ray DVDs do NOT have the DTS-HD Master Audio (especially the older ones, and even most of the new ones--I do not know why, but suspect its a cost issue). The 905 "does it all," and very well, I might add.

I just spent 12 hours comparing a newly purchased Halcro SSP-200 preamp with my Onkyo 905 with same components, cabels, etc. The Onkyo wins--period! The Halcro does not decode DTS-HD Master Audio, but the Sony does using the analog bypass through the Halcro---Onkyo Wins!

This may start a new thread---but, how can a $12,000 preamp rated in the top 5 consistently, be bested by a $1,400 integrated? Bass / highs / staging / separation / clarity

My system consists of---B&W 800n's fronts / 802n's sides / HTM3s center / M&K 150s rears / Furman Ref 15 / 2 Lexicon 501 Monos / Sunfire 7 CH 200 WPC amp / Transparent Ultra cabeling / Velodyne DD-18 Sub

Djones

how can a $12,000 preamp rated in the top 5 consistently, be bested by a $1,400 integrated? Bass / highs / staging / separation / clarity

Would you care to give some more info?
IIUC the set-up was: Sony BD-> Halcro->Onkyo --> spkrs vs. Sony BD -> Onkyo -> spkrs?

Does anyone know if you can still get DTS-HD Master Audio from the blu-ray player to the receiver using either coaxial single cable or optical single cable?

I wanted to hook up the player directly to the TV to get better picture quality. But for the DTS-HD Master Audio sound, I was thinking of using either coaxial single cable or optical single cable. I don't know if that can be done.

Any of you try that before?

Sorry. dts-HD MA, as well as Dolby THD, cannot be conveyed by optical or coax. Only HDMI or analog.

Kal

HDMI cables can be had pretty inexpensively and keep your cable count low. Your Sony can internally decode TrueHD, but not DTS-HD Master Audio. It can, however, *read* DTS-HD Master Audio and send the resulting PCM bitstream over HDMI to be decoded by an AV processor such as your Onkyo.

So connect your HDMI cable from the Blu-ray player to your Onkyo and let it do all the digital decoding. Then use a second HDMI cable to send the video on to your TV. Letting the Onkyo do the HDMI switching becomes more convenient as you add an HD cable or DVR box, and perhaps other HD sources such as over-the-air HD or a Playstation 3.

These lossless surround formats require too much bandwith to be sent over a coax or toslink digital connection.

I'm confused why BobReynolds says that there isn't an audio setup screen on Blu-Ray discs. Uhhh...yeah there is...at least on every disc I've ever played.

Some have an audio menu. Some have a setup menu. Some have an extra features menu. Some have a language menu. Etc.. Audio track selection can be on any one or on none. In the latter case (as well as in all others), the AUDIO button will usually let you click through to your preference.

This, btw, is one of my pet peeves about BR, as well as DVDs: Lots of busy, noisy menus with absolutely no standardization.

Kal

A lot of the times it's under the language menu.

07-13-09: Kr4
This, btw, is one of my pet peeves about BR, as well as DVDs: Lots of busy, noisy menus with absolutely no standardization.

...including no consistent default--sometimes it's DD5.1 and sometimes it's the highest resolution blu-ray codec available, such as TrueHD, DTS-HD MA or DDPlus.

Hello - You can't bitstream Dolby true Hd or DTS HD Master Audio over a Coax. or optical connection - The new formats carry way to much information for the those digital connections - The only way to bitstream is via HDMI - If your Bluray has on board decoding of those formats then you could send them out analog to your receiver or pre/pro 5.1 or 7.1 analog inputs - Hope that Helps

Hello - You can't bitstream Dolby true Hd or DTS HD Master Audio over a Coax. or optical connection - The new formats carry way to much information for the those digital connections

It is not the amount of information. It IS the copy PROTECTION. Thus the HDMI.

Firedrums/Srwooten:
No matter the reason, you both are correct... I have a ps3 for blu-ray, and you MUST use HDMI. Also, you must use linear PCM, which carries the entire signal, decoded, to the receiver. Bitstream is compressed.

That does not sound correct to me - The benifit of the new formats is that they are not compressed - That might be the downside of the PS3 - The Bitsream should not be compressed - that is the whole point...

The bitstream is compressed, but the audio is lossless. Think of MLP for DVD-Audio. It's a compression scheme but it's lossless. When decoded by the receiver, the audio will be uncompressed.