PCM or Bitstream?

[Lexmark3200]

What should a DVD player's output setting be in the setup menu for sending Dolby Digital and DTS signals to a receiver, BITSTREAM or PCM? I believe on my player the settings are on BITSTREAM for both DD and DTS.....at any rate, when I select DD or DTS from a DVD's menu before playback, the receiver automatically switches to that format so something must be working right in my setup...was just making sure the DVD player SHOULD be set to BITSTREAM.

[kelsci]

Lex; Bitstream... When I download your manual from Panasonics site, if there are any exceptions, I will note them.

[Lexmark3200]

Lex; Bitstream... When I download your manual from Panasonics site, if there are any exceptions, I will note them.

Thanks so much Kel for your continued assistance....would you be able to explain to me why Bitstream should be selected and what the difference is between PCM and Bitstream signals? Why does a player need to be on Bitstream in order to send signals to a receiver?

[kelsci]

Thanks so much Kel for your continued assistance....would you be able to explain to me why Bitstream should be selected and what the difference is between PCM and Bitstream signals? Why does a player need to be on Bitstream in order to send signals to a receiver?

Hi Lex; I think Karl(who happens to be a fine person on this forum) advised you and you answered back in another thread that your machine is set properly. I did download your manual. Geez what a pain in the "arse". However the manual was adamant about the bitstream setting which is in fact the factory setting for your machine for both D.D. and DTS. I would not worry what the PCM deal is all about. I need some training on that one myself only relative to these players. I have used PCM relative to Laserdisc players that featured DIGITAL SOUND playback which was a PULSE CODE MODULATION DIGITAL SOUNDTRACK.

[Lexmark3200]

Does anyone know why Bitstream is selected when setting up a DVD player's menu to send digital signals to a receiver as opposed to PCM?

[brian_tr]

I had trouble getting DTS to work on my panasonic. The manual is terrible. The factory defaults did not work for DTS. I think it was set for bitstream and I changed it to PCM which still did not work until I played with the audio button. Spent 90 minutes trying to get DTS to work. What a pain.

[This Guy]

PCM is two channel, you would set it at that if you didn't have a surround system, it only decodes two channels. Bitstream sends the full audio signal with surround sound to your receiver if you have more than a 2 channel set up.

-Joey

[Lexmark3200]

PCM is two channel, you would set it at that if you didn't have a surround system, it only decodes two channels. Bitstream sends the full audio signal with surround sound to your receiver if you have more than a 2 channel set up.

-Joey

Thank you Joey.

[Monstrous Mike]

Does anyone know why Bitstream is selected when setting up a DVD player's menu to send digital signals to a receiver as opposed to PCM?
Bitstream means the DVD player will deliver exactly what auido track is playing on the DVD. PCM means that the DVD player will take whatever audio track it is playing and <i>convert</i> it to 2 channel PCM (exaclty like the format for music CDs).

The only reason you would ever select PCM is if you had one of the very first digital capable amps that only had a PCM decoder and no DD or DTS decoder. Obviously, these aren't around much any more.

[Lexmark3200]

Bitstream means the DVD player will deliver exactly what auido track is playing on the DVD. PCM means that the DVD player will take whatever audio track it is playing and <i>convert</i> it to 2 channel PCM (exaclty like the format for music CDs).

The only reason you would ever select PCM is if you had one of the very first digital capable amps that only had a PCM decoder and no DD or DTS decoder. Obviously, these aren't around much any more.

So, if I didnt have a surround receiver, would the DVD player be set to PCM if I was just running the sound to the TV set?

[markw]

If you didn't have a surround receiver you would be using the red/white analog outputs for your audio, not PCM or bitstream.

As far as if and how you would need to set your DVD, RTFM.


But, ultimately, you DO have a surround receiver so it's a moot point.

[Lexmark3200]

If you didn't have a surround receiver you would be using the red/white analog outputs for your audio, not PCM or bitstream.

As far as if and how you would need to set your DVD, RTFM.


But, ultimately, you DO have a surround receiver so it's a moot point.

No, I know, I was just curious.....thanks.

But right now, I actually do have the red/white analog cords connected from the DVD player to the TV so I can watch DVDs without surround if I want to; sometimes the girlfriend or guests enjoy it this way better if just not in the mood for surround sound, whatever. Does this require a special setting?

[markw]

Does this require a special setting?

Since it seems to be working now, what would you think?

[cam]

No, I know, I was just curious.....thanks.

But right now, I actually do have the red/white analog cords connected from the DVD player to the TV so I can watch DVDs without surround if I want to; sometimes the girlfriend or guests enjoy it this way better if just not in the mood for surround sound, whatever. Does this require a special setting?
I hope your girlfriend is as tolerent as the members on this board.

[Monstrous Mike]

I hope your girlfriend is as tolerent as the members on this board.
Tolerance is a powerful tool but it is difficult to master. Personally, I have military background so I can take quite a bit before I get upset.

[Lexmark3200]

I hope your girlfriend is as tolerent as the members on this board.

What exactly does that mean

[cam]

What exactly does that mean
Well then I will explain. Thread after thread after thread after thread members on this board have been explaining, let me put it, breaking things down so fine that a very young child would understand. But somehow you just don't understand sometimes. You mentioned you had a girlfriend so I said I hope she is as tolerent as the members on this board. Not an insult, my wife has a very big job of tolerating me. Tolerence makes the world go around big guy.

[Lexmark3200]

Well then I will explain. Thread after thread after thread after thread members on this board have been explaining, let me put it, breaking things down so fine that a very young child would understand. But somehow you just don't understand sometimes. You mentioned you had a girlfriend so I said I hope she is as tolerent as the members on this board. Not an insult, my wife has a very big job of tolerating me. Tolerence makes the world go around big guy.

Well, Cam, understand this.....there are MANY times that most people on here DO NOT break down statements so....oh how do you put it....a "young child would understand"....there are friends of mine who read these posts along with me and still cannot figure out what you guys mean sometimes, I swear it. SOMETIMES the replies are simple; sometimes they are quite confusing. That is a fact, Cam.

[cam]

Well, Cam, understand this.....there are MANY times that most people on here DO NOT break down statements so....oh how do you put it....a "young child would understand"....there are friends of mine who read these posts along with me and still cannot figure out what you guys mean sometimes, I swear it. SOMETIMES the replies are simple; sometimes they are quite confusing. That is a fact, Cam.
Come on,I'm sure you and your buddies can read a dvd player manual.

[Lexmark3200]

Come on,I'm sure you and your buddies can read a dvd player manual.

Yeah, but Im talking about the way YOU lads sometimes describe your world-infamous HT assistance....

[markw]

Yeah, but Im talking about the way YOU lads sometimes describe your world-infamous HT assistance....

People here, some quite knowledgable in their respective fields, are offering their help to you free of charge and for you to biitch about the quality of their answers is pretty much the utmost in gall.

Many her have taken the time and effort to provide you with well thought out, well written answers to your questions. But, in every case, you claim you don't understand the answers. You continue to ask more questions that veer off the subject at hand and tend to try to pit one person's answers against anothers. People don't appreciate being played with.

No one is forcing you to ask questions, particularly over and over. Some might consider you a troll the way you seem to ignore what's offered and refuse to do a little thinking on your own.

Again, I'm sure there are other sites that would welcome your incisive questioning if you feel you have something to prove, either to yourself or your little group of friends. As far as I can tell, you are just wasting everyone's time here. Methinks others are starting to feel this way too.

[Lexmark3200]

People here, some quite knowledgable in their respective fields, are offering their help to you free of charge and for you to biitch about the quality of their answers is pretty much the utmost in gall.

Many her have taken the time and effort to provide you with well thought out, well written answers to your questions. But, in every case, you claim you don't understand the answers. You continue to ask more questions that veer off the subject at hand and tend to try to pit one person's answers against anothers. People don't appreciate being played with.

No one is forcing you to ask questions, particularly over and over. Some might consider you a troll the way you seem to ignore what's offered and refuse to do a little thinking on your own.

Again, I'm sure there are other sites that would welcome your incisive questioning if you feel you have something to prove, either to yourself or your little group of friends. As far as I can tell, you are just wasting everyone's time here. Methinks others are starting to feel this way too.

Well, Mark, I am beginning to feel as if YOU and everyone else offering incomprehensible explanations are beginning to waste MY time, so the feeling is ultimately mutual, buddy. When guys like you offer suggestions and technical explanations that better-than-average HT enthusiasts such as me find extremely difficult to understand, what would you EXPECT me to say??? Some of the explanations are downright IMPOSSIBLE to follow, to be honest....in THIS particular post, I understand PCM would be set for two channel operation, but YOU made it EXTREMELY difficult to understand why if my red and white analog cables are connected to my TV set and a digital cable is connecting my DVD player and receiver I wouldnt have the player set to PCM rather than Bitstream; I still get stereo audio out of my TV speakers, yet all is set to Bitstream.

[Monstrous Mike]

Well, Mark, I am beginning to feel as if YOU and everyone else offering incomprehensible explanations are beginning to waste MY time, so the feeling is ultimately mutual, buddy. When guys like you offer suggestions and technical explanations that better-than-average HT enthusiasts such as me find extremely difficult to understand, what would you EXPECT me to say??? Some of the explanations are downright IMPOSSIBLE to follow, to be honest....in THIS particular post, I understand PCM would be set for two channel operation, but YOU made it EXTREMELY difficult to understand why if my red and white analog cables are connected to my TV set and a digital cable is connecting my DVD player and receiver I wouldnt have the player set to PCM rather than Bitstream; I still get stereo audio out of my TV speakers, yet all is set to Bitstream.
If your goal is to acquire help and knowledge, then you are sadly lacking in the correct approach.

If your goal is to irritate, then you have already succeeded.

[markw]

"When guys like you offer suggestions and technical explanations that better-than-average HT enthusiasts such as me find extremely difficult to understand, what would you EXPECT me to say???"

Well, since you clalm to be a "better-than-average HT enthusiast" and yet cannot keep up with the crowd, I truly wonder what yardstick you use to gauge your self proclaimed abilites here.

Then again, if you're just trolling then that would explain a lot.

[Lexmark3200]

If your goal is to acquire help and knowledge, then you are sadly lacking in the correct approach.

If your goal is to irritate, then you have already succeeded.

Oh yeah, how is that so, Mike? I have asked questions and have been nothing but attacked, patronized, denied SIMPLE explanations.....WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? How am I irritating? By challenging the ones who INSIST on answering with around-the-bush methods and PURPOSELY confusing someone even more, is that how?

[Lexmark3200]

"When guys like you offer suggestions and technical explanations that better-than-average HT enthusiasts such as me find extremely difficult to understand, what would you EXPECT me to say???"

Well, since you clalm to be a "better-than-average HT enthusiast" and yet cannot keep up with the crowd, I truly wonder what yardstick you use to gauge your self proclaimed abilites here.

Then again, if you're just trolling then that would explain a lot.

Why dont you go back to your posts and re-read the SIMPLE explanations you so-called offered me because I do not see any....

And YOU call ME a moron? Look what state you come from Mark....you know, I was just there this past weekend, in Jersey that is, Mark, visiting my GF's relatives, and I have never encountered bigger wanna-be tough guys, idiot drivers or just plain INCONSIDERATE *******s in my entire life. Explains ALOT about YOU, pal....

[cam]

Whenever I see a Lexmark3200 thread from now on, not only am I going to not respond, I'm not even going to give the time of day to read it. Bye Bye.

[Lexmark3200]

Whenever I see a Lexmark3200 thread from now on, not only am I going to not respond, I'm not even going to give the time of day to read it. Bye Bye.

Thank God....if I waited for help from you, my system would have been dead and buried in my back yard. I don't need your senseless input anyway. Goodbye.

[cam]

Thank God....if I waited for help from you, my system would have been dead and buried in my back yard. I don't need your senseless input anyway. Goodbye.
You may have a system, but you do not now how to read the manual and definetaly you do not now how to understand it. You and your buddies might as well get a new hobby because audio and video is not within your learning abilities.

[Dale M]

Hi, I was just wondering the same thing,, PCM or Bitstream, my DVD has two places where I select which one of these I would like to use,The 2 sections where I select this are in the audio section and are written like this .

Dolby Digital..............BITSTREAM or pcm
DTS Digital Surround............PCM or bitstream
The choices in Capitals are the factory presets.

and this is how the choices are defined in the manual

Bitstream (Factory preset for Dolby Digital)
select this if the equipment you connected can decode the signal.

PCM (Factory preset for DTS Digital Surround and MPEG)
select this if the equipment you connected Cannot decode the signal.

Im not sure if that helps with your question but thought I'd throw my 2 cents in.
Take Care K
Dale M

[JSE]

To the helpful members of this community, the best way to deal with this person is to do what I have done recently, COMPLETELY ignore him. He is a fire and we are the air. Without air, the fire will cease to exist.

JSE

[Lexmark3200]

To the helpful members of this community, the best way to deal with this person is to do what I have done recently, COMPLETELY ignore him. He is a fire and we are the air. Without air, the fire will cease to exist.

JSE

Look who decided to crawl out from under his rock.....the ever helpful hiding behind his computer terminal JSE.....where have you been, farmfolk? Care to advise the lad who posted before you in the same fashion as you have here?

[Lexmark3200]

You may have a system, but you do not now how to read the manual and definetaly you do not now how to understand it. You and your buddies might as well get a new hobby because audio and video is not within your learning abilities.

Yes, I am SURE that is what it is, Cam....NOT the fact that you make instructions via help web boards impossible to understand. I am SURE that is what it is.

[Lexmark3200]

Hi, I was just wondering the same thing,, PCM or Bitstream, my DVD has two places where I select which one of these I would like to use,The 2 sections where I select this are in the audio section and are written like this .

Dolby Digital..............BITSTREAM or pcm
DTS Digital Surround............PCM or bitstream
The choices in Capitals are the factory presets.

and this is how the choices are defined in the manual

Bitstream (Factory preset for Dolby Digital)
select this if the equipment you connected can decode the signal.

PCM (Factory preset for DTS Digital Surround and MPEG)
select this if the equipment you connected Cannot decode the signal.

Im not sure if that helps with your question but thought I'd throw my 2 cents in.
Take Care K
Dale M

Dale,

Thank you....I appreciate this input greatly, honest. My question to you now is, and based on the fact that I believe my manual states that PCM is the factory preset for DTS as well, WHY would DTS be preset at a two channel PCM status? Can anyone answer that?

[polwakpupmakbon]

Hi, I was just wondering the same thing,, PCM or Bitstream, my DVD has two places where I select which one of these I would like to use,The 2 sections where I select this are in the audio section and are written like this .

Dolby Digital..............BITSTREAM or pcm
DTS Digital Surround............PCM or bitstream
The choices in Capitals are the factory presets.

and this is how the choices are defined in the manual

Bitstream (Factory preset for Dolby Digital)
select this if the equipment you connected can decode the signal.

PCM (Factory preset for DTS Digital Surround and MPEG)
select this if the equipment you connected Cannot decode the signal.

Im not sure if that helps with your question but thought I'd throw my 2 cents in.
Take Care K
Dale M



Hi Dale,

My DVD player menu has the same option you mentioned,

For : Dolby Digital Bitstream or PCM
DTS PCM or Bitstream

I have a few questions and maybe you can help me. My receiver has Dolby Digital decoder only and no DTS. My DVD player has both DTS and DD decoder. If I use digital output ( toslink or coaxial ) of my player and connect it to the digital input of the receiver, does that mean that the built-in decoders of the player will be by-passed and the DD of the receiver will do the decoding? If so, will the DTS of my player be useless since my receiver is w/o DTS decoder? BTW, My receiver does not have the 6 channel audio inputs ( FR,FL,C,SR,SL,Sub).

Thanks and have a nice day!

sal

[Jim Clark]

Hi Dale,

My DVD player menu has the same option you mentioned,

For : Dolby Digital Bitstream or PCM
DTS PCM or Bitstream

I have a few questions and maybe you can help me. My receiver has Dolby Digital decoder only and no DTS. My DVD player has both DTS and DD decoder. If I use digital output ( toslink or coaxial ) of my player and connect it to the digital input of the receiver, does that mean that the built-in decoders of the player will be by-passed and the DD of the receiver will do the decoding? If so, will the DTS of my player be useless since my receiver is w/o DTS decoder? BTW, My receiver does not have the 6 channel audio inputs ( FR,FL,C,SR,SL,Sub).

Thanks and have a nice day!

sal

Not who you were looking for but every last one of your suspicions are correct. Without the 6 channel inputs you have no access to DTS with your current set up. With the digital connection you have made, the receiver handles all the decoding.

Good news is that all of that can be fixed by a simple trip to your local A/V dealer.

Regards,
jc

[Lexmark3200]

Not who you were looking for but every last one of your suspicions are correct. Without the 6 channel inputs you have no access to DTS with your current set up. With the digital connection you have made, the receiver handles all the decoding.

Good news is that all of that can be fixed by a simple trip to your local A/V dealer.

Regards,
jc

Jim (or anyone who can answer in a simplified manner),

What is "anamorphic" with regard to the way widescreen DVDs are presented? What exactly does this mean to a widescreen monitor owner?

[polwakpupmakbon]

Not who you were looking for but every last one of your suspicions are correct. Without the 6 channel inputs you have no access to DTS with your current set up. With the digital connection you have made, the receiver handles all the decoding.

Good news is that all of that can be fixed by a simple trip to your local A/V dealer.

Regards,
jc


Thanks a lot for your reply Jim, after educating me and confirming my fears, I think you're right and its time for me to visit an A/V dealer ;)

Regards and have a nice day!!!