• 10-01-2006, 05:42 PM
    sam9
    DVD plaer with 6.1 outputs??
    Anyone know if there are any DVD players with analog 6.1 (pr 7.1) outputs? If there are do any have on-board DSP to synthsize channel 6 and/or 7 even when the source material is only 5.1 ot less?
  • 10-01-2006, 08:13 PM
    paul_pci
    I may stand corrected, but as far as I know, dvd players only have 5.1 analog outputs (6 cables) because there are only 5.1 movies, not a lot or any 6.1 discrete movie sountracks out there.
  • 10-01-2006, 09:23 PM
    elapsed
    I'm not aware of any DVD player with 6.1 analog output. Even the flagship Denon DVD-5910CI ($3,800) has 5.1 analog output.
  • 10-02-2006, 12:56 AM
    basite
    dvd's are 5.1 maximum, when you have a 6.1 setup, your amp/receiver will upmix the sound with an effect (discrete, ...) but you don't have a real 6.1 surround sound, the rear center gets the sound created by the effect.
  • 10-02-2006, 12:59 AM
    Dusty Chalk
    No, I'm pretty sure 6.1 DVD's exist. It's called "DTS-ES". I vaguely remember The Haunting being the first one that came out.
  • 10-02-2006, 04:46 AM
    bfalls
    You're correct 6.1 channel DVDs do exist, but they're not analog. Analog outputs would be used for DVD-Audio or SACD music. In a 6.1 system with a rear center channel, the rear center is derived (matrixed, not discrete) from the other two discrete rear channels, similar to the way Dolby Pro Logic derived it's front center from front left and front right channels. I'm not certain of the details for 7.1, but from what I've seen it has two di/bipole surounds mounted to the sides with the listeners in their null regions providing difuse surorunds effects similar to DPL. I would also assume the two rears are discrete direct radiating speakers providing directional cues and surround effects.
  • 10-02-2006, 11:43 AM
    Dusty Chalk
    Well, technically, none of it is analog, but one should be able to use the analog outputs for SACD, DVD-A, CD, or DVD-V. I don't see any technical reason why a DVD player can't have outputs for that purpose. It's basically just doing the decoding instead of the processor. If the processor can have 6.1 or 7.1 outputs, then so can the DVD player.
  • 10-02-2006, 02:59 PM
    musicman1999
    There are a couple of dvd players with 7.1 outputs but all are high end,the Sim Audio Moon Orbiter comes to mind,but runs about $7,200 US.These outputs would be analog only,so the player would do the decoding and output the movie soundtrack allready converted to analog,thus your reciever would not have to do it.The Orbiter will decode DTS 6.1-ES and DD-Ex onboard and output it through it's analog outputs.

    bill
  • 10-18-2006, 05:58 PM
    sam9
    The Sim Moon is exactlywhat I was thinking of except that $7.2k is more than a little steep. I was hoping that at worst I would find something like Dennon offering that. Oh well.
  • 10-18-2006, 06:56 PM
    PeruvianSkies
    Ok, here is the bottom line...

    Whether there are players that have 6.1 or 7.1 analog outputs or not, which I am sure there are...there are more receivers that do take the 6.1/7.1 inputs, which is usually quite useless for one big reason...I have yet to see a MLP (DVD-Audio) or a SACD with more than just 5.1 outputs, so there is no information to decode anyway, which means that anything coming out of those channels would be matrixed sound, not discrete and wouldn't really make much of a difference in my opinion. I suppose the only place that this MIGHT be applicable would be in VERY VERY large room settings, but even then that is stretching it.

    As far as digital signals are concerned...there are lots of movies, DVD-Audios that are ES or even some Dolby Digital EX tracks out there, in which case the optical or coax outputs on the DVD player are carrying those signals. Yes, THE HAUNTING was one of the first.
  • 10-21-2006, 08:44 AM
    musicman1999
    In a true high end player,the on board DD and DTS decoders well could be of higher quality than those in the reciever or processor,therefor you would not use the digital output
    for movie soundtracks,but the multichanell outputs on the dvd player.
    thanks
    bill
  • 10-22-2006, 04:00 PM
    sam9
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by musicman1999
    In a true high end player,the on board DD and DTS decoders well could be of higher quality than those in the reciever or processor,therefor you would not use the digital output
    for movie soundtracks,but the multichanell outputs on the dvd player.
    thanks
    bill
    Just in case anyone is interested the reason for the orginal qestion is that I know someone who can build a 6.1 or 7.1 passive preamp. If there were a dvd-player that could extract the DTS-ES tracks or synthesize channel 6 (and/or 7) this would make for a vry clean minimalist system with out the extraneous (to me) features that so many receivers and processors. have.
  • 10-22-2006, 10:28 PM
    Easymember
    I haven't been around that long to learn what the heck you are all talking about so I'll just say that a PC motherboard currently supports 7.1 surround sound built in. A Sound Blaster FX is even better I guess when a DVD ROM/DVD-/+R/RW drive is attached to a mobo then it would play sound in 7.1. All of this and more on a mobo for about $100 bucks for the board and $100 for the daughter board and not the far reaching amounts listed on this thread for a DVD player with 7.1 surround sound.

    HUH? Not a PC forum? I know I know
  • 10-22-2006, 10:56 PM
    PeruvianSkies
    7.1 ....who cares?

    It's annoying how so much talk is given in specs about 7.1 capable stuff since there is NOTHING currently issued in 7.1 as a source. There are a few hundred released in various formats (DVD, DVD-A, DTS-CD) that do have discrete 6.1, but nothing in 7.1, so to me it really doesn't matter. Will we ever see 7.1? Who knows! However, all I have to say is 2 things: Michael Jackson and The Cow. Anyone know what I am referring to????