Correct Sound Setting?

[cadolfan]

i have an h/k avr 325. which is the best surround setting for watching movies? I have it set to Dolby Play Movie II Surround. The reciever doesn't automaticlly change settings to reflect a particular movie? i noticed some dvd's say DTS. Do I need to change the setting every time?

[kelsci]

i have an h/k avr 325. which is the best surround setting for watching movies? I have it set to Dolby Play Movie II Surround. The reciever doesn't automaticlly change settings to reflect a particular movie? i noticed some dvd's say DTS. Do I need to change the setting every time?

Cadolfan; I am not familar with your receiver but the right sound to hear is dependent on settings and choice. If you have an assignable digital input on the receiver, be sure to assign that input to the digital output cable you have chosen to use from your DVD player whether it is optical or coaxial to your receiver. Find the menu on your DVD player that allows you to choose BITSTREAM. This will take care of carrying 5.1 channels of sound that may be in Dolby Digital and/or DTS. When you place a disc into your player, go to the language section. A menu form will come up allowing to choose the soundtracks that are available on the disc you want to play. Using the example of JURASSIC PARK 3, if you want the DTS track you must choose that from that menu. When your movie begins, the receiver should indicate on its front window that you are in DTS mode. If you had chosen D.D. 5.1, it would have indicated that mode of sound. I believe you have a choice of Dolby Pro Logic 2 and Lexicons Logic 7 mode that convert 2 channels to 5.1 at least on the analog inputs of your receiver. If you want to listen to two channel movies and music in that mode, the receiver may default to the DPL-2 setting. If you wanted the Logic 7 Lexicon setting, I would think there is a switch on the remote to go that mode ot a menu within the receiver to choose that mode.

[poneal]

You need an optical (toslink) or coaxial cable connected from your DVD player to your receiver using the digital ins/outs. Like kelsci said you then must select bitstream or raw data on your DVD and also assign the DVD as an optical input on your HK AVR-325. It defaults to analog on your receiver. Then when you play a dolby digital 5.1 movie the receiver will automatically choose Digital on your receiver. If its an analog source then you can choose PLII, Logic 7, stereo, etc. There's not much difference in sound quality on the cables so get a coaxial because they are cheaper and perform the same function.

[cadolfan]

Cadolfan; I am not familar with your receiver but the right sound to hear is dependent on settings and choice. If you have an assignable digital input on the receiver, be sure to assign that input to the digital output cable you have chosen to use from your DVD player whether it is optical or coaxial to your receiver. Find the menu on your DVD player that allows you to choose BITSTREAM. This will take care of carrying 5.1 channels of sound that may be in Dolby Digital and/or DTS. When you place a disc into your player, go to the language section. A menu form will come up allowing to choose the soundtracks that are available on the disc you want to play. Using the example of JURASSIC PARK 3, if you want the DTS track you must choose that from that menu. When your movie begins, the receiver should indicate on its front window that you are in DTS mode. If you had chosen D.D. 5.1, it would have indicated that mode of sound. I believe you have a choice of Dolby Pro Logic 2 and Lexicons Logic 7 mode that convert 2 channels to 5.1 at least on the analog inputs of your receiver. If you want to listen to two channel movies and music in that mode, the receiver may default to the DPL-2 setting. If you wanted the Logic 7 Lexicon setting, I would think there is a switch on the remote to go that mode ot a menu within the receiver to choose that mode.

thanks kelsci,
i've got the dvd player setup with an optical input on the reciever. i've got the dvd player set to bitstream. i'm right now in Dolby Pro Logic 2(DPL-2) Digital settting. So again, are you saying that each time i watch a dvd that's dts i need to change the setting through the dvd player menu and i don't need to change it on the reciever? i usually watch my regular sat tv and dvd movies in DPL-2 Digital setting and it sounds good.
ca

[cadolfan]

You need an optical (toslink) or coaxial cable connected from your DVD player to your receiver using the digital ins/outs. Like kelsci said you then must select bitstream or raw data on your DVD and also assign the DVD as an optical input on your HK AVR-325. It defaults to analog on your receiver. Then when you play a dolby digital 5.1 movie the receiver will automatically choose Digital on your receiver. If its an analog source then you can choose PLII, Logic 7, stereo, etc. There's not much difference in sound quality on the cables so get a coaxial because they are cheaper and perform the same function.

thanks, so what's the difference between digital and dts? I have two dts surround settings:
1. DTS NEO: 6 Cinema
2. DTS NEO: 6 Music

to me PLII sounds good when i'm watching regular sat tv. it's also sounded pretty good when i'm watching dvd's. i haven't tried dts when i'm watching dvds. not sure which way to go. sounds like its a matter of taste.
ca
ps the coax are a little cheaper. oh well.

[htfan14]

I auditioned the 325 at home and loved it, was a tough choice between it and the Denon 3802 that I ultimatly chose.
But, I'm not sure why you would be listening to DD 5.1 source in DPL II as it was designed for stereo, 2 channel sources. As is DTS neo. I would re-read the manual as it sounds like your not using the 325 to its full cabability. Do you have analog connects as well as the optical going to the rec.? You may find you hav'nt been hearing true 5.1 sound yet and if this is the case you will be blown away when you do as the 325 rocks.
If it's not the connects, check the settings on the 325.
As for DTS, if the DVD movie has it, try it. You will not have to change any settings on the 325 it will automaticly detect it. Just go to audio options on the movie menu and make the selection.

[kelsci]

Cadolfan; Dolby Pro-Logic 2, DTS NEO and Logic 7 are audio modes designed to try to give a two channel source of information like vinyl, vhs hi-fi stereo, stereo tv broadcast,and two channel compact discs a 5.1 type sound. I would say that the best way to look at the above mentioned function is that they are sophisticated active MATRIX decoders. Most movies on DVDs are actually mixed down to what is not a MATRIX sound of 5.1, but a descrete or anotherwords complete independent separate channels that play back as such and known as DOLBY DIGITAL 5.1 and on some disc including DTS 5.1 minimally. Before any discs plays any movie, they usually have a DISC MENU. Usually LANGUAGES or some type of statement like AUDIO SELECTION is on that menu. Go to that menu and choose Dolby Digital 5.1. If DTS is included on that disc, it will be mentioned on that menu and if you want to listen to that track you choose the DTS OPTION. Once you start the movie, it should play the descrete track you have chosen. If your movie is playing in DPL-2, then most likely you do not have something set correctly. In this case, the first place to start is the players audio menu. It should be set to output BITSTREAM. The 2nd place could be the receiver. The digital output chosen from the player should be wired to the digital input choosen on the receiver and set to activate when you have selected DVD on your receiver. Your receiver at that point should be activating the digital chip processor within that receiver automatically. When you play the movie, you should be hearing multi-channel descrete sound in your room.

[This Guy]

When you want to watch a movie in DTS or DD 5.1, set the receiver to "auto" mode or "source direct". This will pick the most apporipriate setting for the movie. When you want a movie to play dts, go to the DVD movie's main menu and look for it's audio options. This is where you choose dts. Dolby Pro Logic is for taking analog recordings and matrixing center and surround channels. If the receiver doesn't have an auto setting, you can just change the setting to DolbyDigital 5.1 when watching a movie that has a 5.1 sounudtrack. You've been watching movies in the wrong setting(s) the whole time.

-Joey

[cadolfan]

htfan14, kelsci, and this guy. thanks for the info. i'll check into some of your comments. i've so far confirmed the following:
1) dvd player set to bitstream
2) avr set to optical digital setting
i need to go play a movie and look for the dts settings?

[poneal]

When you watch a 5.1 movie in dolby digital you must assign the device (DVD) on your receiver to optical (not analog which is the default on HK receivers). Once the DVD input is selected on your receiver just press the OSD button on your remote and go to the first choice (i think its called input/assign or something like that) and the press the arrow on your remote to change it from analog to digital or vice versa. Then as long as the DVD player is also set to bitstream you will see the very top left light (Dolby Digital) light up when playing a digial track. When in this mode, CDs will also play the PCM track through your digital connection but it usually defaults to stereo mode because CDs are mostly recorded in 2 channels.

[This Guy]

Yes, on the main menu look for "movie settings" or "audio options" which is where you will find the option for DTS or DD 5.1 or maybe a different language soundtrack. Play the movie back in DTS 5.1, not dts neo-6 or Dolby pro logic II settings on the receiver, just plain DD or DTS.

-Joey

[cadolfan]

htfan14, kelsci, this guy, poneal.
thanks for the info. i did it. I discovered that i did not have the dvd player set to DD and DD DTS. I do have a coaxial cable from the dvd player to the avr and that is set correctly. i threw in "Pearl Harbor" and changed the audio set up to DTS 5.1 and what do you now it works. My HK AVR 325 actually picked it up and changed the surround sound setting to DTS automaticlly. The actual DVD also gave me the option of Dolby Digital 5.1. I'm still trying to figure out the difference is between Dolby Pro Logic II, DD 5.1 and DTS 5.1? At any rate it's setup right. I noticed that some DVD's don't give you audio options.
Thanks,
CAdolfan

[Jim Clark]

htfan14, kelsci, this guy, poneal.
thanks for the info. i did it. I discovered that i did not have the dvd player set to DD and DD DTS. I do have a coaxial cable from the dvd player to the avr and that is set correctly. i threw in "Pearl Harbor" and changed the audio set up to DTS 5.1 and what do you now it works. My HK AVR 325 actually picked it up and changed the surround sound setting to DTS automaticlly. The actual DVD also gave me the option of Dolby Digital 5.1. I'm still trying to figure out the difference is between Dolby Pro Logic II, DD 5.1 and DTS 5.1? At any rate it's setup right. I noticed that some DVD's don't give you audio options.
Thanks,
CAdolfan

The other really cool thing you may have waiting for you is if you can connect your Sat TV receiver to a digital input on the HK (if you haven't already). Currently there are quite a few movie channels broadcasting DD5.1 if you have your equipment set up to receive it.

jc

[poneal]

Basically the difference between DPLII and DD 5.1 and DTS 5.1 is that DPLII is for ananlog sources such as radio and two channel stereo. Dolby's website has a great explanation of this. DD 5.1and DTS 5.1 are digitally encoded and have been recorded with the 6 channels in mind.

[cadolfan]

The other really cool thing you may have waiting for you is if you can connect your Sat TV receiver to a digital input on the HK (if you haven't already). Currently there are quite a few movie channels broadcasting DD5.1 if you have your equipment set up to receive it.

jc

thank jim,
yes i have my DirecTV box connected to the HK via Optical cable. Is there any other setting I need to change on the DirecTV box or the avr?

[Jim Clark]

thank jim,
yes i have my DirecTV box connected to the HK via Optical cable. Is there any other setting I need to change on the DirecTV box or the avr?

Not familiar with the various settings on HK's but I'd bet it has an "auto" or "auto detect" signal setting. If you're not getting DD 5.1 on HBO movies, especially the newer titles then something isn't set correctly. Perhaps an HK user would be more qualified to help if you run into problems.

jc