DD or DTS?

[VRDUB]

Having the DTS option on the DVD, which do you favor, and why?

I myself like DTS. FWIW.

[N. Abstentia]

DTS for sure. Why? Better sound of course!

[cam]

DTS, seems to be a more dynamic 360 degree enveloping sound then its DD equivalent.

[kexodusc]

All things equal, the DTS generally sounds better to me...though I have heard some amazing DD recordings that sound better than their CD equivalents (despite compression)...I've also heard some movies where the DTS track wasn't really any better than the DD...a waste of potential. This angered me.

[This Guy]

Most of the time I really don't notice much of a difference. Some DD movies have awesome sound (T3) and some DTS movies have some awesome sound (Final Destination 2). If there's the option I'll pick DTS over the DD, but it's no biggie. And I certainly wouldn't let the sound format sway my decision in buying a dvd, or in my situation, copying it.

-Joey

[Woochifer]

It's nice to have options. In general, the DTS soundtracks are subjectively cleaner sounding. DTS has several advantages over DD in that DTS does not discard as many bits as DD does, it does not join the channels together above 16 kHz, and it does not alter the phase in the low frequencies like DD does. In my listenings, DD has a "fatter" sound that's not quite as distinct and precise as DTS. But, all things considered, DD is still very impressive considering that they're playing back six channels of full range audio in a bitstream that's about one-fourth that of CD audio.

But, there are plenty of variables to keep in mind when comparing DTS and DD soundtracks. First off, the DTS soundtrack is typically encoded about 4 db higher than the DD soundtracks because of something called dialog normalization in the DD tracks, so if want to do a meaningful comparison, then you'll need to raise the volume with the DD soundtrack. Also, with some older receivers, you need to bump up the LFE level by +10 db in order to ensure that the bass levels between the two formats are comparable. Another thing to keep in mind is that the DTS soundtrack is not always encoded at the same time as the DD soundtracks and might even use a master source played back using very different settings. (Pulp Fiction:CE is an example of a DTS soundtrack that sounds radically different with higher levels in the surrounds, and IMO overall actually sounds worse than the DD soundtracks, even though the tonal balance is slightly better)

If you really want to do a meaningful comparison between DTS and DD, and see for yourself what difference DTS actually makes as a format, then listen to the Lethal Weapon I, II, or III director's cut DVDs or the Twister DVD. Sir Terrence has said that those DVDs had the soundtracks encoded simultaneously at identical levels, and are the most comparable soundtracks available for comparing the formats. The other nice thing about those DVDs is that they allow you to switch the soundtracks on the fly, rather than having you navigate back to the main menu to change the soundtrack format.

[VRDUB]

QUOTE: Woochifer
"DTS sountrack is typically encoded about 4db higher than the DD soundtrack"

That's exactly why I posted this question. Watched Matrix Reloaded (DD) and the sound was really low, so I put in X-MEN (DTS) and what a big difference. Cool, Thanks that explains it. Although I didn't think that 4db would make that much of a difference.

[Woochifer]

QUOTE: Woochifer
"DTS sountrack is typically encoded about 4db higher than the DD soundtrack"

That's exactly why I posted this question. Watched Matrix Reloaded (DD) and the sound was really low, so I put in X-MEN (DTS) and what a big difference. Cool, Thanks that explains it. Although I didn't think that 4db would make that much of a difference.

The format would not make a difference in that example. Different DVDs are recorded at different levels. What you need to check is the DTS soundtrack on the X-Men DVD against the DD soundtrack on the SAME disc. Typically, the DD soundtracks are recorded with a -4db dialog normalization offset, whereas the DTS soundtracks are not. But, the overall levels on the DVDs themselves will vary significantly from disc to disc. Just compare the DD soundtracks on the Lord of the Rings and Star Wars discs if you want an example. The LOTR:FOTR discs are recorded at very high levels (so high that they actually distort), whereas the Star Wars discs are recorded at a much lower level.

[hershon]

Well I'm in the monority here, and if its down to my receiver I like that no one else seems too, so beit, but on my set up Dolby 5.1 sounds alot better than DTS. Maybe I'm not changing some receiver settings to get the correct DTS sound or something, but it just doesn't cut it with me.

The format would not make a difference in that example. Different DVDs are recorded at different levels. What you need to check is the DTS soundtrack on the X-Men DVD against the DD soundtrack on the SAME disc. Typically, the DD soundtracks are recorded with a -4db dialog normalization offset, whereas the DTS soundtracks are not. But, the overall levels on the DVDs themselves will vary significantly from disc to disc. Just compare the DD soundtracks on the Lord of the Rings and Star Wars discs if you want an example. The LOTR:FOTR discs are recorded at very high levels (so high that they actually distort), whereas the Star Wars discs are recorded at a much lower level.

[VRDUB]

The format would not make a difference in that example. Different DVDs are recorded at different levels. What you need to check is the DTS soundtrack on the X-Men DVD against the DD soundtrack on the SAME disc. Typically, the DD soundtracks are recorded with a -4db dialog normalization offset, whereas the DTS soundtracks are not. But, the overall levels on the DVDs themselves will vary significantly from disc to disc. Just compare the DD soundtracks on the Lord of the Rings and Star Wars discs if you want an example. The LOTR:FOTR discs are recorded at very high levels (so high that they actually distort), whereas the Star Wars discs are recorded at a much lower level.

Thanks for clearing that up for me. I'm learning alot here.

[s dog]

Well I'm in the monority here, and if its down to my receiver I like that no one else seems too, so beit, but on my set up Dolby 5.1 sounds alot better than DTS. Maybe I'm not changing some receiver settings to get the correct DTS sound or something, but it just doesn't cut it with me.

same hear, my set up sounds a lot better in dd than dts , I just dont get the same inpact and bass that dd has ,Im with you maybe i have something set wrong on my receiver [denon 4800] the only thing i have watched that sounded better in dts was blade2 , now as far as music dvds goes i like dts better, not as harsh sounding

[Graystone]

I much prefer Dolby Digital over DTS. But then, I still like Pro Logic II.

[Woochifer]

same hear, my set up sounds a lot better in dd than dts , I just dont get the same inpact and bass that dd has ,Im with you maybe i have something set wrong on my receiver [denon 4800] the only thing i have watched that sounded better in dts was blade2 , now as far as music dvds goes i like dts better, not as harsh sounding

Read my post above, your model likely has an issue with the processor (most of the receivers made in that era have this issue) that makes the LFE level 10 db lower in DTS than in DD. Bump up the LFE in the DTS settings 10 db higher than DD, and the playback should be more comparable. and the real differences with DTS will be more apparent.

[Woochifer]

Well I'm in the monority here, and if its down to my receiver I like that no one else seems too, so beit, but on my set up Dolby 5.1 sounds alot better than DTS. Maybe I'm not changing some receiver settings to get the correct DTS sound or something, but it just doesn't cut it with me.

Like I said before, if you want a true comparison of the two formats, listen to Twister, or Lethal Weapon I, II, III (director's cuts), because those are DVDs where the soundtracks did not go through some other alterations before getting encoded onto the disc. With most other DD/DTS comparisons that you can do, there are other differences in the dialog normalization offset, the master source, and the mixing sessions that you need to account for before saying one thing or another about whether DTS is what makes the difference. The DTS/DD differences vary widely between discs.